The Americas

The term "The Americas" refers to five main civilizations; this would include Olmec, Teotihuacan, Mayas, Aztecs, and the Incas.
The Olmec were the first major civilization in Mexico. They were famous for many things: hieroglyphic writing, 1st calendar in Western Hemisphere, temple focused city type, Mesoamerican ballgame, and realistic art work. La Venta was the first example of temple focused city type. The ceremony center consisted of a ball court, small pyramids, burial grounds, giant stone heads, and great pyramid of earth. 

The art was made up of delicate carvings of jade, rock crystals, and less valuable stone, ax heads, masks, decorative objects, and mural paintings and pottery. 

Teotihuacan stood for "Place of the Gods" and was known for its ceremonial center that was 2 miles in length. There was a central spine named "Road of the Dead", a Temple of the Feathered Serpent, and a Pyramid of the Sun/Pyramid of the Moon. 

The Teotihuacan arts were like the Olmec; they had decorative pottery. Their motifs included birds, butterflies, flowers and abstract signs. 

The major ceremonial site in Mayas was Chichen Itza, which meant mouth of the well of the Itza. It featured a four sided pyramid called Castillo, had chacmool, and a jaguar throne.

The Aztecs were known for their creation of art expression of thoughts on life. Their architecture expressed their throughs and beliefs. Templo Mayor was their main Temple in the town of Tenochtitlan.

The Incas had the largest empire in Pre-Columbia America. Machu Picchu was the royal estate for the Incan emperor Pachacuti. It had trapezoid shaped openings which set it apart.

Current Applications:

Peer Discussion: 

I looked through Alecia's blog. I really liked her first modern application photo. All that makes that room fit in with this design period is the paint and it grasps the design so perfectly. 

I also looked at Karri's blog and I liked her modern application pictures as well. She showed other modern applications other than just design.