Chaco Canyon is one archaeological site in a network of sites in northwestern New Mexico. Chaco Canyon is a remote canyon cut by the Chaco Wash located between Farmington and Albuquerque, New Mexico (1). The site dates back to 850 to 1250 AD and reached its peak between 1020 and 1110 AD (2). The site was abandoned in 1130 AD due to the beginning of a fifty-year drought (1). Chaco Canyon was home to the Chacoans and demonstrates their advanced construction. In the canyon there are "Great Houses" constructed of stone and made up of multiple stories with hundreds of rooms. All of them had similar architectural features, but they are all unique (2). The structures were oriented based on cardinal, lunar, and solar directions with lines of sight to allow for communication (2). The "Great Houses" of Chaco Canyon were connected by roads to more than 100 houses located throughout the region (2). Evidence of archaeoastronomy is shown by a petroglyph of a "Sun Dagger" (1). The construction of the site being aligned with the lunar and solar cycles suggests that the structures took generations of observation and anywhere from decades to centuries to construct (1). Agricultural practices included using methods that relied heavily on labor and heavily on the land to produce crops like corn (3). The Chacoans traded turquoise for items like macaw, shells, and copper bells suggesting that the site played an important role in economics (2). …show more content…
The site was used for religious ceremonies which may have been significant in their lives, showed the complex social structure, and had a central role in economics due to trade
Sequoia – Kings Canyon National Park is located in eastern California in the Sierra Nevada Range west of Death Valley. It has interesting geological features that can resemble those in Yosemite National Park. It contains various geological elements that enhance its appearance and history, resulting in an interest in the park by a variety of scientists and explorers. The park contains the largest groves of giant sequoias and covers over 1300 square miles. (Harris, 2004)
Over a thousand years ago in the Mesoamerica region the culture that we know as Maya thrived. They had an amazement and intrigued fascination over the technical mastery of their intellectual studies. The Mayan’s history is rich with remarkable human achievements, as well as stories. Some of their most recognizable masterpieces are the Mayan trade network, building Cities, the Mayan number system, and the Mayan calendar.
They followed their own religion that was similar to sorcery. They followed strict rituals in many areas of their lives and community. They had little to no “monetary” economy as each of the people had specific jobs that would sustain the
Mexico wants to get the minerals and lumber out canyon area. They 're building roads, erecting power lines and laying pipes for water distribution. Destroying pristine mountains, rugged landscape and upsetting the eco systems is collateral damage. The indigenous people lose their way of life. The animals lose their habitat.
The sculptures towered up to three meters in the air and were nearly four and a half meters in circumference. Not only were they large in volume, but the stone heads dominated in mass. They could weigh up to nearly 40 tons, although it was rare to have many of them being that heavy.” Other art produced by the Olmec people were things such as wood carvings and cave painting. However, many of the wooden carving cease to exist, disintegrating over time, unlike the many cave painting created by the olmecs which still remain in caves that are now a part of the Mexican state,
They had huge cities and pyramids designed to worship
The reading passage presents three competing theories that could explain how the settlements of New Mexico 's Chaco Canyon were used. The lecturer casts doubts on each of these theories in order to demonstrate that the arguments that support them are not convincing. From the reading passage, it is firstly stated that one possible use of these settlements was residential since it could host hundreds of people. The lecturer refutes that saying that if hundreds used to live there, more fire places should be found. According to the lecturer, the fires places that were found in these settlements are only enough for 10 people.
The Chavin Civilization was established from 900-250 B.C.E, and was located in the Andes mountains. Chavin De Huantar ( pronounced cha-bean day wahn-tar ) was the capital of Chavin and served as an advantageous trade route. Chavin De Huantar was an essential trade network and served as a model for regulating labor and distributing goods. The success of Chavin De Huantar is also attributed to the domestication of the llama. Llamas were an integral part in the Chavins economic development and increased trade.
Mesa Verde is a National Park in Montezuma County, Colorado that notably preserves the largest amount of ancient Puebloan artifacts and cave dwellings. It is home to a structure called The Cliff Palace which is the largest cliff dwelling in all of North America. Mesa Verde 's canyons were created by streams that slowly eroded the dense sandstone that covers the area. Mesa Verde National Park elevations ranging from about 6,000 to 8,572 feet, the highest elevation at “Park Point.” The terrain in the park is now a transition zone between the low desert plateaus and the Rocky Mountains.
The Aztecs were a remarkable civilization found in present day Mexico City, from 1350 to 1519. Their city of Technochtitlan was the capital city of their civilization. Two things the Aztec culture is known for are human sacrifice and agriculture. However, historians should emphasize the role of agriculture in this civilization. They should focus more on agriculture because it helped them expand their empire, develop their technology, and the scale of usage.
Blocks of stone which they carved were used to make a mosaic of intricate geometric design to decorate their temples.” (Aztec Architecture and Building) They didn’t just build these pyramids they dedicated so much effort into making them also look aesthetically respectable. The pyramids weren’t the only thing that was simply amazing. It got to a point where they needed to expand their land so they began building artificial islands.
I chose to study about Tiwanaku, a pre-Columbian archaeological site in South America in A.D. 500 and compare it to Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican city in 500 A.D. located in a sub valley of the Valley of Mexico. There a great similarities to each place but the two things that separates them is location and time. Tiwanaku is located in the southern shores of Lake Titicaca, in the Province of Ingavi, Department of La Paz. It was built nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) above sea level, making it the highest urban centers ever constructed of its time. Surrounded by mountains and hills settled in a valley, it began as a small settlement in 1200 BCE that reached its peak of inhabitants roughly around 400 A.D. and 900 A.D..
B) Maya architecture also incorporates various art forms and hieroglyphic texts. Masonry architecture built by the Maya recommended craft specialization, central organization, and political power. The architecture was a remarkable achievement because they built great pyramids, stone palaces, temples, ball courts and other ritual buildings that require lots of effort to make. In fact, "for the single home of a Copan nobleman, It has been estimated that at least 80 to 130 workers would have been employed full time to finish in two to three months." (Document B)
The Aztecs were one of the most famous and successful early civilizations of the Americas that we know of, who ruled an empire in the modern day country of Mexico from 1350 to 1519. From their capital city of Tenochtitlan, now known as Mexico City, to their daily routines, the Aztecs had many achievements that they deserve recognition for. Two very important components in the history of the Aztecs are agriculture and human sacrifice. Although they both play huge roles in Aztec culture, historians should emphasize on their methods of farming. The reasons why historians should center their focus on the Aztecs' agricultural techniques are they affected the growth of their empire, were used on a huge scale, and were very unique in comparison to other
The Mayans painted colorful murals depicting gods and other mythological figures on the walls of their houses. Mayan ceramics were made in a wide variety of forms and decorated with complicated scenes. The Mayans also designed artwork from flint, bone and shell, and made decorated cotton textiles. The Mayans were