Mysteries of the lost civilizations of Mesoamerica presentation. The ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica are some of the most mysterious pages in history. Presentation on the topic: Artistic culture of Mesoamerica

Slide 5

Artistic culture of the classical period.

Slide 6

The oldest civilization of pre-Columbian America was the Olmec culture, who lived on the Gulf Coast in the 2nd-1st millennia BC. research has shown that the Olmecs had well-planned cultural centers and step pyramids, stone sculpture, decorative arts, hieroglyphic writing, and a ritual calendar. Olmec architecture is poorly preserved, as the building materials used were earth and rubble, covered with a thick layer of plaster.

Slide 7

Olmec sculpture, represented by huge stone heads up to 3 m high and weighing up to 40 tons, became world famous. Their purpose is still not known exactly, but most likely they were of a cult nature. These giant heads, discovered during excavations, still amaze today with their monumentality, mastery of execution, and realistic reproduction of the individual traits of personalities known at that time.

Slide 8

One of the famous sculptures depicts a young man with a wide and flat, as if flattened nose, thick lips and almond-shaped eyes, slightly covered with heavy eyelids. The height of the sculpture is 2.41 m, weight 25 tons. On the young man’s head is a tight-fitting helmet with headphones decorated with a relief pattern.

Slide 9

Wrestler (Wrestler) 600-400 BC. 63x40 cm This basalt sculpture of a shaven, bearded man captures him in dynamics, which is almost unique for all sculptures of Mesoamerica. Although scientists are cautious in their guesses about who this figurine depicts, there is an assumption that it is still a ball player

Slide 10

Monument 19 from La Venta Depicts a man inside a curved snake, a man dressed in clothing with the same distinctive marks as the snake. This monument is similar in theme to other Olmec monuments, which depict the emergence of a man from zoomorphic caves or niches

Slide 11

Figurine of a seated man dressed as a supernatural beast 1200-600 AD. BC. 29.5x21.3 cm The nose and mouth are depicted quite realistically, but the figure has no eyes at all. Instead of them, the motif of flaming eyebrows characteristic of the Olmecs

Slide 12

By the beginning of the new era, the Olmec culture had disappeared. What caused its decline is unknown, but it was replaced by new civilizations, and above all the city of Teotihuacan in Central America. In this city, from its heyday, two main temples dedicated to the Sun and Moon have been preserved. They are located at the top of a huge step pyramid. The temples were decorated with colorful paintings and brightly painted statues of gods. The eyes of the sculptures are inlaid with precious stones and mother-of-pearl.

Slide 13

The most grandiose architectural structure is the Pyramid of the Sun, which currently has a height of 64.6 m. Unlike other pyramidal structures that had a stepped shape, the Pyramid of the Sun consists of four large, decreasing truncated pyramids, placed one on top of the other. On one side of the pyramid there is a system of gradually narrowing ramps that led to the sanctuary in the temple. The planes between the terraces of the building were constructed in such a way that spectators located at the foot of the large staircase could not see what was happening at its top. The pyramid was built from a huge number of mud bricks and faced with plastered stone slabs.

Slide 14

Slide 15

Most likely, the pyramid also served as a “sundial”, accurately marking the onset of the equinox. On March 20 and September 22, an amazing sight could be observed here: exactly at noon, the sun's rays caused a gradual disappearance of the direct shadow on the lower step of the western facade. The transition time from complete shading to illumination took exactly 66.6 seconds. Of course, in order to achieve such a visual effect, one had to have perfect knowledge in the fields of mathematics, astronomy and geodesy.

Slide 16

Several small stepped pyramids were symmetrically located around the Pyramid of the Sun, emphasizing the monumentality of the main building. In architectural decor there are decorations in the form of huge snake heads painted with white paint. On the head of each snake there was a corolla and feathers, symbolizing a particularly revered deity. In the middle of the 9th century. The city was abandoned by its inhabitants and turned into a pile of ruins. The civilizations of the classical period were destroyed by the invasion of peoples from the north, first the Toltecs, and then the Aztecs, who created their own civilization.

Slide 17

Questions:

Which Olmec sculptures are world famous? What are the distinctive features of the Olmec pyramids? Name the most famous Olmec pyramid. ?

Slide 18

Aztec artistic culture

Slide 19

The main feature of the art of the Aztec hunting tribes was the worship of the gods. Surviving legends and tales tell of the numerous campaigns and bloody battles of this warlike people before they created a powerful empire with a highly developed culture. The main place of worship of the gods were temples, of which there were more than 40 thousand by the beginning of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.

Slide 20

The capital of the Aztecs, Tenochtitlan, was especially striking in its splendor. The city center was located on an island in the middle of a picturesque lake, surrounded by buildings on stilts and dams, cut by canals. In case of danger, bridges spanning the canals were raised and the city turned into an impregnable fortress. Alas, Tenochtitlan did not escape a sad fate: at the beginning of the 16th century, the city was conquered and destroyed by the Spanish conquistador conquerors.

Slide 21

We know very little about Aztec architecture, since many structures were destroyed or completely rebuilt. Information about them is preserved only in the descriptions of Spanish eyewitnesses. It is known that in the center of Tenochtitlan there were three palaces of the Aztec rulers and the main temple of the supreme god of war. Two small wooden temples were built on top of the step pyramid.

Slide 22

Aztec sculpture reached a special peak. Monumental statues of deities are abstract and conventional in nature. An example is the huge statue of Coatlicue - the goddess of earth and spring fertility, the mother of the supreme god of war. This statue only vaguely resembles a human figure: it has no face, no head, no arms, no legs. It is made of various materials: corn cobs, claws, human skulls, feathers, etc. all this heap is symmetrical and balanced.

Slide 23

Aztec funeral masks had a different character, reflecting the facial features of the buried person. Notable in this regard is the basalt head of the “eagle warrior”, in which the strong-willed face of the young warrior is masterfully conveyed. Small plastic works also attract attention: graceful figurines of a frightened rabbit crouched on its hind legs and a coiled snake.

Slide 24

The few surviving works of jewelry are amazing in their craftsmanship. Necklaces, pendants, earrings, and breast plates are distinguished by their elegance and precision of modeling.

Slide 25

Questions:

1. Tell us about the features of Aztec sculpture. 2. What is remarkable about Aztec funeral masks? ?

Slide 26

Mayan artistic culture

Slide 27

The Mayan civilization achieved particular success. Long before their conquest by the conquerors, the Mayans invented an accurate solar calendar, determined the length of the year, used the concept of zero in mathematics a thousand years earlier than European civilization, accurately predicted solar and lunar eclipses, and invented developed hieroglyphic writing. The Mayan art was distinguished by sophistication and perfection. One of the most eloquent evidence of this culture is architecture.

Slide 28

Among the monuments of artistic culture, the best preserved works of architecture have survived to this day. They are striking in their amazing sense of proportions, majestic monumentality, diversity, variety of architectural forms. These are not only pyramids and courtyards, these are astronomical observatories, ball courts, columns, stairs, triumphal arches and steles.

Slide 29

One of the peaks of Mayan architecture is the Palace complex in the city of Palenque. 25 buildings scattered across a rolling plain. The main decorations of the complex are the palace and the step pyramid of the Inscriptions, three temples - the Sun, the Cross and the Foliated Cross.

Slide 30

The palace in Palenque stands on a natural plateau, rising almost 70 m above the plain. Inside the palace there are courtyards surrounded by galleries. Richly decorated with carved and sculpted images and inscriptions, the palace has a four-story square turret, which probably served as an astronomical observatory for the Mayan priests.

Slide 31

The Temple of the Inscriptions is a 9-step pyramid rising above the ground to a height of about 24m. A rectangular temple was erected on its upper platform, to which a staircase of 69 steps leads. The walls of the temple are decorated with panels, richly decorated bas-reliefs and relief hieroglyphic inscriptions, thanks to which the temple got its name.

Slide 32

No less unique are the so-called stadiums, structures for the iconic ball game. They represent two inclined massive walls running parallel to each other. Between them there was a court for playing ball. Participants were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or feet. The winner was the team that was the first to throw the ball into a round hole made in the stone wall. Fans were located on the tops of two walls, which they climbed using stairs located on the outside.

Slide 33

Slide 34

Mayan fine art also had its own characteristic features. There was a canon in it, which was determined by the cult of the deified ruler and his ancestors. The Mayan ruler was most often depicted in war scenes or seated on a throne. The main attention of the sculptors was attracted not by individual features, but by the accurate and careful reproduction of a magnificent costume, headdress and other attributes of power. His face conveyed indifference and calm majesty. The image of the ruler was accompanied by a short hieroglyphic text containing information about his birth, reign, and military successes. The artistic culture of the Mayans had a huge influence on American culture of subsequent eras.

Slide 39

One of the most outstanding buildings of the Inca period is the main temple of the Sun. According to the descriptions, it was surrounded by a triple wall, which had a circumference of about 380 m. The perfectly hewn stones were tightly fitted to each other without the use of a binding solution. The main wall contained the only entrance leading from the square directly to the sanctuary of the deity. In the central hall of the sanctuary, an image of the sun god was erected in the form of a huge disk decorated with precious stones.

Slide 40

Around the main buildings were the quarters of the priests and temple servants and the world famous “Golden Garden” of the Incas. Its dimensions reached approximately 220 by 100 m, and the garden itself and all its inhabitants - people, birds, lizards, insects - were made life-size from pure gold and silver.

Slide 41

The Incas achieved some success in sculpture. One of the most significant sculptural monuments is the relief on the Gate of the Sun in Tiahuanaco. Pottery works have also survived to this day. Ing craftsmen created gold jewelry, exquisite luxury items, which used fancy graphic patterns on mythological stories about the creation of the world, the struggle of heroes with fantastic monsters, as well as episodes from everyday life.

Slide 42

Questions for homework.

Masterpieces of Aztec art World significance of Mayan artistic culture Artistic achievements of the peoples of pre-Columbian America. The most ancient cities of Mesoamerica.

View all slides

Artistic culture of Mesoamerica

Long before Europeans discovered the American continent, the cultural civilizations of the Olmecs, Aztecs, Mayans and Incas arose in Central and South America, which had an original and distinctive character. It is possible to understand this uniqueness only by taking into account the historical characteristics under which the artistic culture of the so-called pre-Columbian America(before 1492, the time of the discovery of the American continent by Christopher Columbus).

The largest center of artistic culture became Mesoamerica, which included the territory of modern Mexico (except for the desert in the north) and extended south to approximately Nicaragua. This unique civilization, which is the greatest asset of world culture, was an amazing constellation of nations, city-states, ceremonial, political and economic centers known throughout the world today: Tenochtitlan, Teotihucan, Palenque, Chichen Itza.

The structure and meaning of the artistic language of Mesoamerica make it possible to comprehend the ideas and concepts that underlay the complex picture of the world, in which myth and man are inextricably linked. In this cultural area, a unique architectural style was formed, inextricably linked with other forms of art and reflecting ideas about the structure of the Universe and the movement of stars.

What is characteristic of the art of these peoples? First of all, the affirmation of the omnipotence and greatness of the sacred deity, the cult of ancestors, the glorification of victories over enemies, the exaltation of rulers and the supreme nobility.

Artistic culture of the classical period

The oldest civilization of pre-Columbian America was the Olmec culture, who lived on the Gulf Coast in the 2nd-1st millennia BC. e. Research has shown that the Olmecs had well-planned cultural centers and step pyramids, stone sculpture, arts and crafts, hieroglyphic writing, and a ritual calendar. Olmec architecture is poorly preserved, as the building materials used were earth and rubble, covered with a thick layer of plaster.

Olmec sculptures, represented by huge stone heads up to 3 m high and weighing up to 40 tons, became world famous. Their purpose is still unknown, but most likely they were of a cult nature. These giant heads, discovered during excavations, still amaze today with their monumentality, mastery of execution, and realistic reproduction of the individual traits of personalities known at that time.

One of the famous sculptures depicts young man with a wide and flat nose, as if flattened in the middle, thick lips and almond-shaped eyes, slightly covered with heavy eyelids. The height of the sculpture is 2.41 m, weight 25 tons. On the young man’s head is a tight-fitting helmet with headphones decorated with a relief pattern.

By the beginning of the new era, the Olmec culture had disappeared. What caused its decline is unknown, but it was replaced by new civilizations, and above all Teotihuacan city in Central America (2nd century BC - 7th century AD). In this city, located near modern Mexico City, two main temples dedicated to the Sun and Moon have been preserved from its heyday. They are located at the top of a huge step pyramid. The temples were decorated with colorful paintings and brightly painted statues of gods. The eyes of the sculptures are inlaid with precious stones and mother-of-pearl.

The most grandiose architectural structure - pyramid of the sun(Mexico), currently 64.6 m high (in all likelihood, it was even higher in ancient times). Unlike other pyramidal structures that had a stepped shape, the Pyramid of the Sun consists of four large, decreasing truncated pyramids, placed one on top of the other. On one side of the pyramid there is a system of gradually narrowing ramps that led to the sanctuary in the temple. The planes between the terraces of the building were constructed in such a way that spectators located at the foot of the large staircase could not see what was happening at its top. The pyramid was built from a huge number of mud bricks and faced with plastered stone slabs.

Most likely, the pyramid also served as a “sundial”, accurately marking the onset of the equinox. On March 20 and September 22, an amazing sight could be observed here: exactly at noon, the sun's rays caused a gradual disappearance of the direct shadow on the lower step of the western facade. The transition time from complete shading to illumination took exactly 66.6 seconds. Of course, in order to achieve such a visual effect, one had to have perfect knowledge in the fields of mathematics, astronomy and geodesy.

Several small stepped pyramids were symmetrically located around the Pyramid of the Sun, emphasizing the monumentality of the main building. In architectural decor there are decorations in the form of huge snake heads painted with white paint. On the head of each snake there was a crown of feathers, symbolizing a particularly revered deity of light.

In the middle of the 9th century. the city was abandoned by its inhabitants and turned into a heap of ruins. The civilizations of the classical period were destroyed by the invasion of peoples from the north, first the Toltecs, and in the 11th century. new conquerors - Aztecs who created their own civilization.

Aztec artistic culture

The main feature of the art of the Aztec hunting tribes was the worship of the gods. Surviving legends and tales tell of the numerous campaigns and bloody battles of this warlike people before they created a powerful empire with a highly developed culture. The main place of worship of the gods were temples, which by the beginning of the conquest by the Spaniards in the 16th century. there were more than 40 thousand.

The capital of the Aztecs was especially striking in its splendor Tenochtitlan(“a fruit tree growing from a stone”), or Mexico City - now the capital of Mexico (named after the main god of war - Mehitli). The city center was located on an island in the middle of a picturesque lake, surrounded by buildings on stilts and dams, cut by canals. In case of danger, bridges spanning the canals were raised, and the city turned into an impregnable fortress. Alas, Tenochtitlan did not escape a sad fate: at the beginning of the 16th century. the city was conquered and destroyed by the Spanish conquerors - the conquistadors.

We know very little about Aztec architecture, since many structures were destroyed or completely rebuilt. Information about them is preserved only in the descriptions of Spanish eyewitnesses. It is known that in the center of Tenochtitlan there were three palaces of the Aztec rulers and the main temple of the supreme god of war. Two small wooden temples were built on top of the step pyramid.

The Aztec culture reached a special peak. sculpture. Monumental statues of deities are abstract and conventional in nature. As an example, we can cite the huge statue of Coatlicue- goddess of the earth and spring fertility - mother of the supreme deity of war. This statue only vaguely resembles a human figure: it has no face, no head, no arms, no legs. It is made of various materials: corn cobs, claws and fangs of jaguars, human skulls and palms, feathers, wriggling snakes, eagle paws, etc. All this heap of various objects is strictly symmetrical and balanced.

Have a different character funeral masks Aztecs, reflecting the facial features of the buried person. Notable in this regard is the basalt head of the “eagle warrior”, in which the strong-willed face of the young warrior is masterfully conveyed. The works also attract attention small plastic surgery: graceful figurines of a frightened rabbit crouched on its hind legs, a coiled snake, a grasshopper preparing to jump, smoking pipes decorated with a seated figure of the god of fire.

Few surviving works jewelry art amaze with their skill. Necklaces, pendants, earrings, and breast plates are distinguished by their elegance and fine design.

Mayan artistic culture

The Mayan civilization achieved particular success. Long before the conquest by the Spanish conquerors in the 9th-10th centuries. The Mayans invented an accurate solar calendar, determined the length of the year, used the concept of zero in mathematics a thousand years earlier than European civilization, accurately predicted solar and lunar eclipses, and invented developed hieroglyphic writing. The Mayan art was distinguished by sophistication and perfection.

One of the most eloquent evidence of this culture is architecture: majestic pyramids, magnificent palaces and white-stone cities, lost in the impenetrable jungle of Central America. To the achievements of architecture should be added beautiful monuments of sculpture, unique multi-color frescoes, paintings on vessels, graceful figurines, jewelry, wonderful works made using the technique of carving wood, bone and mother-of-pearl.

The origin of the Mayan civilization is shrouded in mystery. Its appearance dates back to the turn of our era, when Caesar’s legions subjugated more and more lands to the rule of Rome; its rapid flowering occurred in the 7th-8th centuries. n. e. Only towards the end of the 9th century. The majestic cities froze, the palaces were empty, and the echo of human voices fell silent in the wide squares of the Mayan cities.

What caused the death of the once prosperous civilization is still unknown. There are several versions on this score: an earthquake, sudden climate change, depletion of previously fertile lands, epidemics of terrible diseases, foreign invasion, endless wars...

Of the monuments of Mayan artistic culture, the best preserved to this day are works of architecture. They are striking in their amazing sense of proportions, majestic monumentality, and variety of architectural forms. These are not only pyramids and palaces, but also astronomical observatories, ball courts, colonnades, staircases, triumphal arches and steles.

Unlike the Egyptian pyramids, tetrahedral step pyramids were built here, on the truncated top of which a temple with two or three rooms was built. A long, wide staircase led from the base of the pyramid to the door of the sanctuary; sometimes such staircases were located on all four sides of the pyramid.

One of the peaks of Mayan architecture is Palace complex in the city of Palenque on the Yucatan Peninsula. Twenty-five buildings, scattered across a rolling plain covered with dense tropical forest, are grouped around four courtyards and connected by narrow corridors and staircases. The main decorations of the complex are the palace and the step pyramid of the Inscriptions (692). To the southeast there are three more temples - the Sun, the Cross (642) and the Foliated Cross (692). This is how the French traveler M. Pessel described his first meeting with the city: “The ruins of Palenque, appearing so unexpectedly among the endless forest ocean, were simply stunning. Here the mystery of centuries appeared before me, the mystery of a civilization that had died and disappeared, but still miraculously continues to live in these grandiose buildings - witnesses of past power and glory.”

The palace at Palenque (now much destroyed) stands on a natural plateau, rising almost 70 m above the plain. Inside the palace there are courtyards surrounded by galleries. Richly decorated with carved and sculpted images and inscriptions, the palace has a four-story square turret, which probably served as an astronomical observatory for the Mayan priests.

The Temple of the Inscriptions is a 9-step pyramid rising above the ground to a height of about 24 m. On its upper platform there is a rectangular temple, to which a staircase of 69 steps leads. The walls of the temple are decorated with panels, richly decorated bas-reliefs and relief hieroglyphic inscriptions, thanks to which the temple got its name.

As you know, step pyramids with a flat top often served as tombs of revered people. That is why kings and priests performed rituals here in order to establish a magical connection with the spirits of their ancestors. Inside the pyramid, at a depth of 25 m, in 1952, a magnificent tomb of one of the Mayan rulers was discovered. The relief on the lid of the sarcophagus of this ruler was able to tell scientists a lot. Ancient craftsmen reproduced in stone the Seven Caves - the ancestral home of many Mexican tribes and the world tree connecting the underground and upper worlds. Many symbols associated with Mayan beliefs were woven into the image of the tree (for example, a large quetzal bird with a wide open beak, symbolizing the connection between worlds, reviving the souls of the dead).

No less peculiar are the so-called stadiums- structures with courts for the iconic ball game. They represent two inclined massive walls running parallel to each other. Between them there was a court for playing ball. Participants were not allowed to touch the ball with their hands or feet. You could only play with your elbows, shoulders and sides. The winner was the team that was the first to throw the ball into a round hole made in the stone wall.

Fans were located on the tops of two walls, which they climbed using stairs located on the outside.

art Maya also had its own characteristic features. There was a canon in it, which was determined by the cult of the deified ruler and his ancestors. He achieved particular perfection in works of sculpture. The Mayan ruler was most often depicted in war scenes or seated on a throne. The main attention of the sculptors was not attracted by the individual features of his appearance or his inner soul.

quality, but an accurate and careful reproduction of a magnificent costume, headdress and other attributes of power. A certain idealized person appeared before the viewer, frozen in a motionless pose, devoid of feelings and character traits. His face conveyed indifference and calm majesty. It inspired fear in the conquered captives. They, unlike the ruler, were aware of human feelings: grief, pain from wounds, silent obedience... The image of the ruler was accompanied by a short hieroglyphic text containing information about his birth, reign, military victories and other successes.

The artistic culture of the Mayan peoples had a huge influence on the American culture of subsequent eras.

Inca artistic culture

One of the most famous South American civilizations was the Inca Empire, an Indian people who lived from the 11th century. in the territory of modern Peru. This empire included the lands of modern Bolivia, the southern part of Ecuador, northern Chile and Argentina. Inca legends have been preserved, telling about the emergence of the world, the first deities and people. At the head of the Inca empire was the Supreme Inca - the Son of the Sun, and the Incas themselves considered themselves “sons of the Sun”. The image of the luminary in the form of a golden disk with a human face was the subject of official cult.

One of the oldest legends tells that when a couple emerged from Lake Titicaca, having received a magical golden rod from their father the Sun, they were predicted to found a city and a country in a certain place. They searched for this place for a long time, and then one day, after a long search, the rod suddenly went into the ground. Here the capital of the Inca Empire arose - Cusco, the ruins of which can still be seen today.

The Incas entered the history of world art thanks to the beauty and grandeur of their temples. On the coast of Peru, many pyramids have survived to this day, but, unlike other American civilizations, they served for collective burials of embalmed bodies of the dead. Some step pyramids had a circular rather than rectangular plan.

One of the most outstanding structures of the Inca period is the main Temple of the Sun- “Golden Fence”. According to the descriptions, it was surrounded by a triple wall, which had a circumference of about 380 m. Well-hewn stones were tightly fitted to each other without the use of a binding solution. The wall was decorated with a belt of gold plates “four palms wide and four fingers thick,” as one eyewitness testifies. In the main wall there was a single entrance leading from the Square of the Sun directly into the sanctuary of the deity. In the central hall of the sanctuary, an image of the Sun god was erected in the form of a huge golden disk decorated with precious stones. An unquenchable fire was constantly maintained in front of him.

Around the main buildings were the quarters of the priests and temple servants and the world famous “Golden Garden” of the Incas. Its dimensions reached approximately 220 x 100 m, and the garden itself and all its inhabitants - people, birds, lizards, insects - were made life-size from pure gold and silver.

The Incas also achieved some success in sculpture. One of the most significant sculptural monuments is relief at the Gate of the Sun in Tiahuanaco. On the front side of a huge monolithic stone block there is a relief carved with the image of the supreme deity. The deity stands on a dais with staffs in both hands. His headdress resembles radiating snakes. The figure of the deity is squat, he has unnaturally small legs, and his face is wide and square. On either side of him are three rows of minor deities, or winged geniuses, facing him. The relief gives the impression of calm grandeur and power. The most mysterious thing in this building is the frieze calendar depicting human figures, animals and ornaments. Among the many animals carved on the Gate of the Sun, you can even find an elephant.

Works have also survived to this day ceramics. Inca craftsmen created jewelry from gold, exquisite luxury items, in which they used fancy graphic patterns on mythological stories about the creation of the world, the struggle of heroes with fantastic monsters, as well as episodes from everyday life (hunting, fishing, weaving).