Archaeology Museum - Juarez, Mexico
Page 7
 |
| Photo courtesy of Jill Porco |
|
These geometric reliefs are from the
Palace of Columns at Mitla, the ancient city of the
Mixtecs. The Mixtecs lived in what is now Oaxaca state,
and were contemporaries of the Aztecs. They were skilled
craftsmen, and this kind of motif was common in their
art. The city of Mitla was associated in local legend
with the underworld of dead souls. The decorations shown
here reflect both Zapotec influence and Mixtec culture.
The palace dates to the fifteenth century, and some
of the rooms were still occupied at the time of the
Spanish Conquest..
 |
| Photo courtesy of Jill Porco |
|
This frieze design is from the Pyramid
of the Plumed Serpents in the city of Xochicalco. The
serpent reliefs surround the base of the pyramid. Xochicalco
is located in the Basin of Mexico, just southwest of
present-day Mexico City. It was a powerful trading and
spiritual center in central Mexico after Teotihuacan’s
influence waned in the eighth century AD. The city's
art was heavily influenced by the earlier Maya civilization,
including the motifs on this frieze.
The book Mythology of the American Nations
relates two interesting anecdotes about Xochicalco.
In the seventh century, it was apparently the site of
a great meeting of priests and astronomers from the
Maya, Zapotec, and Central Mexican civilizations. The
purpose of the meeting was to synchronize and standardize
the different peoples’ calendars. Archeologists
deduced the existence of this meeting partly by interpreting
the decorations on this frieze.
The other anecdote is a local legend
about the city and one of its rivals, the nearby town
of Tepoztlan. The legend goes like this:
“(The) town of Tepoztlan was obliged
to offer an annual sacrificial victim–an old man–to
its rival Xochicalco, to be devoured by the latter’s
dragon. Tepoztecatl (the patron diety of Tepoztlan)
disguised himself as an old woodcutter and, presenting
himself as the sacrificial victim, slew the dragon,
thus ending the tribute. This story is possibly a long
folk memory and metaphor for a time when Xochicalco
dominated Tepoztlan but was eventually defeated and
its domination overthrown.”
The sacrificial serpent of Xochicalco
described in this story is still visible there today.
|
