Interestingly, elephants were originally native to North America, but the Bering Isthmus during the Ice Age gave them the opportunity to migrate to Europe, Asia, and Africa. The mammoths and mastodons that remained in North America would eventually perish as the immigrant humans hunted them to extinction. Tepexpán Man settled into the region by 10,000 B.P. Mastodons would not become extinct until 8,000 B.P. - nearly four thousand years after their extinction north of Mesoamerica.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
This pectoral, from Nexpa, Morelos, is made from mother-of-pearl. Two lizard figures are neatly carved into the shell. The eyes are inset of stone, an artistic tradition that would carry up to Aztec and other post-Classic civilizations. The artistic representation of animals in Mesoamerica would indicate that humans had become more interested in abstract expression and possibly even the relationship between the spiritual powers of an animal and those of its depiction. Traditionally known as the "Preclassic" because it preceded the age of the largest Teotihuacan and Maya civilizations, the period is nowadays better known as the "Formative" because it was during these early years the Mesoamerican area began to take its distinct "form," a combination of technological inventions, social organizations, and cultural innovations that would set the groundwork for the major civilizations to come.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
Animal-shaped pottery has very early beginnings in Mesoamerican culture - this fish vase is around three thousand years old, dating it within the Early Formative (1800-1200 BCE). The fish's head points upward; its open mouth serves as the rim. Pottery on this page is significant as it pertains to the origins of sedentary, agricultural communities. When these communities had begun to increase into densely populated centers, new food storage technology became necessary.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
This ceramic sculpture from Atlihuayan, Morelos, resembles the style and symbolism of the Olmec shaman and his nagual (see the Olmec page). The man in this sculpture wears the skin of animal that has been identified as either a jaguar or a crocodile - notice the animal head atop the man's head and the paws draped over his shoulders. The ceramic was made during the Middle Formative period (1200 - 400 BCE).
National Museum of Anthropology and History
Works such as the Atlihuayan ceramic and this vase from Tlapacoyan, Mexico State, demonstrate the problems with defining what regions during the Formative Period were decidedly Olmec, influenced by the Olmecs, or themselves influential on the Olmec style. Recent evidence does suggest that the first Olmec tribes may have originated farther west than the traditionally assumed "heartland" of Tabasco state and south Veracruz state in Mexico.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
This ceramic sculpture from Tlatilco, Mexico State, is one of the most interesting works from the Preclassic period. With his spine bent completely backwards, the contortionist rests on his elbows and chest while his feet rest on the top of his head. Contortionists and dwarves have been known to serve as attendants to the ruler's court. (Dwarves were even considered sources of good luck for the reign.)
National Museum of Anthropology and History
This shallow bowl comes from the Zohapilco-Tlapacoya region, and it dates to the Middle Formative. During the Formative Period people were experimenting with carved pottery, and this finely etched image of two fish is one of the finest examples. Tlapacoya is especially important for the history of Mesoamerican settlement because over 2,500 tools have been discovered at this site, with a settlement date placed as early as 26,000 B.P.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
One of the most affectionate figures in the whole Museum of Anthropology features a woman holding a dog that is licking her face in turn. This small ceramic sculpture shows not only early domestication but also an interest in scenes of daily life, quite unlike the monumental art dedicated to the elites. I find pieces such as this among the most relatable.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
At left is a replica of a relief carved into one of the two tall hills looming behind the Middle Formative site of Chalcatzingo in Morelos State. The kingly figure sits facing to the right as he holds a ritual bundle. What is interesting is the location of his throne: he sits within a cave stylized as the mouth of an earth monster, as if the earth itself were a powerful, living entity. The monster's breath proceeds from the cave as gusts of wind, winds expected to draw down the rains for a healthy crop. The carving of this relief on the hill is no coincidence, for Mesoamerican thought almost unanimously equates hills and mountains as sacred places with the magical power for drawing down rain. The image on the right is a separate sculpture, showing a front view of the earth monster's face, its jaws forming a cornered portal to the cave, a threshold to the spirit world. (Also notice the sprouts growing from the jaw's corners in both pieces!)
National Museum of Anthropology and History
Research on Chalcatzingo has inspired new ideas on the history and importance of this ceremonial center. Outside of the Gulf of Mexico region, no other Formative site has as many monumental works as the 34 in Chalcatzingo. Many of these monuments relate to ancient concepts of ritual power, including "El Rey" above, a carving of a flying shaman, a procession of masked individuals, and certain power animals. The feline in this replica relief may be a jaguar, perhaps a king's nagual companion spirit, and it is shown leaping over a human victim with ferocity.
National Museum of Anthropology and History