Mesoamerican art often features jadeite and quetzal feathers, while Central Andean art emphasizes camelid fiber and cotton, reflecting the different environments and available resources.

Mesoamerica's environment influenced the use of stone for monumental architecture, while the challenging landscapes of the Andes shaped textile art and landscape modifications like the Nazca Lines.

The Maya focused on intricate writing, calendar systems, and complex religious narratives, while the Aztec emphasized monumental sculpture and the glorification of their empire and military prowess.

In Native North America, art reinforces community cohesion and harmony with nature, while in Mesoamerica, art often served to legitimize rulers and commemorate important events.

The Inca are known for their intricate stonework and road systems, reflecting their centralized empire, while the Aztec are famous for their monumental sculptures and city planning, showcasing their military and political power.

A region and cultural area in the Americas, extending roughly from central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and northern Nicaragua, and within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Large designs or motifs produced on the ground (generally longer than 4 meters) and typically formed by clastic rocks or similarly durable elements of the natural landscape, such as the Nazca Lines.

A practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with a spirit world and channel these transcendental energies into this world.

A ceremonial feast among some Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest, marked by the host's lavish distribution of gifts or sometimes destruction of property to demonstrate wealth and generosity.

Emphasis on balance and mutual exchange between humans and the natural world, reflected in artistic themes and practices.

Monumental sculptures carved from large trees, typically cedar, by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest, featuring crests of animals, humans, and supernatural beings.

They represent powerful rulers and demonstrate the Olmec's advanced stone carving abilities and social organization.

They were often oriented to align with celestial events, reflecting the culture's advanced astronomical knowledge and the importance of cosmology in their belief system.

Green materials symbolized life, fertility, and high status, reflecting their value in Mesoamerican cultures.

The Nazca Lines are believed to have served ritual or astronomical purposes, reflecting the Nazca people's connection to their environment and their sophisticated understanding of the cosmos.

It reflects the importance of shamanism and a deep connection to the natural world, where animals were seen as powerful spiritual entities.

Totem poles communicate clan histories, social status, important events, and the relationships between humans, animals, and the supernatural.