The Olmec were thought to have set many of the patterns seen in later cultures throughout Mesoamerica.1 San Lorenzo, the oldest known Olmec building site, as of the time of the Britannica article, is known for its Colossal Stone Heads, all of which have prominent facial features. Las Bocas was excavated and many small jade figurines of people in the community were found. Some of these appear to have ritualistic purposes, judging by the incising noted on the sculpture.

The Olmec culture spread northwest and southeast, and seemingly influenced later cultures in artistic endeavors2.

The concept of sacrifice in Olmec art had ties to the belief of renewal; a birth-death scenario, where one is returned to the source - the underworld.3 Simil

The first example is the Fat God (fig. 13). He is wearing a feathered war costume, carrying a shield and the other is of a seated man (fig. 14), holding an object of some sort. Greater technique is involved here. Figures are not all self-contained. Both of these small pieces have carved areas jutting out of the main sculpted body, and jewelry is more three-dimentional than ever. There is more attention to detail and greater individuality among the characters.

The Las Bocas site of the Olmec produced many small figurines that are thought to represent the people who lived there. These objects display Olmec symbols on their hairstyles or bodies, and because they were found at or near grave sites, these pieces are believed to have more purpose than simply the depiction of daily life.4 An example of this type of sculpture is of a man and woman embracing (fig. 2).

These cultures, the Olmec, the Maya, and the Aztec, have left behind a fascinating study of culture. Not only can we admire the beauty of the art and architecture remaining, but many types of learning can be combined for an interdisciplinary approach to deciphering these societies. Anthropologists, sociologists, archaeologists, and art historians have come together to recreate the truth in the past of Mesoamerica. As time passes, we know more and more about how life really was, and speculation leads to actuality of events as scientists decipher the glyphs and symbols of the past.

Some Aztec figurines at the site of Cihuatecpan, with "good behavioral contexts" were found in habitation or steam rooms, suggesting that curing rituals and female reproduction rituals had ties to the use of such small objects.23 Figure 15, a ceramic figurine of a woman holding two children, was a common type found at this site. She could be a representative of a goddess figure to enhance fertility. This is clued in by the two children in her arms. Some figures are anthropomorphic while others depict animals merged with human-likeness. Representation of sick or injured people suggests a ritual healing.24

Maize was considered sacred during the Classic Maya period, that god was a prominent figure in Mayan sculpture. The people's belief that maize was ground with water to create the flesh and blood of the first human is essentially what prompted such revere of this particular deity. A stone figure of the Maize God, from Copan, depicts ritualized gesture and contemplation. Figure 10 is a figurine of a ruler dancing with maize, from Guatemala. According to Mary Ellen Miller, the "Maize God dances as the 'mother-father'- a primary source of human life."17 Some characteristics of this god include the enormous rack on his back, with small creatures wedged into a frame, usually wearing a betted hipcloth or skirt, and generally wearing a carved spiny oyster shell to give a symbolic vagina.18

The Esperanza culture of Kaminaljuyu developed during the Early Classic Maya period. This culture was a conglomerate of native Mayans under Central Mexican rule. This made for a mixture of ideas and styles.9 Strong Teotihuacan influence can be seen in certain ceramic vessels found at Esperanza sites. Teotihuacan was the most important city of pre-Aztec Mexico, located not far northeast of what is now Mexico City. At one time, one of the largest cities in the world, it was originally settled around 400 b.c. Because of trade, influence on and from the cities by and to other cultures can be noted.10

During the 15th and the 16th centuries, the Aztec dominated central and southern Mexico. Following a life of hunting and gathering, these people moved to form a center of their civilization, Tenochtitlan, around A.D. 1325.20 It did not take long from then for the Aztec power to grow dominant over an area of over 80,000 miles, inhabited by between five a

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Las Bocas, Maya Aztec, Fat God, Mexico Guatemala, Middle Formative, Popul-Vuh Aztec, Eagle Knight, Maize God, Xipe Totec, Mexico City, classic maya, olmec maya aztec, ceremonial complexes, maya period, southern mexico, god fig, maize god, sculpture evolved, mayan sculpture, classic maya sculpture, post classic, classic maya period, las bocas,
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Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)