There are many distinct groups within the
agglomeration referred to
as the Western Mexico Shaft Tomb (WMST) tradition,
foremost
among them the Jalisco, Nayarit, and Colima. Their
relationships are
almost totally obscure due to the lack of contextual
information.
However, it is the artworks that are the most
informative. All of the
cultures encompassed under the WMST umbrella
were in the habit of
burying their dead in socially-stratified burial
chambers at the base
of deep shafts, which were in turn often topped by
buildings.
Originally believed to be influenced by the Tarascan
people, who
were contemporaries of the Aztecs,
thermoluminescence has pushed
back the dates of these groups over 1000 years.
Although the apogee of this tradition was reached in
the last
centuries of the 1st millennium BC, it has its origins
over 1000 years
earlier at sites such as Huitzilapa and Teuchitlan, in
the Jalisco
region. Little is known of the cultures themselves,
although
preliminary data seems to suggest that they were
sedentary
agriculturists with social systems not dissimilar to
chiefdoms. These
cultures are especially interesting to students of
Mesoamerican
history as they seem to have been to a large extent
outside the ebb
and flow of more aggressive cultures – such as the
Toltecs, Olmecs
and Maya – in the same vicinity. Thus insulated from
the perils of
urbanization, they developed very much in isolation,
and it behooves
us to learn what we can from what they have left
behind.
There are few cultures in the Americas or indeed
elsewhere that can
match the Jalisco for exuberant skill in the
production of figurative
ceramics. These wares were usually placed in
graves, and do not
seem to have performed any practical function,
although highly
decorated utilitarian vessels are also known. It is
possible that they
were designed to depict the deceased – they are
often very
naturalistic – although it is more probable that they
constituted,
when in groups, a retinue of companions, protectors
and servants
for the hereafter. Many of the figures represent
warriors, judging
from their apparel and martial stance. These were
probably
protectors of the deceased, symbolic of actual
people who were
buried with the deceased as retainers in more
sanguineous Central
and Southern American societies. Supernatural and
more enigmatic
figures are also known, presumably representing
aspects of Jalisco
cultural heritage (gods, spirits, ancestors,
mythological figures etc)
that cannot be understood at the present time.
However, perhaps
the best-known style is that of the maternity figure.
The current piece falls within the style known as the
Ameca-Ezatlán
group, which is characterised by elongated faces,
turban-like
headwear, wide mouths, large hands, defined nails
and staring eyes
with elevated rims. The current piece is therefore a
classic example
of the tradition. Insofar as theme is concerned, the
subject matter is
likewise traditional. Just as in other sophisticated
social systems
around the world – such as the Egyptians or Dynastic
China – figures
were made to represent the sorts of people and
resources that might
be needed in the hereafter. They were in this sense
symbolic of
actual people, who were buried with the deceased as
retainers in
more sanguineous Central and Southern American
societies.
Seemingly supernatural figures are also known,
presumably
representing aspects of Jalisco cultural heritage
(gods, spirits,
ancestors, mythological figures etc) that are
currently beyond our
understanding, while maternity figures are also fairly
well-known. Of
all the groups, however, it is perhaps the warriors
that are the most
dramatic.
This beautifully burnished female figure sits in a
reclining position. Her beauty is accentuated with
shoulder scarification, an elaborate headdress,
and ear spools. Moreover, her bold facial
features are well defined to leave a strong
impression on its viewers. Found in a shaft tomb,
this sculpture had an important function, like
other sculptures from Jalisco, which were the
images of the deceased or companions of the
deceased. Often such sculptures were also an
important part of rituals and ceremonies of
fertility and birth. Ancient Mesoamericans
cherished the concept of birth and re-birth,
thinking that death is not the end but rebirth.
This sculpture of a reclining female seems to
embody the idea of birth and fertility--her
sitting position of leaning backward resembles
that of birthing position, and her voluptuous
feminine body is almost like that of a mother
goddess. Not only was her beauty that expresses
femininity and fertility cherished in Ancient
Mesoamerica, but it also is to last for ages to
come.
