One of Mesoamerica's oldest known pyramid tombs has unveiled it's sensational secrets to archaeologists Editor’s Note: The following article is republished from the earlier article issued in the June 3 The ancient Zoque of western Chiapas appear to have shaped beliefs and traditions that became commonplace among their Mesoamerican neighbors began as a modest village three millennia ago on a plateau overlooking the torrid banks of the majestic Grijalva River this village evolved into one of the earliest and largest linearly planned towns in Mesoamerica Recent archaeological discoveries in Chiapa de Corzo’s tallest and the origins of so-called “E Group” astronomical buildings Map of Chiapa de Corzo showing location of Mounds 11 and 12 and encroachment of modern development and Aguilar 2008; digitized by Roberto Carlos Hoover courtesy of the New World Archaeological Foundation Mound 11 at the height of excavation in April of 2010 courtesy of the National Geographic Society An elaborate pole-and-plank roofed chamber built into the top of an earlier pyramid discovered deep within Mound 11 is a modern day archaeological marvel (see Bachand and Lowe 2011) It was created six centuries before the oldest known pyramidal tombs in Mesoamerica those recorded at the familiar Maya sites of Tikal and Kaminaljuyu were adorned from head to toe with beaded ornaments from which nearly 4,000 pieces of jade Their front teeth sparkled with circular inlays of iron pyrite and mother-of-pearl and mosaic eye pieces from several perishable masks rounded out the mortuary assemblage The names of the deceased are unknown; the earliest legible hieroglyphs are a millennium later in date The main occupants were likely a conjugal pair that governed Chiapa de Corzo and the surrounding countryside The skeleton of Tomb 1’s main occupant: a regally adorned middle-aged male His skull was crushed like a pancake when the tomb collapsed anciently White residues on his lower torso and pelvis are probable vestiges of bark cloth attire Remnants of a shell-decorated loin cloth descend from the pubic area Plan of Tomb 1 illustrating the location of the occupants and offerings Cinnabar coated the bodies of the two primary figures was placed on a landing connected to the crypt by a stone paved ledge a vermillion-painted flag set in the middle Blue dashed line marks the inferred edge of the crypt Drawing by Lynneth S The tomb exhibits Olmec rather than Maya affinities and bamboo shoots are similar to artifacts excavated seventy years ago at the mammoth Gulf Olmec site of La Venta Green and gray obsidian disks—eye pieces for wooden or textile masks now long decayed—are also similar to pairs of disks found in a tomb and offering at La Venta Most of the ceramic vessels in the tomb bear no resemblance to Maya pottery of similar age Their closest parallels are found in western Chiapas It is not surprising to see long distance ties represented in a prominent tomb of this era; the period was marked by social exchanges between powerful leaders in culturally distinct regions When objects like these are discovered it is easy to overlook or downplay what is unique or distinct about the context The absence of large jade earspools on the heads of the deceased (a signature Olmec trait) and the placement of clamshells over their mouths (a practice that continued for centuries in Chiapas) appear to be expressions of local identity and belief Strontium isotope ratios obtained from human bone will hopefully tell us which region these individuals resided in as youths providing yet another angle on the many-sided matter of their social identities Nearly 1,000 pieces of jade comprise this dazzling necklace worn by the principal male occupant Seventeen clamshell-shaped jade pendants were spaced throughout the arrangement The tomb is ascribed to the same period as a series of extraordinary ritual deposits placed at the foot of the pyramid in what must have been a single dry season massive bedrock pits containing layered linear arrangements of ritual stone axes and a serpentine axe with a crudely engraved image of an Olmec deity were inserted below the plaza in alignment with the pyramid’s centerline and the four cardinal directions a shallow T-shaped pit containing a cross pattern of four greenstone axes These offerings were promptly sealed beneath a lime paved surface following a ritual feast the latter evidenced by a series of drinking vessels and an empty keg-sized pot strewn across the top of the deposits The 340 or so axes recovered in these offerings ranged from expertly ground and polished specimens to minimally modified rocks and unaltered stones that naturally exhibited the form of an axe This and the haphazard arrangement of some axes implied that people with little or no ritual knowledge or lapidary skill partook in the event Excavation of Massive Offering 1 in March of 2008 This was the first of two bedrock axe offering pits discovered at the base of Mound 11 Serpentine axe with the incised design of an Olmec supernatural This object and a flat green celt were planted in the ground with bit-ends up on the central axis of Massive Offering 1 The engraved image faced west toward the pyramid Olmec design on the serpentine axe discovered in Massive Offering 1 An adult male sacrificed in Massive Offering 1 Serpentine tube and bivalve shell were worn around the neck Remaining objects were placed where the feet would have been T-shaped offering pit located at the toe of the stepped clay pyramid housing Tomb 1 Its shape and axes represent a theme portrayed by San Lorenzo Monument 18 Greenstone axes and celts from the T-shaped offering pit squarish celts on the E-W centerline and teardrop shaped axes on the N-S centerline Hematite pendant in the shape of a foot from Massive Offering 2 The collective nature of these magnificent ritual designs and the pyramid’s central location in the civic layout indicate that this event signaled something remarkable—perhaps the start of a new type of community The elaborate offerings were promptly concealed but future residents continued to mark the hallowed spot for centuries Mound 11 and its counterpart Mound 12 became the symbolic nexus of the site the place where people celebrated their heritage and performed community rituals to chart their future actions This is duly indicated by the continuous refurbishment of monumental buildings and subsequent installment of deceased nobles and ritual offerings shape and arrangement of Mounds 11 and 12 resemble solar or astronomical precincts commonly referred to as “E-Groups” in later Maya sites This iconic monumental pattern appeared at Chiapa de Corzo and many other Chiapas sites between 900 and 800 BC one or two centuries before it took hold in the Maya region Our findings at Mound 11 demonstrate rather forcefully that early E-Groups were associated with community ritual and rulership (the axes being fairly well attested representations of lighting and corn) It is additionally clear that the above associations were tethered to Olmec conceptions of the supernatural Chiapa de Corzo’s E-Group was one of the largest and earliest constructed in the Central Depression of Chiapas It was planned with a keen awareness of the natural landscape Mound 11 and its massive axe deposits were positioned about 1,500 m (one mile) equidistant from two solitary hills on the site’s northern and southern perimeters; the site’s north-south axis paralleled the sight line between these hills (observations pointed out by project artist Áyax Moreno and verified topographically by Dr Chiapa de Corzo was one of the largest settlements between the Olmec and Maya regions from 900 BC to AD 400 The last twenty years of archaeological and linguistic research have demonstrated that Chiapa de Corzo and west-central Chiapas were home to the Zoque descendents of the Mixe-zoque speaking Olmec who inhabited the Gulf and Pacific Coasts of southern Mexico during the Early Formative period (1500-1000 BC) Recognizing ancient Chiapa de Corzans as Zoque has ramifications for understanding the ethnic composition of Middle Formative (1000-400 BC) Gulf Olmec centers such as La Venta The two sites share the same general site plan and construction methods but do not possess the same domestic pottery or quantity of braziers and roller seals Chiapa de Corzo lacks large stone monuments in the form of colossal heads display the peculiar Gulf Olmec fondness for arranging public spaces around swamps and ponds The two centers shared a common Early Formative Mixe-zoque heritage When the Middle Formative period started two other language groups also split from Mixe-zoque and Mayan speakers began to drift westward into Tabasco This means La Venta was likely a linguistic and cultural melting pot Its size certainly could accommodate a diverse population Its 200 ha monumental core and surrounding settlement dwarfed anything in Mesoamerica at the time One culture may have taken the lead in generating La Venta’s public creations different cultures could have contributed different elements to its design over time we do not know whether the elements shared with Chiapas sites appeared simultaneously or in staggered succession at La Venta It would be rash to envision La Venta or Chiapa de Corzo as immiscible entities; La Venta was surely the more cosmopolitan of the two But if one culture can be pegged for playing a dominant role in La Venta’s florescence considering the many ties seen in architecture and sumptuary items across the two regions The Gulf Olmec site of La Venta in Tabasco In the background is the ‘Great Pyramid’ or Mound C-1 it was the tallest building in Mesoamerica during the Middle Formative period its interior probably contains construction episodes of varying ages Its outermost phase has been radiocarbon dated to circa 400 BC The tomb and axe offerings described in this article illustrate that the Chiapas Zoque were already quite advanced before La Venta became a major city Could they have stimulated a renaissance in the Gulf Coast zone we still lack a basic picture of what the great Gulf Olmec centers looked like around 900 or 800 BC the latest findings from Chiapa de Corzo provide stupendous evidence of the attire and symbolic creations of Middle Formative Mesoamerican paramounts – evidence that beforehand was largely garnered via the study of artistic imagery these latest discoveries temper our notions of Gulf Olmec hegemony or of an early Mesoamerican landscape inhabited by equals and pull us into the nitty gritty aspects of Middle Formative history where the unpredictable forces of human agency As we grapple with new information collected from sites like Chiapa de Corzo and do so with our eyes open to what the past will afford us Bruce Bachand is a Research Affiliate with the New World Archaeological Foundation of Brigham Young University and Director of the Chiapa de Corzo Archaeological Project since 2008 Bruce has received grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society for his research on early Mesoamerican societies He holds degrees in Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (B.A Bruce supervised fieldwork in the Petén rainforest of Guatemala at the Maya sites of Nakbe He describes himself as “an anthropologist who happens to dig in the dirt” and a student of cultural history His scholarly interests range widely from anthropological theory to pottery analysis and Bayesian radiocarbon dating–subjects that articulate well in archaeological storytelling He has authored a variety of essays and articles but his most prized effort remains a dissertation chapter summarizing ten years of research on Preclassic Lowland Maya civilization He is currently working on an essay that clarifies the material practices of Zoque culture through time Bruce’s fascination with the symbolic dimensions of human life has led him to spend prolonged periods of time in Japan He vividly recalls starting his archaeological endeavors by promptly impaling his finger with a trowel while digging a Jōmon pit house alongside three well-trained and obliging elderly Japanese women His most wretched archaeological memory is the excavation of a prehistoric lithic scatter underneath a partly decomposed stinking sheep carcass ridden with rat feces outside a southern Utah rock shelter As an anthropologist he has been influenced greatest by the writings of Marshall Sahlins he finds a certain affinity with the writings of Richard Bradley and Kent Flannery have left indelible impressions he is married with two children and resides in the Salt Lake City area Subscribe to Popular Archaeology Premium Still the industry's best value at only $9.00 annually Subscribe to Popular Archaeology Premium Still the industry’s best value at only $9.00 annually Too many automated requests from this network The report on the implementation of the Convention, due by States Parties every 6 years, includes a section on the elements inscribed on the Representative List. Read more on periodic reports Mexico Inscribed in 2010 (5.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity The traditional Great Feast takes place from 4 to 23 January every year in Chiapa de Corzo religious ceremonies and feasting takes place in honour of three Catholic saints: Saint Anthony Abbot The dances of the Parachicos – the word refers both to the dancers and to the dance – are considered a communal offering to these saints They start in the morning and conclude at night as the dancers carry statues of saints throughout the city Each dancer wears a carved wooden mask with headdress embroidered shawl and multicoloured ribbons The dancers are led by the severely-masked Patron while playing a flute accompanied by one or two drummers he intones praises to which the Parachicos respond with cheers The dance is transmitted and learned simultaneous with its performance The technique of mask-making is passed from generation to generation The dance of the Parachicos during the Great Feast embraces all spheres of local life promoting mutual respect among communities Password forgotten? Roudané, a filmmaker who has lived in Mexico for eight years, attends every year with about one million other people. The festival traditionally features female characters known as Chuntás (meaning “maids”), performed by men who dress in costumes including handcrafted garments, floral garlands, and makeup, and dance through the streets of Chiapas. There are several different Chuntá gangs in Chiapas, and Roudané’s documentary focuses on the dynamics between two of them. One is strictly traditionalist, allowing only cis-gender, heterosexual members to join (known as Jerry’s gang), and the other is a dissident gang, lead by “Auntie” Esther Noriega, who allows people of any gender or sexual orientation. DestinationsPlanningInspirationShopSearch SavesOpen main menu© fitopardo/Getty Images The Sumidero Canyon is a spectacular fissure in the earth the Chicoasén hydroelectric dam was completed at its northern end Traveling between Tuxtla and Chiapa de Corzo the road crosses the Grijalva just south of the canyon mouth The most impressive way to see the canyon is from a lancha that speeds between the canyon’s towering rock walls starting at either Chiapa de Corzo or the Embarcadero Cahuaré 5km north of Chiapa along the road to Tuxtla You’ll rarely have to wait more than half an hour for a boat to fill up It’s about 35km from Chiapa de Corzo to the dam the canyon walls tower an amazing 800m above you Along the way you’ll see a variety of birds – herons vultures and kingfishers – plus probably a crocodile or two The boat operators will point out a few odd formations of rock and vegetation including one cliff face covered in thick hanging moss the lanchas sometimes have to plow through floating plastic garbage when wet-season rains wash in trash from Tuxtla Gutiérrez To take your evening paseo (stroll) with the locals Templo de San Juan with a vividly painted arch of green and blue Zoológico Miguel Álvarez del Toro with its huge range of natural environments has the highest concentration of animal species in North America Jardín Botánico Dr Faustino Miranda The lush oasis of the Jardín Botánico Dr Faustino Miranda is a gorgeous place to visit as well as being a nice respite from the city heat Sima de las Cotorras The Sima de las Cotorras is a dramatic 160m-wide sinkhole that punches 140m down into the earth into a crater thick with rainforest Chiapa de Corzo Archaeological Site On a trade route between the Pacific and the Gulf the sprawling Chiapa de Corzo settlement had close ties to neighboring Maya and Olmec cultures El Aguacero Plunging into the sheer Río La Venta canyon El Aguacero is a gorgeous series of frothy stairsteps that tumble and spray Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán The large Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán was built in the late 16th century by the Dominican order View more attractionsNearby Chiapas attractions1. Centro de Convivencia Infantil 2. Museo Regional de Chiapas an imposing modern building constructed in 1982 was under much-needed renovation at the time of research (it's a fabulous… 3. Jardín Botánico Dr Faustino Miranda 4. Museo del Café housed inside an attractive colonial building contains exhibits on the cultivation and processing of everyone's favorite bean 5. Plaza Cívica Tuxtla’s main plaza occupies two blocks flanked by an untidy array of concrete government and commercial structures 6. Catedral de San Marcos The eye-catching white cathedral’s clock tower tinkles out a tune on the hour to accompany a kitsch merry-go-round of apostles’ images 7. Jardín de la Marimba 8. Museo de la Marimba On the Jardín de la Marimba, this small museum showcases 120 years of this ubiquitous instrument, with both antique and modern models on display and a… No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission At least 55 migrants are dead and over 100 more are injured after a horrific truck crash near Tuxtla Gutiérrez A tractor-trailer transporting more than 150 mainly Central American migrants overturned on the Chiapa de Corzo-Tuxtla Gutiérrez highway at approximately 3:30 p.m The trailer became detached from the tractor unit and overturned while the tractor unit crashed into the base of a pedestrian overpass Forty-nine migrants were reported dead at the scene of the accident while six more sustained serious injuries and died in hospital Chiapas Governor Rutilio Escandón said that 105 other people – 83 men and 22 women – were injured and at least three were in serious condition The federal Attorney General’s Office said it will conduct an investigation into the crash The truck passed through a state police checkpoint just 500 meters before it crashed but was not stopped despite officers having infrared cameras that could have detected the presence of people in its trailer Photographs and video footage showed shocking scenes in the aftermath of the accident with scores of bodies and badly injured people lying on or next to the highway Some motorists provided first aid and other assistance as they waited for emergency services to arrive The truck driver fled the scene and reportedly sought assistance in a nearby mechanic’s workshop “He stopped at the door and asked us to go and help those injured in an accident a few minutes from here,” a worker told the newspaper Reforma “I thought he would follow me to help but he went in the direction of Tuxtla Gutiérrez.” Some migrants who survived the accident also fled the scene fearful that they would be detained by immigration authorities the National Immigration Institute said it would offer shelter food and humanitarian visas to the survivors President López Obrador and his Guatemalan counterpart Alejandro Giammattei offered their condolences to the families of the victims “I deeply regret the tragedy caused by the overturning of a tractor-trailer that was transporting Central American migrants in Chiapas A hug to the families of the victims,” López Obrador wrote on Twitter The porous border between Chiapas and Guatemala is the main entry point for Central American migrants seeking to reach the United States Near record numbers of migrants have entered Mexico this year and many pay smugglers to transport them to the northern border Thursday’s tragedy came a month to the day after 12 migrants were killed when two transit vans collided on the Palenque-Playas de Catazajá highway in Chiapas With reports from Milenio and Reforma ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC The oldest known Mesoamerican pyramid tomb BACHANDPyramid Tomb Found: Sign of a Civilization's Birth?Oldest known Central American pyramid tomb holds royal burials After sheltering jeweled royals for centuries, the oldest known tomb in Mesoamerica—ancient Central America and Mexico Apparently caught between two cultures, the 2,700-year-old pyramid in Chiapa de Corzo (map) may help settle a debate as to when and how the mysterious Zoque civilization arose according to excavation leader Bruce Bachand At the time of the pyramid tomb's dedication, hundreds of artisans, vendors, and farmers would have known Chiapa de Corzo as a muggy town Above them towered the three-story-tall pyramid, a "visually permanent and physically imposing reminder" of their past rulers and emerging cultural identity, said Bachand, an archaeologist at Brigham Young University who co-led the project with Emiliano Gallaga of Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History and Lynneth Lowe of the National Autonomous University of Mexico The two rulers found with the pyramid-top tomb had been coated head-to-toe in sacred red pigment Bachand's team found a male in a pearl-beaded loincloth On their waists were jade beads shaped like howler monkeys Seashells inlaid with obsidian formed tiny masks for their mouths which in turn held jade and pyrite ornaments Arrayed around the royal corpses were offerings to the gods: ceramic pots ritual axes perhaps associated with fertility "These people were at the top of society, there is no doubt about it," said Bachand, whose work was partly funded by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration (The National Geographic Society owns National Geographic News.) Slightly lower on society's ladder were two apparent human sacrifices who looked as if they'd been tossed into the tomb The adult was slumped against the side of the crypt an arm craned awkwardly over his or her head The pyramid tomb is a window into how and when unique cultures emerged from the Olmec one of the oldest civilizations in the New World The Olmec began fanning out from their Gulf of Mexico homeland around 1200 B.C. and influenced many Mesoamerican civilizations to come—to what extent, though, is a longstanding debate among archaeologists. (See "Ancient City Found in Mexico; Shows Olmec Influence.") The Chiapa de Corzo site, in what was a borderland between the Olmec and Maya civilizations, may eventually help settle the debate (interactive map of the Maya Empire). "We are trying to distill from the archaeology how the Zoque emerged out of an Olmec ancestral base, and it seems like it happened right around the time this tomb appeared," Bachand said. In the centuries prior to the construction of this tomb, archaeologists believe, Chiapa de Corzo was a large village along a major trade route, likely operated by the Olmec from their capital city, La Venta, on the Gulf Coast. As Chiapa de Corzo gained wealth and power it began to assert its own identity, Bachand said. The newly discovered tomb, which includes Olmec and Zoque traits, suggests this transition was well underway by 700 B.C. Some of the tomb's ceramic pots, for example, are identical to pots from La Venta. the human remains lack the large jade earspools and breastplates commonly found on Olmec remains the tomb's stone and clay walls and wooden ceiling represent a unique Zoque style that persisted at Chiapa de Corzo for centuries "We think that this is a parting moment" for the Zoque there are Olmec elements lingering around and being incorporated into their culture but at the same time they are starting to move out and move on." the nascent Zoque culture at Chiapa de Corzo may have been influencing other cultures Aligned with the sunrise on solstices and equinoxes E groups appear to have astrological significance "So this isn't just any old pyramid," Bachand said "It appears to be one of the earliest E groups in all of Mesoamerica "And now that we've discovered this early tomb—well heck no one has discovered a tomb this early in any pyramid never mind an E group pyramid," he added The new findings, he said, suggest that the E group—so strongly associated with the Maya and other Mesoamerican cultures—could actually be a Zoque invention. (Pictures: what the Maya Empire looked like.) Bachand's conception of Chiapa de Corzo as an emerging capital sits well with Mesoamerican-civilization expert Robert Rosenswig. "To have a powerful ruling dynasty established at Chiapa de Corzo beginning sometime around 700 B.C. sounds perfectly reasonable," said Rosenswig, an archaeologist at the University of Albany in New York State. By then the Olmec had been around for 400 to 500 years and had established other centers that were building their own monumental architecture. "Things were becoming considerably more complex, and it is fairly evident that these groups were all in contact with each other," he said. In hopes of solidifying his theory, Bachand and his team are digging deeper into the pyramid, hoping to find evidence of more direct contact with the Olmec capital. Just this past Saturday, they may have found just that—a bluish green jade ceremonial axe, perhaps of Olmec origin, at the base of the pyramid. "It doesn't have any incised design or anything on it, but it is right on the axis of the building, and we think it is associated with something special," Bachand said. In 2008 the team had found a pit full of similar axes—including one with an Olmec design on it—in the plaza next to the pyramid as well as a nearby pit where the axes were manufactured. The discovery of another axe deep inside the tomb, Bachand added, "is definitely associated with an axe offering of Olmec inspiration." you will be logged out of all the USGBC and GBCI applications in this browser Click the logout button below to continue logging out or cancel button to stay logged in Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Such “accidents” are a recurring human cost of the policies of containment and repression imposed on migrants globally At least 56 migrants — mostly from Guatemala, many of them families with minor children — being transported from Mexico’s southern border region to the country’s heartland in Puebla by smugglers, were recently killed in an apparent road accident, with dozens more seriously injured and the discovery of mass graves with hundreds more victims in the same region in March 2011 This kind of targeting of migrants for persecution, terror and death because of their status and identity as migrants gives these incidents a genocidal dimension and triggers their recognition, at minimum, as “crimes against humanity,” pursuant to Articles 6 and 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and its relevant case law and interpretations This includes “killing” members of an identifiable social group and “other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.” these two policies have come to negate the right to seek asylum both at the U.S and have exiled asylum seekers to precarious life-threatening conditions of violence and persecution on Mexican soil in improvised camps without access to adequate humanitarian assistance how others have responded to mass migrant deaths in the Mediterranean or the English Channel — as occasions to call for even more stringent measures of “controlled” migration News of the migrant deaths in Chiapas came amid widespread Mexican and global observances of December 10 as International Human Rights Day, marking the 73rd anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948. It also came shortly before International Migrants Day commemorating the date of the adoption in 1990 of the UN’s core treaty focused on migrant rights But Mexico’s tragedy reminds us how distant migrants are from the protections supposedly accorded by such instruments solidarity and hospitality is fully recognized throughout the world news will continue to come of more tragedies such as those in Chiapas and migrants globally will continue to seek the dignity and freedom which the neoliberal world order and the complicity of countries of origin we are witnessing a terrifying array of anti-democratic tactics to silence political opposition increase surveillance and expand authoritarian reach Truthout is appealing for your support as Trump and his sycophants crack down on political speech Nonprofits like Truthout could be caught in Trump’s crosshairs as he attacks dissenting groups with bad faith lawsuits and targeted harassment of journalists these attacks come at a time when independent journalism is most needed The right-wing corporate takeover of media has left reliable outlets few and far between with even fewer providing their work at no cost to the reader Who will be there to hold the fascists to account We ask for your support as we doggedly pursue justice through our reporting Truthout is funded overwhelmingly by readers like you Please make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation today As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent, independent media is a key part of the resistance. 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Or sign-in if you have an account Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page Mexico’s southernmost state barely registers with those of us seeking a sunny break Without the easy familiarity of resorts like Puerto Vallarta or Cancun plus a longer traveling time to get there and less English spoken by locals authentic Mexican culture at every turn in the road Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience the state capital and home of the Marimba Museum as well as the Marimba Park It’s thought that African slaves brought the marimba – a type of xylophone made from wood – to Mexico but it’s so ingrained in the lives of Chiapans that they’re credited with perfecting it Watch couples dance to the lively and distinctly Chiapan beat of multiple marimba players on Wednesday Across the street at the Marimba Museum you’ll see dozens of styles of marimbas and an audio kiosk where you can hear famous pieces performed by different players hit the road and listen for the melodic sounds of marimba carried on warm evening breezes at public parks across the state and especially in Comitan By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Between the modern city of Tuxtla and the colonial town of San Cristobal in the Chiapan highlands are Tzotzil Mayan communities that have kept their traditional ways A must-see is San Juan Chamula with its bustling Sunday market Women wearing shaggy black wool skirts sell everything from fresh produce and spools of yarn to cheap plastic toys and household items Prosperous looking Mayan men favour white wool leather-belted tunics over crisp white shirts and pants white-plastered church built between 1522 and 1524 thousands of candles flicker in the darkness and families sit on the floor praying and sometimes performing a mix of rituals These involve drinking Coca Cola (burping is believed to expel evil spirits) and rubbing pox on their bodies (pronounced ‘posh’ “They come to the temple when they have a problem,” explains Nichim tour guide Ramses Borraz Balinas it’s an eight kilometre walk past sheep farms modern houses to the Tzotzil community of Zinacantan where women contribute to the local economy by weaving you’ll see colourful skirts and blouses hanging from shop doors A tour here can include lunch in a weaver’s home where you can watch young women kneeling at looms (girls start weaving about age 10) and purchase some of their beautiful creations Lunch includes pureed-corn soup punctuated with chunks of pork Washed down with pozol – a sweet beverage made with corn and cacao – and followed by a shot of the local pox flavoured with cinnamon or hibiscus coffee is another staple in the lives of Chiapans The state produces 60% of Mexico’s coffee beans according to Segundo Guillén Gordillo a boutique hotel close to the historic centre of Comitan one of Mexico’s pueblos magicos (magic towns) with each room named for a variety of coffee Comitan’s town square is ablaze with Christmas decorations and the annual four-day International Festival of Culture and Arts is underway in honour of Rosario Castellanos a celebrated author and poet who grew up here in the early 20th century “There’s lots of music with famous artists… To learn about the pre-Hispanic folk art called laca you must visit the town of Chiapa de Corzo Artisans use the oil of an insect called cochinilla to prepare and lacquer dry gourds and small boxes who began when he was 15 and now does laca for a living Chiapa de Corzo is also home of the nationally celebrated Nandayapa Vargas family that has been making marimbas by hand for more than a century As well as exporting marimbas around the world the four brothers of the third generation also give educational concerts to help visitors understand the history and evolution of the musical instrument townspeople hold their Fiesta Grande (Great Feast) Women wear embroidered satin blouses and full Starting in the morning and going until late at night the men – known as parachicos – dance and shake maracas In 2010 UNESCO recognized the dance of the Parachicos as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity the Ceiba hotel is a pleasant place to stay and serves dishes with typical ingredients such as chilpilin a leafy green similar to spinach or watercress For one-day tours, try Ian Ord, an expat Canadian living in Mexico who operates Where Sidewalks End transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. 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By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy You can manage saved articles in your account A team of archaeologists from the United States and Mexico has detected chili pepper residues in over 2,000-year-old pottery samples unearthed at the site of Chiapa de Corzo in southern Mexico This image shows five vessels that tested positive for chili pepper The second vessel from the right represents the earliest evidence of chili pepper consumption in Mexico Image credit: Roberto Lopez and Emiliano Gallaga Murrieta Flowering plants of the genus Capsicum are usually referred to as chili peppers There are relatively few sites in Mesoamerica and South America that contain remains of Capsicum we know little about how pre-Columbian people used chili peppers in those regions In a new study, reported in the open-access journal PLoS ONE the archaeological team used chemical extractions to reveal the presence of chili residues in pottery vessels from Chiapa de Corzo Some of these vessels were over 2,000 years old The scientists found chili residue in multiple types of jars and vessels which suggests that Mixe-Zoquean and Maya cultures may have been using chili peppers for many different culinary purposes Capsicum was found in a vessel called a sprouted jar which is used for pouring a liquid into another container The archaeologists suggest that chili peppers may have been used to prepare spicy beverages or dining condiments “The significance of our study is that it is the first of its kind to detect ancient chili pepper residues from early Mixe-Zoquean pottery in Mexico,” said lead author Dr Terry Powis from Kennesaw State University “While our findings of Capsicum species in these Preclassic pots provides the earliest evidence of chili consumption in well-dated Mesoamerican archaeological contexts we believe our scientific study opens the door for further collaborative research into how the pepper may have been used either from a culinary or ritual perspective during the last few centuries before the time of Christ.” Prehispanic Use of Chili Peppers in Chiapas PLoS ONE 8 (11): e79013; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079013 would never be complete — so I was told — without a boat trip through the nearby Cañon del Sumidero whose vertical walls tower up to 1,000 meters above the rather narrow Grijalva river When I looked up sumidero I discovered that one of its meanings is “cesspool” which was not very encouraging until I learned that this canyon was one of the favorite haunts of the founder of the Tuxtla zoo If Mexico’s most famous conservationist loved this place Trips down the river are organized from several docks alongside the little town of Chiapa de Corzo which had for a brief time been the state capital appears to be a short form of the word tepechiapan which means “water below the hill,” a fitting description of the Grijalva river flowing through kilometer-high walls of rock “It’s better to take that boat ride in the morning rather than later in the day,” a local taxi driver told us “The boat men won’t leave until they have enough customers to fill every single seat so people who go to Chiapa de Corzo late in the afternoon may find themselves sitting around forever waiting for their tour to start.” Then lifejackets were assigned to each of us Although it looked like it was going to rain to allow for a good upward view of the canyon walls I would suggest you bring along a waterproof poncho if rain seems likely the boats travel at high speeds along much of the river generating a strong breeze with plenty of spray Here you may be wondering: is it all worthwhile There is much more to this canyon than high walls the more obvious it becomes that there is something wonderful One moment you are overwhelmed by majesty and grandeur and the next you’re seduced by a spray of wildflowers and then your heart is touched by the affection and clowning antics of child-like spider monkeys who are obviously fast friends with the boatmen who ferry us tourists up and down the river but when you glance back down at the river you see an elegant white egret posing on a slender wand protruding from the water or suddenly discover a big brown pelican floating right next to you lazy crocodile sprawled over a rocky outcrop you may even get to see a cinnamon hummingbird pollinating the wildflowers curious to see how Chiapas is dealing with the problem of pollution in this important river but so filled with human waste that the stench is unbearable all this despite some of the strictest anti-pollution laws in the world I am happy to report that during 90% of our river trip we noticed nothing amiss This is apparently due to the daily removal of over 30 tonnes of trash much of which consists of tree branches and natural debris washed into the river by the rains during the other 10% of the time we did find little coves where all sorts of things were floating on the surface but this Sumidero is definitely no cesspool when it comes to caring for their most famous river it looks to me like Chiapas is far ahead of Jalisco Some 120 boats carry visitors along the 30-kilometer stretch between the two docks at Chiapa de Corzo and the Chicoasén hydroelectric dam downriver and everyone on board is obliged to wear a lifejacket there are ambulance boats anchored along the riverside Years ago the boats were old and leaky and even kids could be guides This situation generated a spate of accidents The government responded with suspensions and fines and took 60 boats out of circulation the situation has reversed itself and the boat cooperatives are proud of their new around 300,000 people take the boat ride down the Grijalvo river every year making the Cañon del Sumidero the second most popular site in Chiapas Our voyage down the river run ended much too soon at the foot of the dam which generates over 30% of all the hydroelectric power produced in Mexico Here we found two “floating Oxxos” awaiting us with junk food but I did experience something unique in this tall river canyon and before we debarked all of us applauded our guide as we would the conductor of a symphony orchestra for he had been instrumental in making our lives just a little bit richer The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for more than 30 years and is the author of A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area and co-author of Outdoors in Western Mexico. More of his writing can be found on his website CORRECTION: An observant reader pointed out that we had reversed the flow of the Grijalva river it flows north so the Sumidero Canyon is downriver from Chiapa de Corzo Almost 500 indigenous people who have been displaced from their communities in Chiapas due to violence are marching to the state capital to seek a solution from authorities The 444 Tzotzil Maya people are from the municipalities of Chenalhó Ocosingo and Zinacantán but were forced to leave their homes amid violent territorial and political conflicts Some have been displaced for more than two years The contingent left San Cristóbal de las Casas on Monday and yesterday reached a point 15 kilometers short of the town of Chiapa de Corzo after walking through fog and drizzle in cold temperatures The director of the Ku’untick Human Rights Center who is accompanying the Tzotzils on their “pies cansados” (tired feet) march said the Chiapas government has made no commitment to restore security in highland communities so that the displaced people can return home said that “as displaced people from the Puebla ejido [community land] we’ve decided to express our disagreement,” adding “until now our problem hasn’t been solved and we haven’t been able to return [home].” After setting up camp last night on the side of the San Cristóbal-Chiapa de Corzo highway where humanitarian aid including food and clothes was distributed the march towards Tuxtla Gutiérrez resumed today State and Federal Police have been escorting the indigenous caravan which still has around 30 kilometers left to travel meaning that it will likely arrive in the capital Friday or Saturday One of the displaced persons is 30-year-old pregnant woman who is traveling with her husband and two children had only been living in Chenalhó two weeks when on May 26 armed men attacked residents of the Puebla ejido A 14-year-old girl was killed in the attack which was triggered by political differences Thousands of indigenous people have fled their homes in the highlands of Chiapas during recent years due to violence stemming from political and territorial disputes Deaths due to cold and hunger have occurred in makeshift camps set up by displaced people and a year ago a human rights organization and the Catholic church described the situation in parts of Chiapas as a humanitarian crisis Source: El Universal (sp), Noticieros Televisa (sp) Released from the Popular Archaeology archives: A royal tomb and elaborate pit offerings speak to us of an ancient culture in Mesoamerica that predated today's more familiar centers of the Classic period Maya A 2,700-year-old pyramid tomb excavated in the western Chiapas state of Mexico and the monumental center in which it was discovered opened a window on the possible origins or connections it may have to a well-known ancient Olmec capital to its east on the Mexican Gulf Coast The discovery has presented a tantalizing new piece in the emerging picture of state formation in southern Mexico and of a people and civilization that may have had trade and cultural affiliations with La Venta and possibly other Olmec centers from 1,000 to 400 B.C Known as Chiapa de Corzo, the site was excavated in 2010 by archaeologist Bruce Bachand of Brigham Young University’s New World Archaeological Foundation, along with Emiliano Gallaga of Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History and Lynneth Lowe of the National Autonomous University of Mexico The tomb contained two regally adorned individuals one an adult male and the other an adult female predated by 600 years any other such tomb found in Mesoamerica including that of the familiar ancient Maya sites at Tikal and Kaminaljuyu “The main occupants were likely a conjugal pair that governed Chiapa de Corzo and the surounding countryside,” said Bachand “The tomb exhibits Olmec rather than Maya affinities Green and gray obsidian disks—eye pieces for wooden or textile masks now long decayed—are also similar to pairs of disks found in a tomb and offering at La Venta” the site also exhibited characteristics unique to its particular culture “when objects like these are discovered it is easy to overlook or downplay what is unique or distinct about the context appear to be expressions of local identity and belief.” _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mound 11 (the tomb) at the height of excavation in April of 2010 (photograph by Oscar López ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Equally significant was the discovery of several offering pits near the pyramid tomb containing artifacts identified as ritual stone axes a serpentine axe with an engraved image of an Olmec deity the alignment of the pits with the pyramidal tomb and the nature and arrangement of subsequent deposits and monumental structures throughout the site of Chiapa de Corzo suggest that it was a center of continuous ritual activity shape and arrangement of certain central mounds at the site resemble the familiar “E-Group” formations found at other Chiapas region sites dated to 900 – 800 B.C. 200 years before it appeared in the later Maya sites Analysis of findings at the pyramidal tomb mound indicate an association between the “E-Group” configuration and human sacrifice all related to Olmec views of the supernatural The excavations at Chiapa de Corzo have raised perhaps more questions than answers but ongoing investigations and research continue to open the door on who these people were and what connections they had with other civilizations and centers of Mesoamerica some elements of the larger picture have already come into focus Reported Bachand: “The last twenty years of archaeological and linguistic research have demonstrated that Chiapa de Corzo and west-central Chiapas were home to the Zoque descendants of the Mixe-zoque speaking Olmec who inhabited the Gulf and Pacific coasts of southern Mexico during the Early Formative Period (1500 – 1000 B.C.) Recognizing ancient Chiapa de Corzans as Zoque has ramifications for understanding the ethnic composition of Middle Formative (1000 – 400 B.C.) Gulf Olmec centers such as La Venta……..the two centers shared a common Early Formative Mixe-zoque heritage.” Were the two centers closely related and representative of the same population and culture “It would be rash to envision La Venta or Chiapa de Corzo as immiscible entities; La Venta was surely the more cosmopolitan of the two But if one culture can be pegged for playing a dominant role in La Venta’s florescence and sumptuary items across the two regions.” _____________________________________________________ Top: The skeleton of Tomb 1’s main occupant: a regally adorned middle aged male Read more in-depth articles about archaeology with a premium subscription to Popular Archaeology Magazine In addition, the latest Popular Archaeology ebook is now available ______________________________________________ Travel and learn with Far Horizons ____________________________________________ Take a visual tour of Mexico — from a protest in Cuernavaca to a festival in Chiapas — with this selection of pictures from the week pyrite and obsidian artifacts and ceramic vessels Archaeologist Emiliano Gallaga said the tomb dates to between 500 and 700 B.C Based on the layers in which it was found and the tomb's unusual wooden construction "we think this is one of the earliest discoveries of the use of a pyramid as a tomb not only as a religious site or temple," Gallaga said Pre-Hispanic cultures built pyramids mainly as representations of the levels leading from the underworld to the sky; the highest point usually held a temple The tomb was found at a site built by Zoque Indians in Chiapa de Corzo It may be almost 1,000 years older than the better-known pyramid tomb of the Mayan ruler Pakal at the Palenque archaeological site The man - probably a high priest or ruler of Chiapa de Corzo a prominent settlement at the time - was buried in a stone chamber Marks in the wall indicate wooden roof supports were used to create the tomb but the wood long ago collapsed under the weight of the pyramid built above Archeologists began digging into the pyramid mound in April to study the internal structure - pyramids were often built in layers one atop another - when they happened on a wall whose finished stones appeared to face inward they uncovered the 4- by 3-meter tomb chamber about 6 or 7 meters beneath what had been the pyramid's peak The body of a 1-year-old child was laid carefully over the man's body inside the tomb while that of a 20-year-old male was tossed into the chamber with less care perhaps sacrificed at the time of the burial The older man was buried with jade and amber collars and bracelets and pearl ornaments His face was covered with what may have been a funeral mask with obsidian eyes The ornaments - some imported from as far away as Guatemala and central Mexico - and some of the 15 ceramic vessels found in the tomb show influences from the Olmec culture long considered the "mother culture" of the region The find raised the possibility that Olmec pyramids might contain similar tombs of dignitaries especially at well-known sites like La Venta in part because the high water table and humidity of their Gulf coast sites are not as conducive to preserving buried human remains "The Olmec sites have not been explored with the depth they deserve," said Lynneth Lowe an archaeologist at Mexico's National Autonomous University who participated in the dig "It is possible that thus type of tomb exists at La Venta." Despite the Chiapa de Corzo tomb's location experts said it is not clear the later Maya culture learned or inherited the practice of pyramid burials from the Zoques