The prehispanic culture that existed in the regions of Mexico has created a characteristic iconography that has endured throughout the centuries. Today all kinds of supports continue to present the elements, pictograms and cosmogony that originated in the region.
The main Mesoamerican cultures such as the Olmec, the Aztec and the Mayan they still have a very strong cultural impact on the world today. They continue to amaze us for their inherent beauty and for their representations sculpted on centuries-old stones, a phenomenon similar to that which occurs with Egyptology and its staunch followers.
It is interesting to analyze what are the monuments or remains that have best helped shape the idea that we currently have about these societies. It is precisely the exercise that we will carry out, a journey through some of the Mesoamerican ruins that have most influenced the survival of its iconography and the world of design and pop culture.
To start our journey we will move to the heart of mexico. If we talk about the country, one of the most important cities is Mexico City. It is a city that has all kinds of facilities, among which heritage elements stand out, such as the Angel of Independence, gastronomic spaces such as Coyoacán or leisure spaces such as Casino Royal Yak Hippodrome of the Americas, nothing more and nothing less than the largest in the country that has hundreds of slot machines, poker tables and roulette.
Pre-Hispanic iconography of Mexico
It is an interesting visit since, given the expansion of online entertainment, the online casino with hundreds of variants offers other forms of entertainment, such as shows and varied shows.
All kinds of interesting archaeological remains have appeared in the city. Perhaps one of the most popular is the Piedra del Sol. This sculpture discovered in 1790 represents the Mexican cosmogony and solar cults. It is popularly known by the name of “Aztec calendar”, A well-known element in relation to this culture. Its level of detail and the figurative elements captured attract a lot of attention due to their quantity.
This monolith of about four meters in diameter has been transferred to jewelry, decoration, clothing … an icon of merchandising that is found in all areas of the world. Less than 80 kilometers from the city we find one of the most important ruins if we stick to the field of pre-Hispanic constructions: Teotihuacan. There are many mysteries surrounding its existence, such as the nomenclature of the town that built it.
It was rediscovered by the Aztecs in the 14th century. Among its wonders we find the Pyramid of the Sun, the largest building in the complex and one of the most voluminous of all Mesoamerica. The perimeter of the base is close to 894 meters, and it is 65 meters high. In the lower area we can find a cave that represents the origin of the world. In the archaeological site there are several ornamental elements such as the mythical feathered serpents that have been represented in various films, such as in the work “The Route to El Dorado”, an animated film released in 2000.
From the heart of Mexico we moved to the magnificent Yucatan peninsula. There we find Chichen Itza, a city that exemplifies the splendor of the Mayan-Toltec civilization in the region. The site has been a World Heritage Site since 1998 and has several buildings that help to understand the complexity of this civilization.
The most important construction is the Pyramid of Kukulkán, which is like the Pyramid of Cheops for the Egyptians: the jewel in the crown. A colossal work that exemplifies the high degree of knowledge of the Mayans about astronomy, mathematics, geometry and even acoustics. It has 365 steps that represent the days of the year. The total height of the construction is 30 meters.
In Chichen Itzá there is also an observatory, a temple dedicated to warriors and a court where you could play the famous ball game. It is a ritual game that has also become an identifying element with respect to Mayan society.
We have talked about sculpture and architecture. It is the moment to move to the field of painting, also very parodied in relation to the Mayan and pre-Hispanic society. To find some of the most important murals related to pre-Hispanic culture, we must detail those offered by the ruins of Palenque.
Its location makes visitors’ imagination fly, since it is located in the jungle of the state of Chiapas. Typical cinematographic image of the discoverer-archaeologist who goes into the jungle to discover a lost temple. Due to their almost enigmatic location, many of the buildings maintain an exceptional state. One of the most important constructions is the Temple of the Inscriptions, a funerary tomb dedicated to the Great Pakal.
A large number of hieroglyphic inscriptions and paintings were found in the temple that helped to understand the mayan imaginary. The red coloring predominates, which contrasts with the blue tones and the yellowish chromatic scale: the former represent the sky and the latter the underworld.
The Temple of Inscriptions hides a secret inside, an enigma that was not solved until 1949. It was at that time that the Mexican archaeologist Alberto ruz removed a stone slab and discovered nothing more and nothing less than a tomb dedicated to Pakal, ruler of the region in the 7th century. The sarcophagus features various creational myths from the Mayan culture and the genealogy of the leader. The tomb of the president is very popular and has been represented in other regions of the planet. In the Spanish theme park Port Aventura you can see a full-scale representation of the grave that shows the famous headstone with a skeleton inside.
The sum of all these architectural, sculptural, religious and pictorial elements, offer us the current vision we have of the most popular pre-Hispanic societies. His charm still catches our attention and that is why his heritage is still very present, and if not, ask the intrepid Indiana Jones.