I.

Introduction

Zapotec, Native American cultural and linguistic group living in the highlands of Oaxaca, Mexico. Before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, the Zapotecs developed one of the most advanced civilizations in Mesoamerica, a cultural region encompassing Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Most modern Zapotecs live in rural communities throughout the mountainous areas of Oaxaca. In these communities, they have retained many elements of their pre-Columbian way of life. However, Oaxaca is now one of the poorest and least economically developed states of Mexico, forcing many Zapotecs to migrate to other regions.

Linguists believe the Zapotec language originated more than 6,000 years ago. Today it is one of the most widely spoken Native American languages in Mexico. Although Spanish is now the major language in Oaxaca, roughly 300,000 people still speak Zapotec.

II.

Pre-Columbian Zapotec Civilization

Pre-Columbian Zapotec civilization developed in the rich agricultural region of the Valley of Oaxaca. The Zapotecs began to cultivate corn (maize) and other plants in the valley during the archaic period, an era of North American history lasting from 7000 to 2000 bc. By 2000 bc the Zapotecs had developed a thriving agricultural economy and village settlements.

Zapotec social and technological innovations influenced pre-Columbian civilizations throughout Mesoamerica. Around 1400 bc the Zapotecs were among the first Mesoamerican peoples to build plaster-surfaced ritual buildings (see Pre-Columbian Art and Architecture). Between 700 and 500 bc, the Zapotecs developed a form of pictorial writing, or hieroglyphs, which was one of the earliest writing systems in Mesoamerica. Around 500 bc the Zapotecs created North America’s first fully developed state, a centralized political system which controlled most of the Valley of Oaxaca. They established their capital at Monte Albán. Densely built and hosting a peak population of 30,000, Monte Albán was Mesoamerica’s first true city.

During the classic period of Zapotec culture, between ad 300 and 700, these innovations provided the basis for a highly developed civilization. The Zapotec capital of Monte Albán became one of Mesoamerica’s largest and most influential cities, maintaining diplomatic and commercial ties with many other civilizations. The city was built around a vast main plaza. Huge stone-faced earthen mounds, 12 m (37 ft) high, defined the north and south boundaries of the plaza. The flat tops of these mounds served as elevated platforms for temples and ceremonial buildings. An astronomical observatory, palaces, and a ball-court also graced the plaza. Hieroglyphs carved onto stone monuments in the plaza documented important state events. Upon their death, the city’s most important people were buried in family tombs built of stone. Some of these tombs were decorated with painted murals depicting ancestors. The Zapotecs also placed ceramic effigy urns in many tombs. These urns were shaped and decorated to depict supernatural forces, especially the Zapotec rain god Cocijo.

III.

The Decline of Zapotec Civilization

Monte Albán served as the Zapotec capital for about 1200 years. However, the city was nearly abandoned during the social and political upheavals that mark the beginning of the postclassic period (ad 700 to 1521). During this period, the Zapotec political system grew more fragmented and decentralized. Although weakened, the Zapotecs continued to exert some influence over parts of Oaxaca. Zapotec civilization declined in importance after Oaxaca was incorporated into the Aztec Empire in the middle of the 1400s. The situation further declined after the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 1520s. Zapotec villages experienced little economic development during the colonial period (1535-1821) or thereafter. The Zapotecs remained isolated and socially conservative throughout the 19th century. However, Benito Juárez, a Zapotec by birth, became one of Mexico’s most famous social reformers in the 1850s. Juárez served as president of Mexico between 1858 and 1872.