Omichicahuaztli: production, use, and transformation over space and time in Mesoamerica

Summary

How can changes in production and use of a single class of ancient artifact allow us to understand changes in their meaning through time and space? We address the reasons behind the cultural practice of making the Omichicahuaztli, or notched human bones, in Mesoamerica, studying the unique histories of each object in correlation with the geographic area in which they were found and the social group that produced them. We studied over 100 Omichicahuaztlis from Central, Southern, and Western Mexico across the Classic (200-900 AD.) and Postclassic (900-1521 AD.) periods. We analyzed 1) which anatomical human bone was chosen as raw material, 2) the preparation process, 3) the number of notches and 4) the way it was used in its social context. Using GIS we mapped the location and examined the spatial distribution of the Omichicahuaztli in Mesoamerica by time period and manufacture technique. Our results will explore transformations of the meaning of notched human bones in Mesoamerica, within the frame of the indigenous perception of body and bones. This study will allow us to identify any similarities and differences in the use of Omichicahuaztlis through both diachronic and synchronic views.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage