A colorful map
shows how indigenous and Spanish cultures mixed after their worlds
collided.
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The seated figure dressed
in red is Lord-11 Quetzalecatzin, a political leader in central
Mexico in the late 1400s.
COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, GEOGRAPHY AND MAP DIVISION
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Early maps of the Americas made by indigenous people are rareextremely
rare. This map, dated 1593, is one of fewer than 100 such documents
that have survived the ravages of time. It provides a fascinating
glimpse into the early interactions between the indigenous people
of Mexico and the recently arrived Spanish.
The map shows the land holdings and geneology of a family in central
Mexico. It covers an area that runs from just north of Mexico City
to just below Puebla, roughly 100 miles away to the southeast. The
family, identified as de Leon, traced their lineage
to the red figure seated in the middle of the image above, who was
known as Lord-11 Quetzalecatzin. A century before the map was made,
he was the major political leader of the region writes John Hessler,
curator of the Jay I. Kislak Collection of the Archaeology of the
Early Americas at the Library of Congress in a recent blog post
about the map. Many other family members appear on the map too.
The map shows both indigenous and Spanish influences. On
the one hand, the map is a traditional Aztec cartographic history
with its composition and design showing Nahuatl hieroglyphics, and
typical illustrations, Hessler writes, referring to the indigenous
language of the region. The bold colors on the map come from natural
dyes, including Maya Blue (made from indigo plant leaves and a type
of clay) and carmine (made from a cactus-dwelling insect).
On the other hand, Hessler continues, it also
shows churches, some Spanish place names, and other images suggesting
a community adapting to Spanish rule. The names of several
indigenous leaders include the Spanish honorific don,
and the names of some, such as don Alonso and don
Matheo, indicate that theyd been baptized with Spanish
names.
The map provides a rare opportunity for scholars to study the earliest
interactions between these two very different cultures. It was acquired
recently by the Library of Congress, and its now freely available
on their website, where you can explore it in detail.
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The entire map is known
formally as the Codex Quetzalecatzin.
COURTESY LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, GEOGRAPHY AND MAP DIVISION
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