Revisioning the Relationship between Man and Jaguar: A Reassesment of the Olmec Paintings of Oxtotitlán, Guerrero, Mexico

Summary

The rock art of the Oxtotitlán and Juxtlahuaca caves are among the earliest known examples of Mesoamerican figurative wall painting. As part of the recent research initiative examining the Oxtotitlán cave paintings, re-illustration presents new images of the ancient artworks. Detailed field drawings are combined with multispectral imaging data and analysis of painting technology to precisely record the art, even when lines are no longer visible to the naked eye. Increased clarity of the calligraphic linework, better documentation of the uneven rock surface, and refinement of iconographic details significantly alters the style and content of some well-known images. The Oxtotitlán paintings are the work of experienced artists who were proficient in complex iconographic systems and talented in representation. This paper presents the rock art at Oxtotitlán in context both within the cave site and among the stratigraphy of multiple painting events, as well as considers how previous archaeological documentation of these artworks have shaped notions of Olmec belief systems.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Mural Painting and the Ancient Americas

Keywords

Spatial Coverage