The Zapotec culture is one of the oldest and most important in Mesoamerica , and was an icon of the artistic expression of the Zapotec peoples during pre-Columbian times (between 500 BC and 900 AD).
They occupied the Mexican territory of the present valley of Oaxaca and the isthmus of Tehuantepec. They believed in their direct origin from the sky and they called themselves ” binni záa ” which means “the people of the clouds” , a nickname that also referred to their settlement in high mountainous lands.
See also: Indigenous peoples of Mexico
Zapotec social organization
The Zapotec culture had a type of hierarchical-religious social organization.
The Zapotecs had a pyramidal social structure composed of:
- The rulers. They represented the top, made up of nobles and priests.
- The elite. Composed of warriors, chiefs and government officials.
- The merchants. They were part of the rest of the population only, they had a few privileges.
- The population . They made up the lowest and majority stratum, made up of peasants, artisans and slaves.
Zapotec political organization
The Zapotec peoples were characterized by the military development that allowed them to expand their culture , under the command of a religious monarchy.The most important cities of this civilization were Monte Albán, Yagul, Teotitlán and Zaachila, which they managed to dominate through commercial ties with the Olmec neighbors and by the military conquest and capture of rival rulers of nearby towns.
Zapotec architecture
Zapotec architecture consisted of sacred temples and grand stairways.
The Zapotec culture stood out for its advanced architectural level with imposing buildings, such as Mount Albán , composed of a set of sacred temples and great stairways. Inside, the spacious rooms were spaces for recreational activities such as ball games in which losers were sacrificed.
Zapotec economy
In addition to agriculture, the Zapotecs practiced hunting.
The economy of the Zapotec culture was based on agricultural activities and, to a lesser extent, on hunting, both for subsistence and for trade with other peoples.
For the development of agriculture they applied their knowledge in architecture and engineering through the construction of artificial terraces on the slopes of the valleys, located in a staggered manner. In this way, they provided water to cultivated lands.
Zapotec religion
The Zapotecs had Toltec as their main god and rector.
The Zapotec culture practiced the polytheistic religion , that is, it believed in multiple gods such as Tlatlauhaqui (god of the sun and the stars), Cocijo (god of thunder), Pitao Cozobi (god of corn ) and Coqui Bezelao (god of the dead). ). However, they worshiped a major and ruling god named Totec.
The Zapotecs believed in superstitions , the most common being called “Nahualism”. It consisted of placing ashes in the hut of each newborn so that, the next day, they would show the drawing of an animal’s footprint that would represent the child’s personality .
Contributions of the Zapotec culture
The Zapotecs had a logophonetic writing system.
Part of the Zapotec culture has been captured in the form of hieroglyphs on stones, monuments and deer skins , through a logofontic writing system where each syllable was represented individually.
They developed two types of calendars:
- The solar calendar. It was used for agricultural purposes. It had 365 days distributed in 18 months, each month had 20 days and 5 additional days.
- The ceremonial calendar. It was used for religious purposes and to name newborns. They applied knowledge of astronomy and had 260 days distributed in 20 months of 20 days each.
