| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| aclla | High-status Inka women weavers kept cloistered and known for their collaborative textile production. |
| ancient America | Art created before 1550 CE in regions south of the current United States-Mexico border, including Mesoamerica, Central America, and Andean South America. |
| Andean art | Artistic traditions from the Andes region of South America, including textiles and ceramics from ancient Inka civilization. |
| Andean South America | The ancient cultural region of the Central Andes comprising present-day southern Ecuador, Peru, western Bolivia, and northern Chile. |
| artificial mummification | The practice of preserving human remains through deliberate techniques, practiced in the Andes from 5500 BCE onward. |
| belief systems | Organized sets of religious, spiritual, or philosophical ideas that guide how a culture understands the world and conducts itself. |
| camelid fiber | Textile material derived from camelid animals, a prominent material in Central Andean art and textiles. |
| Central America | A geographical and cultural region of Ancient America located between Mesoamerica and Andean South America. |
| Chavín | An early Central Andean culture dating c. 1200-500 BCE in the northern highlands with influence extending to the southern coast. |
| colonial artists | Artists working during the colonial period who blended European and indigenous artistic traditions in their work. |
| cultural practices | The customs, rituals, and traditional activities of a society that are reflected in and inform artistic and architectural creation. |
| cultural revitalization | The process of renewing and maintaining indigenous artistic traditions and cultural practices in contemporary contexts. |
| cyclicality | A cultural concept in Andean societies emphasizing repeating patterns and cycles rather than linear progression. |
| dualism | A philosophical concept in Andean art emphasizing contrast, asymmetry, and the coexistence of opposing forces. |
| Eastern Woodlands | A regional subunit of Native North America with distinctive artistic styles and cultural practices. |
| figural art | Art that depicts recognizable human or animal forms, particularly used in Mesoamerican sculpture and two-dimensional works. |
| First Nations | The term used in Canada for the indigenous peoples inhabiting areas north of the United States-Mexico border. |
| globalized contemporary art world | The interconnected international art scene in which artists from diverse cultures, including Native Americans, participate and exchange ideas. |
| grave goods | Objects placed with the deceased for use in the afterlife, a primary purpose for Andean art production. |
| Indigenous Americas | The artistic traditions and cultures of the first peoples of North, Central, and South America, developed independently from c. 10,000 BCE to 1492 CE. |
| Inka | A late Central Andean culture and empire that existed from 1438-1534 CE, covering the entire Central Andes region. |
| Maya | An ancient Mesoamerican civilization known for their writing system, mathematics, astronomy, and monumental architecture. |
| Mesoamerica | The ancient cultural region encompassing present-day Mexico (from Mexico City southward), Guatemala, Belize, and western Honduras, home to the Olmec, Maya, and Mexica civilizations. |
| Mexica | The Aztec people of ancient Mesoamerica; their art and culture have been influential in Mexican nationalism and modern art. |
| Native American art | Contemporary and traditional artistic practices created by indigenous peoples of North America, reflecting cultural identity and modern global participation. |
| Native North America | Traditionally oriented cultures and art north of the United States-Mexico border from ancient times to the present, with emphasis on the period from 1492 CE onward. |
| Northwest Coast | A regional subunit of Native North America with distinctive artistic styles and cultural practices. |
| Olmec | An ancient Mesoamerican culture that existed during the first millennium BCE, primarily in the Gulf Coast region. |
| physical setting | The geographic location, environment, and landscape that influences the creation and function of art. |
| Plains | A regional subunit of Native North America with distinctive artistic styles and cultural practices. |
| potlatch | A large ritual ceremony practiced by Native American groups, particularly in the Northwest Coast region. |
| pre-Hispanic traditions | Artistic and cultural practices from indigenous Mesoamerican and Andean civilizations before European contact and colonization. |
| Puebloan pottery | Traditional ceramic art form created by Pueblo peoples of the American Southwest, representing a revival of ancient artistic practices. |
| reciprocity | A cultural value in Andean societies emphasizing mutual exchange and interdependence between individuals and communities. |
| shamanic transformation | A spiritual concept depicted in Indigenous American art showing humans transforming into animal or cosmic forms through shamanic visionary experience. |
| shamanistic religion | A spiritual practice in Indigenous American cultures involving shamans as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual worlds. |
| Southwest | A regional subunit of Native North America with distinctive artistic styles and cultural practices. |
| sun dance | A large ritual ceremony practiced by Native American groups, particularly in the Plains region. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| acropolis | A complex of monumental structures built on elevated terrain, created through repeated renovation and enlargement of sacred sites in Mesoamerica. |
| adobe architecture | Structures built from sun-dried mud bricks, a building technique used in Native American art and architecture. |
| Andean culture | The civilization of the Andes Mountains region that developed distinctive artistic traditions emphasizing trade in exotic materials and textiles. |
| basketry | The craft of weaving flexible materials into baskets and other functional objects in Indigenous American art. |
| beadwork | An artistic technique of sewing beads onto surfaces to create decorative patterns and designs in Native American art. |
| bone carving | An artistic process of shaping and carving bone into functional and decorative objects in Indigenous American art traditions. |
| ceramic | Objects made from clay and hardened by heat, representing one of humanity's earliest and most significant artistic media. |
| earthwork | Large-scale artworks created by manipulating natural landscapes and earth materials, often monumental in scale. |
| featherwork | An artistic technique using feathers as a primary medium to create decorative and functional objects in Indigenous American art. |
| five-direction cosmic geometry | A spiritual and spatial concept incorporating north, south, east, west, and center directions that structures Indigenous American artistic traditions. |
| greenstone | A valuable trade material such as turquoise and jadeite used in Indigenous American art, highly valued in the materials hierarchy. |
| hide painting | An artistic technique of painting on animal hides to create decorated surfaces with spiritual and practical significance. |
| jadeite | A green stone used as a trade material and incorporated into Indigenous American artistic traditions. |
| Mesoamerican pyramids | Large stepped stone structures built in Mesoamerica that evolved from earthworks to multi-level temples serving religious and ceremonial functions. |
| metalwork | The process of shaping and working with metal to create artistic objects in Indigenous American art traditions. |
| obsidian | A volcanic glass material used in Indigenous American art, positioned in the middle tier of the Andean materials hierarchy. |
| post-and-lintel | An architectural construction method using vertical posts supporting horizontal beams, commonly used in Mesoamerican architecture. |
| quillwork | An artistic technique using porcupine quills to decorate and embellish objects in Native American art. |
| relief sculpture | A sculptural technique where figures project from a flat background surface, often used to decorate Mesoamerican architecture. |
| shamanism | A spiritual practice and belief system involving shamans who serve as intermediaries between the physical and spiritual worlds, considered the earliest widespread worldwide spiritual approach. |
| spiny oyster | A shell material used as a trade material in Indigenous American art. |
| textiles | Woven or fabric art forms that were the most important art medium in West and Central Asia and dominated international trade between Europe and Asia. |
| turquoise | A blue-green stone used as a trade material and incorporated into Indigenous American artistic traditions. |
| weaving | A technique of interlacing fibers or threads to create textiles and other fiber-based artworks. |
| wood carving | An artistic technique of shaping and carving wood into functional and decorative objects in Indigenous American art. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| apprentice-master relationships | A system of artistic training in which a master artist teaches and mentors an apprentice in techniques and practices. |
| astronomical observation | The study and tracking of celestial bodies and their movements, reflected in artistic expressions and intellectual pursuits of Indigenous American cultures. |
| calendrical rituals | Ceremonial practices tied to astronomical or seasonal cycles, often performed in public spaces for large audiences. |
| gender specialization | The division of artistic labor by gender, such as women engaging in weaving and men in carving. |
| life force | In Indigenous American art, a spiritual or vital energy believed to be contained within, transferred by, or represented through artworks. |
| participatory art | Art that is active and involves engagement or participation rather than passive viewing by an audience. |
| patron | A person or institution that commissions, funds, or supports the creation of an artwork, thereby influencing its purpose and content. |
| ritual object | Artworks created for ceremonial or religious purposes, reflecting the spiritual beliefs and practices of prehistoric communities. |
| workshops | Spaces where artists, typically elite specialists, produced art, often involving apprentice-master relationships and collaborative production. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ancient America | Art created before 1550 CE in regions south of the current United States-Mexico border, including Mesoamerica, Central America, and Andean South America. |
| archaeological excavation | Systematic investigations of historical sites that uncover physical evidence and artifacts to inform understanding of past art and cultures. |
| art history | The academic discipline that studies works of art, their creation, context, and significance across time and cultures. |
| black-on-black ceramic | A pottery technique producing dark vessels with matte and glossy surface variations, revived by Maria and Julian Martinez. |
| colonization | The establishment of European control over territories and peoples in the Americas and other regions, resulting in cultural and artistic exchange. |
| ethnographic analogy | A methodological approach that uses observations of modern traditional cultural practices as models to interpret and understand ancient societies and their art. |
| ethnohistoric documents | Written records that combine historical information with ethnographic data about indigenous peoples and their cultures. |
| formal analysis | The study of artworks based on their visual and structural elements, such as composition, color, line, and form. |
| hieroglyphs | A system of writing using symbolic characters and images, used by the Mayas and Mexica to record text and artistic information. |
| iconographic analysis | The examination of symbolic content and meaning in artworks to understand cultural and religious significance. |
| iconography | The study of symbols, images, and their meanings in artworks, particularly how they convey cultural and religious significance. |
| Inka | A late Central Andean culture and empire that existed from 1438-1534 CE, covering the entire Central Andes region. |
| Maria and Julian Martinez | Pueblo potters who revived ancient black-on-black ceramic techniques, demonstrating cultural continuity and artistic innovation. |
| Maya | An ancient Mesoamerican civilization known for their writing system, mathematics, astronomy, and monumental architecture. |
| Mexica | The Aztec people of ancient Mesoamerica; their art and culture have been influential in Mexican nationalism and modern art. |
| multidisciplinary collaboration | The integration of multiple academic disciplines and research methods to study and interpret artworks and cultures. |
| Native North America | Traditionally oriented cultures and art north of the United States-Mexico border from ancient times to the present, with emphasis on the period from 1492 CE onward. |
| Puebloans | Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest known for their distinctive pottery, architecture, and cultural traditions. |
| Spanish chronicles | Written accounts by Spanish invaders, friars, and colonists documenting indigenous monuments and artistic practices during and after conquest. |
| theory and interpretation | Different frameworks and perspectives used to understand and explain the meaning, context, and significance of works of art that may change over time. |
| tribal history | The recorded or oral accounts of indigenous peoples' past, traditions, and cultural development. |
| visual analysis | The systematic examination and interpretation of a work of art's formal elements, such as color, composition, form, and technique, to understand its meaning and significance. |