•Now here is a brief article dealing specifically with Maya Art and Architecture. Read the article carefully.
Maya Art:
Many consider Mayan art of their Classic Era (200 to 900 C.E.) to be the most sophisticated and beautiful of the ancient New World.
The carvings and stucco reliefs at Palenque and the statuary of Copán are especially fine, showing a grace and accurate observation of the human form that reminded early archaeologists of Classical civilization of the Old World, hence the name bestowed on this era.
We have only hints of the advanced painting of the classic Maya; mostly from examples surviving on funerary pottery and other Mayan ceramics. Also, a building at Bonampak holds ancient murals that have miraculously survived. With the decipherment of the Maya script it was discovered that the Maya were one of the few civilizations whose artists attached their name to their work.
Maya Architecture:
Pyramids-
As unique and spectacular as any Greek or Roman architecture, Maya architecture spans a few thousand years. Among the various forms, the most dramatic and easily recognizable as Maya are the fantastic stepped pyramids from the Terminal Pre-classic period and beyond. These pyramids relied on intricate carved stone in order to create a stair-step design.
Each pyramid was dedicated to a deity whose shrine sat at its peak. During this time in Mayan culture, the centers of their religious, commercial, and bureaucratic power grew into incredible cities, including Chichen Itza, Tikal, and Uxmal. Through observing numerous consistent elements and stylistic distinctions among the remnants of Mayan architecture, archaeologists have been able to use them as important keys to understanding the evolution of that ancient civilization.
Palaces-
Large and often highly decorated, the palaces usually sat close to the center of a city and housed the population's elite. Any exceedingly large royal palace, or one comprising many chambers on different levels, might be referred to as an acropolis. However, often these were one-story and consisted of many small chambers and typically at least one interior courtyard; these structures appear to take into account the needed functionality required of a residence, as well as the decoration required for the inhabitants' stature. Archaeologists seem to agree that many palaces are home to various tombs. At Copán, beneath over four hundred years of later remodeling, a tomb for one of the ancient rulers has been discovered, and the North Acropolis at Tikal appears to have been the site of numerous burials during the Terminal Pre-classic and Early Classic periods.
”E-groups”-
This common feature of Mayan cities remains somewhat a mystery. Appearing consistently on the western side of a plaza is a pyramid temple, facing three smaller temples across the plaza; the buildings are called "E-groups" because their layout resembles the letter "E." It has been theorized that these E-groups were observatories, due to the precise positioning of the sun through the small temples when viewed from the pyramid during the solstices and equinoxes. Other theories involve the E-groups manifesting a theme from the Maya creation story told by the relief and artwork that adorns these structures.
Temples-
Often the most important religious temples sat atop the towering Maya pyramids, presumably as the closest place to the heavens. While recent discoveries point toward the extensive use of pyramids as tombs, the temples themselves rarely, if ever, contain burials. The lack of a burial chamber in the temples permitted them to offer Mayan priests up to small three rooms, which were used for various ritual purposes.
Residing atop the pyramids, some over two hundred feet tall, the temples were impressive and decorated structures themselves. Commonly topped with a roof comb, or superficial grandiose wall, these temples might also have served a propaganda purpose to uplift the Mayan rulers. As occasionally the only structure to exceed the height of the jungle, the roof combs atop the temples were often carved with representations of rulers, which could be seen from vast distances. Beneath the proud temples and lifting them up, the pyramids were, essentially, a series of successively smaller platforms split by steep stairs that would allow access to the temple.
Observatories
The Maya were keen astronomers and had mapped out the phases of celestial objects, especially the Moon and Venus. Many temples have doorways and other features aligning to celestial events. Round temples, often dedicated to Kukulcan, are perhaps those most often described as "observatories" by modern ruin tour-guides, but there is no evidence that they were so used exclusively, and temple pyramids of other shapes may well have been used for observation as well.
Ball courts
As an integral aspect of the Mesoamerican lifestyle, the courts for ritual ball games were constructed throughout the Maya realm and often on a grand scale. Enclosed on two sides by stepped ramps that led to ceremonial platforms or small temples, the ball court itself was of a capital "I" shape and could be found in all but the smallest of Mayan cities. Losers of the ball game sometimes became sacrificial victims.
•Once you feel comfortable with that information, write a brief description of the characteristics of Art and Architechture in Mayan Society. Be thoughtful and use your own words. The idea here is to use the information from the above section to present a concise and accurate portrayl of Inca gender roles. This section of your encyclopedia entry should be 2 or 3 sentences.*
* Remember you can always write more if you want, that’s just a recommended minimum.
Classic Era Mayan Art
Mayan Ball court at Coba