Mayan Temples, Iroquois Society & Pagodas

Mayan Temples

• Roof combs were intricately carved or painted, often with zoomorphic or anthropomorphic motifs and texts.
• The carvings showcased attributes of the tomb's occupant, who was typically a late ruler.
• These temples acted as funerary monuments.
• Intricate, commemorative mosaic portraits adorned the combs.

Iroquois Settlement Social Structure

• The Iroquois society was matrilineal.
• The social structure was clan-organized.
• Longhouses expanded with family additions, leading to village expansion within clans.
• Men were responsible for forest management and lake resources.
• Women managed villages, gardens, and prayed to the "Three Sisters" (corn, beans, squash).
• Men offered prayers and tobacco to forest spirits.
• Iroquois villages remained in one location for approximately 20 years, given tillable land, sufficient building materials, and firewood. Then new locations were found.

Pagodas

• Buddhist temple complexes housed a hall for venerating Buddha and a separate pagoda built over relics associated with the Buddha.
• The pagoda design likely originated from parasol-like finials of northern Indian stupas.
• Pagodas are multi-storied, with an odd number of stories (5, 7, 9, etc.).
• The Songyue Pagoda (523 CE) in Dengfeng, Henan Province, and the Fogong Pagoda (1056 CE) in Shanxi Province are examples of early brick pagodas.
• Songyue Pagoda is the oldest known brick pagoda, at 130 feet tall.
• Fogong Pagoda is 220 feet tall.

Great Wall of China

• Construction lasted from 221 BCE to 1644 CE, spanning 4,500 miles from the East China Sea to the Gobi Desert.
• Purpose: Defence against nomadic Mongols from the north.
• It's comprised of multiple sections rather than a single continuous wall.
• Materials initially were rammed earth, later brick and stone during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE).
• Wall height ranges from 19 to 40 feet high, with an average top width of 16 feet.
• Features include battlements on the north-facing side and watchtowers at intervals for early warning. Fires were lit to warn of enemy approaches.

Effigy Mounds

• Effigy mounds were regional earthworks primarily found in Iowa and Wisconsin but also in the Tennessee and Ohio River valleys.
• These earthen mounds were shaped like animals including birds, bears, deer, bison, lynx, turtles, panthers or water spirits.
• Linear or rectangular mounds were also built, likely for ceremonial purposes.
• Some hypotheses suggest their construction reflected celestial events, seasonal observances, territory marking or group boundaries.