Mapping the Mayordomo's Procession: A Study of Ritualized Movement in Oaxaca

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Checking the Pulse II: Current Research in Oaxaca Part 2" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Ritualized movement such as processions are one way in which people in Oaxaca, both past and present, interact with and shape the landscape. To better understand the sacred landscapes of Postclassic communities in Oaxaca, this project examines ritualized movement through the analysis of a modern procession as described in James Greenberg’s ethnography, "Santiago’s Sword." This procession route is used by the mayordomo or host of a ritual fiesta on the first of a 13-day period leading up to that fiesta. Using the descriptions and names of stops given in the text in Chatino, Spanish, and English, the stops were located and mapped in a geographic information system. Then, existing pathways and roads were utilized to map possible routes between each stop. Mapping this procession provides insight into the types of stops visited and paths used during a procession in a modern Chatino community, which can be used to form hypotheses about processional paths and the stops along them in past communities and increase understanding of human interaction with the landscape in the Postclassic.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Checking the Pulse II: Current Research in Oaxaca Part 2   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40184.0