This gallery shows the parallel development of civilizations in Mesoamerica and the Andes. Through millennia the Indigenous peoples of these regions developed diverse cultures and domesticated animals and plants—including the corn and potatoes that feed billions of people today.
Pottery, textiles, sculptures, instruments, and other materials on view span 3,000 years of history. They illustrate a range of complex stories, including writing, music, animal husbandry, architecture, religion, ritual, and trade.
Click to expand images below.
Feather Textile
This textile, made of parrot feathers from the Amazon rainforest and cotton from the coast of Peru, shows the range of the Huari empire.
Lambayeque Whistling Bottle
Chambered bottles like this one often had whistles added to them. The whistle would make distinctive sounds as corn beer was poured from the vessel.
Olmec Head – Replica
Monumental architecture and sculpture in Mesoamerica began with the Olmec civilization. This is a replica of an enormous sculpture, likely a portrait of a ruler.
All photos: credit Andy Melien / Yale Peabody Museum