Female Figure with Skirt, 1000-500 B.C. Tlatilco Culture, Valley of Mexico, Mexico. Earthenware: 4" x 2". Purchased with Endowment Funds PRE-CLASSIC PERIOD 1500 B.C.-A.D. 300				1 of 6   Pre-Classic Period
		illage cultures based on agriculture developed ceramics and weaving. The rituals of these early cultures were based on agricultural cycles. Thousands of baked clay objects discovered at pre-Classic burial sites provide clues about ancient rituals, dress, and physical appearance. Cranial deformation and filing of teeth were practiced to distinguish certain individuals from others. Painted geometric patterns suggest textile patterns or body tatoos. The most popular subjects for these figures were young women whose fertility was emphasized by ample breasts and thighs.