page_title: Huamelulpan (archaeological site)
section_title: Language, codices, and artwork
hierarchical_section_title: Huamelulpan (archaeological site) / History / Language, codices, and artwork
caption_attribution_description: English: Snail shell pendant, Mixtec, 900-1520 CE, gold, Dumbarton Oaks Museum, Washington, DC Deutsch: Schneckenförmiges Gehänge, mixtekisch, 900-1520 n.Chr., Gold, Dumbarton Oaks Museum, Washington, DC Español: Pendiente en forma de caracol, mixteca, 900-1520 d.C., oro, Museo Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, DC
context_page_description: Huamelulpan is an archaeological site of the Mixtec culture, located in the town of San Martín Huamelulpan at an elevation of 2,218 metres, about 96 kilometres north-west of the city of Oaxaca, the capital of Oaxaca state.
  Because of its dimensions it must have been one of the largest Mesoamerican cities of its time, and also one with the longest occupation, from the Preclassic to the Postclassic Periods. The apogee of the settlement is estimated at the Ramos Phase, the period of Mesoamerican urban society's development.
  The site was part of other early settlements in the region, such as Cerro de las Minas, Yucuita, Diquiyú and Monte Negro. Their apogee is characterized by monumental architecture and sculptures, there is also evidence of clear social stratification within their residential zones.
  During site investigations many high quality urns were found here, similar Zapotec samples were found in the central valleys. Carved monoliths were found at the site, these are considered to be unique since none have been found at other Mixtec urban centers that have such similarity to the Zapotec writing of Monte Albán.
context_section_description: The Mixtecan languages (in their many variants) were estimated to be spoken by about 300,000 people at the end of the 20th century, although the majority of Mixtec speakers also had at least a working knowledge of the Spanish language. Some Mixtecan languages are called by names other than Mixtec, particularly Cuicatec (Cuicateco), and Triqui (or Trique).
   The Mixtec are well known in the anthropological world for their Codices, or phonetic pictures in which they wrote their history and genealogies in deerskin in the "fold-book" form. The best known story of the Mixtec Codices is that of Lord Eight Deer, named after the day in which he was born, whose personal name is Jaguar Claw, and whose epic history is related in several codices, including the Codex Bodley and Codex Zouche-Nuttall. He successfully conquered and united most of the Mixteca region.
  They were also known for their exceptional mastery of jewelry, in which gold and turquoise figure prominently. The production of Mixtec goldsmiths formed an important part of the tribute the Mixtecs had to pay to the Aztecs during parts of their history.
caption: Snail shell pendant, 900-1520 CE, gold, Dumbarton Oaks Museum, Washington, D.C.
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