Definition of Mixtec Culture

The Mixtec people developed their own culture over centuries, from its first manifestations 1500 years before Christ until the Spanish conquest at the beginning of the XVl century.

Its period of maximum splendor passed towards the 11th century under the rule of the chief Ocho Venado, the great military strategist of the Mixtecs.

Main elements of Mixtec culture

The archaeological remains found in Mesoamerica they show the complexity of this society. As for their beliefs, they were similar to those of the Mayans or the Mexica, since they believed that the Sun, the Earth and the wind were spiritual forces.

The pre-Hispanic Mixtec society was dedicated to agricultural activities and its main crops were the corn, beans and squash. The cores of population were connected by a network of roads that facilitated exchange commercial.

From a political point of view there was no union, since they were organized in small independent communities

The Mixtecs shared the same language

but with a great diversity linguistic (at present some languages ​​whose remote origin is the Mixtec language are preserved). It was the Dominican friars who established a grammar and one orthography.

Culturally this town has stood out for its mastery in all kinds of creations: glass ornaments, ceramics, jade and obsidian ornaments, religious symbols engraved on bone, goldsmith articles, etc. Its temples were built on pyramidal platforms and civilian buildings were located around squares.

Like other Mesoamerican peoples, the Mixtecs had a very defined social structure: lords who govern, comuneros or macehuales who control land ownership, peasants, and slaves.

The archaeological remains show that Zapotecs and Mixtecs were great enemies. At times the Zapotecs were faced with a dilemma: pay high tributes to the Mixtecs or seek new territories beyond the Valley of Oaxaca.

The Codex Nutall

Archaeological information is not the only source of Mixtec culture, since the Nutall Codex, a pre-Hispanic manuscript with representations and images of Mixtec culture, is still preserved. At present this manuscript is in the British Museum in London.

Although it is not known exactly what the journey of the Codex Nutall was, it is believed that it reached Spain in the XVl century and after a long period of oblivion it was identified in the Italian city of Florence

Photo: Fotolia - jkraft5

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