PROPERTIES OF THE MATERIALS USED BY MESOAMERICAN CULTURES - HISTORY - 2025

Some materials used by Mesoamerican cultures were tezontle, limestone, lime, obsidian, wood, or clay. The properties of these materials allowed them to build resistant objects and infrastructure that in some cases have lasted for millennia.

Mesoamerican cultures are the aboriginal cultures that developed in the American territory before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Among the Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs, the Mayans, the Olmecs and the Zapotecs stand out.

Mesoamerica

These cultures emerged in the year 7000 BC. C., when the thaw in the American continent allowed groups to begin to develop agriculture and livestock, favoring the development of sedentary lifestyle.

Later, around the year 2300 a. C., civilizations flourished, developing artistic activities such as architecture, sculpture, pottery and sculpture. In each of these activities, the Mesoamerican aborigines used different materials, whose properties were beneficial to them.

Among the most used materials, limestone, tezontle, adobe, wood and lime stand out. To a lesser extent, jade and obsidian (igneous rock found mainly in Mexico) were used, which served as ornaments in constructions and sculptures.

Properties of the materials used by Mesoamerican cultures

- In architecture

Tezontle

The tezontle is an igneous rock, of volcanic origin. In Mexico, this type of rock is abundant in the Sierra Oriental and in the Sierra Occidental and near the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhualt volcanoes.

It is a porous and spongy stone, light but resistant, which is why it is used in the construction of buildings.

Tezontle is reddish in color because it contains iron dioxide. This stone is able to conserve heat and withstand high temperatures; In addition, it is waterproof.

If it is ground and mixed with other elements (water, sand), a mixture is obtained that can be used to roll.

Many of the Mesoamerican palaces and monuments were made with this material, which was later covered with a kind of stucco.

Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is largely composed of calcium carbon (CaCO ₃).

This is one of the main rocks that are used today as fill in constructions. During the pre-Hispanic period, Mesoamerican cultures used it as if it were blocks.

The use of these rocks was preferred over others since, while it was extracted from the quarries, it remained flexible enough that the aborigines could work it with their few tools. However, this rock has the property of hardening once it is extracted from the deposit.

In addition to using limestone as part of the structure of their buildings, Mesoamerican cultures also used this stone crushed and mixed with other materials.

The resulting substance was used as concrete, as mortar and as stucco to give finishing touches to constructions.

With the improvement in rock extraction techniques, the use of limestone as mortar declined, since the rocks began to fit perfectly without the need to use any type of mortar.

This material was used mainly in the construction of palaces and official buildings. However, samples of common houses made of limestone have been found.

This image shows a limestone carved front in the ruins of the Uxmal Palace. Photo recovered from en.wikipedia.org.

Main Palace of Palenque. Photo recovered from en.wikipedia.org

Lime

The ornaments in the constructions of Mesoamerican cultures (mainly in the Mayan constructions) were made of lime (calcium oxide).

Due to its high resistance, this material was used as an ornamental stucco, so that the ornaments were durable and not affected by the natural elements.

Obsidian

Obsidian is a type of igneous rock (of volcanic origin), also known as volcanic glass. This stone is usually black, although it is also presented in gray, gold, with rainbow iridescence.

Due to its attractive appearance and its striking colors, obsidian was used as ornamentation in the most relevant constructions in Mesoamerica: temples, palaces, state buildings, among others.

Obsidian decoration sample. Photo recovered from en.wikipedia.org

Wood

Most Mesoamerican constructions ended in high sloping ceilings that were made of wood. However, stone roofs were also used.

- In the pottery

Clay

Clay is a sedimentary rock. As long as it has not dried, the clay is malleable, which means that it can be shaped into any desired shape.

When it dries, it acquires a hard and brittle consistency; however, if the pot is fired at high temperatures, it becomes much more resistant.

This material was used to make pots, pitchers, vases, griddles and all kinds of vessels that were used in the home.

- In sculpture

Olmec mask carved in jade. Photo retrieved from lanic.utexas.edu.

Mesoamerican aborigines were great sculptors. However, sculpture was not an independent art but was used as ornaments for architecture.

In this period, three sculptural representations were distinguished and in each one different materials were used. These three representations were the reliefs, the bas-reliefs and the three-dimensional sculptures.

Both the reliefs and the bas-reliefs were two-dimensional. These two sculptural samples could be made in the same material as the building, carved directly into the stones of the walls.

Bas-reliefs were generally made of limestone, because this stone was so porous that it was easy to carve. In other cases, the bas-reliefs were made with stucco (based on lime or limestone).

Another example of reliefs is the one shown by some door lintels. These reliefs were made of wood, which was much easier to carve than stone.

The three-dimensional sculpture, which was used to honor the gods and to adorn the tombs, was made of compact stone blocks attached.

In general, ordinary volcanic rocks were used due to their great resistance. Similarly, they used semi-precise stones (such as jade) for the attractiveness they conferred on the work.

References

1. The Olmec Civilization and Background. Retrieved on July 4, 2017, from lanic.utexas.edu
2. Maya people. Retrieved on July 4, 2017, from britannica.com
3. About Mesoamerica. Retrieved on July 4, 2017, from utmesoamerica.org
4. Mesoamerican arts. Retrieved on July 4, 2017, from www.essential-humanities.net
5. Aztec Stone Sculpture. Retrieved on July 4, 2017, from www.metmuseum.org
6. Mesoamerican architecture. Retrieved on July 4, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org
7. Maya architecture. Retrieved on July 4, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org