MC 2 QUEST - SACRED CAVES

 

ORIGIN OF MAP OF CUAUHTINCHAN NO. II

WHERE: Mexico, approximately 98 miles south of Mexico City. A village named Cuauhtinchan in the state of Puebla.

BY WHOM: An Indian scribe and his colleagues (tlacuilo - in tlamatinime, in amoxhuaque - the wise men, the possessors of the books) painted the Map of Cuauhtinchan No II.

WHEN: Following the Spanish conquest, some time between 1530 - 1590 A.D. During this early colonial period, the Indian scribes were taught by the Franciscan Order. Accordingly, on the MC2 map, some native hieroglyphs show European pictorial fashions.

PRE-COLUMBIAN MAP: However, this sixteenth century map is not an original copy. There is conjecture that it was first painted inside a ceremonial cave. Scholars have suggested that the original was a pre-Conquest screenfold. This cartographic document is ancient, a copy, of a copy, over centuries of time, MC2 may be the oldest surviving map in Mexico. As a historic artifact, it has become priceless.

HISTORICAL CARTOGRAPHY: Until recently, MC2 was studied as a work of colonial art, or a painting of the legendary pilgrimage by the Tolteca-Chichimeca tribes from Chicomoztoc cave, or a document relating to property rights. Our present goal is to study MC2 as historical cartography, lending credence to its geography, topography, hydrology, flora & fauna, geology, minerals, and two types of caves: natural caves - a typical cavity in the earth with an ordinary mouth; and modified caves - a subterranean void that embodies extensive excavation with an artificial entrance. A place that has been altered to include, architecture, furniture, sculpture, burials, writings, etc.

MC2QUEST: MC2 illustrates more than pictorial scenes in a geographical setting. The map shows locative glyphs in a spatial or topographical context; i.e., it graphically depicts the direction, elevation, shape, and location of subterranean places.

DECIPHERMENT OF MCII: Many people have tried to decipher the map. Gerald A. Eberwein states that "an interpretation of MC2 depends on a searching analysis in the field to learn a cartographic perception of the original map-maker." He adds that people must appreciate this document in its full context with a message of underground sites. This will enable a scientific discovery of caves hidden long ago.

RESEARCH MODEL: To test a hypothesis that the most important role of MC2 is its message about caves for ritual use; that these caves were intentionally sealed after the Spanish conquest; and that many of these caves can be defined as a funerary temple.

ANCESTRAL BURIAL GROUNDS: We must understand these burial sites within their unique cultural-historical context. The scale of social, economic, and political complexity of a society is often reflected in mortuary ritual. This is due to the fact that "...burial treatment (customs, traditions) is unavoidably an act of the allocation of time, effort, and resources deployed in a given funeral."

DISCLOSURE OF MC2: Joining with the Centre for Mesoamerican Caves (Anthropology & History of Caves), the Map of Cuauhtinchan No. II is a "blueprint" for scientific investigations. A study that has been ongoing for three decades. A question asked is, "Why hasn't this evidence been discussed before?" To explain MC2 in terms other than Indian art, or property rights, or a pilgrimage route, has been very controversial.

OBSTACLES TO RESEARCH: Inquiries have been made about obstacles to this study. A federal permit to excavate is available only to an archaeologist affiliated with a university. In other words, academic institutions virtually control archaeology in Mexico. Meanwhile, few universities pursue a study of caves. And for several reasons: ( 1 ) a current fashion is that archaeology of caves (or tombs) is often associated with dilettante ventures where the labor is conducted merely for amusement, treasure, or fame; (2) it is thought that exotic burials and luxury grave artifacts do not really define culture-history; (3) most archaeologists are timid about the underground, the darkness, and its dangers; (4) preHispanic codices and sixteenth century literature emphasize the importance of caves for ritual use; however, most sacred caves were closed by the Indians after the Conquest. And archaeologists don't know where to search.

MC2CAVES: In reviewing the MCII investigation, a scholar has remarked that the evidence is unexpected, something never before considered. It is a strange thing. MCII ceases to be an obscure, colonial document and now becomes a guide to preHispanic caves.