~~~original post~~~ So most of you who have seen either my lore or art threads might have noticed that I have a thing for Mayan history and art. I have found the Mayan civilization fascinating for some time now. It was one of the things that I loved so much about the Lizardmen of Warhammer, because much of their lore was taken from Mayan (and Aztec, Inca, and other Pre-Columbian) sources. I have built up a pretty extensive collection of Mayan books, art, and computer images of some great inspirational stuff that has been helping me with my ongoing Lizard-ly and other hobby projects, and I figured why not, its time to start sharing. There is always more great stuff out there, so feel free to add stuff! ~~~~~~ INDEX Spoiler: INDEX - for the most part, city names are in bold. Links to some of the more interesting pictures/posts are also included. - for list of great books on Mayan art, history, and culture, check out the bibliography on page 18! Spoiler: Pages 1 to 10 Page 1 Palenque: Sarcophagus Lid of King Pacal the Great Tulum and Xunantunich: tourist pictures Copan: Stela Copan: Altars Mayan City Layouts: Tikal Tenochtitlan (Aztec) Teotihuacan (also not Mayan) Copan Palenque Tonina El Mirador Cazamul Chichen Itza Teotihuacan water storage system (courtesy of @n810) Tikal Temple IV Lintel 3 Incense Burners/Censor Bearers Chac Masks at Uxmal Stone Skull at Copan Mayan Vases (including works by Ah Maxam of Naranjo) Page 2 Mayan Vases (Slann evidence and carved vases) Wooden Dwarf at the MET Mayan Bats Murals at Bonampak Murals at San Bartolo Mayan Hieroglyphs Page 3 Stone faces at Copan Frederick Catherwood Mayan art drawings: Copan Tulum Palenque The Face at Ixmal (also Izamal) Chichen Itza Arch at Labna Uxmal Lord Waldeck “Mayan Art” Xochicalco Temple of the Feathered Serpent Murals at Cacaxtla Adela Breton Mayan art: Uxmal Chichen Itza El Tanjin Page 4 Mayan Hieroglyphs Full hieroglyphs from Yaxchilan Chac Tok Ich’aak I; Stela 26 from Tikal Palenque: Temple of Inscriptions art Copan: stone carved faces Howler Monkey God Monkey-scribe vase Zapotec Snake-Idols (not Mayan but very interesting nearby culture)\ Yaxchilan Lintels Lintels 1-3 Lintels 8-11 Lintels 12-14 Lintel 15 (Vision Serpent) Lintels 16-17 Lintel 24 (Shield Jaguar III) Lintel 25 (Vision Serpent of Shield Jaguar III) and Lintel 1 from La Pasadita Page 5 Balamku: House of the Four Kings- Earth Monster Rio Bec Mayan architecture style Rio Bec Xpuhil Tabasqueno Coatlicue: the Primordial Earth Goddess (Aztec) “Lost” Mayan sites of Pechal and Uitzina Chicanna: House of the Serpent Mouth Modern Mayan Art Mayan/Aztec Wargods Mayan-temple landscapes Tikal Stela 31 depicting ruler Siyaj Chan K’awiil Vase from Motul de San Jose Naica Crystal Cave (courtesy of @Bracnos ) Mayan Stela Stela B, Copan Quirigua Page 6 Teotihuacan miniature diorama (Aztec) Mayan Stela Copan Quirigua Mayan City Layouts: more aerial views Tulum (plus tourist photos) Tikal (with added STAR WARS) Calakmul Palenque Palenque Prisoner carvings Mayan Vases (including work by Ax Chal of Naranjo) Alfred Maudslay Mayan art photographs Quirigua Stela A,K, zoomorphs Palenque Copan Stela H and carvings Modern Mayan warrior costumes and artwork Aztec Calendar and Tikal Stela 31 (courtesy of @Deet) Page 7 Mayan-themed Terraniums Uetsuji Shotaro artwork More evidence of Slann among the ancient Mayas Chichen Itza carvings Mayan ballgame Modern artwork (courtesy of @Bracnos) Stone carvings from La Corona Vase from Dallas Art museum Mayan stone faces Mayan vases Baby jaguar Vase of the Four Gods Queen and King Page 8 Mesoamerican Art inspiration Toltec warrior statues of Tula Mixtec codex (snippet from Codex Zouche-Nuttall) Aztec Calendar Zapotec snake idols Olmec stone heads Lizardmen Collectors Book Stone lintels/Stela 1 from Bonampak Stela from Tamayo Museum Inspiring modern artwork (courtesy of @Ritual) Futuristic cyborg Maya Aztec Calendar Page 9 Mayan Stela: Bonampak murals book Bonampak Stela 2; ruler Yajaw Chun Muwaan Yaxchilan Stela 11; ruler Bird Jaguar IV National Geographic Mayan artwork Mayan Stela: Sayaxche stela Calakmul stela Pokemon in within the Codex Borgia (Aztec) Mayan Ruins San Gervasio on the island of Cozumel (tourist photos) Uxmal (tourist photos) El Peru Queen Stela, Cleveland Art Museum Page 10 Tulum murals Mayan stone carvings from Tikal and Copan (Queztal-Macaw) Lords of Xibalba vase Earth Monster carving from Chalcatzingo Modern Mayan/Mesoamerican artwork: Farming/marketplace in Tlateloco Warfare Scribes Ballcourt Sacrifice at the cenote of Chichen Itza Tezendales stela Diego Rivera Zapotec/Miztec history murals Mayan Clans of the Yucatan (circa 1461 AD) and info on Bishop Diego de Landa Modern Mayan/Mesoamerican art Modern maps of Mayan region El Dorado movie concept art City layouts Teotihuacan Temple of the Serpent God Spoiler: Pages 11 to 20 Page 11 Mayan weapons Page from Codex Borgia (Aztec; Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli link provided by @Aginor) Info on Aztec calendar and day-signs Xulam the Mayan Fisher- Mayan restaurant “Psychedelic” Mesoamerican artwork Mayan Temples Palenque Chichen Itza Tulum Teotihuacan Hochob Uaxctub Xibalba: Info on the Mayan Underworld Uncovered History (link provided by @n810) Mayan construction methods Chicanna House of the Serpent Mouth Joan Jade and the Gates of Xibalba- Mayan inspired game Page 12 Mayan/Mesoamerican Cities: Chichen Itza site scale model Tenochtitlan historical miniatures Teotihuacan site scale model Bearded Heads from Calixtlahuaca and Comalcalco Modern Mayan/Mesoamerican Art: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag concept art Marvel Comics Quirigua: Lightning Warrior by Matthew Cooper Mayan Cities Temples and Maps: Copan map Xunantunich Yaxchilan Calakmul main temple Quetzal bird feathers The truth about “Mayan Spaceships” Page 13 Aztec Shields Modern Mayan/Mesoamerican Art: Mayan/Brazilian Gods Fantastic Creatures Chichen Itza Temple of the Owls and other Mayan research photos (courtesy of @Lord-Marcus) Hairstyles of the ancient Maya Feathered-serpent heads of Teotihuacan Mayan defensive structures Dos Pilas Aguateca Mayan Class Hierarchy Modern Mayan/Mesoamerican Art: WOW Troll terrain inspiration Mayan-esque cities Page 14 Modern Mayan/Mesoamerican Art: Lego Mayan-temple inspiration (also some ancient Incan and Egyptian) Mayan temples Mayan city layouts: Copan site scale model Tikal scale-model Palenque scale-model Palace of Knossos (Crete) Tonina scale-model Mayan temples line-drawings: De Hormiguero Rio Bec Xtampak Chicanna Link to Mayan Royal Dynasty lists Temple at Xtampak Mayan Conspiracies: Lost City of Aztlan (Atlantis) Lagunita- newly discovered site in Honduras, photos Page 15 Mayan Towers: Palenque Puerto Rico Nocuchich Campeche Towers The Stinking Problem- septic issues of the Ancient Maya link House of the Doves, Uxmal Mayan Maze game pic Temple of the Jaguar, Tikal LiDAR Mapping of the Mayan World (1) Page 16 LiDAR Mapping of the Mayan World (2) Rastrojon: Fortress at Copan Modern Mesoamerican Artwork: Mexica Heart Road to El Dorado Historical Artwork (Copan, Tikal, Uxmal, Arch of Labna, Tula) Old Photographs (Copan and Milta, Oaxaca) Serpent-Mouth at Hochnob Mayan colors/materials for painting Age of Empires 2: Mayan Buildings Temples at Yaxchilan Mayan Stela Dos Pilas Yaxchilan Chinkultic Tamayo Museum of Oaxaca Page 17 El Achiotal carving, article "Maya New World Order" Modern Mayan artwork Page 18 Mayan Bibliography- list of books on Mayan art, history, and culture Modern Mayan ruins artwork, much of it courtesy of @NIGHTBRINGER Page 19 Modern Mayan artwork Calakmul picture 3D Mayan artwork Page 20 Modern Mayan artwork, El Dorado movie Art Spoiler: Pages 21 to 30 Page 21 "stone" Mayan calendar on my bookshelf Modern Mayan art Ballcourt ring at Uxmal Aztec Deities Maya Hero Twins, houses of Xibalba the Underworld El Dorado movie scribe Shadow of the Tomb Raider trailer Page 22 Shadow of the Tomb Raider concept art Uxmal Pyramid of the Magician/Pyramid of the Dwarf Hanging Gardens of Babylon Mayan jade masks Modern Mayan art Aztec feathered snake sculptures Page 23 Map of the Mayan world Mesoamerican carvings Modern Mayan art Map of Copan Interior map of Aztec temple Page 24 Mayan masks Glyphs and calendars Maya-inspired street art some more Frederick Catherwood artwork Three Maya deities: Ah Puch, Kukulkan, Chaac modern-day Maya/Aztec performers Discover Mexico scale models Sacrificial artwork Beautiful photos of Tonina Page 25 Breaking the Maya Code Maya costumes random Mexico City snarling face poking out of a modern building's construction Maya super smash 3D Mayan temple project Mayan Vases modern artwork of Mayan myths Page 26 Fall of Atlantis Savage Core Maxzans Tomb Raider comparisons and Shadow of the Tomb Raider game artwork courtesy of @Aginor Mayan "Game of Thrones" dynasty article La Corona Site Q Info on the Snake Kingdom Page 27 Mexico City museum Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in Guatemala Shadow of the Tomb Raider scenes Kings of the Sun, 1964 altar from Tonina Concept art Temples of Terror paper terrain set Maya vase Maya Hidden Worlds exhibit Outpost Wargames Mayan models Page 28 Maya History videos, along with some Aztec and Inca El Mirador photos Modern Mayan designs and old trinkets Water and classical civilization video incense burner art Aztec videos on history and the ballgame Fall of Tenotitlan miniature model Page 29 Modern Mayan artwork Lamanai sculpture Copan cutaway golden Inca warrior costume ancient Takalik Abaj stonework Mayan Calendar script, and Maya/Aztec day signs Lizard-Aztec-Maya concept art House of the Pigeon concept artwork Kabah archway reconstruction Page 30 Modern Mayan artwork, some from National Geographic Jade of the Maya video posted by @Aginor Tentlan steam game Bonampak mural Mayan canoe and performers at Xcaret Mayan warriors art Mayan comic superheroes aztecafied Mayan prisoners and captives in stone thick Mayan stela at Nocuchich Dos Pilas Stela 16 detail from Tikal stela Spoiler: Pages 31 to 40 Page 31 Pakal jade death mask, Palenque Altar Q from Copan Tikal stela 31 Mayan vases and hieroglyphs sketches of the Rosalia from Copan Uxmal from the sky Temple of the Cross, Palenque Stela from El Baul LiDAR discoveries El Tanjin pyramid Page 32 Mayan Cosmology and Gods Altar from Copan Mayan statues and carvings Holmul carvings Ek Bakam statues Aztec Creation Myth video of the Five Suns, and info on the crocodile monster Cipactli Relief carvings from Copan, Palenque, and Kaminaljuyu Mayan cardinal directions info myths of Quezacoatl (Kukulkan) video Page 33 Several lectures on Mayan scholarly topics, to include mythology and about William Saturno who discovered the San Bartolo murals Mayan and Aztec astrology artwork Cacaxtla mural Maya Stela and carving sketches Macchu Picchu pictures (before and after) Castelobruxo (Harry Potter plug)El Dorado movie artwork and concept sketches Page 34 Modern Mayan artwork Page 35 Mayan pendants, shells, and statues Preclassic carvings and stela from Yaxchilan glyph artwork modern Mayan art Chrisbogert work from deviantart Technomayans and mayan warrior concept art Page 36 Mayan vases Chichen Itza sunset Beccan maps and temples Uxmal carvings images of altars, to include an awesome crocodile altar from preclassic era Mayan statues and carvings glowing Mayan birthday cake ~~~original post~~~ Since this is the first post, I will start this off with one of the most famous pieces of Mayan art and sculpture: the sarcophagus lid of King Pacal the Great's burial chamber: Better shot of the chamber itself, lots of carvings all around the room: Artist's drawings of the carving's details: Obviously it is King Pacal in the center. Depending on which description you read he is either ascending out of or descending through the gaping centipede-jaws of the underworld along the axis of the Great World Ceiba tree at the center of the universe, where the Great Bird Deity (the sun of the last creation) is perched on top. The sculpture draws many allusions to the story of the maize god, his continuous cycle of death and rebirth as he dies and rises again as maize to feed the people. In some ways it makes the statement that Pacal will never truly die, he will be reborn when the cycle of time continues. No it is not a space bike if you put it on its side. Spoiler: not a space bike Last pic, a general shot of the interior of the Temple of Inscriptions where he was buried. Spoiler: Temple of Inscriptions
I love this stuff, we went to the Valley of the Kings 9 years ago and the inscriptions on the walls were amazing and the valley it's self was like looking into a sea of stone you could not see the end, Egypt it's self is let's say a bit mucky behind the ears but worth a visit once. The pictures you have posted just get the mind turning with wonderment.
You have been to the Valley of the Kings?? That is amazing! I definitely want to visit there someday! I had a friend of mine who made it to Egypt and saw the pyramids, and other than being a few countries away I have never gotten a chance to go myself. I have been very luck and have been able to visit two actual mayan sites, so these next pictures are all ones I have taken myself! First is Tulum, off the coast of Mexico in the Yucatan. While it is not known for anything too extraordinary when it comes to art, architecture, or size, the site of Tulum is famous because of its breathtaking location along the Mayan Riviera and the ocean. I saw somewhere it has been labelled one of the most beautiful beaches in the world! Spoiler: Tulum I actually used this building, or rather a drawing of it, when I started building some tabletop terrain! Next up is Xunantunich, in Belize. The name is not the original mayan name, it means "stone woman" after a legend about a ghost who continued to appear during the 1890s. Main Pyramid: The Mayans used stucco to make many of their carvings (it was kind of like a clay-concrete). Some of the stucco reliefs have been refurbished with amazing results! Just imagine back when it was painted... Spoiler: Xunantunich
A classic example of Mayan sculpture is the "stela" or "stelae," giant tree stones carved with the image of their most famous kings and queens. Some of the best examples are the ones from Copan in Honduras, because they didn't just carve the front and backs of the stones but instead carved all four sides to create monumental 3D sculptures. The stela were normally arranged in plazas at the foot of pyramids, often in "forests" of tree-stones. Stela at Copan The back of this stelae is carved in the likeness of the World Tree, just like the Palenque sarcophagus lid!! Spoiler: more Copan stelae My favorite stelae is probably Stela B, a portrait of Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil, king of Copan 695-738. he is also known as "18-Rabbit," and is also pictured in the above Stela H. Spoiler: Line Drawing of Stela H Great stuff!
Altars. Mayans used decorated altars for sacrifices and offerings, probably to ancestors and other deities. They did practice a great deal of bloodletting in many of there rituals (as evidenced by some of their artwork) but most of the straight-up human sacrifices don't seem to come into play until after the classic period. Altar of Stela D from Copan Probably my favorite one, this altar is carved with effigies of the "witz" mountain monster. This next altar, also from Copan, is crucial to the reconstruction of the Copan dynasty. On the sides of the altar is a near complete list of the ancient Kings of Copan, starting below with Yax Kuk-Mo (second from left) with his characteristic Teotihuacan "war goggles" Spoiler: Copan Altar And just two more altars for now, also beautifully carved. I believe the first one is from Yaxchillan but I am not sure. Spoiler: Mayan Altars
Mayan City Layout So we already have a thread specifically for Lizardmen temple-city layouts offered to us by the mightly @Slanputin , so here are some examples of real-world Mayan cities (plus some other famous Pre-Columbian cities). Tikal Really want to go to Guatemala someday... Spoiler: Tikal Most Mayan cities were elaborately painted in bright reds, yellows, and blues. Mostly reds, because temples were normally seen as living mountains of fire (volcanos). The Mayans added to this effect by having incense and ceremonial fires constantly burning at the tops of many of their temples. Tenochtitlan- not Mayan, but the capitol of the Aztecs in central Mexico. Not sure how accurate the picture is other than the man double-temple. Teotihuacan- also not Mayan, but at one point it was the most powerful city in the New World, and its armies effectively conquered almost the entire Mayan peninsula. Teotihuacan was one of the FEW cities of the New World to be constructed around an actual grid pattern. This was due to the fact that the city was built very rapidly over a short span of time, mostly within a single decade by a very powerful ruler. Most Mayan cities are actually built very haphazardly, with temples springing up wherever is convenient. Most temples are astrologically aligned however. Copan- Spoiler: Copan Palenque- reconstruction of the Palace group with its giant roofcombs and tower in the center. Plan is to make a Mordheim board with this one in mind someday... Tonina- the entire city temple-complex was built almost as a fortress, built right up the side of a giant hill. Makes for one imposing structure.
Last few layouts for today... El Mirador- one of the oldest (BC!!) but one of the largest Mayan cities ever built, boasting two of the largest man-made structures on earth, the El Tigre pyramid (180 ft, 55 meters) and La Danta (236 ft, 72 meters). The La Danta is 2,800,000 cubic meters, but that is NOT including the even bigger platform it is built on... Spoiler: El Mirador Cazamul- ancient rivals of Tikal, also one of the largest pyramids in the Mayan world. and to finish, Chichen Itza- with its famous Pyramid of Kukulkan, also known as the Castillo. ending with some art from Civ 5 (it may be obvious which civilization I like to play as at this point...)
Teotihuacan also had a storm sewer and running water. (got to Visit it back when I was in high School)
This I did not know. That is more advanced than almost every city in the world at that time! Running water?? Amazing what the ancients were able to accomplish.
Found a little more on this site.... about half way down. http://cookjmex.blogspot.com/2012_10_01_archive.html Spoiler Tenochtitlán had a sophisticated water system for its time. Above is a water channel discovered under several layers of the plaza. Two large terracotta aqueducts fed the city fresh water from springs at the on-shore hill of Chapultepec. Each aqueduct possessed a double channel and each was more than 4 km (2.5 mi) long. Lago de Texcoco itself was brackish (salty), although fed by fresh underwater springs. In 1453, during the reign of Moctezuma I, a dike was completed that separated the frresh, underwater springs from the broader, brackish areas of the lake. This was a considerable engineering accomplishment, given the lack of draft animals, wheeled vehicles, or metal tools. The levee of Nezahualcoyctl, when completed, was between 12 and 16 km (7.5 to 9.9 mi) in length. The new areas of fresh water adjacent to the island were used to create the famous chinampas, or floating gardens, some of which still exist. These were artificial islands created by driving stakes into the lakebed and then fencing them with wattle. Layered with mud and decaying vegetation, the fenced portion eventually reached above the waterline where it could be planted. The stakes themselves sometimes took root and became trees. The Mexica thus created their own arable land. The chinampas were easily accessible from the city and--just as important--easily defended by the moat created by the lake. Tenochtitlán had no sewers, but it did have an extensive system of public and private toilets where waste was collected in canoes to be used as fertilizer on the chinampas. The Mexica waste system, along with the frequent baths enabled by the fresh water from the aqueducts, created a remarkably healthy environment for a large city. It was certainly far superior to anything existing in Europe at the time. Unfortunately none of this afforded any defense against the diseases the Spanish brought. (Photo from the Templo Mayor archaeological site)
That is some fantastic stuff! And the website is well worth the read, a multitude of fantastic Aztec images, art, and history!
Tikal Temple IV Lintel 3 So as much as the Mayans are known for their fantastic stone carvings (they were almost a stone age civilization right up until the Spanish arrived...) they are known to have created a vast amount of beautiful wood carvings as well. Makes sense, after all they lived in a tropical climate where trees were an abundant resource. Sadly the majority of their wooden artwork has rotted away over the centuries, but some of the pieces we have left are truly extraordinary. This particular piece was contained in one of the major temples in Tikal. The lintel is currently located in a museum in Switzerland, I REALLY want to go there someday to see it. Sadly it is very damaged, but most of the lintel has survived. Good line drawing: The lintel commemorates the victory of Yik'in Chan K'awiil, king of Tikal, against a neighboring city El Peru in 743 AD. Spoiler: Some massive close up pictures I apologize for the use of stock photos, but they are great quality. Considering the quality of the wood carvings that still remain with us today, we can only wonder and mourn the loss of so many beautiful pieces of art that have been lost to the centuries!
Incense Burners/Censer Bearers Fire and Smoke played a big role in many Mayan religious ceremonies. Aside from just burning stuff on altars or in clay braziers, the Mayans created intricate sculptures to burn incense inside out of clay or other materials. Some of these sculptures were so intricate the smoke would actually come out the nose, mouth, or ears of the faces in the incense burners!! These kinds of censer bearers are my favorite, the ones with faces carved/sculpted on the fronts almost in a totem-pole like style. Spoiler: Incense Burners I was lucky to see these two next ones in person! They are held at the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas, along with a bunch of other Mayan artifacts I will have to post later. Some great examples of Mayan sculpture, originally from Palenque. They were originally painted very bright colors, you can still see some of the blue paint on these two. They were about 3 to 4 feet in height from what I remember. Spoiler: Kimbell Art Museum And here were the museum descriptions that went with them Spoiler: Museum Descriptions- Kimbell
Faces of Chac- Uxmal Chac, also "Chaac" was one of the rain gods of Mayan and other Pre-Columbian religions. In Mayan sculpture he was depicted in a great deal of detail, normally with a characteristic long nose (that looked suspiciously like gonzo from the muppets) line drawing showing the parts of a normal Chac face. Spoiler: Line Drawing Chac Mask Also here is some more of the beautiful stucco at Uxmal, including the "mouth" entrance to the pyramid of the magician. Spoiler
Mayan Vases. Most are in pieces, but some of the ones that survive are beautiful. Also unlike most of their other sculpture or stonework, vases tend to show more about Mayan mythology and every-day life. Bigger works such as public buildings normally were restricted to glorifying the king or his lineage. This is probably due to the sheer amount of pottery that must have existed throughout the centuries. Next two supposedly done by Ah Maxam, a prince of Naranjo who was an accomplished painter. This one is one of my favorites due to the sheer amount of painted detail; shows the old god Itzamnaaj, and a fat-rabbit god. I saw this one in person in a museum, eventually I will post the proof!
Some more beautiful vases. Spoiler: Mayan Vases 2 I think this first one is Ah Maxam based on the signature but I cant tell for sure. Sun-bellied Jaguar god! Vessel of the Dancing Lords, done by Ah Maxam