Copper Buckles and Comal Battens: Clothing Indigenous Conquerors at 16th Century Coyotepetl, Tepeticpac, Tlaxcala

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Archaeology and Material Culture of the Spanish Invasion of Mesoamerica and Forging of New Spain" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In October of 1519, the fiercely independent Tlaxcallan state first sent Indigenous warriors to aid Hernán Cortés in his conquest efforts. Such military aid, common for more than a decade, established a community of people who identified as Indigenous conquerors and Spanish allies. Documents such as the cabildo records demonstrate that by the mid-16th century, Indigenous peoples in Tlaxcala had forged a thriving community, though they remained subjects of the Spanish crown. This presentation explores the process of creative appropriation and invention as Indigenous Tlaxcalans negotiated their roles within this entangled social context. I draw on recent excavations of a 16th century house in the Coyotepetl neighborhood of Tepeticpac, one of four señoríos that formed the capital of Tlaxcallan in the late pre-Hispanic period. I focus on archaeological evidence for the production and consumption of textiles and clothing, including not only the mundane and omnipresent spindle whorl, but also the more striking finds of a copper buckle that likely formed part of a sword belt and weaving battens worked out of ceramic comals or griddles. Together, these objects reveal both predictable and surprising colonial practices and shed light on the complexity of Indigenous attire and identity in 16th century Tlaxcala.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeology and Material Culture of the Spanish Invasion of Mesoamerica and Forging of New Spain   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23682