by Mildred Boyd

     Shakespeare tells us seven ages constitute the life of man, but archaeologists have identified eight major eras in the development of pre-Colombian man in Mexico. From the earliest hunter-gatherers to the sophisticated Aztecs, the cultural development has been a history of change, sometimes subtle but often drastic, as new ideas, discoveries and inventions affected the lifestyle, social structure and political organization of the various groups. The one constant throughout all the upheavals has been the love of art and the creativity of the common people. Meso-American potters, sculptors, painters, jewellers and weavers have left a rich legacy of achievement seldom, if ever, equalled by any other so-called primitive society. Styles, materials and techniques could, and did, change over the centuries, but the inherent devotion to beauty for its own sake always comes shining through.

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