中美洲古代社会中的绿色玉石

Greenstones in Ancient Mesoamerica Societies

绿色玉石在中美洲古代文明中扮演了重要的角色。前古典时期的奥尔梅克文化和古典时期的玛雅文化使用莫塔瓜河谷的翡翠制作了大量精美的玉器。后古典时期随着美国西南部绿松石矿的开采和远距离交换的频繁,墨西哥中部及南部开始大量出现绿松石镶嵌器物,阿兹特克人熟练掌握绿松石镶嵌技术,通过精巧地运用绿松石的色泽变化,将绿松石嵌片组成带有象征内涵的主题画面,表达精神信仰,并运用在祭祀等仪式中。

Greenstones played an important role in ancient Mesoamerican civilizations.People of the pre-Classic Olmec and Classical Maya cultures used jadeite from the Motagua River Valley to make a large number of fine jade objects.In the Postclassic period,turquoises were mined in the American Southwest and traded/exchanged over long distances,and a great many objects inlaid with turquoise began to be used in central and southern Mexico.The Aztecs mastered the technique of turquoise inlay.They can creatively make turquoise pieces with varying colors into thematic images with symbolic connotations,through which they expressed their religious belief in ritual activities.