Piece #156 is the Great Serpent Mound created by the Mississippian people in 1070 CE. The piece is made of earthwork and entirely built from dirt packed mounds.
The Great Serpent Mound relates to the theme of art created into the earth because the only material used to create the piece is the dirt packed to create the serpent-shaped mound. The mound is also connected to the earth contextually because the piece lines up with the summer and winter solstice.
Piece #154 is the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings made by the Anasazi peoples in 430-1400 CE. The cliff dwellings are only made of sandstone in the cliffs of Montezuma County, Colorado.
The piece relates to the theme of an art piece made using the earth because the piece is only made of the sandstone that the cliffs are made out of. Contextually, the Anasazi peoples added the sandstone houses for shelter and housing of the tribe.
The Great Serpent Mound and the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings are similar in regards to the theme because both pieces are made out of materials from the earth and created into the earth. Visually, the Great Serpent Mound contains a serpent-shaped hill formed into the ground using tight packed dirt. Likewise, the Anasazi peoples used the sandstone from the cliffs to create a town and place of shelter. Both pieces are also similar in regards to the theme because they both use the earth for functional purposes. For example, the Great Serpent Mound uses the earth to align with the summer and winter solstice and the cliff dwellings are used to shelter the Anasazi peoples.
The Great Serpent Mound and the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings are different in regards to art pieces made using the earth because the Great Serpent Mound is made from dirt packed tightly together and the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings are made using sandstone to hold houses together. The two pieces are also different in regards to the theme because they use the earth for functional purposes but for different reasons. For example, while the Great Serpent Mound is used for astrological purposes, the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings are used to shelter and house the Anasazi tribe.
OHS APAH 