History of Mesoamerican Architecture PDF

HOA 1 ARCH 104 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1 AR. SARAH JANE PAHIMNAYAN-PAGADOR, REB, MArch, UAP - Known for agricultural, architectural and TIKAL TEMPLE mathematical innovations. Mesoamerica was a region of innovation with advanced agri...

HOA 1 ARCH 104 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1 AR. SARAH JANE PAHIMNAYAN-PAGADOR, REB, MArch, UAP - Known for agricultural, architectural and TIKAL TEMPLE mathematical innovations. Mesoamerica was a region of innovation with advanced agricultural techniques, complex cities, and unique cultural beliefs stretching from Central Mexico to Central America. 5.1 OLMEC CIVILIZATION: Figure 5.2. Tikal Temple “THE MOTHER CULTURE” - Tikal temple I is the designation given to one of the major structures at Tikal, one of the largest - Timeframe: 1200-1400 BCE cities and archaeological sites of the - Known for colossal stone heads , possibly pre-Columbian Mayan civilization in Mesoamerica. representing rulers. - It is located in the Peten Basin region of northern - Influence on later Mesoamerican civilizations. Guatemala. - It is also known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar OLMEC COLOSSAL STONE HEADS because of a lintel that represents a king sitting upon a jaguar throne. - An alternative name is the temple of Ah Cacao, after the ruler buried in the temple. It is situated at the heart of a world heritage site, the temple is surmounted by a characteristic roof Figure 5.1 comb, a distinctive Mayan architectural feature. Building temple: On the eastern side of the Great Fun fact: These heads weigh up to 40 tons and Plaza was a significant deviation from the their transportation from the original site to the established tradition of building funerary temples site where they were found/discovered remains a just north of the Plaza in the Tikal North Acropolis; mystery. Necropolis = cemetery. MAYA STELAE ( SIN. STELA) 5.2 MAYA CIVILIZATION: “MASTERS OF ASTRONOMY AND ARCHITECTURE” - Timeframe: 2000 BCE-1500 CE - Cities: Tikal, Palenque, Copan - Known for advanced astronomy, writing system, and the Long Count Calendar The Mayans were the masters of the skies and stones, they recorded celestial movements, Figure 5.3. Maya Stelae (sin. Stela) created the first writing system in the Americas and built grand cities with towering pyramids. - Monuments that were fashioned by the Maya civilization of ancient Mesoamerica. SOME OF THE ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES IN MAYAN CIVILIZATION: This Maya Stela consists of tall sculpted stone shafts and are often associated with low circular stones referred to as the altars. Although, their actual function is uncertain. Many Stelas were sculpted in low relief, although plain monuments were found throughout the Maya region. HOA 1 PAGE 17 HOA 1 ARCH 104 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1 AR. SARAH JANE PAHIMNAYAN-PAGADOR, REB, MArch, UAP MOST KNOWN CONTRIBUTION OF THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION: MAYA CALENDAR Figure 5.7. Model of Aztec city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in Mexico city. Figure 5.4 Fun fact: Tenochtitlan, modern-day Mexico city, was as large as many European cities at that time. According to the Mayan calendar, the world will The Aztechs ruled a powerful empire centered in end in 2012 because their calendar ended on the Tenochtitlan, a city of canals and floating gardens 21st of December 2012, so they assumed that the that made it one of the most unique urban end of the world was on that date. However, landscapes of its time. Important feature = according to scientific studies, the Mayan calendar irrigation for bathing and agriculture. itself ended its count on that date and does not correlate with the end of the world, but rather signify a new beginning and requires restarting the Mayan calendar in order to continue its counting. Figure 5.8. Map of Tenochtitlan Figure 5.5. A painting of everyday life in a Maya village. Illustration by H. Tom Hall, National Geographic - Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, now Mexico city, from a 1597 map by Sebastian Munster. Map shows the island where the original Tenochtitlan was built, surrounded by lakes that were later dried out by 5.3 AZTEC CIVILIZATION: Spanish colonizers. “EMPIRE BUILDERS” TENOCHTITLAN - This illustration describes how the Aztechs chose the location for Tenochtitlan. The image of an eagle eating a snake atop a prickly pear cactus can also be seen on the modern day Mexican flag. Figure 5.6. Founding of Tenochtitian Figure 5.9 - Timeframe: 1300-1521 CE - At its height, the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan - Capital: Tenochtitlan, a floating city with complex was among the largest cities in the world, with canals. perhaps as many as 200,000 inhabitants. In less - Known for large-scale ceremonies and fierce than 200 years, it evolved from a small settlement warriors. on an island in the western swamps of Lake HOA 1 PAGE 17 HOA 1 ARCH 104 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1 AR. SARAH JANE PAHIMNAYAN-PAGADOR, REB, MArch, UAP Texcoco into the powerful city it was when the 5.5 PYRAMID STRUCTURES: Spanish arrived. MESOAMERICAN ACHIEVEMENTS IN ARCHITECTURE 5.4 RELIGIOUS AND CEREMONIAL SITES: - Key examples: TEMPLES AND BALL COURTS Pyramid of the sun (Teotihuacan) Pyramid of Kukulkan (Chichen Itza) - Purpose: Temples for worship, sacrifice, and Temple I (Tikal) ceremonies. - Engineering: Built without the wheel or draft - Ball courts: Game with deep religious meaning, animals, relying on manpower and ingenuity. seen as a symbolic struggle. - Prominent sites: The great ball court at Chichen Itza, Temple of the feathered serpent. Figure 5.12. Pyramid of the sun. Largest building in Teotihuacan. The Pyramid of the sun comes from the Aztecs Figure 5.10. Chichen Itza who visited the city of Teotihuacan, centuries after it was abandoned. The name given to the pyramid - Chichén Itzá is a complex of Mayan ruins on by the Teotihuacanos was unknown. Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. A massive step It was constructed in two phases: The first pyramid known as El Castillo or temple of construction stage at around 200 AD, brought by Kukulcan, dominates the ancient city, which the pyramid to nearly the size it is today. The thrived from around 600 AD to the 1200s. Graphic second phase of construction resulted in its stone carvings survive at structures like the ball completed size of 225 meters or 738 feet across court, Temple of the Warriors and the Wall of the and 75 meters or 246 feet in height. skulls. Nightly sound-and-light shows illuminate the building’s sophisticated geometry. Figure 5.13. Kukulkan at the base of the west face of the northern stairway of El Castillo, Chichen Itza. Figure 5.11. Ball court games 5.6 MESOAMERICAN LEGACY Losing team will directly be sacrificed to the gods. Religion permitted all aspects of Mesoamerican life, even ball games. The ball court symbolizes the - Influences on the modern Mexican culture: cosmic battle between good and evil. It was more language, traditions, architectural styles. of a ceremonial ritual than a sport and probably - Continues to inspire archaeologists, architects, represented the creation of the mythical combat and historians globally. between the night and day. Figure 5.14 HOA 1 PAGE 17 HOA 1 ARCH 104 | HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1 AR. SARAH JANE PAHIMNAYAN-PAGADOR, REB, MArch, UAP CONCLUSION: MESOAMERICA’S MARVELS 0Dp6Rk?si=l9vYIiAsx_Cd - The civilizations of Mesoamerica left a KrIR profound legacy of innovation and - architectural grandeur. Enduring achievements: Religion, art, Lost World of the Maya science, and monumental architecture. - The profound impact on world heritage (Full Episode) | National and inspire future generations - Encouragement for continued exploration of Mesoamerican Geographic: contributions to global history. Their advanced knowledge on https://youtu.be/7MFKy7 DJsCY?si=L9IGlEPYzzuOV astronomy, mastery in urban design, and awe-inspiring architecture continue to inspire architects and historians worldwide. These civilizations offer us a window into JfX a world where complex systems or social systems and spiritual beliefs were in harmony with nature, pushing human Secrets of the Sun God: creativity, and ingenuity to extraordinary heights. Lost Treasures of the The architectural buildings discussed were symbols of human resilience and creativity that had withstood the test of Maya (Full Episode) | time. Their influence persists today in the vibrant culture of Mexico and Central America as well as in the global Albert Lin | Nat Geo: appreciation for ancient knowledge and artistic expression. https://youtu.be/ZBkCK dHDaN0?si=5Y6Y2iOtEB Ancient Maya 101 | _jL17z National Geographic: https://youtu.be/Q6eBJj dca14?si=cNuxQQtSIu-Lg M7z The rise and fall of the Maya Empire’s most powerful city - Geoffrey E. Braswell: https://youtu.be/ulHWR HOA 1 PAGE 17