Narratives in Clay and Pigment: Cultural Knowledge and Social Practices in the Sierra Mixe, Oaxaca

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The artistic expressions of the Ayuujk (Mixe) peoples are little known in Mexican archaeological research. In this presentation I discuss the possible narratives behind the presence of plastic art and rock art, unprecedent in Mesoamérica, located in the context of a subterranean landscape in the Sierra Mixe of Oaxaca. In particular I will focus on the repercussion that this research has in relation to the study of memorization techniques and transmission of knowledge. The documentation of such material culture in collaboration with members of the Mixe community has been enriched by information shared by some senior women and men of the local community. The recovered ethnographic data in this ongoing project allows us to understand the significance that stories today of mythic beings and heroes have in the collective imaginary of the Ayuujk people and the impact that the imagery discovered at the site have had to buttress the identity of the present-day Mixe population. I will also discuss the challenges behind the measures that have been discussed jointly to protect this cultural legacy.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24089