The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)
This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques" at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
Even degraded samples, ceramic impressions, and images of precolumbian textiles may illustrate patterning. The regularity of certain designs suggests that these were specific, named patterns that were shared and meaningful; their appearance on specific garments suggests that they had links to gender, affiliation, and/or status. One familiar pattern found throughout the Americas is a crosshatched lattice with simple motifs at the center of each interstitial space. Sometimes called the "dotted-diamond grid," the pattern has been interpreted variously as depicting plots of agricultural land, scutes on a tortoise shell, blossoms in a field, or the dented kernels on a ripe ear of corn. Possible variations of this pattern may include squares, zigzags, V shapes, or triangles. Technical proposals for the manufacture of these designs include weaving, beading, painting, batik, tie-dyeing, and felting with patterned bark beaters. This session considers the “dotted-diamond grid” pattern, its manufacture, and its meaning among different Indigenous American cultures, with the goal of pulling together a fuller, more thorough understanding of the design and to expand recognition of its variations.
Other Keywords
Iconography and Art •
Iconography and epigraphy •
Highland Mesoamerica: Classic •
Maize •
Textile Analysis •
Olmec •
Ancestral Pueblo •
Ethnography/Ethnoarchaeology •
Highland Mesoamerica: Postclassic •
Chibchan
Geographic Keywords
North America (Continent) •
Tlaxcala (State / Territory) •
United Mexican States (Country) •
Puebla (State / Territory) •
Veracruz (State / Territory) •
Yucatan (State / Territory) •
Corozal (State / Territory) •
Quintana Roo (State / Territory) •
Campeche (State / Territory) •
Mesoamerica: Gulf Coast
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-6 of 6)
- Documents (6)
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Diamonds in the Rough: Olmec and Olmec-Related Occurrences of the Rhombus Motif and Its Variations (2021)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. As ancient cultures throughout the world developed textiles, knotted and woven fabrics lent themselves to the development of geometric rhombus patterns, first as the diamond-shaped mesh of knotted nets and later as square patterns in twined gauze and plain-weave cloth. Further early experimentation in basketry and...
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The Grid Patterns in the Vestments and Headdresses of Female Statuary from the Classic Period Cultures of Central Veracruz (2021)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Various researches report that the diamond, rhomboid, and square-gridded patterns and their stepped variants designate the surface of the earth as the fecund female progenitor, manifested in flowers, corn cobs, and sweet, nurturing waters. These patterns also designate the zoomorphic aspects of the shell or skin of...
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Jaguar Fur, Snake Skin, Woven Baskets, and the Milky Way: The Dot-Grid Pattern from Nicaragua to Ecuador (2021)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Dotted grids abound in art of Pacific Nicaragua southward through Costa Rica and Panama to Ecuador, whether on painted and incised ceramic vessels or chiseled stone sculptures. These images reflect ancient fiber arts now lost to the elements in these tropical lands. The designs, recorded on clay and stone, appear to...
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“Serpent Skin” and “Diamond Grid” Motifs on Epiclassic and Postclassic Figurines Skirts (2021)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. In Mesoamerica, the wearing of wide belts, skirts, and huipils is characteristic of feminine representations. From the Epiclassic period onward, but more frequently in the Early Postclassic period in Central and Western Mexico, the skirts of certain feminine figurines start to wear what has been called, among many...
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Snakeskin and Corn Markings: The Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern in the U.S. Southwest (2021)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The dotted-diamond-grid pattern first appears on the textiles and pottery of the southwestern United States in the mid-AD 1000s or early AD 1100s. Fifteenth-century kiva murals from the northern Southwest confirm the importance of this design system for decorating ceremonial cloth prior to Spanish contact. In this...
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Symmetries of Corn and Cloth in the Ancient Americas: Pattern Generation, Botany, and the Maize Matrix (2021)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "The Precolumbian Dotted-Diamond-Grid Pattern: References and Techniques" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Several precolumbian royal garments with simple, repeating geometric designs have explicit associations to maize, and hint at a deep significance to the cloth pattern–corn plant connection. In the Andes, Inca Coyas (noblewomen) wore special woven belts during the annual corn-planting ceremony. Sophie Desrosiers...