- Spatial and temporal location of the Zapotecs
- Expansion of the Zapotecs after the conquest of Mexico
- The main gods of the Zapotecs
- The religion of the Zapotecs
- Brief cultural history of the Zapotecs
- References
The Zapotec word comes from the Nahuatl "Tzapotéecatl" (Zapote town). In the beginning, they designated themselves as people of the clouds. In the same way, the legend refers to them as children of gods and they considered themselves divine beings.
According to archaeologists, the Zapotec culture dates back to 3,500 years ago. Between 500 BC - 1000 AD, in the pre-classic period, the Zapotecs settled in the current territory of Oaxaca, where the most significant city was Monte Albán.
The first Zapotecs settled in small villages on the banks of the rivers. With the passage of time, they became urban settlements, constituting a great city on Monte Albán. However, it would never become a metropolis.
Spatial and temporal location of the Zapotecs
The Zapotec civilization is probably one of the most unknown peoples. Apparently, they were a very advanced pre-Columbian Mesoamerican indigenous people. As we have mentioned, it appeared in the southern valley of Oaxaca (Mexico) approximately in the year 500 BC.
On the other hand, in Mitla evidence of human population has been found from the year 0 to 200 AD. This affirms that by then the Zapotecs had already begun to move to other places. Monte Albán was gradually abandoned between 700 and 1200 AD, to expand in the valleys of Oaxaca, Tabasco and Veracruz.
Mitla went on to become an extremely important population and functioned as a power nucleus between the years 950 and 1521.
Tenochtitlan was the Aztec capital, where the artisans who created the emperor's jewels lived. There is evidence of contact between Zapotecs and towns in the interior of Mexico, where there are ruins in Teotihuacan and traces of old neighborhoods.
Expansion of the Zapotecs after the conquest of Mexico
In the conquest of Mexico, the Zapotecs did not depend on the Aztecs. Between 1522 and 1527, the Zapotecs defeated the Spanish and were not defeated until 1551.
In the mid-15th century, the Zapotecs divided into two groups. One can be located in the south of the Sierra de Oaxaca and the second in the south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
They joined the Mixtecs in the fight against the Aztecs, who wanted to take over the trade routes that existed to Chiapa, Guatemala and Veracruz.
They settled in the rocky mountains of Guiengola where they allied with the Aztecs until the appearance of the Spanish.
Currently, other smaller groups can be found in Veracruz, Guerrero and Chiapas. If we add all of them, we can speak of a population of 400,000 Zapotecs, which is also one of the most widely spoken languages among indigenous people.
The main gods of the Zapotecs
- Coqui Bezelao: God of the dead
- Coqui Xee: The Uncreated
- Pitao Cozana: God of the Ancestors
- Quetzalcoatl: God of the Winds
- Pitao Cocijo: God of Thunder and Rain
- Tlatlauhaqui: God of the Sun
- Totec: main God who ruled them
- Pitao Cozobi: God of Tender Corn
- Xipe: Creator God
- Xonaxi Quecuya: God of Earthquakes
The religion of the Zapotecs
The Zapotecs were polytheists. They believed in multiple gods and, as we have already mentioned, these had their place in the pantheon. The priests were those who were in charge of solemnizing religious rites and also human sacrifices.
The main gods were those of rain and light or the Sun. It is believed that the Zapotec people practiced rituals to favor crops, performing human sacrifices to venerate the gods.
Brief cultural history of the Zapotecs
The Zapotec civilization was a very advanced indigenous people, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican. It appeared in the southern valley of Oaxaca (Mexico). In the archaeological remains we can find buildings, tombs, ball game fields and figures worked by them.
The type of architecture, the hieroglyphs, the calendars and the mathematics they used, were very similar to those developed by the Mayans and Olmecs.
References
- History of Mexico (2012). Mexican history and culture, Mayans, Olmecs, Mexica, Aztecs, Mexican mythology 2017, from History of Mexico. Website: historia-mexico.info
- UNID (2012). CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ZAPOTEC CULTURE 2017, of Prehispanic Cultures. Website: historiademexicotercergrado
- Aníbal Gonzales (2010). Zapotec Culture 2017, from Universal History. Website: historiacultural.com
- Wikipedia (2015). Zapotec Culture 2017, from Wikipedia.org. Website: wikipedia.org
- Unknown Mexico (2012). The Zapotecs in Oaxaca 2017, from Mexico Unknown. Website: mexicodesconocido