Zapotec Chavian Pyramids Analysis

This work of art is a sculpture. It was made from the now fossilized remains of the sacrum of a now-extinct camelid, similar to camels, llamas, and alpacas. The unknown artist(s) cut holes into the end of the bone to serve as nostrils. They also engraved the bone.

Thousands and thousands of workers, who technically were not slaves, instead were indentured slaves, came together and over the course of the next 23 years created this wonder. As is tradition and custom of ancient Egypt, Pharoahs began constructing their own Pyramids as soon as they took the throne. This of course provided the laborers and indentured slaves with a building frame and structure to continue on. Using copper chiseling tools does not seem farfetched as people of that era were known for their artistic abilities at making things.

     Paralleling the pyramids in Egypt were the ziggurats of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia (meaning between two rivers, the Tigress and Euphrates) began making these structures around roughly 2000 BC. They were made of bricks that they produced on the building’s work site. There were sun-dried bricks to make up the solid inside of the ziggurat, and there were kiln fired bricks that made up the structures façade. These bricks were much smaller than the stones used in Egypt and also did not have to be brought from far away. Some of the ziggurats were built on top of older ones. Like Egyptian pyramids, the ziggurat was believed to be a kind of gateway between heaven and earth, but unlike the pyramids, the ziggurats where not tombs for kings. Rather they were believed to be the earthly homes of gods. Egyptians built their massive structures outside of major populated areas. But the ziggurats were in prominent areas. Cities had their own patron god or goddess (some places even had two ziggurats, one for a god of both sexes) and priests were the only ones allowed into these temples. They had the honor of catering to the needs of the gods and were powerful figures in their respective communities. Mesopotamians also built the Tower of Babel, which was supposed to have been built as bridge from earth to heaven. It was most likely located in Neo-Babylonia (home of the Hanging Gardens) and was also one of

This pyramid was built by the Zapotec civilization in southern Mexico around 700BCE. The Zapotec people continue to strive in this

The large Olmec heads distinctive artistic creations. They were all sculpted from basalt rock and it is believed that they were made to resemble rulers. They built these large human heads to showcase the wealth and beauty that lay within the ceremonial

Egypt is also known for its statues depicting various gods and tombs for its numerous pharaohs. Their architectural prowess is a feat marveled at even today. The ability to design and build such grand monuments such as the iconic pyramids of Giza, rivalling even the Mayan and Aztec temples of South and Central America, reveals the true nature of innovation in Egypt. In fact, even without modern tools of measurement, the Great Pyramid, the largest tomb in Egypt, is almost geometrically perfect. For such a large structure, the length of all four sides at its base differ by less than a foot (McKenty 1).

The Olmec built these gigantic freestanding sculptures known as Colossal Heads which were found in San Lorenzo, Veracruz. They are over two meters long and weigh sixteen tons. They are also known simply as the Olmec heads. There are different interpretations as to why these heads were built. I belief that the author of the article “Toward a Conception of Monumental Olmec Art,” Beatriz de la Fuente, finds that the harmonic proportions of the Olmec heads symbolize the cosmos. De la Fuente uses iconography to demonstrate why the Olmec heads were portraits of someone superior. In the article, “The Portrait and the Mask: Invention and Translation,” the author, Esther Pasztory, writes about the effect the Olmec heads have on the viewer. Pasztory uses visual context to demonstrate how the heads were something people were, and still are, in awe of.

The first discovery of Olmec art was a colossal head, found in the area of Tres Zapotes in 1862. As of 2004 seventeen colossal heads have been located in several sites. These, like much Olmec art, were designed to glorify the Olmec rulers. For the Olmecs, art was meant to give power to the shaman or ruler. The massive "altars" made of enormous carved basalt blocks weighing up to 44 tons (40 metric tons), for instance, are believed to have served as thrones for the Olmec kings. At the bottom and front of each of these altars was a carved niche. A small human figure sits in the niche, holding either a were-jaguar on his lap or a cord in his hand, or both. The niche, according to experts, represents a cave, or the entrance to the supernatural world and the ruler's ties to the gods. The process of entering into the otherworld--the world of the supernatural--is central to most Olmec art. Though they were masters at stone carving, the Olmec were also highly skilled potters and stone cutters. Much of their pottery depicts nagual transformations--the jaguar in particular, but also the harpy (part bird, part woman), shark, and caiman (a kind of crocodile found in Central and South America). Among Olmec artifacts, archaeologists have found many life-sized ceramic human infants made from white clay. They are realistic portraits and beautifully crafted, but experts are not

The Zapotec progress was past Olmec human advancements and was situated in Oaxaca, Mexico. Huge numbers of their natives get by right up 'til today and keep up their social myths and conventions. The remains of the old pyramids additionally demonstrate to us a portion of the engineering. The photo above shows what the pyramids here look like today, which is amazing considering they were worked back somewhere around 300 and 900 CE. Pyramids portrayed their way of life also, created human

This is a tomb made by the Zapotec. It has no certain date. It was manufactured over the ground, one load on top of the other. These are the first divider artistic creations with a ballgame theme found in a Zapotec tomb.

The primary structures were located on the central road referred to us dead. The structures and streets were designed in a way that vividly resembled the natural landscape with beautiful mountains and valley. The art masterpiece was calculated, designed and put into the land that long-lasting mark is phenomenal. The Pyramid was built to have its grand stairway faced westward. This was planned for the usage of the Pyramid. It faces to the Sun when it sets. People resided in traditional wooden houses, other high-status people, both religious and political leaders lived in well-built stone houses that were smartly decorated, and even with better drainage

The Egyptian pyramids are massive, pyramid shaped structures. Made out of limestone and granite the pyramids had a square base and four sloping sides that meet to form a point at the top of the structure. The ziggurats however, were. The base of the ziggurats was rectangle shaped and the structure consisted of three platforms with stairs that often lead up to temple at the top. The basic forms of these two structures do share some resemblance. The Egyptian pyramids and Mesopotamian ziggurats are square in plan with a sloped elevation. Despite the designs of these structures, they had a huge difference in there size. The pyramids and ziggurats often varied in size. This is especially evident for the pyramids due to the building of each pyramid spanning over the life of the Pharaoh the pyramid was being constructed for. They are still a huge difference in the size of the tallest pyramid and ziggurat. while the largest ziggurat, Nanna, is about 100 feet

Built between 2584 and 2461, these monuments are the only one of the seven still around today. Sneferu created this design and made the first pyramid located in Giza. There were three pyramids in a row designed for Sneferu, two of them for other members of his close family. These three pyramids were a part of large temple grounds that mainly served as tombs for pharaohs. The main purpose of the pyramids was to serve as a safe and comfortable place for pharaohs to cross into the afterlife. People came to worship their gods here. These monuments have greatly influenced the ancient world and will continue to for thousands of years to come.

In this article, De la Fuenta addresses Olmec art, its themes, and the style variations in Olmec art. Olmec traits appear in several regions and vary in themes. The themes varied from the expression of religion, politics, society, technology or the economy of a certain group. Cosmogony, myths, and human/ animal combinations, were some of the themes that were present in Olmec art. One common theme that is present in many myths fin different cultures is that of the twins. The Olmec not only had different themes but also had different styles that varied depending on the region. Different styles pertained to different regions. The region that certain Olmec art pertained

This image is a sculpture created by the Zapotec tribe between 900 and 200 BEC in Modern Peru. This sculpture is usually created using clay and tools to etch in very fine details. Some activities that this object would be a part of would be at the center of a ceremony or in upper-class people homes. The amount of details in the sculpture proves that the people making it spent a lot