Zapotec Religion

The Zapotec civilization was an indigenous pre-Columbian culture that flourished in the Valley of Oaxaca in Mesoamerica. Archaeological evidence shows that it originated at least 2,500 years ago. The Zapotec archaeological site at the ancient city of Monte Albán has monumental buildings, ball courts, magnificent tombs, and grave goods which include finely worked gold jewelry. Monte Albán was one of the first major cities in Mesoamerica and the center of a Zapotec state that dominated much of the territory which lies within the boudaries of the contemporary Mexican state of Oaxaca. Like most Mesoamerican religious systems, the Zapotec religion was polytheistic. Some known deities were Cocijo (a rain god similar to the Aztec god Tlaloc), Coquihani (the god of light), and Pitao Cozobi (the god of maize). Zapotec deities were predominantly associated with fertility or agriculture. Both male and female deities were worshipped and may be differentiated based on their apparel. Males are depicted wearing breechclouts, with or without capes, while females are depicted wearing skirts. There is some evidence of the worship of deities not directly associated with Zapotec culture, such as the Teotihuacan Feathered Serpent, Butterfly God, and rain god and the Nahuatl god of spring, Xipe Totec. It is believed that the Zapotec used human sacrifice in some of their rituals. There are several legends of the origin of the Zapotec. One of them states that they were the original people of the valley of Oaxaca and were born from rocks, or descended from big cats such as pumas, jaguars and ocelots. Another legend proclaims that the Zapotec settled in the Oaxaca valley after founding the Toltec empire, and were descendants of the people of Chicomoztoc. Their governing elite believed that they descended from supernatural beings who lived among the clouds, and that upon death they would return to the clouds. The name by which Zapotecs are known today results from this belief. The Zapotecs of the Central Valleys call themselves Be'ena' Za'a, meaning the Cloud People. These legends were not written down until after the Spanish conquest. The Zapotec used dedication rituals to sanctify their living spaces and larger buildings. Excavations at the Cuilapan Temple Pyramid in Oaxaca unearthed a dedication cache containing many jade beads, two jade earspools, three obsidian blades, shells, stones, a pearl, and small animal bones, likely from birds, dated to 700 AD. Each of these materials symbolized different religious concepts. As it was not easily attained, jade was highly valued, and worked jade even more so because the elite were the primary artists. Obsidian blades are associated with sacrifice, as they were commonly used in bloodletting rituals. Shells and pearl represent the underworld, being from the ocean, and the small bird bones represent the sky and its relation to the balanced cosmos. These artifacts are significant due to their placement in a structure used for ritual and associated with power. This cache is a form of dedication ritual, consecrating the Cuilapan Temple Pyramid to concepts of power, sacrifice, and maintaining harmony between the underworld and the cosmos.