| While our information thus far
has lead us through the thousands of years of history in the
area now known as the United States, it is important to know
that the migration of ancient man did not stop at the current
modern day boundaries of America. Ancient man continued his
travels down through Mexico, Central America, and into South
America, establishing over their thousands of years of history
advanced civilizations with temples, pyramids, and cities.
Ancient cultures that located "south of the border"
are referred to as Pre-Columbian cultures, or those people who
lived south of the modern day United States in the time before
the arrival of Columbus.
The three most notable
Pre-Columbian civilizations were those of the Aztec, Maya, and
Inca. Many of the Pre-Columbian cultures eventually ended with
European contact, dying out from warfare as well as disease,
but all three of these cultures left behind some of the most
ornate and highly decorative artifacts ever made. |
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Maya
The
Maya were located in southern Mexico and into Central America. Mayans
had the only fully developed language of the pre-Columbian cultures as
well as spectacular art, sophisticated mathematical and astronomical
systems.
Gold may have ultimately led to
the demise of the Maya. The Maya were skilled craftsmen who
possessed the ability to work the precious yellow metal into
highly detailed ornaments and figures. Precious metals such as
gold and silver were one of the main motivating factors that
drew the Spanish to overtake them. The last Mayan stronghold
fell to the Spanish Conquistadors in the late 1600's.
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Inca
Located
south of the Aztec and Maya in the Andean Mountain range of
Peru, the Inca were a great civilization who formed an empire
that would eventually become the largest in pre-Columbian
America. The term "Pre-Columbian" is simply a term
that refers to civilizations that existed in the time before
Christopher Columbus. The Inca did not build cities and the
population was essentially rural with small villages and
towns, usually housing less than 1,000 people. The Inca Empire
lasted from around 1100 until the Spanish conquest in the
1530's.
Aztec
The
Aztec inhabited the regions of southern Mexico and into
Central America. The museum houses many artifacts that depict
things that are important to the way of life to the Aztec.
Some of the popular effigy ceramic forms displayed are armored
warriors, human figurines in various positions and several
exotic animal vessels.
Colima
Dogs
One
very unique meso-american artifact that occurs with great
frequency are canine vessels known as Colima Dogs. They are
from Mexico and are believed to be a relative of the Chihuahua
and Mexican hairless breeds of dog that we're familiar with
nowadays. Colima dogs were known to have a variety of uses
throughout their centuries of existence, food source and
guardian to the dead, healer and watchdog. There are two types
of Colima Dog, one would be fattened up for food or ritually
sacrificed, and the other type is more of a pet, watchdog and
even a healer. The larger ones were meant as a food source and
sometimes you'll see them depicted with an ear of corn in
their mouths for that reason.
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