Refers to the period in Mesoamerica from around 300 BCE to 250 CE. Featherwork in Mesoamerica originated in this period as symbols of power and class and featured elaborate ceremonial head dresses comprised of quetzal tail feathers. Sculptural pieces of the period include pottery and effigy vessels, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic burial figures, fluted vases with distinctive parallel red lines drawn over orange slip, and bowls painted with serpentine forms on exterior rim bands. The style of architecture in the period evolved to palatial scales, featuring solid, flat or vaulted roof coverings, elaborate stairways bordered by flat ramps at each side, moldings, tableros, and masks. Pyramidal structures in the period display complex terraced, circular, and conic sections.
