Up Close with a Zapotec Urn
Up Close with a Zapotec Urn
This text is provided courtesy of OLogy, the American Museum of Natural History’s website for kids. BACKGROUND CHECK Lucy: Before we begin, some folks out there might not know what an urn is. How would you describe yourself? Zapotec Urn: Well, Lucy, like other Zapotec urns, I'm a ceramic jar. Many people are so taken by my ravishing design that they don't notice the big vase attached to my back. Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH
Lucy: Now, rumor has it you were found in a tomb. What would an urn be doing there? Zapotec Urn: You see, I'm not your average urn. People called the Zapotecs created me for a very special purpose. I was made to honor a noble (a person of the highest class) who died. That person was placed in a fancy tomb, and I was among the precious treasures buried with him. Lucy: Tell me about these Zapotecs. Are they related to the Zapotekis of Minneapolis? Zapotec Urn: Um, no. The Zapotecs weren't a family. In fact, they were a native people who founded one of Mexico's earliest civilizations. They lived in the Valley of Oaxaca (wa‐HA‐ka), nestled in the mountains in southern Mexico. Lucy: It sounds like the Zapotecs were around a long time ago. Exactly how old are you? Zapotec Urn: Well, Lucy, if you don't mind, I'd rather not reveal my exact age. But I will tell you that the tomb in which I was found dates from somewhere between 200 A.D. and 700 A.D. Lucy: You must have known those Aztecs! What were they like? Zapotec Urn: (Sigh.) Those Aztecs seem to get all the attention! What is so interesting about them, anyway? The Zapotecs were building cities and carving hieroglyphs over a thousand years before the Aztec empire! But I can see how you'd compare us, since we both lived in what is now Mexico. Lucy: Were there a lot of Zapotecs? 1
Up Close with a Zapotec Urn
Zapotec Urn: There sure were, Lucy! During their "golden age," from 200‐700 A.D., they had one of the largest states in the region. About 20,000 people lived in the magnificent capital of Monte Alban, and there were many times that number living in farming villages. Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH THE DISCOVERY Lucy: I just can't believe I'm sitting next to an ancient urn that was buried for over a thousand years. It must have been an amazing journey from that ancient tomb to your current stardom. Zapotec Urn: Yes, Lucy, it was. And I owe it all to Marshall Saville. He found me in 1898, on one of the first archaeological projects ever conducted in Mexico. Imagine—during his first year of digging, he found me! Can you believe the luck? Dr. Saville was an important figure in archaeology, and the first curator of Mexican archaeology at the American Museum of Natural History. Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Lucy: Where did he find you? Zapotec Urn: He found me near a tomb in Xoxocotln (ho‐ho‐coat‐lan), a village in the valley of Oaxaca where the Zapoteconce lived. Lucy: How did he know where to look? Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Zapotec Urn: Well, it wasn't easy. When the Zapotecs abandoned the site, all the buildings fell into ruin. Over hundreds of years, a mound of dirt and grass covered the tomb where I was buried. Dr. Saville had been excavating these mounds to find out what they were. At the same time, local people were planting crops in the area. One group started to dig a hole in one of the mounds because they wanted to destroy an ant nest that was eating their crops. As they were digging, they discovered a stone wall, which eventually lead them to me. Lucy: How did Dr. Saville know what he had found? 2
Up Close with a Zapotec Urn
Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Zapotec Urn: Lucky for me, he recognized the importance of the wall because he had started to figure out that there were buildings hidden in the mounds. You see, in ancient Mexico, palaces and temples were built on stone bases or platforms. And important people were buried in these platforms. Dr. Saville realized that the stone wall was really the platform that would have supported an important building—and that he'd find tombs underneath. When he started to clear the rubble, there I was, just sitting on the floor as if I'd been waiting there for him all that time. Lucy: We hear you were discovered with some other urns. Were they friends of yours? Zapotec Urn: Yes, I knew those other four urns well. After all, we were in that tomb together for over a thousand years. In fact, we had a hard time telling each other apart at first, since we're all large decorated clay funeral urns. Four of the five of us look alike, wearing masks of Cociyo and similar capes. One of us has no mask and a different cape, but we have never figured out why. I hope archaeologists can solve that mystery someday. Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH
FROM HEAD TO TOE Lucy: It's impossible to get a sense of how enormous you are from your picture. What are your exact measurements? Zapotec Urn: I'm about 21 inches tall. I also weigh about 30 pounds. The jar on my back and my body were made first, from slabs of clay. Then other pieces of clay were added to make my clothes, headdress, and jewelry. All that clay really adds on the pounds. Lucy: I have to ask about that fabulous mask you're wearing. Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Zapotec Urn: This old thing? Many of the best urns were wearing masks like this. The face depicts the lightning god, Cociyo (co‐see‐
oh). Cociyo was very important to the Zapotecs, who called themselves the cloud people. They believed that when nobles died, they rose into the clouds to be near Cociyo. I'm a person dressed up as Cociyo to show the close link between Zapotec nobles and the god. 3
Up Close with a Zapotec Urn
Lucy: You mentioned that you were made especially for a noble. How do you know that? Zapotec Urn: I don't mean to brag, but have you taken a good look at me? There are a lot of clues that I was made for an important person. Notice my grand size and extraordinary detail. Then check out all these accessories: my fancy cape, my big headdress, and these fabulous ear spools, or earrings. Lucy: Did all the Zapotecs have such cool ear spools? Zapotec Urn: In Zapotec society, only nobles wore these accessories. In fact, people of the lower class, or "commoners," weren't allowed many of the privileges given to the noble class. They couldn't wear bright cotton clothing, hunt deer, or even eat certain foods like chocolate! Lucy: I hate to bring up a sore subject, but what happened to your left hand? Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Zapotec Urn: Yes, my hand. Gone. Vanished. No more. To be honest, I don't know when I lost it. Thank goodness I'm right‐handed. Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Lucy: I have many more questions about your carving. What does your second little "head" represent? And why are there bells beneath it? And why are you sitting cross‐legged? Zapotec Urn: That would be like asking a magician how he made the elephant disappear. Nope, I'm going to have to keep you and the rest of the world guessing. After all, a celebrity must keep a few secrets to himself. GETTING IN SHAPE Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Lucy: For an artifact that's over a thousand years old, you look terrific. How do you stay in such good condition? Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Zapotec Urn: I have to admit I've had some work done. When they found me over a hundred years ago, I wasn't in the best shape. After all, I had been in that tomb for over a thousand years. Plus, I was made of a kind of clay that tends to crack and break. The people who found me tried to piece me together as best they could—but let's face it, they just didn't have the technology and the know‐how we have today. So I've had more work done recently. 4
Up Close with a Zapotec Urn
Lucy: What did they do? Photo Credit: courtesy of AMNH Zapotec Urn: Before they did anything, the Museum's art conservators carefully considered my history: how I was originally made, my past repairs, and how I'd been stored over time. They did chemical tests, examined me under the microscope, and even compared me to other artifacts of the period. After all this research, they came up with a plan and fixed me up. Lucy: Did it hurt? Zapotec Urn: The process wasn't painful, but you should've seen the bill. Ouch! They carefully cleaned off 100 years of dust, removed the old glue, separated all the pieces, and cleaned each one. Then they put me back together with the best modern materials. The whole process took many months and several experts. LIFE AT THE MUSEUM Lucy: I'd like to turn to your new life here at the Museum. How long have you been here? Zapotec Urn: Well, I came here with one of the other urns, who's like my twin. We both arrived here after we were collected in 1898. It seems like just yesterday. Considering that I'm well over a thousand years old, it's not such a long time. Lucy: How do you like it here? Zapotec Urn: So far, I can't complain. They take very good care of me, and I'm kept in good company, along with about 500,000 artifacts from Mexico and Central America. I must say, it's an honor to be here: this is one of the best collections of Mexican archaeology in the world. Lucy: How do you spend your time at the Museum? Zapotec Urn: For a long time I was in an exhibition about the Zapotecs, where I was admired by millions of people. Frankly, it was a bit exhausting being on display all the time—have you ever had to wear a headdress 24/7? When I go out on tour, my twin will take my place. It's nice to give another artifact some time in the spotlight. Lucy: You're going out on tour? Where? 5
Up Close with a Zapotec Urn
Zapotec Urn: Yes, I'm in demand. A precious artifact like myself has to get out. Meet the fans. So the Museum has decided to "share the wealth," as they say, and loan me to another museum for a while. Lucy: How do you get ready for a trip like this? Zapotec Urn: First of all, lending me out is a big decision. But when they can, people at the Museum want to share their collections. Before I go, a conservator will examine me carefully to make sure I'm in good shape. (Clearly this will not be a problem.) Then they will write everything they know about me in a report. After that, I'll be photographed from every angle. The experts say they need accurate records in case something happens to me, but I think they just want something to remember me by while I'm gone. Finally, I'm carefully packed and shipped to another museum. Lucy: Just one more question. What do you see as your purpose in life? Zapotec Urn: Well, I'd like to end world hunger and bring headdresses back into style. But in the meantime, I want to help people learn about the Zapotecs and their way of life. Lucy: Thanks so much for our interview. You are truly an inspiration to other ancient artifacts. Zapotec Urn: Thank you, it was my pleasure. 6