Los textiles procedentes del actual estado de Guerrero, México: una revisión a su estudio desde la perspectiva arqueológica y etnohistórica

Abstract

Pre-Columbian organic objects like gourds, rope, sandals, wood, seeds and leaves have been found in caves in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Moreover, fragments of textiles manufactured in various techniques, dyes and textures have been recovered, which suggest an intensive degree of specialization and economic activity in pre-Columbian times. In ancient Mexico the textiles had multiple functions. They were much used as clothing by the nobility and the gods, they were part of rituals, and they covered sacred objects that were kept in the temples, palaces and the houses of the nobility. They also cov- ered walls and were used as canopies, mats, bedspreads, mantles and scarves. The textiles indicated prestige and hierarchy, especially the finer cotton textiles, which were embroidered or painted. They were used in fiestas, ceremonies, weddings and probably also funeral rituals. Their value was so great that they were also used as a means of exchange in commercial transactions. This paper is divided in three parts. First I give a general overview of the textiles excavated in Guerrero. Then, I discuss the objects from the northern central region of Guerrero, i.e. from caves north of the river Balsas around Teloloapan, Iguala and Cocula. Finally, I discuss the elaborate designs on the textiles of this region and their likeness to the textiles given by the tributary province of Yepecoacuilco to Mexico-Tenochtitlan, that were represented in Matrícula de Tributos y Códice Mendocino from the XVI century.