The treasures of the "richest tomb of America": the entrance of the underground world to Monte Albán

A marine snail trumpet and exclamation "¡guelaguetza!" (Zapotec word for offer) announced a historical discovery, it was about the "richest tomb of America"as defined by the archaeologist Alfonso Caso, thanks to the 600 objects, between pieces of gold, silver and animal bones engraved with codex and found in the Tomb 7 of Monte Albán.

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of INAH, the institute took on the task of: To renovate the Tumba Room 7 of the Museum of Cultures of Oaxaca, former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.

The hall is dedicated to show the objects found in the tomb of Monte Albán, where – apparently – the Mixtecs of the post-clbadical period have chosen the site "as an underground sanctuary for the worship of the ancestors: a cave or Cahua, Sacred place of entry into the underworld and beginning of life ".

Sacred pieces, "tnani", with relics of ancestors were placed in this tomb with effigies of divinities and objects of great value, distinctive of the lineage of the Mixtecs. They buried their nobles there and dedicated the exquisite objects representing deities.

The treasures contained in the tomb, which we can now see in the museum hall under the name of The place of the ancestors. Ta'd ñuu ana & # 39; a, These are pieces of shell, coral, pearls, jet, gold, silver, copper, amber, obsidian, turquoise, mud and silver. teeth.

All these pieces reflect the splendor of the Mixtec art. "In these few square meters, were combined eras, spaces, cultures, lineages and nearly a thousand 300 years of history"said at the reopening of the hall Diego Prieto, director general of INAH.

"Today, we understand here, in The place of ancestorsWhat? The tomb 7 was erected by the Zapotecs and reused more than a thousand years later by the Mixtecs to deposit its sacred bodies. during the ceremonies of offering, divination, commemoration and worship, "added Prieto.

Some of Featured objects in the sample, which for 20 years have not undergone any restoration process, are three Zapotec ballot boxes (found in the antechamber of the tomb) that they represent divinities like Cocijo.

A skull covered with turquoises, representation of Mictlantecuhtlior the "Lord of Hell", has become one of the iconic pieces.

In the words of Diego Prieto, the golden mask of Xipe Totec, "Our lord flayed is perhaps the most beautiful piece of those who were in the grave."

A pectoral with arrows represents the mastery of the silversmiths Mixtec. Show to Coo Dzavui (Koo Sau), "Serpent of the Rain", adorned with precious motifs such as quetzal feathers and jade rosettes.

Each showcase has an interactive monitor with a digital catalog that allows you to zoom in on the parts. As well the floor of the tomb has been recreated numerically and the distribution of rooms in the funerary enclosure can be observed.

"Grave 7 belongs to eternity, the pride it has been in the city of Monte Alban, its niche and its origin, "said Alejandro Murat Hinojosa, governor of Oaxaca.