The first artwork to really capture my awe and imagination was the Olmec head described in the Preconquest lecture given my Professor Reiss. These stone head sculptures measured 9 feet in height and weighed over 25 tons. The sheer magnitude of such a project is impressive. What impresses on me is the fact that different cultures all over the world have a similar example of large stonework resembling heads such as the heads of Easter Island. They may be a testament of the fortitude of the people they represent.
I was also impressed that the early indigenous people in Preconquest Mexico also had developed a first ball game and also had complex forms of architectural planning. This really exceeds what people in Spain and perhaps all of Europe were led to believe about the "primitive" indigenous people of early Mexico. If perhaps these higher order attributes about a society were understood, the European counterparts may have viewed them as a more sophisticated society. But perhaps nothing can overcome greed in terms of "conquering" new lands especially during that time of hungry exploration.
I love this class as well i have been here since 12 A. Ever since learning that truths about that civilization really opens up my eyes. I now get angry with all of the claims on 2012 it is so much assumptions. I love all of the sculpture and the folklore.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the sheer artistry of it gives me a sense of awe. It is tragic that this cycle of degrading what we cannot understand has continued. There was so much beauty, is still so much beauty in these cultures, but what is mostly seen by those who would seek to take advantage is more dollar signs. It reminds me of the fact that Peru is so much in debt that they have sold part of the Amazon rainforest to Brazil, who are now going to cut that vital part down. Shameful, isn't it?
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