Village Scene 2nd-3rd century Nayarit This Nayarit ceramic model depicts a lively dance that, like so many of the activities seen in Nayarit art, brings the community together to participate and to observe. Seven dancers lock arms and lean in, forming a circle that reflects the shape of the platform itself. Eight other adults and children look on with evident interest. Similar scenes are depicted on other Nayarit models, suggesting that dance rituals, like feasting and the ballgame, were important events in community life. Other models of this type show the circular plaza framed by four identical hipped-roofed buildings set at equal intervals, designating the four cardinal directions. Sometimes a central element, in the form of a ritual pole or a round stepped platform, transforms the space into a metaphor for the Mesoamerican cosmic map, the central element reflecting the multi-level celestial realm. Similar circular raised platforms with central radial pyramids and surrounding mounds