2015 IFR Field School: Mexico and Ethnoarchaeology: [ Artisans, Caves and Donkeys ]

On Friday, we dedicated the day to seeing artisan crafts! We started by going to a place that carves and paints wooden animals. It was so cool to see the whole setup--one that mirrors pre-Hispanic Zapotec indoor-outdoor living. The attention to detail was mind blowing! An artist will work on carving or painting a single animal for months at a time!

We also got to go to a market in Ocotlán. The cities in the area take turns hosting the market as a sign of unity, and the professors gave us each a little bit of money to support the vendors. I got to try dragon fruit; I loved it!!!

We then went to a Zapotec pottery studio, where they use reductionary firing techniques (no oxygen) to turn the pottery black. They also let us make things out of the clay! :D

In the afternoon on Friday, we visited La Cueva del Diablo (The Devil's Cave). It has been used for thousands of years to ask for blessings (and to curse others). There were a lot of seemingly random things in there, but once we learned the symbolism is was really neat. It would definitely be a cool place to do ethnographic or archaeological work!

We then scaled the rocks up the cliff to the Black Cave, which is used for slightly mroe sinister purposes. A bat flew out, nearly hitting Danny in the face!!

The caves made up half of a ritual ground; the other half was a "stone lady." You can see here lying down here, with her head towards the top of the photo!

There was also a copal incense burner tucked
under one of the boulders!

That night, we watched Y Tu Mama Tambien in the hotel lobby. It was kind of neat because they visit some of the same places in the movie that we had!

The view from the hotel roof at night!

On Saturday we went to a really cool Zapotec site: Mitla. It has geometric patterns for decoration, making it really unique to Mesoamerica. It also has tombs in the main courtyard, where nobles likely sent a priest to consult their ancestors. (Photo credit to Danny for these!)

Sunday was our day off! I tried to go to the library and write my ethnography, but it got a little overwhelming with the language barrier. So I went back to the hotel and journaled on the lovely rooftop for awhile! I also did the last of my souvenir and gift shopping at the markets in Oaxaca City! It was all great weather, and we had a great dinner that night too!

On the right is the stadium for the Guelaguetza, a performance
of all the indigenous dances of Oaxaca

On Sunday, we had one of our shortest bus rides yet! We went to Yanhuitlán in the Mixteca highlands and stayed in this cute hotel!

You could see this massive church from the rooftop...

...as well as this stunning view of the mountains!

After we had situated everything in our rooms, we headed back out for Huamelúlpam.

This church has a skull head and pre-Hispanic carvings
used in the construction.

There was a huge formative site there, meaning that this is one of the first places where people began to build temples and moved away from hunter-gatherer and nomadic lifestyles.

Another ballcourt!

After we decoded some of the carved ruins, we went to nearby Teposcolula to see the cacique's house. A cacique, in Spanish colonial times, was like a go-between ruler of indigenous communities. This cacique was unique for several reasons: (1) that she was female, and (2) that her house mimicked the indigenous temples instead of Spanish churches.

There is currently an adorable children's library inside!

This church was just down the road, and it is a good example of how the Spanish converted indigenous peoples. You can see the main, conventional entrance just right of center. That is where the Spanish would attend mass. Just left of center, however, is an open plaza that was used for sermons to indigenous people, who were used to practicing religion outside.

Later that day we hiked up to another archaeological site! It had already been backfilled (when archaeologists excavate, then cover it back up with dirt to preserve it for future archaeologists), so there wasn't as much to see as years prior. The views were still phenomenal, though!