Mixtec writing
The arrival of Europeans in 1520 AD caused changes in form, style, and the function of the Mixtec writings.
During the 2500 years before the arrival of Europeans, the Mixtec developed complex social and economic traditions, effectively exploited their diverse environment, created a method of writing, and maintained their autonomy from other civilizations, such as the Aztecs.
Mixtec speakers arrived in Oaxaca, notably the Alta region, during the early Formative period, 1500-750 BCE.
The early Classic period, 200 BCE – 300 CE, found the Mixtec civilization becoming more complex, with the adoption of a hierarchical settlement system.
Mixtec writing is classified as logographic, meaning the characters and pictures used represent complete words and ideas instead of syllables or sounds.
The Mixtec writing system is found on codices dating to the Post-Classic period preceding the arrival of the Europeans in 1520 AD.
The term codex (singular) is usually applied to bound books, though scholars use it to refer to Mesoamerican writings.
[5] Common topics found in the codices are biographies of rulers and other influential figures, records of elite family trees, mythologies, and accounts of ceremonies.
[3] Some examples of surviving Mixtec writing lie in the Codex Zouche-Nuttall, which is now preserved in the British Museum.
New genres developed as a result of Spanish sponsorship, as they commissioned Mixtec authors to record information about the people and their past.
It is difficult to know today whether the authors altered their information to appease the new European presence, or if their writings depict accurate representations of the Mixtecs at that time.
[7] The days that made up this calendar were represented in Mixtec writing by the combination of a numeral, called the coefficient, and a certain sign or symbol.
Examining the oral traditions associated with the codices provides a more complete understanding of the information and stories they hold, as they were often used for recitations and readings.
[4] During the twentieth century there was a resurgence in traditional writings across Mexico, coinciding with the Mexican Revolution and the emerging theme of national identity and unity.
[5] Today, the number of Mixtec speakers is around half a million people, spread across Mexico and the United States.
