The shaft tombs are mortuary pits 3 to 4 meters deep on average that were used as burial chambers by the Mesoamerican peoples who inhabited the current territories of the states of Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima, as well as some areas of Michoacán, Sinaloa and Zacatecas.
They are called shaft tombs because of the way they are built, since they consist of a shaft or well with one or two cavities on both sides inside. In these ceremonial chambers, which communicate through tunnels, the dead were deposited along with all kinds of offerings.
Shot Tomb of Nayarit, Mexico.
These tombs come in various shapes and sizes and are unique. They were built approximately between the years 200 a. C. and 600 d. The shaft tombs represent the greatest cultural and architectural wealth of this part of western Mexico; Unlike other Mesoamerican regions, in this region there is no monumental architecture.
Human remains along with artistic representations have been found in these shaft tombs. The ceremony in the mortuary chambers - where the deceased were deposited - included burial with domestic utensils, as well as the construction of statuettes of men and women, animal figures, temples, houses, among others.
Location
The famous shaft tombs are found in various archaeological sites in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, and Colima, in the Zamora-Jacoma area in the state of Michoacán, and in the southern area of Sinaloa and Zacatecas.
Huitzilapa tomb
The most important tomb of this funerary tradition was found in the Huitzilapa area, in the center of Jalisco, in 1993. The monumental shooting tomb was intact, unlike the others that had been found until then.
The other tombs discovered were looted. Inside, only ceramic objects were found of no importance because they were out of context.
Instead, the excavation of the Huitzilapa tomb provided new archaeological data on the period in which it was built. It is considered to be around the Early Classic (100 AD-300 AD).
During this period, various architectural units were built: plazas, terraces, mounds, ball courts, cruciform dwellings, and circular complexes.
The Huitzilapa shaft tomb consists of two burial chambers and is 7.6 m deep. Inside, the tomb contained six corpses - three in each chamber - which were buried along with rich offerings. It could be a family crypt with deceased of a specific lineage.
Recently in the center of Colima another intact tomb not desecrated was found. Also in the municipality of Villa de Álvarez a tomb was found. In the state of Nayarit, shaft tombs were built in Ixtlán del Río, Compostela, Tepic and San Pedro Lagunillas, among other sites.
characteristics
- The name of the shaft tombs is derived from the type of construction. This type of tomb consists of a vertical shaft or shaft 4 m or deeper (there are some up to 16 m). Inside it has a cavity with a vaulted ceiling that measures from 2 to 6 m, or even more.
- The length of the tomb depended on the region and the number of dead buried. The floor of the tombs is usually paved.
- The burial chambers are dug into the tepetate or clay rock on the sides of the entrance shaft. The dead were deposited in said chambers along with their respective offerings. Offerings were represented on ceramic pots, arrowheads, and ornaments.
- In other tombs found, statuettes and clay images of people and animals and musical instruments (drums, whistles, rattles) were found. Among the art objects deposited in the burial chambers, women or couples are also represented, as well as figures of people dancing, temples, houses, ball games, meetings, etc.
- Figures of women are almost always naked or wear a skirt and different ornaments. Instead, the men are dressed and sometimes wear war garments.
- When the deceased was deposited in the burial chamber, the grave remained hollow inside, it was not filled with earth. However, the entrance was sealed with tiles and the vertical gap that led to the chambers was filled. In this way, the grave was protected from animals and profaners.
Origin
The funerary tradition of shot tombs is believed to have originated in South America, among the pre-Columbian peoples of Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. It is estimated that, from these places, this type of construction would have been brought to Mexico.
Based on archaeological findings, it is considered that there was communication and exchange of artistic objects and other artifacts between the coastal indigenous peoples of Peru, Ecuador (Guayas Basin) and western Mexico.
Initially, the shaft tomb culture was associated with the Tarascan people, who were contemporary with the Mexica. However, in the mid-20th century it was discovered that the objects found in the tombs were actually at least a thousand years older.
The first settlers of western Mexico were towns formed by nomadic farmers who worked pottery; they made pottery and clay figures. From the year 500 a. C. these towns showed a different development.
This area was not under the Olmec influence, which is considered the base of the Mesoamerican civilization. The shaft tombs are the best expression of this culture.
Types
Mexican stone tombs present local and temporal variants in almost the entire western territory of the country. The three most important developments are located in El Opeño (Michoacán) and La Capacha (Colima), and date from 1500 or 1300 to 300 BC. C.
One chamber tomb
There are tombs whose well has a depth of 2 to 4 m but with a single burial chamber; others had a manhole up to 16 m deep. Only one person was buried in these graves.
Two-chamber tomb
When the burial was in a group - for example, a family - the tomb was made of two chambers, one on each side.
References
- The cult of the ancestors in the tradition of shaft tombs. Retrieved on April 13, 2018 from arqueologiamexicana.mx
- The shooting tombs: a pre-Hispanic practice in our geographical region. Consulted of geocities.ws
- Shot tomb discovered in Colima. Consulted of inah.gob.mx
- Tombs of Tire. Consulted of fundacionarmella.org
- Mexico history. Consulted of books.google.co.ve
- A funeral tradition. Consulted of raicesculturales-bakc.blogspot.com