Art of Mesoamerica Chapters 3 5 Chapter 3 The Late Formative Only Tres Zapotes of the Olmec sustained development during Late Formative times Writing begins to develop during this period Monte Alban flourished during the Middle Formative times and was the Zapotek capital for Maize agriculture had been part of Olmec culture but corn masa starts to make it possible for 1 500 years populations to grow Writing and calendric systems o Roots of all calendric systems lie in Late Formative time o 260 day calendar and 365 day calendar used simultaneously o 260 day calendar Oldest and most important stone monuments in Oaxaca indicate use as early as sixth century Likely is this length because 260 days is the length of gestation conception until birth Separated into 20 day names with 13 day numbers which ran at the same time Aztecs called it the tonalpohualli o 365 day calendar Eighteen months of 20 days each plus 5 nameless days at the end of each year Four day names paired with coefficients of 1 to 13 Without leap days the calendar passed from one season to the next requiring moveable agricultural feasts At the end during the 5 nameless days Aztecs held a New Fire sacrificial ceremony to ensure the gods would make a new year begin o Long Count calendar was introduced during the Maya times 3114BC Five places running from largest to smallest Achievement was the ability to pinpoint events in time without ambiguity Dates always placed at the beginning of inscriptions and recorded in a system of bar and dot numeration Bar is five dot is one null represented by Maltese cross or shell Earliest known Long Count date is 36 BC recorded on Stela 2 at Chiapa de Corzo Non calendric writing first appeared during the Late Formative o Glyphs appear as human figures perhaps as names or events o First skill and sophistication in writing is shown in La Mojarra stele from Veracruz Monte Alban Danzantes o Most spectacular development during the Late Formative and Zapotek capital o Danzantes dancers carved into 300 slabs 140 incorporated into Temple of the Closed eyes naked mutilated suggests that they are prisoners of war Meant to show the power and victory of the Zapoteks who live there o Mound J probably erected after 200 BC set prominently off axis and given unusual form looks like an arrow pointing to the southwest Pointed head of the building is honeycombed with tunnels that are vaulted with stone slabs slanted to touch one another Shape suggest astronomical function Art of Mesoamerica Chapters 3 5 marriage portraits The Maya region times At zenith passage both mounts point to bright stars one of the first buildings to acknowledge passage of time Evolution of writing system writing is more elaborate Figures still show genital mutilation and costume details Human head is shown upside down under a place name in several places indication conquest and a date o Most tomb goods were gray ceramics effigy pots had slightly slanted eyes and downward turned mouth o Life sized pumas and jaguars wear scarves and adornments indicating supernatural qualities guardians that acted to deter potential violators of entry to the underworld o Scribe of Cuilapan slight asymmetry uneven shoulders and partly opened mouth o Jade used in Olmec work Kunz Axe and jade bat mask that would ve been worn at the capture a contemplative boy waist or chest o Sculptures are linked together by the fact that they were all found in shaft tombs consisted of a chamber opening out of a narrow shaft had multiple burials Most are from the Late Formative period Many times the dead were buried in the home o Ballcourts demonstrate the importance of the ballgame at an early date in the area o Nayarit potters made large hollow figures often in male and female pairs could be o Links between Maya and Olmec prominent during the Middle and Late Formative o San Bartolo structure scenes of bloodletting and sacrifice make it clear that rituals best known for the later Maya lay at the center of San Bartolo o North Wall Paintings at San Bartolo Two separate mythic scenes Left enthroned group bursts open with blood connecting central baby with headdresses and belt to four naked infants The infants join at central axis links the heavens underworld and earth Maize god major figure in Mayan art model for humanity itself Maize god has strong Olmec features intentional reference to antiquity God is attended by three turbaned males and four bare breasted females his wives Woman wears a shell around her waist symbol of noblewomen Maize god receives a flowering gourd similar to the one bursting woman offers him a jar of tamales jaguar breathes stream over her head Second scene talks place atop a serpents with footprints on it symbolizing a journey Red scrolls come out of serpent mouth San Bartolo paintings show the heart of the Maya religious narrative Maize god was intact in 100 BC and had familiarity with Olmec o Hero Twins are the Maize God s children and the actors who bring him to life at the end of the dry season o Boulder carvings and stelas were prominent both of the Olmec style o Most of the steals and alters carved during the Late Formative Art of Mesoamerica Chapters 3 5 o Many altars appear in the shape of large toads and frogs symbols of the earth Chapter 5 Monte Alban and Veracruz Some art and architecture survived from Late Formative times but most of the structures that flank the main plaza are from the Classic era o Monte Alban IIIa Early Classic to 400AD o Monte Alban IIIb Late Classic 400 900AD Plan designed to reproduce the rhythm of natural landforms approximate bilateral symmetry Structure not laid out on axis or grid do not radiate from a central point but instead frame negative space Great processional way is lined by low lying temples and modulated by changes in elevation Ceremonial core of Monte Alban is small compared to Teotihuacan Compounds erected on west side to flank earlier Temple of Danzantes Systems IV and M amphitheaters North Palace grew in size by the 8th century became increasable inaccessible during IIIb Tomb 104 Monte Alban o Represents Monte Alban IIIa o Palette emphasizes blue and yellow o Chamber entry is framed by a doorway with the usual overhanging profile molding o Door is surmounted by a fine ceramic figure wearing Cocijo rain god headdress o Sets of small identical urns had been placed along the body and other vessels positioned in the three cut out niches on the wall o Two painted figures flank the side walls in