Birth of primitive art 11 : primitive arts of American continent

＜　map No.2, stone colossal head, 176cm in height, Mexico, about 3200 years ago　＞

This time, it is last to introduce primitive arts over the world.

I take a brief look at the oldest fine arts in American continent and the beginning of Inca and Mayan civilization.

今回で、世界各地の原初美術を紹介する最後となります。

南北アメリカの最古の美術からマヤ・インカ文明の始まりまでを概観します。

 ＜　American continent, area of the oldest fine arts are red 1, 4.  area of ancient civilization are yellow. No. 2 shows Mayan and Aztec. No.3. shows Inca.　＞

Human beings advance into American continent at first time by way of Alaska about 15000 years ago.

They arrived at the southernmost end of South America after thousands years.

Therefore, the footprint of the human beings in this continent will become comparatively new.

人類はアラスカ経由で１５０００年前頃にアメリカに初めて進入し、南米南端に到達するには更に数千年を要しました。

したがってこの大陸での人類の足跡は比較的新しいものになります。

 ＜　map No.4, Toquepala cave ruin, about 9500 years ago, Peru ＞

The oldest rock art in American continent is the mural painting in this cave.

This cave is in the middle of the Andes, and the altitude of 2700 m.

The picture shows a situation of hunting that some people drive the animals like camel into a fence.

The picture was drawn with pigment of red, yellow, green, black, and white.

アメリカ最古のロックアートは、この洞窟の壁画です。

この洞窟はアンデス山脈の中腹、標高２７００ｍにあります。

絵には、集団でラクダ科の動物を柵に追い込む狩りの様子が描かれている。

この写真は不鮮明ですが、赤、黄、緑、黒、白などの顔料で描かれています。

 ＜　the Andes can be seen in the distance.　＞

There is large plateau in the middle of the mountain range of the Andes at a level of 4000 meters.

First farming started in there after that, and Inca civilization was born.

Machu Picchu that is often called the city in the sky is slightly 200km from Toquepala cave. It is altitude of 2430 m.

4０００ｍの山々が連なるアンデス山脈の中程に高原があり、後にそこで最初の農耕が開始されインカ文明が生まれることになります。

空中都市マチュ・ピチュ（標高２４３０ｍ）はトケパラ洞窟からわずか２００ｋｍの所にあります。

 <  Map No.1, human figure and lizard, Coso rock art, Eastern California, from 10000 to 1000 years ago, by Bradshaw foundation  >

Rock arts in this area are close to 100,000.

The representational figures consist of animals such as bighorn sheep, and animal-human conflations.  They are drawn by sculpture.

この地域には１０万近い岩絵があります。

その代表的な図像はオオツノヒツジ等の動物と動物と人間が合成されたものです。シンボル化された人物像が彫刻によって描かれています。

＜　Map No.1, bards and deer, Baja California, by Bradshaw foundation  ＞

Rock arts of this area began to be drawn from about 7000 years ago, and the person and the animal were drawn.

この地域の岩絵は、古くは７０００年前頃のもので、人物と動物が描かれている。

　

＜　Map No.1, the above rock art was drawn on this rock shadow, Baja California, by Bradshaw foundation  ＞

Many of rock arts in North America are in mountain range, and it are many dried places now.

Hunter-gatherers drew them.

北米アメリカの岩絵の多くは山岳部で、現在は乾燥化している所も多い。

これらはすべて狩猟採集民が描いたのだろう。

The dawn of ancient civilization

before long、as a settled agriculture started in the central part of American continent and the central Andes, new fine arts was born.

A stone carving of infographic topping is representative art of Olmeca civilization that was first born in the central part of American continent.

Although earthenware, the clay figure, and the jade figure also were made in there, colossal head in stone is unique.

This stone colossal head was set up religious service center ruins including a pyramid.

Probably, it was a monument in which influence of a person of power was shown.

Then, it developed into Mayan and Aztec civilization.

古代文明の曙

やがてアメリカ大陸の中部と中央アンデスで定住農耕が始まると、新たな美術が誕生し始めます。

巻頭写真は中部アメリカ（メキシコ）の最初の文明、オルメカ文明の代表的な石彫です。

土器や土偶、翡翠製人物像も作られたが、巨大人頭像がユニークである。

この巨石人頭像はピラミッドを含む祭祀センター遺構内に据えられており、権力者の威光を示す記念碑だったのだろう。

この後、マヤ、アステカ文明へと変遷していくことになる。

 ＜　Map No.3, human figure and human head, 3m in high, Cerro Sechin, about 3800 years ago, Peru ＞

This ruin is one of the ruins that became a forerunner of the Inca civilization in the central Andes.

These images were engraved by lines on slates that surround the foundation of the shrine made from brick.

Although earthenware, the clay figures also were made in there, much later, gold work became very famous.

In this way, primitive fine arts in American continent developed into the fine arts of civilization.

From next time, we will look at the mystery and meaning of primitive fine arts birth that we have seen until now.

この遺跡は中央アンデスに興るインカ文明の先駆けになる遺跡の一つです。

これは煉瓦製神殿の基壇部を囲む石板に線刻された図像です。

土器、土偶も作られますが、かなり後に金細工が一世風靡することになります。

こうしてアメリカ大陸でも原初美術から文明の美術へと変遷を遂げて行きました。

次回から、今まで見てきた原初美術誕生の謎とその意味を読み解いて行きます。