Exam 20: Arts of the Pacific and the Americas

Many Mimbres ceramics recovered from graves have been shattered or pierced. This may represent

____________ was considered a sacred substance by many North American peoples and the vehicle for delivery became a sculptural art form.

In the tumbaga pendant depicting a ruler, birds unfold like wings on either side of his head, representing

One Mesoamerican culture is often called the "mother culture" because it seemed to have institutionalized the features that mark later civilizations in the region. To which culture does this term refer?

Like the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, ____________ pyramids were symbolically understood as mountains.

Consider these works: Duk duk maskers, Papua New Guinea; ritual mask, Aztec; and hide painted with scenes of warfare, Lakota. Identify the purpose for which each was created. Discuss briefly how each functioned to express the beliefs of its culture.

Although no one know for certain how long people have lived in the Americas, the earliest-known evidence points to human habitations from about

Compare the ways in which two different cultures discussed in this chapter use visual symbols, relating your comments to specific works or types of works.

Discuss why we don't have a clearer picture of the ancient arts of North America, citing examples of various artworks produced and their function.

Masks and masking played important roles in some Indian cultures. The Kwakiutl mask called Crooked Beak

The Yucatán Peninsula was home to the civilization of the Maya. All but which of the following have been acknowledged as accomplishments of the Mayan culture?

Explain the effects the European conquest of the Americas had on the native inhabitants, their culture, and their arts.

Consider the stone figures on Ahu Naunau, Easter Island. Discuss interpretations of the possible meanings of these statues and explain the process of their creation.

A culture whose speech was rich in metaphors was the

The ability to decipher Mayan writing has shifted our understanding of Mayan art. Whereas scholars previously believed Mayan art's purpose was to ________, they now believe it to have been ________.

The term "pre-Columbian" is currently questioned as a description of cultures in the Americas before the arrival of Columbus because

The Tairona ornament made of tumbaga was fashioned using the technique of

Several cultures are known collectively as the "mound builders." The most famous of the mounds still visible is

One god in the Aztec pantheon was Quetzalcoatl, who played an important role in the survival of this culture by

Discuss the art of tattooing, the culture that practiced it, the process, and how it was considered a sacred act.