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IZAPA
A. Izapan Civilization
1. Site of Izapa
a) history
1) visited by Stirling in 1941
a> described and photographed monuments
b> published report in 1943
2) first test pits by Philip Drucker in 1947
a> found only Postclassic
3) most recent excavations by New World Archaeological
Foundation, led by Gareth Lowe
a> four seasons, beginning in 1962
b> brought total of known monuments to 87 stelae and 89 altars
b) geography
1) located in southeastern Chiapas on tributary of Suchiate
River
a> situated on wet, hilly piedmont above narrow Pacific Coastal
plain
1> very hot, but agriculturally fertile
2> steams deposited rich, volcanic soil
a: Rio Izapa runs through site
b> included in area known as Soconusco
1> important cacao-producing region for the Aztec
c) architecture
1) earthen mounds faced with river cobbles
2) courts and plazas with stone sculpture
3) possible ballcourt, indicated by two long embankments
d) chronology
1) founded in Early Formative, reaching its height in the Late
Formative and persisting into Protoclassic
2) site was occupied as early as 1500 BC
3) occupation lasted through Late Classic period
4) art style
a> little solid evidence for direct dating
b> Coe (1962) suggests Late Formative placement, 300 BC - AD
100
c> Miles (1965) places stelae from before 400 BC - AD 1
d> dated by Quirarte (1973) to ca. 500 BC - AD 36
e> Norman (1973) puts style in Late Preclassic and Protoclassic
f> Parsons (1969) sees stelae as only Protoclassic: 100 BC - AD
100
g> Bernal (1969)associates stelae with Olmec III or immediately
afterwards through the Late Preclassic: 6-500 BC - AD 100
h> Smith (1984) assigns it to Late Preclassic (ca. 200 - 50 BC)
1> cites similarities to works from Monte AlbÝn II
2> Late Preclassic date helps explain stylistic coherence and
limited geographic spread
e) art style
1) Coe sees it as "obviously derived from the Olmec"
2) Norman seels relationships between "Olmecoid" Izapa art and
that of La Venta, Early Classic Maya, and early Monte Albán
3) problem is that Olmec influences were widespread
a> Middle Formative saw great regionalization
b> decline of importance of centers in Olmec heartland
c> Smith feels that Monte Albán may have been an equally
important stimulus
1> some similarities to sculpture at Dainzú
2> mural painting of Tomb 104 (Monte Albán IIIA) has some
Izapan affinities
4) typified by large, complicated compositions
a> anecdotal scenes with groups of people
5) appears on stone stelae
a> often accompanied by altars
1> carved to represent giant toads (symbols of rain)
6) motifs
a> gods with very long upper lips
b> sky band in the form of stylized monster teeth
c> winged figures
d> backgrounds of swirling scroll-clouds
e> open mouth of a feline as a pictorial frame
f> frequent depiction of crocodiles, fish, marsh birds, and
jaguars
1> suggests coastal swamp/lagoon origin for Izapan religious
symbolism
7) characteristics
a> sophisticated use of overlapping
b> diminution of size
c> placement of figures to form a "legible spatial framework"
d> top- and base-line designs as frame indicators
8) none of the monuments at Izapa have dates
f) stelae
1) Stela 1
a> "Long-lipped god" with reptile-head feet
1> may be a prototype for the Classic Maya GI
b> walking on band of water
c> dips fish with basket
d> carrying basket on back
2) Stela 3
a> deity with club
b> one leg twists and turns into a serpent
c> may be source of Classic Maya deity known as God K, the
Manikin Scepter, and GII
1> appears as a small staff in the hands of royalty
3) Stela 21
a> warrior holding head of decapitated deity
b> in background is person in sedan chair
1> roof decorated with crouching jaguar
4) Stela 5
a> depicts mythic origin from a central tree
b> supernatural tree from which human forms flow
c> scene may be designed for oral reading
d> old couple at lower left divine with corn kernals
1> may be ancestral couple (referred to in Aztec sources) from
who all humans descend
g) significance
1) Izapan civilization interpreted by Coe as "connecting link
in time and space between the earlier Olmec civilization and
the Classic Maya"
a> Olmec characteristics noted by Coe
1> U element
2> St. Andrew's cross
3> scrollwork skies or clouds
4> scenes within stylized jaguar mouths
5> flame-scroll eyebrows
6> realistic depiction of plump human forms
b> Maya monuments may be derived from Izapan prototypes
1> "baroque" art style appears to have been adopted from Izapan
monuments
c> Long Count dates show some continuity between Izapan and
Maya monuments
1> oldest dated Maya monument is AD 292
2> Izapan-style Stela 1 from El Baúl has a date 256 years
earlier (AD 36)
d> "long-lipped god" becomes Maya "long-nosed god"
e> Coe cites monuments found on Pacific Coast of Guatemala and
into highlands (at Kaminaljuyu)
2) Smith feels that Izapa style is more unique
a> remarks: "Izapa art can no longer be considered an
intermediary between Olmec and Maya art styles. If it had
any influence at all on later Maya art, that influence must
be counted as but one among many."
b> "the notion that there is a particular link ought to be
abandoned, at least until the artistic traditions from many
Late Preclassic sites have been defined and examined"
c> cautions that term "Izapa-style" should be limited to works
from the site itself
1> interprets style as limited to Izapa site
d> argument that Izapa was a link required inclusion of works
from other Pacific-slope sites
e> interprets Izapa style as "a strongly formulated, cohesive,
and unique local phenomenon"
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