Article by Wagner Hertzog
The Zapotecs are an indigenous people of Mexico, who, like the Maya, and unlike the Aztecs and Incas, were able to survive the Spanish conquest, and therefore managed to exist until the present day. With a population that, according to speculation, can reach a million inhabitants, they are concentrated mainly in the southern state of Oaxaca, but also inhabit other Mexican states, like Jalisco and Guerrero, in addition to a small diaspora that have settled down in some cities, in the American part of the state of California. Having been one of the most important civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, the Zapotecs established a modest empire in the Valley of Oaxaca, whose first capital was the city of Monte Albán, which later would be completely taken over and controlled by the Mixtecs. Reaching its apogee during the classical period, many archaeologists, scholars and researchers believe that Monte Albán was initially built by Zapotecs who congregated to build fortifications to protect themselves from external threats. At the beginning of the classical period (200 - 1000 CE), the Zapotec empire consolidated itself as a political and military power, guaranteeing its dominion over tribes, civilizations and surrounding territories, without anyone being able to compete, to challenge them or to suppress their hegemony. So the Zapotecs somehow managed to remain undefeated for centuries.
As far as it can be ascribed, the Zapotecs, like various civilizations in Mesoamerica, haven’t recorded their history, at least, not all of it, leaving to archeology the task of conducting research and making firsthand discoveries. The renowned Mexican archaeologist Alfonso Caso y Andrade, devoted to the study of ancient peoples of Mexico, was one of the first in his area to devote himself to the study of the Zapotec civilization (although he has also devoted himself to the research of many other pre-Columbian cultures and civilizations), and was one of the first to carry out research and excavations in situ in Monte Albán, concentrating his readings and interpretations on slabs of a great palace, now known as "Palace J", whose inscriptions on the slabs apparently depict what appear to have been local provinces controlled by the Zapotecs, as well as rulers who would have surrendered peacefully to their dominion, and also those who were killed, and had to be conquered by force.
As far as it can be ascribed, the Zapotecs, like various civilizations in Mesoamerica, haven’t recorded their history, at least, not all of it, leaving to archeology the task of conducting research and making firsthand discoveries. The renowned Mexican archaeologist Alfonso Caso y Andrade, devoted to the study of ancient peoples of Mexico, was one of the first in his area to devote himself to the study of the Zapotec civilization (although he has also devoted himself to the research of many other pre-Columbian cultures and civilizations), and was one of the first to carry out research and excavations in situ in Monte Albán, concentrating his readings and interpretations on slabs of a great palace, now known as "Palace J", whose inscriptions on the slabs apparently depict what appear to have been local provinces controlled by the Zapotecs, as well as rulers who would have surrendered peacefully to their dominion, and also those who were killed, and had to be conquered by force.
The Zapotecs are also considered to be among the first peoples of Mesoamerica to develop a system of writing, of a logographic character, which, to this day, remains largely unknown, and many believe that it was a predecessor of systems later developed by the Maya, Aztecs and Mixtecs. It is also believed that they have cohabited with different levels of interaction with other races and cultures, and, according to traditional historiography, their relations with Aztecs and Mixtecs are very well documented. One of the main characteristics of the Zapotec society seems to have been gender equality: women would have as many rights as men, although the Zapotecs today seem more inclined to conservatism, and a strong tendency to segregate activities and genders, being responsible of a considerable setback on this issue. Nevertheless, situations and customs vary greatly depending on the community. While some women and female adolescents enjoy some freedom, others live in much more conservative atmospheres and environments.
At the time of the conquest of the Spanish invaders, the Zapotec civilization was centuries distant from its glorious days, unable to offer adequate resistance to the invading culture, although, on the other hand, they never experienced a severe or irreversible decline, like the one experienced by the Maya, for example, in a certain period of their history. To this day, the factors that have contributed to the survival of Zapotec peoples and culture are not very clear, but like the Mayans, it is probable that the Zapotecs have dispersed to other territories, thus ensuring their continuity, although several indicators highlight the fact that a certain nucleus of them has never left Oaxaca. Another factor that may have contributed to their permanence was the possible identification by the Spaniards of the Aztec empire as their greatest enemy, possibly not evaluating as a major threat tribes and civilizations considered minor, or incapable of triggering an uprising; Europeans may have felt no need to declare war or to eradicate the Zapotecs. A possible treaty or a speculative ability to accept and coexist with the Spaniards may have also been a determining factor in this process, although such formulations on these fields are only mere hypotheses and conjectures. The fact is that the Zapotecs have remained, which have a considerable value in cultural, social and political terms.
The Zapotecs today are divided into four main groups: the istmeños, the serranos, the southerners, and the Zapotecs of the Central Valley, agglomerated in the Oaxaca Valley region, and suburbs, the classic territory of the Zapotec civilization during its apogee. Although many of them speak some of the Zapotec languages, or one of its numerous dialects – while there are a few monoglots – much of them were assimilated by globalization, or "Mexicanized," being virtually distant from its cultural roots.
Wagner
The Zapotecs today are divided into four main groups: the istmeños, the serranos, the southerners, and the Zapotecs of the Central Valley, agglomerated in the Oaxaca Valley region, and suburbs, the classic territory of the Zapotec civilization during its apogee. Although many of them speak some of the Zapotec languages, or one of its numerous dialects – while there are a few monoglots – much of them were assimilated by globalization, or "Mexicanized," being virtually distant from its cultural roots.
Wagner
