Dogs in Mesoamerica
Encyclopedia
Various sorts of dogs are known to have existed in pre-Spanish Mesoamerica, as shown by archaeological and iconographical sources, and the testimonies of the 16th-century Spaniards. In the Central Mexican area, there were three races: the medium-sized furred dog (itzcuintli), the medium-sized hairless dog (xoloitzcuintli), and the short-legged, furred dog (tlalchichi). Apart from other, more obvious functions, dogs were also used for food (10% of all consumed meat in Teotihuacan) and ritual sacrifice.
, a group of people who lived throughout southern Mexico
and Central America
, used domesticated dogs on a daily basis as a food source, hunting aide, and an element in religious and spiritual rituals.
dating as early as 1200 BCE. These remains have appeared in middens, spread over yard surfaces, and near areas of sacrificial offerings. Since the deposits of dogs were discovered along with other plant and animal remains, it is difficult to decipher dog parts from those of other small mammals. In Colha, Belize
, dog foot bones and teeth were found more than any other body part.
, Belize were bred and killed once they reached one year of age. Dog bones had completed epiphyseal fusion
and did not indicate the normal pattern of wear like adult dogs who lived longer than a year. Puppy remains were not found. Dogs were castrated and fed maize
until they were fat enough to be ready for slaughter. Throughout the Preclassic period in the Yucatán region, dogs were not the primary meat supply, but archaeological evidence indicates they were a substantial part of the Maya diet. In fact, at the Colha site, white-tailed deer accounted for up to fifty percent of the Maya meat source. Starting in the Preclassic period, Maya elites served dogs during competitive feasts. They were either stewed or were burned in a sacrificial ceremony. Bones were chopped, broken, crushed and boiled to extract the marrow inside.
s daily.
. Another type of dog recognized by Maya was the hairless xoloitzcuintli, however, breeds are difficult to recognize archaeologically.
, the K'iche' Maya creation story, dogs played important roles in certain events. For example, the second attempt at creating humans turned disastrous when the gods made them out of wood. The wooden humans were emotionless and would not feed the dogs. In retaliation, the dogs became angry and destroyed them. The moral of the story is “civilized” Maya make certain that dogs are fed on a decent human diet such as maize. When dogs were used in ritual sacrifices, the act contained a dual meaning: a person gave respect to the dog by feeding it maize, which represent humans. Humans were made of maize by the gods in the Popol Vuh. Another account in the Popol Vuh describes the Hero twins
sacrificing a dog that belonged to the Lords of the Underworld, also known as Xibalba
. After the dog was dead, the Hero Twins brought it back to life. The Lords were so impressed that they asked the twins to sacrifice and resurrect them. In the end, the Hero Twins sacrificed the Lords of Xibalba and did not follow through on bringing them back to life. This made it possible for humans to live on earth. The story linked dogs with renewal and human life. Dogs are associated with death and have the job of leading people into the Underworld. They represent fire and are protectors of the hearth, two components of Maya life.
used in circumstances involving administration. Dogs were associated with “new beginnings" and were sacrificed instead of humans on the New Year ceremony. Dogs with spots that looked like the color of cacao were sacrificed during cacao rituals because they represented economic significance. Landmarks linked to fertility
and ancestor worship contain dog burials. Dogs were found buried alongside humans in graves as well as in royal residences, presumably to guide their owners to the afterlife.
Maya Domesticated Dogs
The ancient MayaMaya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
, a group of people who lived throughout southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, used domesticated dogs on a daily basis as a food source, hunting aide, and an element in religious and spiritual rituals.
Archaeological evidence
Remains of dogs have been found in sites dating from the Preclassic through the Postclassic periods of MesoamericaMesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
dating as early as 1200 BCE. These remains have appeared in middens, spread over yard surfaces, and near areas of sacrificial offerings. Since the deposits of dogs were discovered along with other plant and animal remains, it is difficult to decipher dog parts from those of other small mammals. In Colha, Belize
Colha, Belize
Colha, Belize is a Maya archaeological site located in northern portion of the country, about 52 km. north of Belize City, near the city of Orange Walk. The site is one of the earliest in the Maya region and remains important to the archaeological record of the Maya culture well into the...
, dog foot bones and teeth were found more than any other body part.
Uses of dogs
Despite the fact that the amount of dog use varied throughout time and place, people of the coastal regions of the Maya area placed more importance on dogs due to their constant availability as a source of protein and their ability to rapidly reproduce. Breeding and raising domesticated dogs required low energy use. Fish and other hunted animals were not as reliable as dogs as a food resource, and it required more energy and time to capture these animals for consumption. Overall, it is difficult to generalize how the Maya used dogs because of the comparison of dog deposits to other fauna and how the amount of dog deposits differs among sites from various periods. Because of this variation, it is not certain if the function of dogs altered from a food source to that of a religious symbol over time. Besides becoming a meal, dogs were also used as hunting and traveling companions and were scavengers in the home.Dogs as food
During a portion of the Preclassic and Early Classic period (1200 BCE through 250 CE), dogs in CuelloCuello
Cuello is a Maya archaeological site in northern Belize. The site is that of a farming village with a long occupational history stretching back to approximately 1200 BC, during the Middle Preclassic period. Its inhabitants lived in pole-and-thatch houses that were built on top of low plaster-coated...
, Belize were bred and killed once they reached one year of age. Dog bones had completed epiphyseal fusion
Epiphyseal plate
The epiphyseal plate is a hyaline cartilage plate in the metaphysis at each end of a long bone...
and did not indicate the normal pattern of wear like adult dogs who lived longer than a year. Puppy remains were not found. Dogs were castrated and fed maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
until they were fat enough to be ready for slaughter. Throughout the Preclassic period in the Yucatán region, dogs were not the primary meat supply, but archaeological evidence indicates they were a substantial part of the Maya diet. In fact, at the Colha site, white-tailed deer accounted for up to fifty percent of the Maya meat source. Starting in the Preclassic period, Maya elites served dogs during competitive feasts. They were either stewed or were burned in a sacrificial ceremony. Bones were chopped, broken, crushed and boiled to extract the marrow inside.
Dog nutrition
In addition to eating maize, dogs ate household scraps. There is no evidence for any kind of specialized diet for dogs. Today, the Yucatec Maya continue to talk about their dog-eating ancestors and carry on the tradition of feeding dogs maize by giving them six to eight tortillaTortilla
In Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize...
s daily.
Breeds of dog
Contemporary Maya have nine words for "dog" in their lexicon, not all of which correspond to separate breeds. It was documented in the sixteenth century by Spanish explorers in Mérida, Yucatán that dogs were bred locally in pens, fed maize, and sold at market. The Spanish also noted the Yucatec Maya called a certain breed of dog “techichi” which resembled a spanielSpaniel
A spaniel is a type of gun dog. It is assumed spaniels originated from Spain as the word spaniel may be derived from Hispania or possibly from the French phrase "Chiens de l’Espagnol" . Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of dense brush. By the late 17th century spaniels had become...
. Another type of dog recognized by Maya was the hairless xoloitzcuintli, however, breeds are difficult to recognize archaeologically.
Dogs in Maya literature
In the Popol VuhPopol Vuh
Popol Vuh is a corpus of mytho-historical narratives of the Post Classic Quiché kingdom in Guatemala's western highlands. The title translates as "Book of the Community," "Book of Counsel," or more literally as "Book of the People."...
, the K'iche' Maya creation story, dogs played important roles in certain events. For example, the second attempt at creating humans turned disastrous when the gods made them out of wood. The wooden humans were emotionless and would not feed the dogs. In retaliation, the dogs became angry and destroyed them. The moral of the story is “civilized” Maya make certain that dogs are fed on a decent human diet such as maize. When dogs were used in ritual sacrifices, the act contained a dual meaning: a person gave respect to the dog by feeding it maize, which represent humans. Humans were made of maize by the gods in the Popol Vuh. Another account in the Popol Vuh describes the Hero twins
Maya Hero Twins
The Maya Hero Twins are the central figures of a narrative included within the colonial Quiché document called Popol Vuh, and constituting the oldest Maya myth to have been preserved in its entirety. Called Hunahpu and Xbalanque in Quiché, the Twins have also been identified in the art of the...
sacrificing a dog that belonged to the Lords of the Underworld, also known as Xibalba
Xibalba
Xibalba , roughly translated as "place of fear", is the name of the underworld in Maya mythology, ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. In 16th-century Verapaz, the entrance to Xibalba was traditionally held to be a cave in the vicinity of Cobán, Guatemala. According to some of the...
. After the dog was dead, the Hero Twins brought it back to life. The Lords were so impressed that they asked the twins to sacrifice and resurrect them. In the end, the Hero Twins sacrificed the Lords of Xibalba and did not follow through on bringing them back to life. This made it possible for humans to live on earth. The story linked dogs with renewal and human life. Dogs are associated with death and have the job of leading people into the Underworld. They represent fire and are protectors of the hearth, two components of Maya life.
Dog sacrifice and burial
There are multiple situations in which dogs were used for sacrifice or burial. Dog sacrifices were important in the political sphere for rituals concerning “...inaugurations and founding of new civic religious centres...” There has also been confirmation of dog burials in CozumelCozumel
Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen, and close to the Yucatan Channel. Cozumel is one of the ten municipalities of the state of Quintana Roo...
used in circumstances involving administration. Dogs were associated with “new beginnings" and were sacrificed instead of humans on the New Year ceremony. Dogs with spots that looked like the color of cacao were sacrificed during cacao rituals because they represented economic significance. Landmarks linked to fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
and ancestor worship contain dog burials. Dogs were found buried alongside humans in graves as well as in royal residences, presumably to guide their owners to the afterlife.
Dogs in Maya art
In Maya art, dogs are represented in various roles and media. They have been depicted in scenes such as those from the Popol Vuh or burial processions. The Maya Vase Database exhibits a great example of a possible funeral procession on a painted vase, K5534. The dog standing below the head noble’s palanquin may be guiding its owner to Xibalba. In picture K555, another vase painting shows a scene from the Popol Vuh with Dog asking Itzamná to return to Xibalba. In addition to paintings, artists created clay figurines to resemble dogs, K8235.Works cited
- Clutton-Brock, J. "Hot dogs: comestible canids in Preclassic Maya culture at Cuello, Belize." Journal of Archaeological Science. 21.6 (1994): 819. AnthropologyPlus. U of Kansas., Lawrence. 11 Sept. 2008
- Kerr, Justin. "The Last Journey: Reflections on the Ratinlinxul Vase and others of the same theme." Maya Vase Data Base. 17 Sept. 2008.
- Masson, Marilyn A. "Animal Resource Manipulation in Ritual and Domestic Contexts at Postclassic Maya Communities." World Archaeology. 31.1 (1999): 93-120. JSTOR. U of Kansas., Lawrence. 14 Sept. 2008 < http://www.jstor.org.www2.lib.ku.edu>.
- White, Christine D. "Isotopic evidence for Maya patterns of deer and dog use at Preclassic Colha." Journal of Archaeological Science. 28.1 (2001): 89. AnthropologyPlus. U of Kansas., Lawrence. 11 Sept. 2008