Embedded Files
Myth Busting Archeologists
Opening:
Have a discussion with students about the assumptions they had about the conquest of Mexico before beginning the unit and what they still think is true even after the previous assignments. This information can be recorded in a T chart.
Mini-Lesson: Highlight two particular Myths about power and authority during the conquest:
Myth #1: The Spanish completely subjugated the indigenous people of the region
Myth #2: Spanish completely destroyed indigenous faith and forced everyone to become Catholic
Discussion:
How can you prove that something is not true what do you need?
Present the guidelines of the activity to the students.
Instructions: In groups, students will be given several pieces of evidence. It is their job to put the clues together to explain how the Spanish and the natives within the region of Oaxaca Mexico borrowed and shared ideas about art, architecture, religion and the leadership during the 16th century. On the hand out in italics, is a description from the National Parks Services of the steps archeologists must follow through their work. They too will be following similar steps.
After conducting an analysis, students will be asked to put together a written report of their findings. Then using PowerPoint, students will present their interpretations to the class. Students should first explain what “Myth” they are addressing, followed by an explanation of the artifacts they examined and their ultimate conclusions.
** Note teachers can evaluate the level of difficulty of each group and assign accordingly. The section on resistance can also be used as a separate lesson, since its format does depend largely on secondary sources.
Group 1: ICONOGRAPHY
Iconography
Christian and Mesoamerican iconographyStep 1: Research1. What is “iconography?”
2. Why is iconography used? What purpose does it serve?
3. Give an example of iconography that is common in Spanish churches in the 1500s.2. Why is iconography used? What purpose does it
serve?
4. Give an example of iconography that is common in Mesoamerica pre-contact.
5. Give an example of iconography that you are familiar with
6. Who was Tlaltecuhtli?
Step 2: Excavation
1. Where is the image of the saint and guardian angel from?
2. When was it build?
3. What is the Codex Zouche-Nuttall?
4. When was it created?
Step 3: Analysis
1. What do the guardian angel below the angel and the image from the Zouche-Nuttall Codex have in common? Describe in detail.
2. Why is this similarity significant?
3. Why would there be a relief of a Mesoamerican deity on the bottom of a church column?
4. Assuming the local population knew about the relief at the base of the column, how might they interpret this? (You can offer a few interpretations)
5. How might these artifacts help debunk some of the ideas of what happened during the conquest?
Photograph of the guardian angel below one of the two statues placed on either side of the side entrance of the Church in Teposcolula. Photography by Nitzan.
(British Museum ADD.MSS 39671)
Group 2: ARCHITECTURECasa de la Cacia, Teposcolula
Step 1: Research
1. What is a cacica (sometimes spelled cacique/a)?
2. What was Mitla?
Step 2: Excavation
1. When was the Casa de la Cacica in Teposcolua constructed?
2. What function did it serve?
3. Who lived there?
4. What does Document 1 say about houses of important people in the region of Meixco before the conquest?
5. What does Document 2 reveal about how cities were planed post contact in Teposcolula?
Step 3: Analysis
1. What similarities do you notice between the house and the three images from the codex that have been “excavated”?
2. What does this similarity reveal about power and control during the period in which the house was constructed and in use? (Think about how it was possible for so few Spaniards to come and control masses of people abroad. How could this have happened?)
3. How might these artifacts help debunk some of the ideas of what happened during the conquest?
Architecture
Casa del la Cacica as it stands in 2014. This structure was a pre-Columbian palace that housed the leaders of the community. Photograph by Nitzan
Group 3: CODICESSpanish and Mesoamerican Use of Codices
Step 1: Research
1. What is a codex?
2. What were codices used for?
3. Who was Lord 8 Deer?
Step 2: Excavation
1. What happened to most of the Mesoamerican codices? Where are they today?
2. What was the purpose of the Lienzo of Ihuitlan? How do you know?
Step 4: Analysis
1. Why would the Spanish want to translate the stories in the Nuttall Codex into Spanish?
2. What might be significant about the fact that they translated the story of Lord Eight Deer (Jaguar Claw)?
3. What is drawn into the codes from the Rufino Tamayo Museum? What might that tell us about the relationship of the Spanish and the indigenous people of the region?
4. How might these artifacts help debunk some of the ideas of what happened during the conquest?
Codices
Dr. van Doesburg showing a group of teachers a Spanish translation of the story of Lord 8 Deer from the Nuttall Codex. Photos by Nitzan
An indigenous-style mapa in Oaxaca’s Museo Rufino Tamayo. Courtesy of Dr. S Wood.
The wedding of 3-Flint and 12-Wind
Church Architecture
Group 4: CHURCH ARCHITECTURE Open-air CathedralsStep 1: Research1. What are missionaries?
2. Why was it important for the Spanish to convert the people in the region to Christianity?
3. What are some strategies you already know that the Spanish used to convert people during this conquest?
Step 2: Excavation
1. Where are the churches located?
2. What was Monte Alban?
Step 3: Analysis
1. Why would Christian Missionaries build open-air cathedrals? (Try to come up with at least 3 reasons)
2. What are the advantages of an open-air cathedral as opposed to closed and covered cathedral?
3. How might the local residents have received these open-air cathedrals? How do you know?
4. How might these artifacts help debunk some of the ideas of what happened during the conquest?
Close up view of Capilla Abierta (Open Chapel) at Coixtlahuaca. The architecture of these spaces allows for excellent acoustics. Photo by Nitzan
Group 5: RITUALSFeathers
Step 1: Research
1. What are religious rituals?
2. Why are they important?
3. Describe a ritual that you are familiar with, either from home, or from a local religious center, or even from a film?
Step 2: Excavation
1. Where are these pictures from?
2. When was the excerpt from Fray Pedro de Gante written?
Step 3: Analysis
1. What techniques did Fray Pedro de Gante use to work with indigenous converts?
2. What do you see in the Mapa de Cuahtlantzinco that is notable?
3. What similarities do you see in the painted folded screen from 1690?
4. What do these artifacts reveal about how Christianity was accepted by the recent converts in the region?
5. What might this reveal about what happened to their own set of beliefs and rituals?
6. How might these artifacts help debunk some of the ideas of what happened during the conquest?
Rituals
Dancing with feathers, from the 17th-century Mapa de Cuauhtlantzinco
(19th-century copy; University of Oregon, courtesy of Dr. Stephanie Wood)
Resistance
Group 7: RESISTANCEMaría AchichinaStep 1: Research1. Look up and define the word resistance?
2. What other historical moments of resistance are you familiar with? Why and how did those people resist?
3. What is the Codex Cardona?
Step 3: Excavation
1. Identify each document as either a primary or secondary source.
2. In your own words summarize separately, what Taylor, Wood and Katz explain about resistance by indigenous groups in the early stages of the Spanish conquest.
Step 3: Analysis
1. Why do you think indigenous groups did not ban together to resist the Spanish as a whole?
2. Why were indigenous groups respectful of the King and Viceroy?
3. Why did they resist more on the small and local level?
4. Why do you think there is such scarce primary source evidence of resistance against the Spanish today?
5. How might María Achichina’s story help debunk some of the ideas of what happened during the conquest?
A portrait of María Achichina in the Codex Cardona, possibly a late-colonial manuscript in private hands.
(Courtesy of Dr. S. Wood)
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse