Bottle with seated figure Nasca artist(s) 1–300 CE On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 362 Unlike their northern counterparts, who used two-piece ceramic molds for manufacturing vessels, Nazca potters shaped containers by coiling and modeling. Figure vessels like the present example are rare and have an early date in the Nazca ceramic sequence, which lasted for at least 700 years. This engaging polychrome bottle takes the shape of a seated, compact human figure. It has a single spout and strap handle. The large head sits atop the broad shoulders, and the figure's legs are pulled close to the body, with arms and hands held tightly to the chest. Details such as fingers, toes, nails, and facial features are geometricized. The eyes and mouth are slightly raised, while prominent are the nose and a protuberance on the forehead. This mysterious knob may be a reference to fishermen, who are often shown with such a feature. The figure wears a head cover and a striped hipcloth. On his left upper arm is a stylized long-beaked bird, probably a sea bird, and on his right an anthropomorphized fish, perhaps a killer whale or shark. Marine imagery features prominently in all Nazca art, reflecting the economic importance of ocean resources. A source of constant wealth as well as danger, the sea played a major role in myths of all coastal peoples in the Andes.

Fisherman bottle
polychrome pottery
100-300 CE
Nazca culture
Peru

#handmade #craft #art #pottery #bottle #seatedfigure #nazca #nasca #culture #peru #precolumbian #prehispanic #ancientart #ancientpottery #tribal #tribalart #precolumbianart #ancientamericas #fisherman #marine #symbols #fish #bird

Seated Ruler with Pampas cat
ceramic
250-550 CE
Mochica culture
Peru

#ancient #ancientart #mochica #culture #peru #ancientamericas #precolumbian #prehispanic #southamerica #handmade #ceramic #seatedruler #pampascat #figural #art #sculpture

The Huaca de Moho represents a valuable example of pre-incaic lithic art in the Titicaca basin. It is a monolith located in the province of Moho that exhibits typical features of the Tiahuanaco style, with its most distinctive element being a winged cross carved with a rotating effect. This visual dynamism is not casual, but probably reflects the worldview and sense of cosmic order of the societies that inhabited the area between 500 and 1000 AD. Although its ritual importance is evident by its location, this site remains a treasure little explored by official archeology and still lacks state protection.

Huaca de Moho
carved stone
500-1000 CE
Moho, Peru

#carved #stone #monolith #tiahuanaco #swastika #wingedcross #symbol #cosmology #heavenandearth #townofmoho #punoregion #peru #laketiticaca #andes #preincaicculture #religion #culture #belief #precolumbian #prehispanic #ancientamericas #southamerica

#TCU #TCUSchoolofArt #ArtHistory #AncientAmericas #ColonialLatinAmerica #ArtHistoryJobs #AcademicJobs #MuseumStudies #LatinAmericanArt #ArtofTheAmericas #HigherEdJobs #TCUFineArts #FortWorthArts #DFWArts #ProfessorLife
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A small ancient Maya structure with a tree growing up on the edge

Las Tumbas, ancient Maya building in Merida. There are flat stones of a Puuc style, so this probably had cool decorative elements. People lived here from 400 BCE to 1100 CE and 19 former residents were buried on-site.
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#maya #hiddenspots #ancientamericas #archaeology 🏺

This bloodletting bone belonged to Maya ruler Yuknoom Uht Chan of Dzibanche, an early seat of the famous Snake Dynasty. We know it was his because the glyphs on it tell us. The glyphs are probably no more than 2 cm tall. #Cancun #Maya #Museum
#ancientamericas #artifacts #archaeology 🏺

This stunning stucco sculpture is from Oxtankah, but now hangs out at the
Cancun Maya Museum. He has a twin at the site museum in Oxtankah. Probably a ruler or ancestor though maybe one of the legendary hero twins based on his jaguar spots.
#ancientamericas #ancientart #sculpture #archaeology 🏺

This cute #Maya figurine shows the incredible colors of ancient Maya clothing. She wears a huipil with a scandalous red slip beneath. And her feet have Jaguar spots! Cool tattoos? Animal print socks? Or a sign she’s supernatural? 🤷
#Cancun Maya #Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology 🏺

The bag that ancient #maya man is holding is an … enema bag! 😅😅😅
It was one way of intaking psychedelic substances during rituals. Luckily we don’t have images of the actual administration. Jk, there totally are. Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #ceramic #archaeology #arthistory 🏺

A fabulous #Maya #ceramic bowl. The puffed cheeks, the closed eyes, the content smile—I love it.
Cute was an intentional aesthetic and this piece shows a playful side of indigenous Americans that we are told didn’t exist. From the Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺

This is the cutest ancient Maya god I’ve seen. This #ceramic of Itzamnaaj emerging from a shell is from Tulum. Pieces like this use the aesthetic of cute and show a playful side of ancient Americans that we are told didn’t exist. Cancun Maya Museum.
#ancientamericas #mayanwarrior #archaeology 🏺

From the ruins to the hearth, the journey continues. These dogs were not pets—they were guides, guardians, and kin. Their stories echo in stone and fur.

#MayaDogs #CulturalMemory #VisualStorytelling #AncientAmericas

At Fiesta House in Ecuador, where the Valdivia culture thrived, archaeologists found dogs buried with sacred offerings. These remains date back 4,400–4,100 years. Among the oldest in South America. Proof of reverence. Proof of love. #ValdiviaCulture #DogBurials #AncientAmericas

The Chimú culture flourished on the arid northern coast of Peru, centered around their capital city of Chan Chan, between the 10th and 15th centuries CE. They developed an advanced hydraulic society, using intricate irrigation systems to support agriculture in the desert valleys, and established the second-largest empire in the ancient Andes before their fall to the Inca Empire in the late 15th century. In 1572, the Spanish cosmographer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa noted that in the Andes, the original peoples valued the red shell of Spondylus - a spiny bivalve known as "spiny oyster" — more than gold or silver. This necklace, made with thousands of tiny reddish orange Spondylus beads, is strung in vertical rows on a cotton textile support. The semi-circular upper section ested over the shoulders, while the cascading design lower section covered the wearer's chest. The intense color of the Spondylus is highlighted by a border of pale black and orange beads arranged in wavy motifs. From each horizontal section hang rows of beads that reinforce the sense of movement and shine.

Spondylus shell bead necklace
Chimú culture
Peru
900-1470 CE

#spondylusshell #beads #chimuculture #peru #necklace #ancient #culture #precolumbian #prehispanic #tribalart #ancientamericas #jewelry #jewelrydesign #handmade #wearableart #art

Olmec mask
carved stone
900 - 400 BCE
Veracruz, Mexico

#olmec #mexico #mesoamerica #ancient #precolumbian #prehispanic #carved #stone #mask #olmecmask #handmade #ancientart #art #archeology #culture #ancientamericas #ancientmexico

The Inca Gold Collection.

A stunning display of ancient craftsmanship housed in various museums, including the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

#IncaGold #AncientAmericas #MuseumCollection

A glorious day visiting the newly renovated wing @metmuseum #africa #ancientamericas #oceania #sculpture #painting #art #wariartists #peru #feathers #the_apaa @the_apaa

The Wari civilization was a pre-Inca empire that flourished in the south-central Andes and coastal areas of modern-day Peru between approximately 500 and 1000 AD. Known for their military prowess, advanced agricultural techniques, and distinct artistic style, the Wari left a significant legacy that influenced later Andean cultures, including the Inca.

Earring with shell and stone inlays
Wari culture
Peru
600-1100 CE

#wari #peru #ancientamericas #precolumbian #prehispanic #earring #jewelry #jewelrydesign #handmade #shell #stone #inlay

The Gran Coclé culture, which existed in Panama from approximately 200 BCE to 1550 CE, encompassed several identifiable indigenous cultures, and is demarcated by a distinct artistic style. Vessels with bold colors, strong structural design, and distinct artistic motifs are a hallmark of this cultural style. Coclémotifs often include fantastic beasts, and amalgams of different animals. This pottery deep dish plate, on a circular stemmed foot, features a striking interior design. It showcases a large mythological creature, resembling either a bird or a reptile. This creature has an open, toothy mouth, a concentric eye, and a spiked crest on its head. Its back is decorated with either feathers or scales, and it has large claw hands and feet.

The Gran Coclé culture was a pre-Columbian Panamanian civilization that thrived in the area roughly coinciding with the modern province of Coclé. Known for its distinct pottery style and skilled metalwork, the Gran Coclé culture flourished from around 200 BCE to 1550 CE. Archaeological sites like Sitio Conte and El Caño provide insights into their social structures, beliefs, and artistic traditions.

Footed bowl
terracotta
900-1100 CE
Cocle culture
Panama

#precolumbian #prehispanic #cocleculture #Panama #terracotta #footedbowl #tazzatray #ancientamericas #archeology #ancientcultures #ceramicart #art #ancientart

A Mayan hacha (Spanish for "axe") is a ceremonial object, specifically a piece of protective gear, associated with the Mesoamerican ball game. Hachas were worn by players for protection and to possibly enhance their ability to bounce the ball, and they could also represent the power of associated deities or animals. Hachas were part of the uniform worn by players in the Mesoamerican ball game, a ritualistic sport with significant social and religious importance. Players would wear hachas for protection during the game, and it's believed they also served to channel the power of the animals or deities depicted on the hacha. In Mayan culture, deer hold significant meaning and are a central part of their rituals and symbolism. Deer are a primary food source, depicted in art, and are associated with various deities and spiritual beliefs, including the Manik/Deer spirit animal and the Deer Dance.

A Mayan carved stone Deer hacha circa 500-800 CE.

#Maya #mayan #mesoamerica #precolumbian #prehispanic #carvedstone #hacha #ballgame #amulet #protective #channelspirits #deer #mayanculture #mayanreligion #archeology #ancientamericas #mexico

2,400-year-old puppets with 'dramatic facial expression' discovered atop pyramid in El Salvador These striking puppets suggest that Indigenous people in what is now El Salvador had rituals that were more connected to the rest of Central American culture than previously thought.

Five unusual ceramic puppets were found atop an ancient pyramidal structure in El Salvador. The discovery suggests the culture there was more integrated with the rest of Central America than previously thought. #ancientamericas

~1,000 years before Rodin #Archeology #AncientAmericas

Discovery: Early humans in America coexisted with giant sloths and mastodons Fossils show humans coexisted with giant sloths and mastodons for thousands of years. Evidence includes modified sloth bones used as jewelry.

Discovery: Early humans in America coexisted with giant sloths and mastodons: Fossils show humans coexisted with giant sloths and mastodons for thousands of years.

#EarlyHumans #GiantSloths #Mastodons #PrehistoricCoexistence #AncientAmericas #EarthDotCom #EarthSnap #Earth