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Rich and diverse cultures developed in North, Central, and South America in the thousands of years before European contact. In the first part of the gallery, you enter the world of Mesoamerica, encompassing Mexico and parts of Central America. Through art and iconography, twelve themes explore the underlying similarities that tied these independent cultures together: The Natural World, Music, Deities, Religion and Ritual, Ancestors, Maternity, Daily Life, Adornment, The Ball Game, Politics and Rulership, Warfare, and Feasting. These shared elements of culture are what allows Mesoamerica to be viewed as both a historical and cultural region. The artifacts are drawn from the collection which grew from an original gift by Kenneth D. Stratton in 1966 into a collection of approximately 1,500 objects representing the major artistic traditions of regions and cultures including Tlatlico, Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, the Maya, Colima, Jalisco, Veracruz, Mixtec, Huastec, and the Aztec.
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