Guerrero

ANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of MexicoKimberly Martin, Ph.D.

Juxtlahuaca Cave, Guerrero• Earliest Cave Paintings in North

America – Approximately 1200BCE• Only known example of non-Maya

deep cave art• More than 1 km into the 5 km cave

system• Pass through bat infested caverns• “Hall of the Dead” with 12 skeletons

thought to be burials• Swim/wade through areas of the cave.

Juxtlahuaca Cave, Guerrero

Juxtlahuaca Cave, Guerrero

Plumed Serpent in Red

Juxtlahuaca Cave, Guerrero

Oxtotitlan Site, Guerrero

• Grotto rather than cave• Three separate areas with a separate

type of painting assigned to each area. – North grotto smaller black pigment

paintings of animals, humans, and fantastic creatures.

– Central polychrome murals– South grotto red geometric paintings

Map of Oxtotitlan

Grottos and Black Drawing from Northern

Grotto

Polychrome mural sketch of leader with owl headdress.Mimics Olmec altars on gulf

coast.

Oxtotitlan Site Guerrero