Decomposers And Detrivors

Ancient Mesoamerica News Updates 2011, No. 16: Mexico City - Over 400 Zapotec and Mixtec Objects To Be Shown at "six ancient cities in Mesoamerica. Society and Environment "Exhibit
The upcoming exhibit" Six ancient cities in Mesoamerica. Society and Environment, "to be Shown at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, will present over 400 objects of Zapotec and Mixtec origin. Several emblematic objects will Be Shown together for the first time, for instance the well-known Bat Mask of the God (bat god mask), gold objects from Tomb 7 of Monte Alban (Oaxaca), and the ceremonial vases from Atzompa, as WAS Report by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 (edited by amanu):
Zapotec-Mixtec art, met for the first time - Masterpieces from the Zapotec and Mixtec cultures, like the famous bat god mask, gold objects from the Tomb 7 at Monte Alban, ceremonial vessels and Atzompa site Hispanic model of a mortuary ritual, will be shown together for the only time in the exhibition six ancient cities in Mesoamerica. Society and Environment, which will open the public soon in the National Museum of Anthropology .
Due to its age, dating back five centuries before our era, with the section on Monte Alban begin the journey of this great exhibition, through more than 400 archaeological pieces will realize cultural development attained by this ancient city, and El Tajin, Palenque, Teotihuacan, Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco.
In the exhibition, organized by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), a pair of tombstones, made to commemorate the early rulers of Monte Alban, will welcome the hall dedicated to this city of Oaxaca, where you can admire works of art flagship Zapotec and Mixtec, who are part of the collections of the National Anthropology Museum , the Cultures of Oaxaca and Monte Alban Site .
Dr. Martha Carmona, curator of the section devoted to the great metropolis of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, said that the public will find in this exhibit evidence of the oldest urban settlement in Mesoamerica, which maintained a continuous domain by Zapotec at least one thousand 250 years, from 500 BC to 750 AD.
"Throughout all those centuries, Monte Alban never stopped to be an important city and sacralization. Besides having been the first Mesoamerican, no other city had a survival as hard and as prominent a centralized power, "he said. Hence
two tablets representing the power of their rulers, kicking off the tour of this room. The first, dating from between 200 and 600 AD, comes from the J Building, this block of stone shows a ruler, possibly 1 tremor, wearing a mask of the god of rain and a jaguar head in hand, allegory the slaughter and beheading of an enemy leader.
The other stone, made between 500 and 150 BC, was part of the facade of Building L and it is observed a warrior of the first ladder in a ritual where genital bleeding. On the opposite side there is another character reversed, apparently an outline left by an error in your writing.
In this regard, another masterpiece that stands out and that comes from the collection of the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca is the Type of Cuilapan also held in the Preclassic period (500-150 BC). It is clay representation of a male figure that stands out for its simplicity and nakedness, likewise, is seen having dental mutilation, which was typical of the elite.
In Monte Alban, including genealogies were represented in clay pots, an example of this are six of these parts to the sixth century AD were offered up in a structure located at the center of the main architectural Atzompa. Each is engraved with a calendar name: 5 Lord, 1 Jaguar, 5 Lagarto, 13 Mono, 2 and 2 Eye Corn, apparently it is a lineage founded by 5 Lord, who had great influence in an era of prosperity the city.
For Martha Carmona, a researcher at the National Museum of Anthropology , Monte Alban can be defined as "the city of tombs, which were incorporated into the domestic architecture in the case of the ruling class under his palaces were built .
Because of this fundamental characteristic of Prehispanic settlement, it was decided to recreate the Tomb 104 (500 - 800 AD) with its facade composed cornices, moldings and a board of scapular double play architecture of the city. In this offering highlight five pieces placed at the feet of the deceased, the center of the god of thunder Cocijo, and his four companions sides related to clouds, wind, rain and hail.
In this area of \u200b\u200bthe funeral rites, is also mentioned the exhibition of one of the few models so far discovered pre-Hispanic archaeological sites in Mexico, representing a mourning ceremony, which was discovered at the entrance of the Tomb 103, Monte Alban.
A piece, recovered in a mortuary context dating from 100 BC - 200 AD, is the flagship bat god mask, which was part of a funerary. In 1999 this beautiful mosaic, made up of more than 25 pieces of jade, six pieces of shell and three outstanding board, underwent a comprehensive restoration process by Dr. Martha Carmona and restaurateurs, which resulted in a much features slimmer and more responsive to the plastic of Monte Alban beginning of our era.
Likewise, a skull will be displayed (200 - 600 AD) with tabular erect type strain and a burr hole was made with a small drill. It is noteworthy that most pre-Columbian skulls with these holes, which were curative purposes, from Monte Alban.
Martha Cardona explained that Monte Alban was developed in a defensive strategic location at the top of the imposing Cerro del Jaguar, which leveled the Zapotec sacred space to plot and build the first buildings, from a platform 300 meters by 200 wide.
A century after the domain of this city by the Columbian Zapotec, Mixtec, reoccupied some of their spaces and left valuable evidence as exquisite polychrome pottery and gold objects that elaborated by mastering techniques the cold metal work and heating.
As Six single piece of ancient cities in Mesoamerica ... , will present a golden labrets (motif that was placed on the lower lip) found in Tomb 7, which is the head shot cocoxtli stylized bird, which identifies the Macuilxóchitl Xochipilli god. Goldsmith's work was to melt the lip plugs and crimp on a bird carved from jade, and the union of both fertility evoked precious materials and heat.
Martha Carmona concluded that the Board of Monte Alban seeks to highlight the tremendous advances in science and the arts in a city whose beginnings were very early, which also houses many of its secrets, including aspects of archaeo-type, which must be studied by specialists. (Source INAH)