Zapotec peoples
Indigenous people of Oaxaca, Mexico, with a pre-Columbian civilization and a unique writing system.
The Zapotec are an Indigenous people of Mexico, primarily concentrated in the southern state of Oaxaca, with communities also in neighboring states. The present-day population is estimated at 400,000 to 650,000, many of whom are monolingual in one of the Native Zapotec languages and dialects. In pre-Columbian times, the Zapotec civilization was one of the highly developed cultures of Mesoamerica that had a unique writing system. Many people of Zapotec ancestry have emigrated to the United States over several decades, maintaining their own social organizations in the Los Angeles and Central Valley areas of California. There are four basic groups of Zapotec: those who live in the southern Isthmus of Tehuantepec; those in the northern mountains of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca; the southern Zapotec in the southern mountains of the Sierra Sur; and the Central Valley Zapotec in and around the Valley of Oaxaca.
- population_estimate
- 400,000 to 650,000
- primary_region
- Oaxaca, Mexico
- language_family
- Zapotecan (over 60 variants, plus Chatino)
- known_for
- Pre-Columbian civilization with a unique writing system
- self_designation
- Bën za ('People of the clouds')
- major_groups
- Istmeños, Serranos, Southern Zapotec, Central Valley Zapotec
Lore & Background
The Zapotecs call themselves 'People of the clouds' (Bën: People and Za: Cloud). For decades it was believed that the exonym Zapotec came from the Nahuatl 'inhabitants of the place of sapote'. Recent studies by UNAM argue it may be a hybrid word, written Zapochteca or Zaapochteca, from 'za/zaa' (cloud) and 'pochteca' (merchant). Scholars largely agree the Zapotecs inhabited the Central Valley of Oaxaca as early as 500 to 300 BCE, during the Monte Alban I period. The Monte Alban periods lasted from 500 BCE to the time of conquest in 1521 CE. Archaeological evidence from the site of Monte Alban has revealed settlement of the region as far back as 1150 BCE. The Formative stage (c. 500 BCE to 200 CE) is characterized by a shift to sedentary settlements and agriculture. The Classic stage (200 to 900 CE) witnessed the rise of social and political structures and a surge in religious activity. The Militaristic stage (c. 900 to 1521 CE) saw a rise in military influence and warfare.
Reader's Guide
The Zapotecan language group is composed of over 60 variants of Zapotecan, as well as the closely related Chatino language. The major variant is Isthmus Zapotec, spoken on the Pacific coastal plain of Southern Oaxaca's Isthmus of Tehuantepec. In the 2020 census, 500,000 people spoke a Zapotec language, and 5.7% of those speakers were monolingual. Though the Zapotecs are now largely Catholics, some ancient beliefs and practices survive, such as burial of the dead with valuables. Some images of local Catholic saints resemble old Zapotec gods; for example, San Pedro resembles the Zapotec rain god Cocijo. The first missionaries among the Zapotecs were Bartolomé de Olmeda, a Mercedarian, and Juan Díaz, a secular priest. The Virgen de Juquila is a Catholic Marian devotion in Oaxaca; many Zapotec Catholic people participate in an annual pilgrimage from December 7 to December 9. At the time of the Spanish conquest, church and state were not separate in Zapotec society. The Zapotec lord was trained in religious practice prior to taking power. Large temples called yo hopèe (house of the vital force) were built. The pè (life force) lived within natural elements. Priests (Copa pitào) were mostly selected from the nobility, though commoners could join lower ranks. The highest position was ouija-tào (great seer), who lived in Mitla. The primary god of the Valley Zapotecs was Pitao Cozobi (associated with maize and agriculture). Other gods include Cocijo (rain and lightning), Pitao Cozaana (creator of man, animals, and ancestors), Pitao Hichaana (goddess of man, animals, children, and mother goddess), Pitao Pezelao (god of the underworld, death, and earth), Copijcha (Sun god and god of war), and Pitao Xicala (god of love, dreams, and excess).
Did You Know?
- The Zapotecs call themselves 'People of the clouds'.
- The Zapotec civilization had a unique writing system in pre-Columbian times.
- In the 2020 census, 500,000 people spoke a Zapotec language.
- The highest Zapotec priest, the ouija-tào, lived in Mitla, not Monte Alban.
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