Zapotec Funerary Urns in Mesoamerica: Inside Ancient Mexican Tombs
Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
What is a Zapotec funerary urn?
Zapotec funerary urns are unique to ancient Mexico. The Zapotecs are an Indigenous people who lived (and still live) in Oaxaca, Mexico, for thousands of years. Zapotec people often buried their dead below the main room of their homes, including at Monte Albán. The tombs were periodically reentered and rearranged when a family member passed away. These urns are among the most representative works of art made by the Zapotecs of Mesoamerica.
Note: The Zapotecs call themselves the Ben ‘Zaa or Cloud People.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction to Zapotec funerary urns
0:31 The Zapotecs of Mesoamerica
0:54 The urns in detail
1:52 Ancestors or gods?
2:17 Zapotec tombs and urns
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