| Nienke Verstraaten |
is actually inhabiting the headdress . The vessel was facing away from the tomb , towards the east .
inside the tomb , at the feet of the internment . This
legged with its hands resting on its knees . However , the character is wearing the mask of Cocijo over its
is accompanied by four smaller vessels representing the four acompañantes , which are often associated
faces to the east , away from the internment .
The last vessel to be discussed was positioned in one of tomb ’ s western wall niches . This particular vessel is stylistically quite different from the other two . Unlike the other two vessels , it is not a
it is a cylindrical vessel , which is adorned with a
vessels described above . It is the only vessel out of the three that is facing towards the internment , due to the fact that it was positioned behind the skeletal remains in the far west tomb wall .
Discussion
believed to represent ancestral spirits who impersonate the deity through the wearing of a mask ( Marcus 1983 ; Sellen 2007 ). This allows them to temporarily attain the deity ’ s identity and powers . The different positioning of the masks , over the face or in the headdress could related to the different ways in which Cocijo ’ s presence is invoked . Relating this back to the vessels in tomb 104 , several inferences can be made . If we consider that wearing a mask over the face is the ‘ true ’ form of impersonation , then the two vessels inside the tomb context are both true impersonations of Cocijo . By wearing the deity ’ s mask over their faces , they effectively solidify him in the physical realm , on
in the niche outside is wearing the mask of Cocijo in its headdress instead of over its face . In this case the mask may signify the presence of Cocijo in
is more suggestive of the deity watching over the individual rather than of an ancestor impersonating the Cocijo deity . Marcus ( 1983 ) takes notice of this difference as well and states that it “(…) might represent contemporary royalty honouring both their ancestors and the supernatural by wearing their likeness in the headdress ” ( Marcus 1983 , 148 ). Tomb contexts at Monte Albán were often revisited by the descendants of the deceased for ritual purposes ( Middleton et al . 1988 ). Perhaps the vessel ’ s position at the entrance of the tomb was to inform visitors of two things : 1 ) that Cocijo is represented by the ancestor who is interred in the tomb , and 2 ) that Cocijo ’ s presence , or spirit , watches over the tomb , the ancestral remains interred within it and the living who visit . Thus , the vessels are not only a portrayal of the ancestral impersonation of Cocijo but also serve to tie the spiritual power of Cocijo to the context in which they are situated .
Considering the fact that all three vessels are oriented west � east , a hypothesis related to the Zapotec worldview can be formulated . The western direction is related to the realm of the dying sun , a place of darkness , sadness and secrecy . The eastern direction , on the other hand , is related to light , truth and the sun ’ s rays . In other words it relates to the realm of the living sun . Therefore , when combining the meaning of the world directions with the
which are in and of themselves an embodiment of fertility and ancestral veneration , have their backs literally turned in the ‘ direction of death ’ while they face towards the ‘ direction of life ’. Furthermore Tomb 104 itself is oriented east � west , meaning that when one enters the tomb you face west , towards the realm of darkness and death . Conversely , when leaving the tomb one would face east , towards the realm of light and of life . The analysis of the
model can be taken another step further when one considers the axis mundi . In order for an orientation
a centre point is needed from which the orientations can be determined . This point can be considered the axis mundi of the orientation scheme and the
in the context of this tomb . What becomes clear
an embodiment of the Zapotec worldview model . In the positioning and orientation of the vessels , implicit meaning related to the world directions are evidenced .
Concluding remarks The aim of this paper was to investigate the
vessels in relation to the Zapotec worldview , their iconography , as well as position and orientation
to represent the ancient Zapotec worldview in the p . 26 | VOL III | INTER-SECTION | 2017