- What was the Zapotec culture?
- Location of the Zapotec culture
- General characteristics of the Zapotec culture
- Economy of Zapotec culture
- Gods of Zapotec culture
- Zapotec culture customs
- Zapotec languages
- Contributions of the Zapotec culture
We explain what the Zapotec culture was, its religion, culture, economy and characteristics. Also, what were their contributions.
What was the Zapotec culture?
The Zapotec culture is one of the oldest and most important pre-Columbian civilizations, which had its expansion stage in the Pre-Classic and Classic periods (between 500 BC and 900 AD). He settled in the highest lands of southern Mesoamerica, in the area of the current Mexican states of the Valley of Oaxaca, Guerrero and Puebla.
Unlike most Mesoamerican indigenous peoples, they are not known legends or data that reveal their migratory path. However, there is evidence that the Zapotecs believed in their direct origin from the sky, which is why they called themselves "the people of the clouds", a nickname that also made reference to their settlement in lands at great heights.
The Zapotec name derives from the Nahuatl language Tzapotecatl which means "people of the zapote tree”.
Other cultures:
| Teotihuacan culture | Mayan culture |
| Aztec culture | Greek culture |
| Olmec culture | Totonac culture |
| Toltec culture | Mixtec culture |
Location of the Zapotec culture
The first capital of the Zapotecs was Monte Albán.The Zapotecs settled in the valley of Oaxaca, about two hundred kilometers south of the current town from Mexico.
Its capital was Monte Albán, located about ten kilometers from the city of Oaxaca, which was a strategic point because from there you could see the valleys centrals (a set of three river valleys). The capital had tiered structures in the shape of a pyramid, destined for sacred buildings, tombs and markets.
The Zapotecs developed several important settlements that were divided into three groups: the valley, the highlands, and the south. They managed to dominate those lands through close commercial ties with civilization olmec on the southern Gulf coast, of military conquest and the capture of rival rulers in other nearby towns.
Around 900 AD. C. the Zapotec city of Mitla (in the Valley of Oaxaca) became the most important, among other issues, for its architecture with ornate buildings and arranged around squares.
General characteristics of the Zapotec culture
Among the general characteristics of the Zapotec culture, the influence they received from the Olmecs, the first Mesoamerican civilization, stands out. For example, in the art with the use of precious stones, in architecture with the building in pyramidal shape and in the religion with the worship of multiple gods.
The social organization of the Zapotecs was hierarchical and more complex compared to the Olmecs. However, in both civilizations, religion occupied a central place in the government. It was determined by the following pyramidal structure:
- Rulers. It was the most powerful sector, made up of the priests with divine powers who ruled in the different cities.
- Elite. It was the sector made up of the high warriors, chiefs and government officials.
- Merchants. It was the sector that, due to its commercial activities, had a certain prestige that differentiated it from most of the population.
- Craftsmen.It was the majority sector, made up of farmers, weavers and potters, among others.
- Slaves. It was the most punished sector, made up of prisoners from war or arrested for crimes. They were used as workers or to be sacrificed as an offering to the gods.
The Zapotec culture was characterized by its great warriors since every man from the merchant, artisan and slave sectors was obliged to go to war. In 800 a. C. declined power in the capital of Monte Albán. The cause is not known, since it does not present traces of violence or wars. The city of Mitla (noted for its architecture) became the main center.
During the Spanish conquest, the pyramidal society of the Zapotecs was considerably reduced to peasants paying tribute. At present, some Zapotec inhabitants predominate in rural areas of Mexico, with a modern and complex culture that unifies Mexican, Spanish colonial and pre-Hispanic characteristics.
Today, the most famous Zapotec is Benito Juárez, born in the village of the Sierra de Guelatao. He was president of Mexico from 1858 to 1872 and, by way of recognition, an annual national holiday is celebrated that consists of a pilgrimage to Oaxaca to commemorate the day of his birth.
Other recognized and respected Zapotecs are the indigenous writers Victor de la Cruz, Víctor Terán, Natalia Toledo Paz and Mario Molina Cruz.
Economy of Zapotec culture
The Zapotec economy was based on the cultivation of corn, beans, squash, coffee, wheat, and sugar cane, and on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild fruits. They were characterized by innovative practices to increase the efficiency of the farming.
For example, they developed artificial terraces on the slopes of the valleys in a staggered manner, to prevent the rain from destroying the harvest. These terraces, in addition, were watered by extensive channels that were fed by the natural springs.
These advances made it possible to supply internal and external consumption since they could market their products with nearby towns, both agricultural and artisanal (ceramics and textiles).
Gods of Zapotec culture
As in other Mesoamerican cultures, the Zapotecs were polytheists, that is, they believed in various gods. However, their religious practices were noted for worshiping a main god, Xipe Totec, a deity related to the farming, disease and spring.
As a symbol of the new vegetation, Xipe Tótec used the skin of a human victim to represent the “new skin” that covered the earth in spring. In addition, they gave offerings and sacrifices to the following gods:
- Tlatlauhaqui. God of Sun.
- Pitao Cozobi. God of corn.
- Coqui Bezelao. God of the dead.
- Quetzalcoatl. God of the winds.
- Pitao Cocijo. God of rain and storm.
- Xonaxi Quecuya. God of earthquakes.
The Zapotec religion worshiped its ancestors and believed in the existence of an underground paradise where the remains of the ancestors rested. In the Monte Albán area, more than one hundred and seventy underground tombs have been found, many of them with vaults and antechambers with decorated walls that denote the wealth of the city.
The tombs show signs of having been opened on a regular basis, which shows the concern or adoration of the Zapotecs for the cult of their ancestors.
Zapotec culture customs
Among the customs and traditions of the Zapotec culture, the following stand out:
- The day of the Dead. It was one of the celebrations that was part of the religious calendar of the Zapotecs and consisted of making offerings to the gods, as a necessary act to move to the “beyond”. In addition, they carried out dances to the rhythm of the music, since it was a commemorative but joyous day. Currently, it is one of the most prominent and recognized Mexican events.
- The guelaguetza. It was a Zapotec celebration in which cults were held to different deities, such as the Virgen del Carmen, in the center of Oaxaca. At present, the festival remains in force as one of the largest in the state of Oaxaca, also called "Monday party on the hill."
- The dance of the pen. It was a traditional dance that was part of the Guelaguetza. It arose in order to represent the conquest of the central valleys by the Spanish and was used as a means of evangelization. The dance He appeared with both sides: one from the Spanish and the other from the Mesoamerican peoples.
Zapotec languages
The Zapotec culture practiced a macrolanguage, that is, a language made up of several different dialects that were not comprehensible to each other. This was due to the close commercial relations it had with some nearby peoples, such as the Olmecs, teotihuacanos Y mayan.
The Zapotecs developed their own writing system based on hieroglyphs and other symbols, which they carved into stone, buildings, and tombs. In addition, they developed a number system represented by dots and bars, which they diagrammed into a 260-day year and which would have been the basis of the Mayan and Aztec calendars.
Contributions of the Zapotec culture
The Zapotec culture was influenced by the Olmecs. However, the Zapotec civilization knew how to perfect the knowledge inherited and reach a sophisticated level in architecture, art, writing and engineering. Among the main contributions to later civilizations are:
- Corn as the main product.
- The advanced irrigation system.
- The creation of your own writing system.
- Creating a calendar.
- The creation of a number system.