Patricia Carot and Marie-Areti Hers
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Investigaciones Estéticas
Serpent Images along an Ancient Camino de Tierra Adentro
New archaeological studies in Michoacán and in the Sierra Madre Occidental document a very strong interaction between those parts of Mesoamerica and the Southwest from 600 to 1150 A.D. and allow for a review of the circumstances in which those relations occurred. The time period considered corresponds to that of the Mesoamerican expansion to the North and the creation of an ancient Tierra adentro road during the first millennium. Among the numerous iconographic and conceptual similarities between those distant regions, we choose to examine varied images of the serpent. Three themes related to these serpent figures have been recognized and are analyzed: the creation of the cosmic order, the symbol of power and human sacrifice, and the water serpent, with examples from ancient Tarascan, Chalchihuites, Hohokam, and Mimbres art. The creation of the cosmic order is expressed by the violent action of two opposite serpents splitting a primordial deity, in some case Cipactli, the earth monster, in others the famous Coatlicue, the Earth Mother. The theme of power and sacrifice is evoked by the bird grasping the serpent and by the composite figure of a human-serpent being sacrificed or with the speech scroll as a symbol of the ruler. The theme of the horned plumed water serpent associated with fertility and well-being is even more widely expressed and is a good example of cultural continuity as it is still the central deity of the modern Pueblo.
In conclusion, to understand the deep roots of the long-lasting common heritage shared by modern Mesoamerican and Pueblo peoples, it seems necessary to focus on the specificity of the northwestern part of Mesoamerica and to privilege the study of images among other types of evidence of ancient contacts.