Choose one of the following artifacts to analyze. Your task is to examine the artifacts historical, cultural, and social significance within the context of its civilization. Use the guiding questions below to enrich your analysis. You may use World History Encyclopedia, our e-text, and my lecture for sources. You must cite these.

Option 1: The Great Zimbabwe Bird Sculpture (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Description:
The Zimbabwe Bird Sculptures are a series of stone carvings found at the Great Zimbabwe ruins, dating back to around the 11th-15th centuries C.E. These bird sculptures, crafted from soapstone, are thought to symbolize the spirit of ancestors and convey a sense of protection or authority. Often found at sacred sites, these sculptures reflect the Shona peoples beliefs, their reverence for ancestors, and the role of spiritual symbolism within their society.

Option 2: The Aztec Sun Stone (The Americas, Pre-Columbian)
Description:
The Aztec Sun Stone, also known as the “Stone of the Five Eras,” is a massive basalt sculpture created in the 15th century C.E., just before European contact. This intricate circular carving represents the Aztec cosmology and their cyclical understanding of time. It features images of the gods, celestial symbols, and references to the four prior ages, with the face of Tonatiuh, the sun god, at its center. The Sun Stone reflects the Aztec beliefs about creation, destruction, and the role of human sacrifice in sustaining the cosmos.