Where is Kaminaljuyu located?
Kaminaljuyu, in Guatemala’s highland central valley, is one of the region’s few surviving Mayan complexes of earthen construction.
Who built Kaminal JUYU?
Over many years Shook and Kidder developed the Kaminaljuyu ceramic sequence, and it remains, with refinements by Shook and Marion Popenoe de Hatch, one of the most secure and reliable ceramic chronologies in Mesoamerica, although some doubts remain about the absolute dates due to a paucity of radiocarbon anchors (a …
What is the name of the obsidian source controlled by Kaminaljuyu?
It is thought that during the Middle Pre Classic Kaminaljuyu achieved direct control over the site of Echayal, 12 miles/20 kms to the NE and one of the most important sources of obsidian in all of Mesoamerica.
Why did the Aztecs use obsidian?
Aztec swords were made with rows of small obsidian teeth. They were murderous weapons for cutting an enemy. Now we find that being cut with obsidian is less painful than you’d think, because it makes such a sharp edge. So obsidian became woven into Aztec worship as well as Aztec function.
What did the Aztecs call obsidian?
itztli
Obsidian, called itztli in the Nahuatl language, has been found at nearly every Mesoamerican archaeological site. Items made from this material had both utilitarian and ritual use.
What did the Aztecs eat?
While the Aztecs ruled, they farmed large areas of land. Staples of their diet were maize, beans and squash. To these, they added chilies and tomatoes. They also harvested Acocils, an abundant crayfish-like creature found in Lake Texcoco, as well as Spirulina algae which they made into cakes.
Are obsidian swords real?
Its sides are embedded with prismatic blades traditionally made from obsidian. Obsidian is capable of producing an edge sharper than high quality steel razor blades. The macuahuitl was a standard close combat weapon. The oldest replica is the macuahuitl created by the medievalist Achille Jubinal in the 19th century.
Why did Aztecs not have steel?
The Aztecs didn’t develop their use of metal because they couldn’t see beyond obsidian. Then the Spanish came with their steel guns, swords, and cannon.
What did female Aztecs do?
For example, women were tasked with caring for young children, preparing meals and repairing clothing. Some women worked as artisans or craftspeople and sold their creations in the many different markets that were so important to the Aztec economy.
Did Aztecs eat dogs?
Yes, the Aztecs ate dogs. In fact, they raised the animals mostly for food.
Can you mold obsidian?
Obsidian is mostly silicon dioxide (about 70%), with a good bit of aluminium oxide and then about 10-20% various other oxides. Melting point for silicon dioxide is 1,710 °C, and for aluminium oxide 2,072 °C. You’re going to need a lot of heat for this.
Where are the parts of Kaminaljuyu in Guatemala?
The known parts of Kaminaljuyu lie on a broad plain beneath roughly the western third of modern Guatemala City.
When was Kaminaljuyu and other Preclassic sites occupied?
Kaminaljuyu and other Preclassic sites. Kaminaljuyu (pronounced /kæminælˈhuːjuː/) is a Pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization that was primarily occupied from 1500 BC to AD 1200.
What kind of head was found in Kaminaljuyu?
Late Preclassic sculpted head, found in Kaminaljuyú. Currently on the Museo Nacional de Arqueología (National Archaeological Museum, Guatemala). Over the past 100 years, more than fifty archaeological projects, large and small, have been mounted at Kaminaljuyu.
When was Kaminaljuyu first mapped by E M Shook?
When first mapped scientifically (by E. M. Shook over a period of decades from the 1930s on), it comprised some 200 platforms and pyramidal mounds, at least half of which were created before the end of the Preclassic period (250 AD).