Ihuatzio, Ancient City of the Tarascan Empire

One of Ihuatzio's twin pryamids broods silently as rugged mountains rise to the east. The two pyramids at Ihuatzio are among the major features of the site, which is located near the city of Patzcuaro in the mountains of Michoacan. Carole and I recently visited the site on our way to the Pacific Coast beach town of Zihuatanejo. Since we were driving and the journey is a good eight hours, we decided to break it up with a stop just outside Patzcuaro. Several years ago, we visited Tzintzuntzan, the site of the ancient capital of what the Spanish called the Tarascan Empire. It is located along the shore of Lake Patzcuaro to the north of Patzcuaro. At that time, we had noted the existence of other ruins near the village of Ihuatzio, located about 1/2 way between Patzcuaro and Tzintzuntzan. However, we did not then have time to visit the site. On our recent Zihuatanejo trip, we were planning to reach Patzcuaro by mid-afternoon, so we built in a stop at Ihuatzio. Photographically, the timing was perfect. The golden glow of the winter afternoon sunshine reflected beautifully off the ancient stones, while the cool air made it very comfortable to clamber about the ruins.  For a Google map showing the locations of Patzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan, and Ihuatzio, click here.


Approaching the ancient city

The afternoon sun slanted across recently harvested fields of maiz (corn). The drive from our motel to the archaeological site was lovely. Michoacan is one of Mexico's most beautiful states, with ranges of heavily forested mountains separated by lush valleys and dotted with sparkling lakes. Ihuatzio is easy to find. While traveling along Highway 14, the "libre" (non-toll) road between Morelia and Uruapan, you turn north on Federal Highway 120, called the Carretera Patzcuaro-Quiroga. After about 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) you'll see a road leading off to the left toward Ihuatzio. The town is about 3 kilometers (1.8 mi) toward the lakeshore. Shortly after entering the town, you'll find a cobblestone road on the right leading up a hill and ending at the ruins. Drive with care, since you will likely encounter loose livestock on the road. For a map of the town and the route to the ruins, click here.

Ihuatzio means "place of the coyote" in Purépecha, the language of the ancient people and of their descendants today. Humans have inhabited the mountains and valleys of Michoacan for at least 10,000 years. During the millennia before the Spanish arrived, there were repeated waves of Chichimec migration from the far north into the area. "Chichimec" is a Mexica (Aztec) word that generally describes nomadic, non-urban people who might possess a variety of customs and languages. Among the early groups who settled in the area were the Nahua, Otomi, Matlatzincas, and Tecos. 

One of the local residents seemed to take a rather dim view of our arrival. This fellow looked us over dourly as we parked our car by the archaeological site entrance. Fortunately the large bull was on the other side of a stone wall. Unfortunately, he was pushing at the loose stones with his snout, apparently trying to create a gap through which he could pass. By the time we had completed our visit and were ready to depart, however, he had not made much progress. Who knows, he may still be working on it.

Ancient village sites have been found in the area dating back as far as the Pre-Classic era (1500 BC-200 BC) which makes those people contemporaries of the Olmecs. The best known culture from this era was the Chupicuaro, the people who inhabited islands in Lake Patzcuaro. Urban life developed during the Classic Era (200 BC-800 AD). Ball courts and other artifacts show that the area was influenced by the great trading empire of Teotihuacan (100 AD-650 AD) during the Classic period, and by the Toltec Empire (700 AD-1000 AD). Whether these influences came by peaceful trade or military activity is not clear.

Near the entrance of the site is a troje, similar to a traditional Purépecha house. Because of the thick forests in Michoacan's mountains, the indigenous people traditionally built their troje homes and other structures from wood. Unfortunately, ugly cinder block buildings have begun to replace these in many communities. The structure above is the small office of the archaeological site. The man sitting on the porch is the caretaker. The overall site covers 50 hectares (123 acres), but only part of it is open to visitors. The public site is a long rectangle oriented roughly east to west. It is part of a huge platform cleared and leveled in ancient times. This no doubt took immense effort given the lack of metal tools, draft animals, or wheeled transport at the time. Bordering the sides on the north and south are long walls, called Huatziri, which are unique in Mesoamerica.  For a satellite photo showing the layout of the ruins site, click here.


The great walls known as the Huatziris

The Huatziris served to restrict the ritual area, and could also act as defensive structures. The stepped walls are 80 m (240 ft) long and 5 m (15 ft) high. The top level is about 2 m (6 ft) wide. The Huatziris are built in the same manner as a typical stepped pyramid which, along with their length, makes them so unusual among Mesoamerican walls. It occurred to me that since the broad plaza they bound on the north and south was used for large public events, the steps would make ideal "bleacher seats" for an audience of thousands.

The Ihuatzio site's first period of occupation began about 900 AD when a group of Nahua-speaking people settled here. They found the food sources, particularly the fish in the lake, to be abundant and they developed a fairly dense population. About 1200 AD, the Purépecha-speaking Chichimecs arrived. While they were less culturally advanced than the Nahua-speakers already in residence, the Purépecha were decidedly more war-like and fairly soon extended their domination not only over the Lake Patzcuaro area but throughout Michoacan. 

The tops of the Huatziris are smooth and straight. Yet another function of the wall was to allow the cazonci (king) to move majestically along above the crowd from one end of the plaza to the other.

In the 16th Century, Spaniard Jerónimo de Alcalá described the founding of Ihuatzio in the "Relación de Michoacan," a document compiled by interviewing the surviving indigenous nobility. According to them, in the early period of the Purépecha conquest of Michoacan, a great king named Tariácuri decided to will his kingdom to his three nephews. He took them to the top of the hill called Thiapu and made three piles of dirt, set in a line. On each pile he placed a stone and an arrow. He called his nephew Hirapan over and pointed to the pile in the center and told him that this represented the town of the coyotes (Ihuatzio) and would belong to Hirapan. To Tangaxoán he gave Tzintzuntzan, and Patzcuaro went to Huiquingaje, his third nephew. 

Paralleling the southern Huatziri wall on the outside was a long walled road. Roads like this were part of Ihuatzio's ancient communications system and could also be used as defensive positions to impede an enemy attempting to assault the main Huatziri defenses. However, on the day we visited, the road was being used by a small, and very peaceable, herd of cattle that were meandering toward the pasture where they would spend the night.

King Tariácuri was one of the great Purépecha leaders during their conquest of Michoacan. While he was planning the capture of Ihuatzio, he sent his nephew Hiripan to the top of a hill north of the town to spy on the people living below. While Hiripan lay concealed, the god Curicaueri appeared to him and prophesied that he would become king. He then led his forces down upon the unsuspecting lake dwellers and captured a good many who were then given over to sacrifice. In honor of his victory, he decided to construct a temple dedicated to the worship Curicaueri and to store in Ihuatzio the treasures collected during the various military campaigns.


Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas is one of the biggest Mesoamerican plazas I have ever seen. The platform on which it is based measures 300 m (900 ft) by 180 m (590 ft). The photo above, taken from the top of the south Huatziri, looks east down the length of the plaza. The corner of one of the two pyramids located on the west end of the plaza can be seen in the upper left.

Over time, Ihuatzio became the most powerful and important of the trio of cities that dominated the Tarascan realm. In good part, this was because Hiripan was the most aggressive and militarily accomplished of the three nephews. He took the lead in wars to expand and consolidate the territory controlled by the Purépecha. Over its three centuries of existence, the Empire extended throughout Michoacan and into parts of the modern states of Guerrero, Jalisco, Guanajauto, Querétaro and Colima. 

View of the plaza, and the south Huatziri, looking toward one of Michoacan's mountain ranges. The structure on the right is the northeast corner of the platform on which the two pyramids sit. The plaza could accommodate a vast crowd. Such an assemblage, dressed in full barbaric splendor with waving plumes of feathers, must have been spectacular.

Eventually, Hiripan died, and was buried at Ihuatzio. He left his realm to his son Ticatame who apparently did not possess the aggressive personality of his father, because it was during the son's reign that Tzintzuntzan became the key city of the Empire. Its ruler was Zizispandaquare, the son of Tangaxoan. He made his city the center of power, and took with him the god Curicaueri and the accumulated treasure that had been stored at Ihuatzio. It is not clear whether Ticatame objected to this arrangement.

Heaps of ancient building blocks dot the plaza here and there. These were structures of unknown purpose that have not been reconstructed. As stated before, most of the ruins of Ihuatzio are still just heaps of rubble and are not open to the public. Outside the Huatziri boundary, I saw another huge platform adjacent to the Plaza de Armas and perpendicular to it. This platform contains three yácatas which are structures again unique to the Purépecha Empire, and are similar to those found at Tzintzuntzan. Ihuatzio's yácatas are reported to contain tombs of important people from prehispanic times. In addition, there is a cylindrical astronomical observatory called the Mirador (lookout). Hopefully, at some future time, these will be opened to the public.

In spite of its loss of status, Ihuatzio and its rulers remained important players in the Empire. It was their job to rouse up the war-like spirit in the Purépecha soldiers prior to a battle. Ihuatzio's rulers also participated in the elite group who selected the next cazonci. Ihuatzio's ruler Paquingata, grandson of Ticatame, refused the position of cazonci when it was offered to him at one point.


The pyramids

Carole views the two stepped-pyramids that occupy the western end of the Plaza de Armas. The pyramids rest on a large platform and are separated from each other by a narrow corridor. At one time, there were temples on the top, but these have not survived because they were made of perishable materials. The cores of the pyramids are rock and earth, but the walls are of horizontally set slabs. The twin pyramids were dedicated to two Tarascan gods. One of these was Curicaueri, the patron of the Tarascan kings. He was a warrior god and the sun's messenger as well as god of the sky and the hunt.  The other temple was devoted to Curicaueri's wife Xaratanga, who was the goddess of childbirth and fertility and was variously depicted as a snake, a vulture, or a half-moon coyote. She was the daughter of Cuerauaperi, the earth goddess who was mother of all gods and controlled birth and death.

The Purépecha are notable for a variety of reasons. For one thing, their language is unlike any other indigenous group in Mexico. The only other related languages linguists have found are that of the Zuni people of the Pueblo Culture of the Southwest US, and the Quecha people of coastal Peru. This has led to an archaeological argument (they love to argue). Some hold that the Zuni language similarity indicates a Purépecha origin in the far north. Others point to the Quecha words in the language and suggest  a seaborne arrival from South America. The dispute remains unsettled, although the connection to South America has other interesting angles

A rear view of the twin pyramids. Curicaueri, according to some sources, was also the god of fire and had five brothers known as the Tiripemencha who ruled the five houses of the earth plane. These houses included the four sacred directions (north, south, east, and west) as well as the place where they intersected, the center of the universe. Curicaueri was represented by various animals, including the eagle flying above the earth, the coyote moving on the surface, and the snake traveling through the underworld. War captives were sacrificed to Curicaueri in solemn ceremonies after being intoxicated with fermented cornmeal prepared by priests.  They were then bound hand and foot, taken to the top of the temple to a special stone, and their hearts were removed with a sharp obsidian blade. The heads of those sacrificed were placed on a special rack similar to the tzompantli used by the Mexica (Aztecs).

Another of the important Tarascan distinctions has to do with their skill at metal-working. They not only crafted beautiful gold and silver jewelry, but they were the only group in Mesoamerica that used copper extensively to make weapons and tools. While the Mexica and other groups used copper for bells and ornaments, they seldom used it for axes and blades, preferring the traditional obsidian. Further, there was no copper ore in the Mexica areas, so the copper they did obtain through trade and tribute was previously mined and smelted and ready to work, if not obtained in already finished form. There is a strong possibility that the Tarascans obtained their knowledge of copper working through seaborne trade relations with the Quecha people of Peru. It is possible that the Purépecha could have originated in the far north, and picked up the Quecha words from traders from South America.

Detail of the twin pyramid on the north side of the platform. Including the two steps of the platform itself, there are a total of eleven steps leading to the top of the structure. Notice the rather roughly hewn horizontal blocks that make up the walls. On the left side is the corridor that separates the two pyramids. When this corridor was excavated, archaeologists found several skeletons and a one-ton Chac Mool, indicating a connection with the Toltecs. Chac Mools are always depicted as a man reclining on his back while leaning on his elbows with his knees bent. A bowl or tray always appears on the figure's stomach, ready to receive a fresh human heart.

The Tarascan Empire was also the first truly territorial state in Mesoamerica, another unusual aspect. All the others, including the Olmecs, Teotihuacan, the Toltecs, and even the Aztecs were either trading empires or based on tribute relationships with other states. Further, the use of metal weapons gave them a military edge over their great rival the Mexica, who launched several unsuccessful attempts to conquer the Purépecha. They were the only people to successfully repel such a determined effort by the Mexica. When the Spanish were besieging Tenochtitlán, the Mexica sent emissaries to the Tarascans asking for help. Because of their previous enmity, the Tarascans not only refused, but they sacrificed the emissaries, and looked forward to welcoming the conquerors of their great enemy.  It was a mistake they would come to regret.

Closeup of the pyramid's front (eastern) wall. Shown above are the facing blocks made from slabs of volcanic rock called xanamu. These blocks once covered the entire structure. There were once staircases ascending this wall, but little is left of them. Consequently, the pyramids cannot be easily climbed and such activity is discouraged by the caretakers for safety reasons.

The Purépecha maintained and extended their control up until the Spanish conquistador Nuño de Guzman arrived in 1530 AD. He destroyed their empire and scattered their people into the remote mountains. The Spanish misunderstood the Purépecha language and mistakenly called the people Tarascans, the name by which they are now commonly known. Nuño de Guzman burned their last king alive in an attempt to force him to reveal the source of the gold ornaments he and his nobles wore. It was a quick and drastic end to a great empire.


Ihuatzio, the "modern" town

View of the modern village of Ihuatzio, with Lake Patzcuaro in the background. The ancient ruins of Ihuatzio lie high up on the slopes of a mountain called Cerro Tariaqueri. As we descended, I stopped to capture this view of the village, the lake, and the city of Patzcuaro on the forested hills beyond. The town lies at an elevation of 2040 m (6692 ft) and has a population of over 3500 people, about 1/3 of them children. A lot of the people are poor, with 78 out of the 663 households lacking a floor, and 49 having one room only. Still, the overwhelming majority are connected to the public water supply, electricity, and even have a television. As with many rural populations, the education level is fairly low, with the average number years of school completed being seven. However, there are computers in 35 of the households.

A young horse out for a casual sidewalk stroll on a sunny afternoon. I always enjoy little oddities like this that are so commonly found in rural Mexico. Of course, to the local people, it wouldn't even be worth a second glance.

The Parroquia San Francisco de Asis was built in the 18th Century. No doubt the church replaced earlier versions dating back to the mid-16th Century.

Christmas decorations still adorned the interior in mid-January. This is not unusual, since the Christmas season in Mexico lasts at least until Dia de los Tres Reyes (Three Kings day) which falls on January 6. Traditionally, that is the day when gifts are exchanged, in keeping with the gifts brought by the biblical Three Kings to the new-born Jesus. Many of the decorations seen above are crafts for which Michoacan State is famous.

A wood-pillared walkway overlooks the Ihuatzio Plaza. Woodworking is another craft for which the people in this area are famous. In addition to the pillars above, much of the house behind the walkway is decorated with beautifully carved wood.

Detail of a plaza pillar. This kind of work is not reserved for public buildings or the homes of the wealthy. While traveling the back roads of Michoacan, I have seen this sort of carved pillar adorning some very humble dwellings.

This completes my posting on Ihuatzio. I hope you have enjoyed it and learned something new about Mexico. I always encourage feedback and if you have any comments, questions, or corrections, please leave them in the Comments section, or email me directly.

If you leave a question in the Comments section, PLEASE leave your email address so I can respond.

Hasta luego, Jim

Purépecha Fiesta at the Ajijic Plaza

A Purépecha woman dances gaily in the Ajijic Plaza. For several days before Christmas, a group of crafts people from the State of Michoacan set up booths in the Ajijic Plaza. They not only displayed their beautiful hand-crafted wares, but they put on free performances of dances traditional to their Purépecha ethnic group. The woman above wears a hand-embroidered huipil (blouse) and her hair is decorated with brightly-colored ribbons woven into her braids. In this posting, we'll first look at the dances and costumes of the participants, and then examine some of the wide variety of traditional crafts they created. All of these have a history that goes back centuries.

Contrary to popular perception, the Aztec (Mexica) Empire was not the only major political entity in Central Mexico at the time the Spanish arrived. Northwest of the Mexica's territory lay the lands occupied by their chief rivals, a powerful society who called themselves Purépecha but whom the Spanish dubbed the Tarascans. Although they attempted it numerous times, the Mexica were never able to conquer them. The heartland of the Purépecha is the State of Michoacan, but their empire reached into some of the valleys of Jalisco and Guanajuato, and even the eastern part of Lake Chapala, near where I live. A few decades before the Conquest, the Purépecha Emperor Tangaxuan II attempted to seize the salt flats around the dry lakes in the long valley leading south from present-day Guadalajara toward Colima. Salt was an extremely important commodity for preserving food and the Purépecha had few deposits in their area. The Salitre (Salt) War began in 1480 AD and eventually ended in 1510 AD with the defeat of the Purépecha by King Coliman (from whom Colima got its name). Tangaxuan II's forces finally withdrew back across the mountains toward their Michoacan heartland. Evidence of the extent of their empire's reach can be found in Purépecha place names across Central Western Mexico.


Beauties and Beasts

A ceramics vendor danced with  mask-maker clothed in some of his own creations. Along with her huipil, the woman wears an ankle-length skirt and, over it, an embroidered apron. The designs of the huipil and apron embroidery identify the village where she lives. In the rural areas of Michoacan, nearly all the women wear traditional clothing, while the men have largely adopted blue jeans and cowboy boots and broad-brimmed hats. Most Purépecha music and dances are specific to a place and conducted at specific occasions or celebrations. The Festival of the Purépecha Race, held annually in Zacán, Michoacan, showcases the various music dance traditions. These traditions are so unique that they have been designated an Intangible World Heritage by UNESCO.

A Gringo gets into the act. The dancers were not content to keep the fun among themselves, but drew various of the onlookers into the performance. The foreigners could not dance as beautifully as the Purépecha, but they gave it their best. The man above tips his hat in a courtly fashion as he joins his partner. His head is covered with the confetti that typically accompanies fiestas. One of the most famous Purépecha dances, which unfortunately was not performed that day, is the Danza de los Viejitos (Dance of the Little Old Men). In it, young men wear masks portraying them as white Spaniards, and clothing that make them appear to be elderly. They totter around through their dance steps supporting themselves with canes. Although they imitate elderly people, the dance is really quite athletic and charming. The origins of the dance are disputed, but one account holds that it was intended to mock the Purépecha's Spanish overlords after the Conquest. The Spanish did no physical work, but only sat on their horses watching their indigenous laborers. Due to lack of exercise, the Spaniards' bodies deteriorated and they aged quickly. The Danza de los Viejitos is said to mock the weak foreigners and their many infirmities, one of the few ways a subjugated people could get back at their oppressors.

The event's sense of good-natured fun can be seen on the faces of these women. In addition to the rest of their beautiful outfits, most of the women wore rebozos, the ubiquitous shawl seen everywhere in Mexico. As part of their dance routines, they swirled the rebozos dramatically. The aprons are called delantals. Their cross-stitch embroidery can take as much a three months to complete. The skirts the women wear are usually pleated and often made of synthetic material. Not visible under the delantals in this photo are woven belts created on back-strap looms, a technology thousands of years old.

Beauty and the Beast. Although he looked pretty scary in his outfit, this "monster" had a pretty humorous act. He not only cavorted with the female dancers, but he moved out into the mostly foreign crowd, twirling and gyrating and hilariously confronting various of the observers. He even persuaded a couple of the foreign women to dance with him.

A Gringa matches steps with her Purépecha partner. The actual dances consisted of a set of shuffling steps as the dancers swayed their bodies back and forth and occasionally twirling while displaying the rebozo, akin to a bird spreading its wings. As the Purépecha did it, the dance was graceful and charming. As for the Gringos, well, they looked like they were having a lot of fun.


Mask-making

A mask-maker shows how one of his wares looks in action. Piercing red eyes, long drooping horns, and "blood"-stained fangs adorn this creation, worn by one of the mask-makers in the dances. Masks created for ritual purposes have a history that goes far back into pre-hispanic history. Three thousand years ago, the Olmecs made jaguar masks to use in their ceremonies. The Purépecha of Michoacan developed their own style long before the Spanish arrived, and continue to this day to make wonderfully bizarre masks like the one above. Interestingly, two of the most famous Purépecha dances use masks modeled not on on their own faces but on those of Caucasians and Africans. In addition to the Danza de los Viejitos mentioned above, the indigenous people of Michoacan perform the Danza de los Negritos (Dance of the Little Blacks). The origins of this dance and its black masks appears to be the appearance of large numbers of Africans in Nueva España. By the end of the 17th Century, as much as 90% of the indigenous population had died off in some areas due to disease and harsh working conditions. Because of its remoteness, Michoacan lost only about 30%, but that was devastating enough. The labor shortage caused the Spanish to import as many as 250,000 black slaves to Nueva España, some of whom ended up in Michoacan and became the models for the Danza de los Negritos.

The artisans displayed a wide variety of masks in various stages of completion. Note that the Caucasian masks are not white, as Caucasians like to think of themselves, but pink which is closer to their actual coloring. The origins of the Purépecha people are murky, although it is thought that they arrived in the Lake Patzcuaro area of Michoacan in the 12th Century AD. They speak a language unlike that of any other in Mesoamerican. Linguists have found some relation to the languages spoken by the Quecha of Peru and the Zuni of the Southwest U.S. It is therefore possible that the Purépecha arrived either from South America (probably by boat) or from the desert wastes to Mesoamerica's north in one of the many waves of Chichameca invaders. They may also be a cultural mix of these two groups. They do seem to have had a strong connection with the South America. This is shown not only by their language roots, but by their extensive use of copper to make tools and weapons, a technology that archaeologists believe they obtained through trade with the West Coast of South America. The Mexica, their closest rivals, used copper primarily for personal decoration, but preferred obsidian for \weapons. The Purépecha's use of copper weapons may have been one of the reasons why the Mexica failed to conquer them, despite efforts that were intense and sustained.

A devil, under construction. The Purépecha, like many Mexican mask-makers, like to incorporate multiple animals in one mask. In addition to animal horns and fangs the devil face above has a pair of snakes writhing from under the eyes, along the face, and meeting near the end of the extended tongue. Only brightly colored paint will be required to create a fearsome-looking end product. The famous Danza de los Toritos (Dance of the Little Bulls) uses masks adorned with the horns of bulls. The dance was originally performed in 1538 AD at the request of Bishop Vasco Quiroga as a way to entice the indigenous people back down from the mountains. They had fled there to escape the atrocities of Conquistador Nuño de Guzman, 16th Century Spain's version of Heinrich Himmler. Quiroga's Danza de los Toritos was a success, and has been performed in local villages ever since.

A devil in full regalia. This colorful mask not only bears the typical horns and fangs, but also has a small cat's head growing out of the forehead, complete with its own set of fangs.. You can see one of the eye holes for the wearer just below the painted eye on the left. The detailed craftsmanship and vivid colors of masks like this have led Carole and I to gradually assemble a small collection of wildly imaginative masks from Michoacan, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and elsewhere.


Ceramic Plates and dishes from Tzintzuntzan

A skeletal mermaid decorates large platter. Each of the tables displayed its beautiful crafts accompanied by a sign showing the name of the village where the objects were created. Skeletal figures like the mermaid above are called Catrinas, and originated with Jose Guadalupe Posada, a 19th Century political cartoonist. Posada liked to mock the pretensions of the Mexican upper classes by portraying them as skeletons dressed in fine clothes.The mermaid platter came from the Michoacan town of Tzintzuntzan ("Place of the Hummingbirds"). It was the capital of the Purépecha Empire when the Spanish arrived in 1519 AD.  Tzintzuntzan was the most important of three cities along the shores of Lake Patzcuaro. The Lake, at 1,920 m (6300 ft) is Mexico's highest. In 1400 AD, the Purépecha Emperor Tariácuri divided his realm into three parts, each headed by of one of his sons. Tanganxoán received Tzintzuntzan, Patzcuaro went to Irepan, and his third son Hiquingare got Ihuatzio. Eventually Tanganxoán managed to reunify the Empire and restore Tzintzuntzan as the chief city. He accomplished this just in time, because the Mexica were on the rise. Between 1450 and 1521, the Purépecha fought an intermittent war with them, ending only when the Mexica Empire was destroyed by the Spanish.

A coyote cavorts in the center of another large plate. For thousands of years, coyotes (in Nahautl: coyotl) have been viewed as special creatures by the indigenous peoples of Mexico and the western US.  Seen as a trickster, shape-shifter, and a bit of a clown, he is thought to have a direct link to the Spirit World. The coyote is intelligent, adaptable, and very cunning, with capabilities superior to his cousin, the wolf. In fact, wolves have become an endangered species, while coyotes have actually increased in population in the face of advancing civilization and have even been found roaming the streets of major US cities.

The beautifully illustrated fish on this platter highlight the Purépecha talent for fishing. Since they settled around a large lake, in a high mountain area with numerous smaller lakes, the Purépecha naturally became fisherman. In fact, they were known for this as much or more than as farmers. Even today, local fishermen use dugout canoes and huge nets that look like butterfly wings to catch carp, trout, charal, and whitefish. They also catch a local species of salamander for both human consumption and medicinal purposes.


Catrinas & Critters

Classic Catrinas show off their 19th Century finery. While this style of Catrina is still very popular, craftspeople throughout Mexico have expanded on the original concept. You can find skeleton figures--both human and animal--engaged in an incredible variety of day-to-day activities, from making tortillas in the kitchen, to playing golf, to riding bicycles, and so on. The fertile volcanic soil in the mountain valleys, and the fish-abundant lakes provided a stable economic base. With the leisure time that resulted, the pre-hispanic Purépecha could expand their skills as craftspeople. In ancient times they were known as skilled weavers who incorporated brilliant hummingbird feathers into their designs. They developed their skills as potters and basket makers since there were plenty of clay and rushes available along the lake shores. Forests thickly covered the mountainsides, so woodworking was another specialty. Their copper products were traded throughout Mesoamerica. The Purépecha have maintained their craftsmanship into the 21st Century, in spite of the ferocious 16th Century depredations they experienced under Nuño de Guzman.

Whimsical devils adorn another table at the Fair. In the foreground, a fat-bellied devil figure invites you to place something in his pot "belly." Behind him, another devil revs up his motorcycle. After Nuño de Guzman was finally sent back to Spain in manacled disgrace, Bishop Quiroga finally succeeded in enticing the Purépecha down from their mountain hideouts. In 1516 AD, Englishman Sir Thomas More had published his thoughts on the ideal society in a book called Utopia. Quiroga had read Moore's work and was a big fan. He decided to put More's ideas into practice in Michoacan. His strategy was to build upon the Purépecha's existing high levels of craftsmanship by teaching them European methods. Quiroga introduced the potter's wheel, Spanish-style looms and metallurgical techniques, and leather working, among other things. To ensure that every community could support itself, he persuaded each village to specialize in a different craft. After 500 years, this pattern of specialization still exists in the various towns around Lake Patzcuaro.

Another strange and whimsical creature seems to creep across the table top. It is not clear whether this is a spider or an octopus. There is so much going on with this creature, it is difficult to know where to examining him. For one thing, he appears to have numerous passengers, perhaps providing a reason for his rather grumpy expression. Perched on the ends of each of his legs (tentacles?) is a pretty mermaid. Each of them holds a different object in her arms, some of which appear to be musical instruments which they are playing. Above the heads of the mermaids, crocodile figures cling, with their mouths gaping open. On top of the creature's head sits a small mer-family, including a male and female and their mer-child. There is more, but you get the idea. Somebody had fun making this critter.


Textile Weaving 

Bishop Quiroga would have immediately recognized this free-standing, foot-powered loom. The vendor told me that she had made all of her ware on this machine, and I persuaded her to show me how it worked. She pumps a treadle with her left foot, providing the power for the device. There are almost no metal parts to the loom, making it quite similar to those introduced in to Nueva España in the 16th Century. The "free-standing" loom gets its name from the fact that its support comes from the frame of the device itself, as opposed to a back-strap or other kind of loom which is supported by being attached to a wall or tree or other solid support. While the Purépecha had a long history of weaving, it was with vegetable fibres and they never had access to wool until the Spanish arrived. The first sheep came to the Americas with Columbus, as a walking food supply. They bred well in the West Indies, and the descendants of Colombus' sheep accompanied Cortés to the mainland of Mexico in 1519 AD.

The mechanism's major parts are all wood, connected by twine. When asked how long it took to create one of her long and intricately woven rebozos, she responded "una hora" (one hour). I was amazed at the efficiency of this machine, particularly since it requres no external source of power other than the human that operates it, and given that its design is more than 500 years old. It takes more carpentry skill to construct a free-standing loom than the older traditional designs like the back-strap, but it can be made of rough lumber, as this one is, or even stripped logs. A single free-standing frame can serve several families. Assuming each family has a set of the moveable parts, they can use the frame in alternation.

The weaver could move the shuttle device with a flick of her wrist. The shuttle moves back and forth in the wooden trough seen above. By flicking her wrist back and forth, she moves the shuttle in the trough. This weaves the weft (short cross thread of the woven cloth) through the woof (long blue and white threads wound around the spindle). The twine attached to the cross pieces paralleling the trough are called the harnesses. The simplicity of the loom, and the ease with which she operated it was impressive.


Pots & Basketry

Maiz cobs decorate a display of large pots and other ceramics from the village of Cocucho.  This village is famous for its large pots colored with a stain made from maiz (corn). The technique used by the villagers of Cocucho comes from Africa and was taught to their ancestors by the artisans brought in by Bishop Quiroga. The pots are formed by hand and the potters use local river rocks to burnish them. Charcoal is used to fire the pots and then the corn meal is splashed onto the surface. No potter's wheel or other mechanical device is used to create these fine wares. The potters are all women who were taught by their mothers and grandmothers. The men play no role in making the pottery.

Basketry of all sizes and shapes is created in the village of La Granada. They even make small animals like the crocodile and reindeer you can see on the lower left. The baskets and other objects are made from local natural materials collected and woven by the villagers. Some of the typical materials used by Michoacan basket makers are tule, reeds, and bullrushes gathered from the lakesides. Willow twigs were another widely available natural material. Wheat straw wasn't used until the Spanish introduced that grain.

Reindeer, wreaths, and tree ornaments were offered in this booth. It was just before Christmas when I visited this Fair, so some of the woven fibre objects were specifically devoted to that celebration. Purépecha artisans and craftspeople are rightly viewed as some of the most talented and creative in Mexico. In a country filled with talented, creative, artistic people, that is saying something.

This completes my posting on the Purépecha Fair. I hope you have enjoyed it. I always encourage comments and corrections. If you would like to leave a comment, either use the Comments section below, or email me directly.

If you leave a question in the Comments section, PLEASE leave your email address so I can respond.

Hasta luego, Jim

Patzcuaro: doorway to heaven

Patzcuaro is a medieval gem. Having whetted our appetites for Spanish colonial cities on our recent exploration of Morelia, we recently journeyed to Patzcuaro. Our Canadian friends, Gerry and Helen Green, joined us on the trip. They are the couple with whom we previously explored the ruins at Mezcala Island (see January 08 posting). Patzcuaro means “city of stones” in the native Purepecha language and it was believed by Purepechan inhabitants to be the doorway to heaven from which the gods ascended and descended.

On the road again! (L. to R.- Carole, Helen, Jim, Gerry). Gerry and Helen were about to return to Canada for several months, but wanted to show us Patzcuaro and the many small villages around the lake just to the north of the city. Gerry volunteered to drive his roomy, high-clearance 4-wheel-drive and we split the gas and tolls (about ½ tank of gas and $10 tolls each way). You really don’t need an off-road-capable vehicle to visit the Patzcuaro area, but his car is roomier than my Toyota Corolla for a long drive and is less susceptible to topes, Mexico's notorious speed bumps.

A high-speed cuota, or toll road, stretches almost all the way from Lake Chapala to Patzcuaro. The toll roads in Mexico are excellent, smooth, and well designed. Feeling adventurous, we decided to take a short-cut on the free roads part way to Patzcuaro to cut some time off our trip and see some of the back country to the north of Lake Patzcuaro. I felt OK about this because Gerry is such an experienced hand at driving in Mexico.

Patzcuaro origins. Although Patzcuaro and Morelia are both Spanish colonial cities, they are very different. Morelia is about ten times larger, and the architecture feels more stately and formal. Patzcuaro is considerably older, originating from settlements by the Purepechan Indios when they arrived in the area around 1324 AD. By contrast, the area around Morelia was very lightly inhabited when the Spanish decided to plant a city there in 1540 AD.

Patzcuaro sits on a hillside south of the lake. Architecture in Patzcuaro is very consistent. Most of the buildings are one or two stories. The bottom half of the exterior walls will be rust red, with the top half in white. Roofs are of red tiles.The streets are narrow, winding, and hilly. Since Patzcuaro is at 7130 ft. (2200 meters) there were plenty of forests for wood to cut gorgeous doors, windows, balconies, pillars, corbels, and rafters.

San Rafael Hotel through columns. We checked into the Posada San Rafael, a hotel fronting on the main Plaza Quiroga. We chose the San Rafael because of its central location and its price, only about $40.00US/night for a double room with bath and cable TV. The hotel is beautifully remodeled from the original colonial mansion. The rooms are large and the beds huge, although the mattresses are typically a little too firm for my taste. We could get English-language news on TV from BBC and some movie channels in English. We have also grown fond of the Spanish language channels, especially when the big muscular guys wearing full leather head masks show up, gesticulating wildly and sometimes inexplicably pummeling each other. It’s so much fun speculating, we don’t really want to ask anyone what it all means.

Early morning at Plaza Vasco de Quiroga. The plaza is large, full of trees, grass and fountains. Hotels, stores, and restaurants set out tables under the covered portales surrounding it. People watching is superb.

Catching up on the news with a cuppa joe. In the early morning, workers are out sweeping the sidewalks and setting up tables. As joggers pass by on the Plaza walkways, some folks just enjoy their coffee with the local newspaper.

Herb seller outside Our Lady of Health Basilica. By mid-day, commerce is in full swing with street vendors and shoppers. This woman is selling various herbs used for healing. She readily agreed to be photographed but reserved her smile until I had taken the shot. In the evenings, the young people show up for the live music in many establishments, or just to cruise and eye each other as they do world-wide. With all this activity on the street in front of the hotel, it was fortunate we got rooms in the back section.

Too late for Easter, too early for the cooking pot. Chicks dyed in bright colors explore their box as the seller dickers with passersby. The one on the right has a tiny baseball cap glued to its head.

Los Viejos. A pair of elderly shoppers chat in a busy market.

A study in lavender. Patzcuaro has a medieval feel, since the narrow, winding streets are not set in the more modern grid pattern. The worn stones in the streets and walls, covered with moss and stained with age, still carry the rough markings of the original stonecutters. One turns a corner and encounters Purepechans in their Indio clothing—not for the tourists, but just their daily wear.

An ancient activity. Around another corner, an encounter with two young boys carrying large hand-woven baskets of fresh-baked bread on their heads as their forebears did for centuries past.

Plaza Gertrudis Bocanegra & Library. There are several plazas in Patzcuaro, in addition to Plaza Quiroga. At the corner of Plaza Gertrudis is a library, converted from a convent.

History in paint. The Library contains an extraordinary mural by artist Juan O’Gorman. The mural covers one whole wall, floor to second-story ceiling, and tells the story of Patzcuaro from early pre-Hispanic times through the War for Independence. The scenes blend into one another with a series of vignettes showing early Purepechans in brilliant costumes, dramatic battle scenes, gory tortures, religious fervor, and much that I had difficulty deciphering.

The Purepechan Empire. While the Spanish, under Conquistador Nuno Guzman de Beltran, were particularly brutal and destructive, the Purepechas were no pacifists. The mural shows the conquest and enslavement of other populations by the Purepechas as they built their empire (see Morelia posting, March 08) and extended it as far north as the shores of Lake Chapala and south to the borders of the Aztec Empire in the Valley of Mexico. They also practiced human sacrifice, as did their chief ancestral foes, the Aztecs. The Purepechans came from the north of Mexico, according to their origin stories, and settled the area around Lake Patzcuaro in 1324 under a great leader named Rey Curateme. The area conquered by Rey Curteme was divided among his sons and relatives. Tzintzuntzan, just northeast of Patzcuaro on the lake, was the central political/ceremonial center. Today it is a small village of craftspeople overlooked by huge silent ruins brooding on a plateau with stunning views just outside of town.

Conquest of the Purepechan Empire. Guzman de Beltran (the bald man in armor on the left above), fearing he would be removed as Mexico’s Spanish Viceroy because of misrule, launched a conquest against the Purepechans who had previously refrained from interfering with the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs—the Purepechans’ arch rivals. Guzman de Beltran figured that if he could keep gold and silver flowing to the Spanish crown, other sins might be forgiven.

Spanish persuasion. The treatment of the Purepechans was so horrific that the Indios fled into the mountains. Eventually, the atrocities caused Guzman de Beltran’s removal and imprisonment in Spain.

A monumental change. A priest, Vasco de Quiroga, replaced the conquistador. The change was comparable to replacing Heinreich Himmler with Mahatma Gandhi. Vasco de Quiroga persuaded the Indios to come back from the mountains and set about creating a utopia, based upon the writings of Sir Thomas More, a contemporary. Quiroga set up schools and hospitals for the Indios, and taught them new methods of agriculture and animal husbandry. He also recognized that Purepechans were skilled artisans, already famous for their work in metals and wood. Quiroga persuaded the Indios to expand these activities and to add many new arts to their repertoire, with each village around Lake Patzcuaro specializing in particular crafts. This specialization persists to this day, nearly 500 years later, and we found wonderful craftsmanship in several of the villages we visited in the area.

Savior of the Indios. Vasco de Quiroga, whose statue graces the main plaza, was venerated by the Indios.

Basilica de Nuestra Senora de la Salud. Quiroga was also a great builder, and several of the most beautiful old buildings, including the Basilica of Our Lady of Health and the College of Saint Nicholas were built at his direction. Many of these beautiful old religious structures now serve other purposes. For example, the College of Saint Nicholas is now the Museum of Popular Arts and Archaeology.

Casa de los Onces Patios. The former Dominican monastery of Saint Catherine, built in 1757, is now known as the Casa de los Once Patios (House of the Eleven Patios). The Casa houses local artisans who allow you to watch them at work. Although I was intrigued by what I had heard of the Casa de los Once Patios, I did not actually locate it until the night before we left Patzcuaro. Out for a late evening walk, I turned a corner and suddenly recognized the Casa from an Internet photograph. I cursed my bad luck in finding it too late since it was too dark to take my own photographs. Then it occurred to me that the rising sun might catch the Casa just right for some wonderful early morning photographs before we had to leave the area. That is, it would if I could pry myself out of bed early enough. I decided to make the effort and since sunrise would be about 7:00 AM, it wouldn’t be that big a sacrifice for a morning slug like me.

Early morning sun bathes the Casa walls and domes. Fortified by strong coffee from an early-opening cafe on the Plaza, I stalked the Casa like a hunter stalks an animal in the woods, approaching from various angles and distances, gauging the direction of the early sun’s rays, and looking for interesting effects. I have never had any formal training in photography, but an early photographer friend once told me that the secret of taking a good picture is “take lots of pictures”. So I blazed away, as you can these days with a digital camera that uses no film and allows you to easily discard failed attempts at artistry.

Some of the villages we visited while still in the area included Santa Clara del Cobre, Isla Janitzio, and Tzintzuntzan. There are many others ringing the lake but we had time only for these. A return trip is definitely in the cards.

Copper pans for any purpose. Copper was mined in the area of Santa Clara del Cobre long before the Spanish came, but they expanded the mines and Purepechan craftspeople are still creating beautiful—and practical—goods for sale.

Helen hits copper jackpot. Helen had this visit on her list of priorities, and the drive up into the mountains south of Patzcuaro was lovely. We began to see crafts shops scattered through the outskirts of town, and when we parked and walked to the town plaza, we discovered that one whole side of the portales around the plaza was devoted to fine copper work.

Copper town plaza. In addition, the plaza lamp posts, the kiosco roof and railings, and hanging plant baskets along the portales all showed beautiful examples of worked copper.

We next visited Isla Janitzio, in the middle of Lake Patzcuaro. We had heard mixed reports from tourists about Janitzio. We decided to check it out anyway, as a way to see the lake from a different angle. Janitzio turned out to be a high point, literally as well as figuratively, of the whole trip. The Patzcuaro malecon, or waterfront, is several kilometers from the center of town. The malecon has restaurants and craft shops and, of course, the boats for the trip to the island. The boatmen belong to a cooperative which sets consistent prices (about $3.50US per person round trip) so you don’t have to bargain, and the boats seem to be in good condition and are equipped with lifejackets. The 20-minute trip (each way) was smooth and uneventful.

Aquatic commuters. Purepechans coming home to Janitzio after a day at the mainland markets filled most of our boat, which could hold about 80 people. On the way back, we and the handful of returning tourists had the boat mostly to ourselves.

Isla Janitzio at a distance. Janitzio is an almost perfect cone, undoubtedly volcanic, rising steeply from the water. An immense statue of Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon (see my March 2008 posting on Morelia) tops the island. It is visible from the mountains 20 miles away.

Janitzio, approaching the dock. The houses, stores, restaurants, hotels and other structures begin at the waterline and rise to the base of the Morelos statue. The narrow, twisting stone streets corkscrew up the island between multilevel buildings, with steep stairs connecting one level to the next.

Not a square inch wasted. As you climb higher and higher, great views emerge on all sides.

No cars needed here. Janitzio has the feel of a medieval Italian hill town, and is the most densely populated area in Michoacan State. There are no cars, and I saw no bicycles. Everyone simply walks around the small island. Fortunately, the narrowness of the streets provides plenty of shade from the intensity of the sun at 7100 feet in elevation.

Craft shops line the steep streets. As we climbed higher toward the Morelos statue, small shops about the size of a one-car garage offered a variety of products. Janitzio is not known for a particular craft, but seems to be the point at which all are sold. Carole was attracted by the lacy rebozos (shawls) and picked out one in a beautiful shade of lavender. We had seen rebozos of similar quality in the Ajijic shops for about $25.00US. The Purepecha shopkeeper, who was also the weaver of the garment Carole liked, wanted about $8.00US. We could have bargained for less, especially since it was a slow day on the island, but Carole felt it was a good enough deal and she liked that it was the woman’s own work. Everybody went away happy.

A view from the top. You can climb up the inside of the Morelos statue all the way to the upraised fist, and Gerry did, but I was content to roam around the base and photograph the stunning views in all directions. One restaurant owner, seeing me struggling to take a photo through a wire fence at the edge of the plateau, kindly waved me inside her restaurant so I could take the picture from her broad, open windows overhanging the ledge. She wanted nothing from me, only that I should get a good picture for my trouble. Her gesture was not unusual. We found people on our trip to be generous and helpful.

On our final morning, we decided to visit Tzintzuntzan, both for its crafts and to see the great ruins at the heart of the Purepechan Empire and the first seat of Spanish government in Michoacan. Tzintzuntzan is the wonderful Purepechan word meaning “place of the hummingbird”. The word actually sounds like a hummingbird zipping from flower to flower. The town itself lies in a narrow valley leading to the lake. Tzintzuntzan is known for basketry and straw crafts, carved wooden goods, green glazed pottery, and stone sculptures. The main street through the town has many shops, and the central plaza contained many stalls with beautiful crafts of various kinds.



Christmas decorations in April? Only in Mexico...

Sculptures in straw spin gently with the wind.

Ceramic figures resemble people seen on the streets every day.

Purple-blossomed jacarandas cast welcome shade over ancient plateau walls. Just outside the town is the turnoff to the ruins. From below, they look like the grey stone foundation of a major building under construction. As we wound up the hill, the real size of the ruins complex became clearer. The main structures sit on a man-made plateau 400 yards long and 180 yards deep, three sides of which are a high stone wall set in several steps taller than a six foot man. The long front wall of the plateau, overlooking the town and the lake and mountains in the distance, is at least 20 feet high.

Purepechan skill at stonework goes back many centuries. On top of this massive, level structure the actual temples and living quarters were built. The temple complex is a long rectangle, perhaps 250 yards long set back about 75 yards from the edge of the plateau wall.

Rounded temple bastion overlooking lake. The front of the rectangle has 5 huge semi-circular bastions set in regular intervals along its face. On top of the bastions were the temples and other structures for worship and administration. The bastions and the walls connecting them are 20-30 feet high. It’s hard to say exactly, because of all the rubble piled on top.

Ancient Purepechan "view property" on the edge of the plateau. Behind the temple complex are the foundations of palaces and storerooms and a round flat area set in patterned stone that looks like a large patio, possibly a ceremonial area. While we were wandering the area we were nearly alone. The solemn quiet of the place, broken only by the chirping of birds in the open grove of trees at one end of the rectangle, left a deep impression on all of us. From here, the elite classes of a powerful people exercised control over their empire and performed their religious ceremonies. Over 40,000 people lived in or around Tzintzuntzan when the Spanish arrived. Today, the population of the town is only about 1,000.

Modern Purepechan agricultural techniques reflect ancient ways. Just before we left, we noticed a fire on the hills at the back edge of the plateau. Apparently the Purepechans were utilizing slash and burn practices to clear land for agriculture. As the flames spread and leaped 20 feet in the air, we reflected that their ancestors, who arrived 650 years ago, probably used the same methods. This created a dramatic end to our visit to a lost civilization. But though their Empire may have vanished, the Purepechans are still here, creating beautiful crafts and quietly living their lives in Patzcuaro and the villages around the sparkling lake.