Monthly Archives: March 2014

Summer Assessment: Culture Inspiration

After looking over a few ancient lost cultures I settled on the Anasazi from Pueblo Bonito in North America. From “Virtual Archaeology Re-creating Ancient Worlds” by Harry N. Abrams I learnt that:

“Pueblo Bonito, in Chaco Canyon in the American Southwest, was one of the most remarkable towns in pre-Columbian North America. It was built by the Anasazi in the period AD 950 – 1150, on a D-shaped plan. The complex at one time consisted of 5 semicular platforms around a vast central square dotted with numerous pits that led to underground ritual areas )kivas). The town had both commercial and religious roles and was one a of a group of sites in the San Juan connected by a unique road network.

The Anasazi culture developed in the so-called region of the ‘Four Corners’, where the states of Arizona and New Mexico converge. This culture did not know writing, so it is through archaeological remains that we can retrace the stages of development (because of he dry climate the remains are well preserved). Its apogee dates to between AD 950 – 1150 when its political, social, economic, and religious structures were at their peak. The was a period of material prosperity, as is illustrated by many finds at separate sites, including Pueblo Bonito.
The town was built in successive phases and today covers an area of one hectare (2 1/2 acres). Built of adobe and wood, the flat-roofed buildings were superimposed upon each other to form a crescent-shaped ‘block’ that faced south; the general shape of the site and its orientation suggest that this plan was linked to the movement of the sun and to natural phenomena. The rubbled-filled adobe external walls protected the town from the north winds and captured the heat emitted by the sun’s rays. Likewise the roof terraces, which were regularly heated by the sun, were well suited to the drying of maize, which was both a staple of the diet and an important commodity to be exchanged through the region; the rooms, on the other hand, were always cool, and therefore well suited to maize storage. The rooms also serves as dwellings for the population of Pueblo Bonito, which must have numbered around 1,200 people. The central square is divided into two almost equal parts, and its surface is peppered with circular structures of various sizes: semi-subteranean ritual areas that also served as store rooms. Their number suggests that between AD 950 – 1150, the religious activities performed at the centre of Pueblo Bonito were particularly intense.
The building of the town required enormous quantities of sand, clay, water and wood, which were brought to the site by means of the road network that linked the towns of Chaco Canyon. The towns also used this network to import agricultural produce, turquoise, certain minerals and other products from the Pacific coast and also from central Mexico. It would seem that the Anasazi chose to settle in Chaco Canyon because of its central location. As a consequence, Pueblo Bonito served not only as a religious centre buy also as a place of storage, exchange and redistribution of goods.
Either round or square in shape, the kiva an underground space with multiple functions. Its form recalls the underground dwellings of earlier peoples in the Southwest. Despite the subsequent evolution of local architecture and the appearance of the first ‘unitary-block’ villages, or pueblos, the kiva continued to be built in all the large sites of the American Southwest. According to Frank Waters, the term kiva signifies ‘the underworld’ and symbolizes the maternal matrix of the earth from which men were formed, and from which life also spread to the plants upon which the humans subsisted.
Today the kivas in the central squares of Native American villages are generally rectangular and oriented east-west, like the course of the sun across the sky. They are entered by a ladder through a roof opening, generally made of plant material. The interior essentially comprise two spaces: ‘the East’ for non initiates, and ‘the West’, which is reserved for the clansmen who organize the ceremonies. The kiva symbolises the world, the myth of the emergence of humans and their passage through four successive worlds. Human life is regulated by a series of seasonal ceremonies, such as that of the New Fire as Spring Solstice, or the Ceremony of Masks (kachinas), which is connected with the return of mythical ancestors.
Pueblo Bonito has numerous kivas, which indicates that they must have been used by a large population throughout the year. The kiva served as a meeting place, a public room, and as a sacred space in which the history of the creation of the word could be regularly represented.
Historical Sources
The principal sources of information on the Anasazi are the chronicles compiled by the Spanish who, arriving from Mexico around 1530, discovered the populations of the northern region of Mexico. From 1540 to 1542 an expedition under Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was sent by the Spanish Viceroy to explore the Anasazi region. The chronicles produced as a result of this mission are the older documents that relate to the Anasazi culture. During the following half-century the Anasazi were in contact with many other Spanish group, who also wrote about them in letters, texts and chronicles. In 1598, Juan de Oñate led an expedition into the valley of the Rio Grande that marked the start of the European presence in Anasazi territory.
The Indians that lived in the adobe villages were called the Pueblos by the Spanish, to distinguish them from other groups in the region bordering Mexico. This term was retained and continues to designate the groups in the American Southwest that have maintained an architectural tradition similar to that of the Anasazi.”
Religious Ceremonies
From this I became fascinated with the idea of my sculptural pieces being worn as part of a religious ceremony as that part of life seemed to be of great importance to this society. I looked up the New Fire ceremony and found:
Stories Told by the Aztecs by Carleton Beals, Abelard-Schuman, London, 1970.

Summer Assessment: Le Musée des Cultures Oubliées

Today I began to plan my museum. After listening to Tina suggest French names for the venue yesterday I have been inspired and decided to continue in French. I spoke to my French friend Élisa who is helping me with translation.

Originally I was looking at the name “The Museum of Accessories of the Neck”, however the literal translation does not make sense in French so Élisa did her best to make it fit as came up with “Le Musée des Accessories de Parures pour le Cou” which means “The Museum of Accessories of Jewels for the Neck”. This name wasn’t as effective as I hoped it would be so I focused on the point of fiction within my pieces which lead to:

  • “Le Musée des Cultures Fictive” – The Museum of Fictional Cultures
  • “Le Musée des Cultures Imaginaires” – The Museum of Imaginary Cultures
  • “Le Musée des Cultures Perdues” – The Museum of Lost Cultures
  • “Le Musée des Cultures Oubliées” – The Museum of Forgotten Cultures

The final one was chosen because it initially made the most sense to me about the society or societies I am going to create within the exhibition.

Pieces to include within the exhibition: film (projection), sculptures, photography, informative performance given in both French and English.

Collaborating with Anastasia: Kayan Lahwi (Burma): Latex

Today I spoke with Olivia Stagg, a finalist, about possible materials to use for decoration and to create a base as I wasn’t entirely happy with the pattern I created. We spoke about using meat however couldn’t find an appropriate link between the use of animals when my piece relates to female humans, and using human flesh is probably too controversial. Something that made sense to both of us was the use of latex to create the base of my sculptures as I have experience with this material and already have some available to use. Latex will give a more accurate casting of the neck and a smoother finish. It is also quick and easy to use. Latex could also be used to create the decorations, especially for the anatomical design.

Sheets of latex: