An Interpretation of the Rock Art in La Cueva de la Huachiza, Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán

Summary

The Cueva de la Huachizca is a tectonic cave formed within a basaltic flow in the municipio of Salvador Escalante just south of Lake Patzcuaro, Michoacán. The cave was initially recorded in 2014 by Dr. Jose Luis Punzo-Diaz as part of Proyecto Arqueología y Paisaje del Area Centro Sur de Michoacán (PAPACSM). An investigation of the cave conducted this summer recorded pecked petroglyphs of a man facing an eagle, above a spiral motif. These motifs resemble those from contact period Codice de Carapan. In front of the petroglyphs a feather and burnt wood were recovered that are described in La Relación de Michoacán as sacred items. This paper will combine archaeology, ethnography, ethnohistory, and epigraphy to interpret the cave. The inscriptions and artifacts found within offer insights into Tarascan customs, ceremonies, and beliefs. The evidence suggests La Cueva de la Huachizca was a perceived as landmark in the sacred landscape and as having connections with Cumiechuquaro, the underworld. It is evident that this cave was an important religious site for the Tarascans, and future explorations will produce a better understanding of the use of caves in this largely understudied region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Emerging from the Place of Darkness: Subterranean Archaeology in Mesoamerica

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14520