Mimbres, the View from West Mexico featuring Dr. Michael Mathiowetz

Current analyses indicate that the production of Mimbres Black-on-White ceramics (Style III) signified an ideological unity among socially diverse Classic Mimbres sites by AD 1000. The renowned Mimbres figurative ceramic tradition emphasized portrait-style depictions of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, humans, and narrative-style scenes of domestic and ritual significance. Some contend that this ideological unity and associated symbolism reflects a Maya Popol Vuh and Hero Twins narrative derived from the Huastec region of the Gulf Coast. However, other material, ideological, and genetic evidence indicates important Mimbres ties to Aztatlán societies along the Pacific coast of west Mexico. Political-ritual cargo systems in this latter region between AD 850/900–1350+ involved figurative or portrait-style cargo bowls with diverse animal, human, and deity representations that were used within maize-agricultural mitote and Flower World ceremonialism. In this talk, Mathiowetz contends that Aztatlán cargo systems and “god bowls”—the antecedent of ethnographically documented Huichol cargo systems—probably served as an inspiration for Mimbres artistic traditions, worldview, and social change.

Funding has been provided by the Register of Professional Archaeologists and the Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists.

Видео Mimbres, the View from West Mexico featuring Dr. Michael Mathiowetz канала Crow Canyon Archaeological Center