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Ancient Civilizations of Mexico and Central America

MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

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Page.

Funerary Urn from a Zapotecan Tomb Frontispiece

Map of Mexico and Central America showing the Principal Archaeological Sites with a Detail Insert of the Valley of Mexico Facing 45

Diagram of American Chronology Facing 253

PLATES

I. a, Village Scene in Arid Mexico; b, In the Humid Lowlands 15

II. a, Site of Pueblo Viejo, the First Capital of Guatemala; b, A Spanish Church at the Village of Camotan on the Road to Copan 23

III. a, View of the Island Town of Flores in Lake Peten; b, The Sacred Cenote at Chichen Itza 28

IV. a, A Guatemalan huipili; b, Pouches of the Valiente Indians 40

V. a, Zapotecan Girl from the State of Oaxaca; b, Lacondone Man from Southern Mexico 42

VI. a, Cuicuilco. A view showing cobblestone facing of mound and lava in contact with apron or causeway; b, Archaic Site under Lava Flow near Mexico City 50

VII. Large Archaic Figures found in Graves and offering Evidence of Ancient Customs and Arts and also showing a Quality of Caricature or possibly Portraiture 54

VIII. Two Stages in the Stone Sculptures of Costa Rica 60

IX. a, Stone Sculptures of the Archaic Period; b, Typical Site of the Archaic Period 62

X. Widely Distributed Female Figurines 65

XI. Distribution of the Archaic Culture 69

XII. Distribution of Agriculture in the New World 70

XIII. A General View of the Ceremonial Center of Copan 72

XIV. a, View of the Plaza at Copan from the Northwestern Corner; b, View Across the Artificial Acropolis at Copan 74

XV. a, Model of the Temple of the Cross, Palenque, designed to show the Construction; b, Detail of Frieze on the Temple of the Cross 76

XVI. A Temple of Hochob showing Elaborate Facade Decorations in Stucco 80

XVII. A Sealed Portal Vault in the House of the Governor at Uxmal 82

XVIII. a, Realistic Designs on Vases from Chamá, Guatemala; b, The Quetzal as represented on a Painted Cylindrical Vase from Copan 85

XIX. Stela 13, Piedras Negras 96

XX. a, Top of Stela 1 at Yaxchilan; b, Analogous Detail of Stela 4, Yaxchilan 102

XXI. Development in Style of Carving at Copan 107

XXII. Scheme of the Mayan Calendar as presented in the Codex Tro-Cortesianus 116

XXIII. Typical Mayan Inscription 122

XXIV. Page 24 Dresden Codex 130

XXV. a, Detail of the Dresden Codex showing Tzolkin used in Divination; b, Analysis of the above Tzolkin, according to Förstemann 134

XXVI. General View of Monte Alban from the North 152

XXVII. Detail of Monte Alban showing Wall Foundations and Small Cell-like Rooms 155

XXVIII. Zapotecan Art: Incense Burners, Funerary Vases of Portrait Type, Cruciform Tomb with Geometric Decoration 158

XXIX. a, Sculpture of Stone of the Early Zapotecan Period; b, Jade Tablets pierced for Suspension 162

XXX. Laughing Head of the Totonacs 166

XXXI. a, An Elaborately Carved Stone Collar; b, A Palmate Stone from the State of Vera Cruz 168

XXXII. The Temple of Xochicalco before Restoration 174

XXXIII. Two Views of the Principal Pyramid in the Citadel at Teotihuacan 176

XXXIV. a, Partial View of the Great Pyramid at Cholula; b, A View at La Quemada 181

XXXV. Stone Slab from an Ancient Sepulcher in the State of Guerrero 186

XXXVI. a, Finely Carved Ceremonial Slab found at Mercedes, Costa Rica; b, Stone Figure from Costa Rica; c, Ceremonial Slab decorated with Monkeys, Mercedes, Costa Rica 192

XXXVII. a, The Gold Work of the Ancient Mexicans; b, Ornament of Gold from Costa Rica 196

XXXVIII. A Page from the Tribute Roll of Moctezuma 200

XXXIX. A Page from the Codex Telleriano Remensis 202

XL. Serpent Head at Bottom of Balustrade, Great Pyramid, Mexico City 206

XLI. Sahagun’s Plan of the Tecpan in Mexico City 212

XLII. The Calendar Stone of the Aztecs 214

XLIII. The Shield Stone at Cuernavaca 216

XLIV. The Newly Discovered “National Stone” of Mexico 220

XLV. Sculpture representing Coatlicue, the Serpent-Skirted Goddess 222

XLVI. Page from the Tonalamatl Section of the Codex Borbonicus 228

XLVII. a, Picture of Tlaloc, the God of Rain, and of Ehecatl, the God of Winds, in the Codex Magliabecchiano; b, Mexican Genealogical Table on Amatl Paper 230

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TEXT FIGURES

1. The Great Snowstorm of 1447 shown in the Pictographic Record of the Aztecs 13

2. A Mexican Picture of a Volcanic Eruption 16

3. Yucatan Deer caught in a Snare 20

4. The Moan Bird, or Yucatan Owl, personified as a Demigod 20

5. Spanish Ship in the Aubin Codex 22

6. Cortez arrives with Sword and Cross and Moctezuma brings him Gold 25

7. Aztecan Canoe. Lienzo de Tlaxcala 26

8. Design on Modern Huichol Ribbon 37

9. Woven Pouch of the Huichol Indians 37

10. Atzcapotzalco Destroyed 47

11. Diagram of Culture Strata at Atzcapotzalco 48

12. Teocentli or Mexican Fodder Grass 51

13. Archaic Figurines from Central Mexico 55

14. Archaic Figurines—Zapotlan, Jalisco; Tampico, Vera Cruz; and Cuesta Blanca, Salvador 55

15. Archaic Figurine from Salvador 56

16. Types of Eyes of Archaic Figurines 57

17. Textile Designs painted on Archaic Effigies 58

18. Typical Tripod Vessels of the Archaic Period, from Morelos, Mexico 59

19. Series showing the Modification of a Celt into a Stone Amulet 61

20. Groundplans of Yaxchilan Temples 77

21. Cross-section of Typical Mayan Temple in Northern Yucatan 78

22. Mask Panel over Doorway at Xkichmook, Yucatan 84

23. Design on Engraved Pot representing a Tiger seated in a Wreath of Water Lilies. Northern Yucatan 86

24. Painted Design on Cylindrical Bowl showing Serpent issuing from a Shell Salvador 86

25. Mayan Basket represented in Stone Sculpture 88

26. Typical Elaborated Serpents of the Mayas 90

27. Conventional Serpent of the Mayas used for Decorative Purposes 91

28. Upper Part of Serpent Head made into a Fret Ornament 92

29. Sculpture on Front of Lintel at Yaxchilan 93

30. Types of Human Heads on the Lintels of Yaxchilan 94

31. Sculpture on Upper Part of Stela 11, Seibal 95

32. The Ceremonial Bar 98

33. The Manikin Scepter 99

34. The Two-Headed Dragon 100

35. Gods in the Dresden Codex 101

36. The Front Head of the Two-Headed Dragon on Stelæ at Piedras Negras showing the Increase in Flamboyant Treatment 105

37. Grotesque Face on the Back of Stela B, Copan 108

38. Jaguar in Dresden Codex with a Water Lily attached to Forehead 108

39. Late Sculpture from Chichen Itza 109

40. The Twenty Day Signs 112

41. The Nineteen Month Signs of the Mayan Year 115

42. Bar and Dot Numerals of the Mayas 119

43. Face Numerals found in Mayan Inscriptions 121

44. The Normal Forms of the Period Glyphs 121

45. Face Forms of Period Glyphs 121

46. Hieroglyphs of the Four Directions 127

47. Hieroglyphs containing the Phonetic Element kin 127

48. Mayan Ceremony as represented in the Dresden Codex 132

49. Diagram of the Astronomical Base Line at Copan giving Readings at April 9 and September 2 138

50. Representations of the Moon 142

51. The Last Glyph of the Supplementary Series 142

52. Comparison of Mayan and Zapotecan Serpent Heads 156

53. Bar and Dot Numerals combined with Hieroglyphs on Zapotecan Monuments 157

54. Detail of Wall Construction at Mitla 161

55. Wall Paintings of Mitla 163

56. The Eyes of Totonacan Figurines 165

57. Jointed Doll of Clay from San Juan Teotihuacan 178

58. Pottery Plates from Cholula with Decorations in Several Colors 180

59. Vessel with “Cloisonné” Decoration in Heavy Pigments 184

60. The Turtle Motive as developed in Negative Painting with Wax at Totoate, Jalisco 185

61. Jaguar Head on Disk-Shaped Stone, Salvador 187

62. Front View and Profile View Serpent Heads in Chorotegan Art 190

63. Jaguar Design associated with Figurines that still retain Archaic Characters, Costa Rica 191

64. Jaguars from painted Nicoyan Vases 191

65. Highly Conventionalized Jaguar Motive 193

66. Simple Crocodile Figures in Red Lines on Dishes from Mercedes, Costa Rica 194

67. Panels containing Crocodiles painted in White Lines on Large Tripod Bowls from Mercedes, Costa Rica 194

68. Simplified Crocodile Heads in the Yellow Line Ware of Mercedes, Costa Rica 194

69. Conventional Crocodiles from Costa Rica and Panama 197

70. Pictographic Record of the Fighting near the Springs of Chapultepec 207

71. Details from the Stone of Tizoc 219

72. Detail showing the Construction of the Face of Coatlicue 223

73. Hieroglyphs of Precious Materials 224

74. Phonetic Elements derived from Pictures and used in Mexican Place Name Hieroglyphs 224

75. Aztecan Place Names 225

76. Aztecan Day Signs 226

77. Variant Forms of Aztecan Day Signs 226

78. Aztecan Numbers and Objects of Commerce 227

79. Analysis of Mexican Record 231

80. Chalchuihtlicue, Aztecan Goddess of Water 232

81. A Mexican Orchestra 241

82. Mexican Blanket with the Design that represents interlacing Sand and Water called “Spider Water” 243

83. The Year Symbol of Southern Mexico 245

84. Year Bearers in the Codex Porfirio Diaz ascribed to the Cuicatecan Tribe 246

85. A Page from the Codex Nuttall, recording the Conquest of a Town situated on an Island of the Sea 247

86. The God Macuilxochitl, Five Flower, as shown in a Mexican Codex and in Pottery from Southern Mexico 248

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