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Early Representations of Mesoamerica's Feathered Serpent: Power, Identity, and the Spread of a Cult

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Early Representations of Mesoamerica's Feathered Serpent: Power, Identity, and the Spread of a Cult ABSTRACT In this thesis, an analysis of the earliest representations of a serpent with avian- like features reveals that Mesoamerica’s Feathered Serpent appeared first during the Formative period (1500-400 B.C.), and played a more important role in Formative society than scholars have previously held. I argue that pottery of the Early Formative period (1400-900 B.C.), carved with the following motifs: “St. Andrew’s cross,” “hand- paw-wing,” “flame-eyebrow,” and “U-gum bracket,” referred to here as “Earth & Sky” (or “Earth & Sky imagery”), depict an Avian Serpent (e.g., Cheetham 2010; Taube 1995). Individuals from the site of San José Mogote (the Valley of Oaxaca), and the site of Tlatilco (the Basin of Mexico) used this pottery in burials and households to mark status and identity (Marcus 1989; Tolstoy 1989). Similar pottery from the site of San Lorenzo (the Gulf Coast of Mexico), does not appear to have been used as a status item, but might have been used in local household activities, display, or ritual. Additionally, Avian- Serpent imagery on monuments from the Gulf Coast links the Avian Serpent to the legitimization of some members of the Olmec hierarchy, which might have been rulers or religious leaders. Taking this a step further, an analysis of Avian Serpents varied style and different uses across the region suggest that members of a religious network may have propelled the wide appearance of Avian-Serpent imagery during the Early Formative period. The Avian Serpent could have been the symbol of a regional cult, like the regional cult described by Blomster (1998, 2010), which he believes was responsible for the use and/or invention of hollow-baby figurines and the spread of religion and ii cosmology during the Early Formative period. During this period, complex society in Mesoamerica was in full swing, and a foundation for later advancements was built. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES......................................................................................................... viii DEDICATION............................................................................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. x Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 Current trends in the study of Formative societies ............................................... 4 Thesis question..................................................................................................... 7 Thesis organization ............................................................................................... 10 Summary............................................................................................................... 12 2. THESIS DATA, METHOD, AND APPROACH................................................. 14 Data....................................................................................................................... 14 Method .................................................................................................................. 14 Approach............................................................................................................... 15 Summary............................................................................................................... 21 3. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION IN EARLY FORMATIVE MESOAMERICA...................... 22 San Lorenzo and the Olmec heartland.................................................................. 23 San Jose Mogote and the Valley of Oaxaca.......................................................... 28 Tlatilco and the Basin of Mexico.......................................................................... 29 Guerrero’s cave paintings ..................................................................................... 33 Summary............................................................................................................... 36 4. MESOAMERICA’S FEATHERED SERPENT................................................... 37 Feathered Serpent’s ancestry ................................................................................ 39 A closer look at Formative “Feathered”/Avian Serpents...................................... 41 Summary............................................................................................................... 46 iv 5. EARLY AND MIDDLE FORMATIVE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE FEATHERED SERPENT................................ 47 The Las Limas hypothesis and the St. Andrew’s cross ........................................ 48 Olmec monuments of the Avian Serpent.............................................................. 55 The Avian Serpent and the Olmec Dragon........................................................... 67 Summary............................................................................................................... 68 6. CARVED POTTERY OF THE EARLY FORMATIVE PERIOD ...................... 70 Carved pottery of San José Mogote...................................................................... 72 Carved pottery of Tlatilco..................................................................................... 80 Calzadas Carved pottery of San Lorenzo.............................................................. 86 Calzadas Carved pottery of Canto Corralito......................................................... 89 Discussion............................................................................................................. 90 7. CONCLUSIONS…………................................................................................... 95 The Avian Serpent as a symbol of rulership......................................................... 95 A regional interpretation of the Avian Serpent..................................................... 96 Beyond a regional interpretation of the Avian Serpent ........................................ 98 REFERENCES CITED.................................................................................................. 101 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Ancient Mesoamerica .................................................................................... 2 2. Early representations of Mesoamerica’s Feathered Serpent.......................... 5 3. Early and Middle Formative sites of Mesoamerica mentioned in the text .... 8 4. The Avian Serpent on pottery........................................................................ 9 5. Olmec colossal heads..................................................................................... 25 6. Chalcatzingo .................................................................................................. 31 7. The Avian Serpent of Juxtlahuaca ................................................................ 35 8. The Feathered Serpent of the Classic period ................................................ 38 9. The Las Limas figure..................................................................................... 49 10. The Fer-de-lance snake (Bothrops asper)...................................................... 52 11. Calzadas Carved pottery of San Lorenzo ...................................................... 53 12. Oxtotitlán painting 1-C and La Venta monument 19 .................................... 57 13. Avian/Feathered Serpents and elite identities of Mesoamerica..................... 59 14. The San Miguel Amuco Stela........................................................................ 60 15. San Lorenzo monument 47............................................................................ 64 16. Laguna de los Cerros monument 19 .............................................................. 66 17. Detail of Laguna de los Cerros monument 19 ............................................... 66 18. Leandro Gray pottery carved with Earth & Sky imagery.............................. 73 vi 19. Fire-Serpent pottery and were-jaguar pottery................................................ 75 20. Tlatilco pottery carved with Earth & Sky imagery........................................ 82 21. San Lorenzo figurine with Venus star ........................................................... 84 22. La Venta metate with Venus star................................................................... 84 23. Avian-Serpent bowl from Tlatilco................................................................. 85 vii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Early representations of Mesoamerica’s Feathered Serpent.......................... 6 2. Tentative model showing supposed cult ceramics......................................... 94 viii This paper is dedicated to the memory of Juan Angel Garcia and his father John … just two of many who fought the good fight ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I owe a great many people for their support during the completion of this paper: family, colleagues, professors, academic advisors, friends from the barrio, and companions. I owe them my utmost gratitude and they shall always have a special place in my heart. In that regard, I recognize many of those people here now. The support of Veronica and Monica (my sisters), and their families has been instrumental to my academic achievements.
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