Art of SOUTH AMERICA

• The first inhabitants of the American continents were nomadic hunters and gatherers.

• These nomads probably arrived in North America around 40,000 years ago, following a land bridge that formed between North America and Asia.

• It is believed that another group of humans migrated from Asia into North America around 12,000 years ago.

• Some scientists also think that some people might have used boats to follow ocean currents to the tip of South America, while others arrived following ice from Western Europe.

Agricultural Revolution

For thousands of years, the inhabitants who lived on the American continents lived off of the land. Then in 5000 B.C. near present day Mexico many groups of people began to discover farming.

They realized that they could plant crops such as corn, pumpkins, potatoes, and squash, and by doing so, could better provide for the needs of their people.

This new technology spread from Mexico outward to other parts of the Southwest, so that by 3000 B.C. many groups of people in the region were actively practising farming.

Villages Develop

This specialization of work tasks allowed technology to really take off, so that great advancements were made. The people became more skilled in tool making, creating special implements for farming, fishing, building and so forth. .

Cultural Differentiation The various peoples inhabiting South America gradually developed many different and unique cultures. Each culture was heavily influenced by the land, and natural resources around the people. These cultures included their traditions, religious practices, and their everyday lives and customs.

MEXICOMexico has a long and rich history.

Around 1500 BC great civilizations began to form. For over three thousand years, until the Spanish Conquest in 1521, the Olmec, Maya, Teotihuacán, Toltec, and Aztec ruled over the lands and peoples of what is now Mexico.

They raised crops such as corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, cacao, chilli peppers, and cotton. Ancient peoples traded with surrounding areas for jade, obsidian, and metals.

Important technologies were pottery, weaving, and stone-working.

As early as the 6th century BC, the people of this region created and used a 260-day ritual calendar. Around AD 150 the Maya developed an advanced form of hieroglyphic writing.

ART from MEXICO

The Olmecs

ART from MEXICO

The Mayans

ART from MEXICO

The Teotihuacanos

ART from MEXICO

The Totecs

ART from MEXICO

The Aztecs

ART from SOUTH AMERICAother places in

The Incas

ART from MEXICO

Folk Art

ART from MEXICO

Modern Art: Diego Rivera

ART from MEXICO

Modern Art: Frida Kahlo