picted frontally were gods. Th e most well-known example of
this may be seen in the murals in the Tepantitla apartment
complex: Th e Great Goddess is portrayed amid an abundance
of water and plants, which she brings to the people. From her
head grow plants and insects. She is fl anked by two fi gures in
profi le that make off erings to the goddess. Below the Great
Goddess fl ows water from a mountain that carries many
small fi gures with speech scrolls fl owing from their mouths,
presumably out of happiness. Clearly, the emphasis in this
mural is on life and abundance.
ANCIENT SOUTH AMERICA
Social development took place throughout the South Ameri-
can coast and along the Andes mountain ranges, extending
from modern-day Venezuela and Colombia south toward the
north of Chile. Th e most signifi cant cultures of the Andean
region formed in modern-day Peru. With sharp contrasts in
the ecological climates of these areas, from the desert coasts,
fertile waters, tropical forests, and mountainous highlands,
it is perhaps not surprising that much of these cultures’ ar-
tistic output is marked and shaped by contact made between
the irrigational coastal groups and the migrant and farming
peoples of the highlands. Despite the diverse infl uences from
the natural landscape, much of ancient Andean art centers
on issues of universality, duality, the supernatural realm, or
human life.
Evidence of textiles in South America dates back to the
Lithic Period (10,000–3000 b.c.e.). Although these fi rst tex-
tiles did not yet feature patterns or artistic elements, they
provide us with the longest continuous historical record of
textiles ever found. Along with new technical developments
in textile arts, in the Preceramic Period (3000–1800 b.c.e.)
the important concepts of duality, multiplicity, and transfor-
mation began to be incorporated into textiles. At the coastal
Andean site of Huaca Prieta, in the Chicama Valley, the de-
velopment of such fi ber arts may be traced. More than 9,000
twined cotton scraps have been found there, featuring com-
plex images and polychrome patterns. Specifi cally, they depict
strange and fantastical images, such as double-headed birds
and crabs with legs turning into snakes. Images that embody
transformation and duality are central to all later Andean
arts. Jewelry, feather work, mirrors, and female effi gy fi gures
also have been discovered at Preceramic Period sites.
As society grew, so did a more sedentary, agricultural
lifestyle. Th is led to the beginnings of monumental sculpture
and wall murals during the Initial Period (1800–800 b.c.e.).
At the site of Moxeke in the Casma Valley, near Peru’s north-
west coast, colorfully painted, monumental adobe sculptures
were created in association with the site’s main pyramid.
Once placed along the structure’s platforms, there are now
only several remaining fragments, including two severed
torsos and one decapitated head. Painted in blue, white, and
pink with heavy, black incised lines, the fi gures are heavily
modeled. Although their identities are unknown, the fi gures
suggest the grisly power of the Moxeke rulers.
Th e largest ceremonial site in all of the Americas was
Sechín Alto (1800–900 b.c.e.), also in the Casma Valley. As
this coastal site was near Moxeke, the art and architecture
had much in common with this earlier culture, including the
depiction of gruesome acts of decapitation and dismember-
ment. Th e central focus of Sechín is the walled temple com-
plex called Cerro Sechín or Sechín Hill. Th e wall comprises
more than 300 large granite monoliths incised with images
that make up a long procession of warriors and victims. Al-
ternating images of decapitated heads, dismembered bodies,
abstract spinal columns, and victorious warriors all move
toward the north entrance of the complex. Th e images are
composed of deeply beveled (cut at a slant) lines to create the
outline of the body, while the smaller interior details are cre-
ated with shallow incisions. Th e victims are indicated by their
contorted mouths, closed eyes, and unkempt hair, which all
indicate their deaths and humiliation. While it is unknown
if this procession represents a historical event or mythologi-
cal story, the important use of art as political propaganda is
evident. Like the Moxeke adobe sculptures, these monoliths
suggest the awesome power of the Sechín elites and signal the
arrival of confl ict and conquest in Andean society.
Th e fi rst major artistic development of ancient South
America was the Chavín style, which emerged during
the Late Initial/Early Chavín Period (900–500 b.c.e). Th e
Chavín arose in the north of Peru, where they united and
synthesized the developments of earlier cultures into their
own unique style. Chavín artistic production included
monumental sculpture, ceremonial objects, textiles, gold
work, and various types of portable art. All monumental
stone Chavín art was done in relief carving. Major Chavín
monuments focus on uniting the natural elements and on
duality in relation to the totality of the universe, a central
concept of Andean thought. Th is style is characterized
by complex, obscure images that allow the viewer to per-
ceive alternate realities. Oft en described as hallucinatory,
artworks of this period oft en feature transforming deities,
animals, and shamans.
Th e Chavín Period is most oft en discussed in two phases;
the Early Chavín is marked by the development of the Chavín
de Huántar site and the construction of the Old Temple.
Chavín de Huántar probably functioned as a sacred oracle
and ceremonial center where priests would consult and per-
form rituals. Most of the religious cult activities took place in
the Old Temple, with ceremonies performed by and for the
elite class and not for society at large. Th e specifi city of place,
function, and audience greatly aff ected the design of their art.
Th is is readily seen in one of the key artworks from the Early
Chavín period—the Lanzón or Great Lance.
Th e Lanzón, named for its blade shape, is a monolithic
stone sculpture that featured prominently within the Old
Temple’s sunken court. Th e Lanzón originally was placed
within a cruciform-shaped gallery inside the center of the
temple. Th e gallery’s shape represented the four cardinal di-
rections and therefore marked the location as a world center.art: The Americas 121