Architecture and History of Precolonial America
Author: John Published Under: History
Another civilization, aside from the Egyptians that has often been a source of wonder and amazement is that of the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas in America. Their temples, which often share a somewhat similar design of that of Egyptian Architecture can still be seen in Central and South America.
Of course, while the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas are the most well known ancient cultures in the Americas, there were many other much smaller cultures that also had amazing architecture. This includes the Olmec, Zapotec, Nazca, Toltec, Moche, and Teotihauacans tribes.
The Fall of the Aztecs
While there were many people living in the Americas, we know the most about the Aztec Civilization. The Aztecs lived in what is today Mexico, with the Inca Civilization located below them, near what is today Peru.
The Aztec's were conquered by Cortes, who was from Spain. Cortes was not only much better equipped than the Aztecs, who brought spears and swords to a gun fight, but Cortes also brought with him sicknesses and diseases that were new to the Aztecs.
The Spanish were fueled by an insatiable greed to steal and collect as much gold and silver as possible, so this was a large part of their colonization of the Americas and especially the Aztecs who were very rich.
Cortes conquered the capital of the Aztecs, Tenochitlan, in 1521 and by the 1590, the 15 million Aztecs had been whittled down to only 3 million.
A Look at the Architecture of the Americas
The most common theme found in the architecture of the early American tribes was the stepped stone pyramid. These were not really intended to be internal structures or living places, so often had only a few rooms. Instead they were designed for ritualistic purposes. As a result, these pyramids were more like to have outdoor altars and sacrifice platforms, as well as very long staircases.
Stone Masks were a common theme, which were intended to spread fear, as they stared away from the walls of the palaces and temples.
Geometry was also a persistent theme, with many geometrical spiral walls being created.
Serpent Columns were another common theme of precolonial American Architecture, with the serpents usually having very sharp teeth and green eyes.
While the temples were usually more of an outdoor structure and place to preform rituals, there usually was some sort of covered area at the top. These usually had rectangular shaped openings for windows, or doors, which often served as the only source of light for the room.
The Pyramid of the Sun
One of the most well known pyramids of the precolonial Americans was the Temple of the Sun, which was a mammoth structure in Teotihuacan.
This pyramid was built using a type of mud, called adobe, which was mixed with small rocks and then covered with stone. There are no rooms in the Pyramid of the Sun, but instead one large temple on the top, which can be reached by ramps and stairs. Its base is 711 by 711 feet and it rises close to 200 feet in the air.
Around the Pyramid of the Sun is several smaller temples and pyramids, including the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. When these temples were first created they were the source of daily ritualistic sacrifices, so it is assumed their steps usually ran red with blood. This was during pre-Aztec times, although the Aztecs were also known for human sacrifice.