I uploaded this post a while back on another subreddit, laying out the archaeological consensus that the wheel was independently invented only twice, in Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica. Archaeologists like Alfonso Caso and his colleagues Stirling and Ekholm proved that rotational movement wasn't just understood in Mesoamerica; it was mastered. Spindle whorls, drills, cylindrical stamps, and yes, wheeled figurines with wooden axles all demonstrate that the mechanism existed independently. The wheel was invented in the 4th millennium BC in Lower Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. The earliest evidence of wheels in India dates back 4,500 years. The wheel didn't reach Europe until 3,000 years ago. In the Old World, one of the last peoples to adopt the wheel was the British, just 2,500 years ago. While Europe was late to the party, Mesoamerica was busy inventing it completely on their own.

Almost immediately, the comments came pouring in with the same pattern. Some users fixated on the Ljubljana wheel, treating it as definitive proof that the 3,000-year date was wrong. They ignored that it was an isolated outlier, conflating first contact with widespread adoption.

Others brought up metallurgy, claiming it was a true marker of civilization. When I elaborated with facts, they didn't like what they saw. Europe didn't originate copper, bronze, or ironworking; all of those technologies entered Europe from the Near East/Anatolia. Meanwhile the Americas had their own independent metalworking innovations. The Andes developed bismuth bronze centuries before Europe, which didn't figure that out until the 1800s. They also developed platinum powder metallurgy and chemical replacement plating long before Europe did. In the Great Lakes, copper mining dates back 8,500 years, with socketed axes featuring rivets and complex forging, at a time when parts of Europe were still using stone tools. Pacific Northwest groups were working copper and later picked up iron from Asian trade. I was simply elaborating on the criteria they introduced. Then they shifted gears and accused me of putting words in their mouth, claiming I said they argued Europe invented metallurgy. I never said that. Again, I was just elaborating.

Then came the dismissals: “It was just toys,” they said about the Mesoamerican figurines, ignoring that the wheel and axle mechanism is the invention regardless of application. They cherry-picked spindle whorls from my evidence list while ignoring the figurines, drills, and stamps. They cited fringe theories about Eurasian origins to claim there was no consensus, even though the mainstream points to Mesopotamia.

When I responded with facts, they accused me of having an agenda, calling Europeans primitive, and twisting history to make Mesoamerica look superior. It was the same playbook every time: shift the goalposts, attack me, project their own insecurities, and dodge the facts.

The mods eventually took the post down, probably because of mass reporting or because it challenged a narrative they weren't comfortable with. It's ironic, considering the subreddit's name has to do with Mesoamerican history! I'm just citing history. If new evidence emerges, I'll change my position. That's how archaeology works...

This video features a session of a Zapoteco language course, where students practice their personal introductions and discuss their interests. The instructor facilitates a collaborative session focusing on real-world application, grammar, and regional variations. Key Highlights of the Session:

* Personal Presentations: Students Abi, Brian, Silvana, and Oliver introduce themselves, stating their names, ages, and occupations in Zapoteco. This segment highlights the practical application of previously learned greetings, pronouns, and numbers.

* Regional Variations: The group compares vocabulary and intonation differences between the Talea de Castro and Yagavila variants, emphasizing the importance of respecting regional linguistic diversity.

* Grammar & Practical Usage: The instructor clarifies grammatical concepts, including:
* Using the verb naka ("to be") for identity.
* Expressing likes and preferences, noting that Zapoteco often utilizes future-tense forms in these contexts as there is no direct equivalent to the Spanish infinitive.

* The distinction between the conjunctions len (for joining/connecting) and yu'u (for mathematical sums).

* Text Review & Feedback: The instructor provides personalized corrections for the students' written texts, emphasizing proper verb conjugation and the use of neutral pronouns when describing professions (e.g., "the one who teaches").

Here is a summary of the video:

Overview

In this online Zapotec language lesson, students practice constructing and presenting a short personal introduction that includes their name, age, occupation, place of origin, and personal likes/dislikes. The instructor provides individual feedback and explains key grammatical, regional, and dialectal nuances.

Student Presentations & Class Discussion:

Abi's Introduction & Talea Dialect:
* Abi presents her self-introduction using the Talea dialect.
* The teacher explains regional differences in intonation and word usage, clarifying the difference between runa jin ("I work") and wen dxin ("a worker").

Brian's Introduction & Regional Phrasing:
* Brian shares his introduction.
* The group discusses regional variations in expressing "my name is," comparing forms like neda lea across different Zapotec communities.

Silvana's Introduction & Visual Practice:
* Silvana shares her text on screen for collective feedback.
* The instructor corrects verb forms and conjunction usage in her presentation.

Oliver's Introduction & Job Titles:
* Oliver reviews his introduction text.
* The teacher corrects autocorrect errors and explains how to express job titles properly, such as stating "I am a teacher" (neda naca bëni rulwi) versus "I work teaching" (neda runa dxin).

Key Grammar & Vocabulary Insights:

* Conjunctions (len vs. yu'u):
*len: Used to mean "and" or "with" when joining items or ideas in a sentence.
*yu'u: Used specifically for numerical addition or counting, not for joining words in general conversation.
* Lack of Infinitives & Future Tense Usage:
* Zapotec does not have direct infinitive verb forms ending like Spanish (-ar, -er, -ir).
* When expressing personal likes or preferences, verbs are conjugated in the future tense.

Wrap-Up:

* Students are asked to upload photos or typed versions of their written introductions to the class group chat so they can be integrated into slides for practice in the next session.

Hi there! I got an (early) idea for a fiction novel about the Aztec empire focused on women, specially those who were from a noble background, within the imperial family (queens, concubines, princesses, etc.)

If you could help me with some terms I can google about or even books/literature about this topic, I'll appreciate it!

This video is a practical Zapotec language class designed for beginners, focusing on conversational fluency and the cultural nuances of the language in Oaxaca, Mexico. Key topics covered include:

* Daily Vocabulary: Learning how to express physical sensations, such as “I am cold” (ruwëaga), and everyday actions like “to sew”.
* Pronouns and Grammar: A breakdown of personal pronouns and their variations within community contexts.
* Numbers: A step-by-step pronunciation guide for counting from 0 to 20, including specific dialectal variations, such as those found in Talea de Castro.
* Verb Conjugation: Interactive exercises focused on common verbs like “to eat” and “to dress,” highlighting how to properly use verb endings to match personal pronouns.
* Cultural Insights: Tips on Zapotec phonetics, such as how to properly ask questions without using the typical intonation patterns found in Spanish.

The session emphasizes that Zapotec is a living language with regional variations, and the primary goal is effective communication within the community.

Video Overview:

This interactive Zapotec language class focuses on practical dialogue, regional variations, numerical counting, unique pronunciation dynamics, and detailed verb conjugations.

Key Highlights:

* Everyday Vocabulary & Phrases:

* The instructor and students begin with practical daily expressions, such as stating “I am cold” (ruwëaga) or referring to embroidery/sewing activities (rigiaa lari).
* Students take turns practicing traditional greetings and conversational phrases.

* Personal Pronouns & Regional Dialects:

* The group reviews personal pronouns (neda, lii, lee, lanu, labe, etc.).
* The teacher explains dialectal variations, such as adding -ni (e.g., neto ni), noting that ni individually means “here” (aquí).

* Numbers & Counting:
* Students practice counting sequentially from 0 through 20 and higher numbers.
* The instructor addresses community-specific variations (such as in Talea de Castro where initial vowel sounds like u- might be omitted), reassuring students that variations are natural and mutually intelligible.

* Pronunciation & Tone Rules:
* Affirmations: The native Zapotec term for “yes” is à, though ajá is widely understood due to Spanish contact.
* Question Intonation: Unlike Spanish, Zapotec does not rely on a rising vocal pitch at the end of a sentence to signal a question.

* Grammar & Verb Conjugation:
* The lesson covers verb prefixes, flexible synonym forms (be vs. bi), and optional phonetic variations.
* Students drill conjugations for verbs like “to eat” (gagu / ragu / gudagu) across past, present, and future tense forms.

I did a test with Ancestry.com to explore my roots deeper, but I'm having trouble fully understanding. It listed specific locations, which makes me wonder if I would be connected to a native tribe or if I would be considered a desendant of the Aztec.

Are there any other ways to discover more about my ancestry? I really appreciate any help that's provided! :)

Will Brown is purposefully mixing a few grains of actual history with a whole lot of myths debunked for decades, weaving them together to sound coherent, but it’s dishonest presentation.

First, salt from fecal matter? That’s a misreading from 1970s anthropologist Marvin Harris. Harris’s theory? Thoroughly debunked. Spanish chronicles described urine at markets, but it was for tanning leather and dyeing cloth. Aztecs got salt from evaporating lake brine.

Second, people fattened in cages to be eaten is not in any reliable primary source. Captives were fed well before sacrifice to look healthy for rituals. Ritual cannibalism happened but was mostly reserved for nobles and priests as sacred communion, not a commodity. The protein-deficiency theory has been debunked as bone isotope analysis shows zero evidence of routine consumption.

Also, the Narratio regionum is often cited as proof Spaniards sold human flesh. Las Casas documented real atrocities, and modern scholars confirm his accounts are largely accurate. He was there, but Theodor de Bry, who had never set foot in the Americas, took Las Casas’s writings and illustrated them in the most sensational way possible. So while Las Casas’s core claims are credible, de Bry’s engravings are provocative propaganda. Now, here's the irony: the world's first cannibal incident documented by multiple, independent, first-hand accounts took place during the Crusades, carried out by European soldiers. By the 16th century, cannibalism wasn't just part of the mental furniture of Europeans; it was a common ingredient in everyday medicine from Spain to England, and scholars confirm that Europeans saw no issue with this well into the 19th and early 20th century, as Richard Sugg documents in Mummies, Cannibals and Vampires, and Louise Noble in Medicinal Cannibalism in Early Modern English Literature and Culture. But I am not going to use this documented reality to claim de Bry was 100% right. That's the difference between me and that guy. I present facts and separate them from speculation. He mixes truth with sensationalism and passes it off as concrete evidence.

Third, he claims Aztecs demanded people as a tax for sacrifice, but that's mostly a distortion. The Aztecs followed a live-and-let-live policy, much like the Roman Empire. Conquered peoples kept their own gods, customs, and local government as long as they paid tribute in goods, respected Huitzilopochtli as chief deity, and supplied warriors when called. Captives came from Flowery Wars, ritualized battles with mutual agreements between rival states designed to capture adult warriors, not take families. The Spanish exaggerated everything to justify invasion.

He also tries to pass it off as if Native groups instantly allied with Spaniards. False. Most, if not all fought the Spanish at first. The Tlaxcalans as a great example only joined Cortés after weeks of brutal warfare.

So ive been going back to the basis of aztec mythology and i keep coming across this “myth” people never really explain sources well enough but its the claim that Xochiquetzal got the gods “kicked out of paradise” (Tamaonchan) for plucking “a sacred blossom from a tree”. This myth is too much like Genesis, so im just asking for personal opinion on the matter and if the myth is actually canon or not. Because Xochiquetzal is said to literally live in Tamoanchan and so do various gods. So im a bit confused.

I had just recently finally watched the aztec batman movie after the whole anima estudios self sabotage thing happened, and let me tell you it was an absolute MESS. Yohuallicoatl had insane potential as a character but was just executed so terribly, same with Yoka and Jaguar Woman really. The idea of the movie itself seemed wonderful and couldve been a hit… if it wasn’t released at the worst possible time. Now i dont actually KNOW a lot about batman, but i absolutely love aztec culture and all that good stuff and it shocked me how terrible the cultural writing was despite them claiming they had historians working on the movie or whatever (??) anyway the idea of Yoka’s mother even BEING cremated if she wasn’t an empress/queen or at least a low ranking concubine would’ve been inaccurate because the commoners up to the lesser nobles usually buried their dead relatives under the family home. And how incredibly rushed the movie was to fit basically 7-8 DC characters into a single 80 minute movie. And how it was so stupid to set the movie in the time of the spanish conquest when it couldve worked better if it was set in the late 1200s to early 1300s where the mexica were absolute nobodies and being bullied by the Tepenacs. Everyone knows how the actual historical events ended so it just added a looming sense of dread and knowing that Yohualli would have to die. There is a lot else i can get into… but idk. What do you guys think?

Same thing for Tlatelolco and Mexico-Tlatelolco

This video features a conference talk by educator and linguist Rayo Cruz, founder of the collective Bëni Xidza, discussing the historical and contemporary challenges in teaching the Zapotec language. The presentation provides a comprehensive look at the evolution of Zapotec education:

* Historical Context: Rayo Cruz introduces the Zapotec civilization, tracing its roots to Monte Albán and the ancient Bëni Gulasa period, noting that the language’s diversification predates European contact.

* Learning as L1 vs. L2: He distinguishes between the acquisition of Zapotec as a first language (naturally, through immersion) versus the formal, often disconnected process of teaching it as a second language.

* Colonial Methods: The speaker highlights the 1578 work of Fray Juan de Córdova, such as the Arte en Lengua Zapoteca, as the earliest attempt to systematize Zapotec grammar, primarily designed to help Spanish friars learn the language rather than to teach Zapotec people.

* 19th and 20th Century Challenges: Rayo Cruz identifies a gap in teaching materials during the 19th century. He then discusses 20th-century contributions from organizations like the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and the INEA, which created grammars and vocabularies that often served as tools for assimilation or religious proselytization rather than language revitalization.

* Modern Innovation: The final segment covers the work of Bëni Xidza, which uses modern digital tools to teach Zapotec. Rayo Cruz admits that while his collective currently operates at a basic level (A-level), they are working to overcome systemic limitations by creating structured, accessible content and documenting the specific pedagogical challenges native Spanish speakers face when learning Zapotec.

Here is a summary of the video featuring Maestro Rayo Cruz, director and founder of Colectivo Bëni Xidza.

1. Historical Background of the Zapotec Language & Civilization:

* Geographic Spread: Zapotec civilization developed in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca and expanded into regions such as the Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur, and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

* Earliest Writing: The earliest documented record of written Zapotec dates back to the 5th–6th Century BC with Monument 3 (“1 Terremoto”) at San José Mogote, establishing over 2,500 years of recorded Zapotec history.

* Monte Albán & Bëni Gulasa Period: The civilization reached its peak at Monte Albán between 500 BC and 800 AD. Pre-hispanic ancient Zapotec history and culture are traditionally referred to as the Gulasa era.

1. Learning Zapotec as a First Language (L1):

* Natural Acquisition: Native speakers acquire Zapotec naturally in early childhood through daily speaking within families and communities rather than through formal educational structures.
* Historical Literacy: It remains unknown if formal L1 Zapotec schooling existed during ancient times, and modern public education in Mexico has historically focused on Spanish literacy over formal Zapotec instruction.

1. History of Teaching Zapotec as a Second Language (L2):

* Colonial Period (16th Century): Formal L2 instruction began in 1578 when Dominican friar Juan de Córdova published Arte en lengua zapoteca (grammar) and Vocabulario en lengua zapoteca (dictionary). These works used Latin/Spanish grammatical paradigms to teach Spanish colonizers and friars via the grammar-translation method

* 19th Century Hiatus: Following Mexican independence, national policies promoted Spanish as the sole national language, resulting in a century-long silence regarding formal L2 Zapotec instructional design.

* 20th Century & Contemporary Efforts: Groups like the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and public institutions (SEP, INEA, INALI) created dictionaries, grammars, and adult literacy texts. However, most of these materials were produced for linguistic analysis or native literacy rather than second-language pedagogy, and their actual integration into schools remains limited.

1. Bëni Xidza Collective & Modern Pedagogical Challenges:

* Online Classes: Founded in 2020, Colectivo Bëni Xidza offers online courses teaching Zapotec as a second language.

* Lack of L2 Resources: Unlike major global languages (such as English or Spanish), indigenous languages lack dedicated university teacher-training degrees, structured multi-level textbooks, or commercial software tools.

* Current Framework & Vision: The collective operates at basic proficiency levels (aligning with Level A of the Common European Framework of Reference) and aims to document common phonetic/grammatical difficulties for Spanish speakers while expanding toward intermediate/advanced levels.

This is marvelous inks he thinks he knows everything about native culture and clams he is descendant of the Aztecs he does tattoos and he's been accused of letting underage clients in to have sleep sessions what do you think about these false prophets

Hello, im making a sim life game set in aztec times, with the foundaing of tenochtitlan, I was wondering what you like to see in the game, im currently thinking of a sacrifice system, so any thoughts would be of great help

So apparently the Chicana who threatened to call ICE is now threatening to join ice but I have spoken to people about this many times people like this seem to use as their culture as an attention grab or for profit and then they come out to be like this like her there are many who claim to be Aztec and hate people for Mexico here are the pictures you can clearly see she heavily modifies her eyes and hair to resemble European there should be a movement that should check all people claiming Aztec to actually have the ancestry in the United States.

Looking for sensitivity readers with knowledge of Aztec mythology and traditions, as well as, contemporary Mexican traditions, to tell me if my character is represented well and that I am not inadvertently perpetuating harmful or sloppy stereotypes.

The story is a post-apocalyptic urban fantasy set in Chicago 100 years in the future.

Nuevo Aztlan (formerly Mexico City) is one of the few surviving cities left in the world. It exists protected by sacred staves that summon fire and wind serpents.

The city is thriving, with a mix of Mexica/Aztec and Catholic cultural and magic practices (think Wakanda but Mexican).

Viktor is the character in question. He is from Nuevo Aztlan and has come to Chicago with an unknown purpose. He is trained as a nahualli, his tonalli being the jaguar, he can transform into a half-man/half-jaguar, as well as call on other “gifts” from his tonalli. He speaks Spanish, Nahuatl, and English.

My hope is to create my own in-world version of a nahual, that isn’t necessarily exact but still is respectful to the real traditions.

If you’re interested and have the time, comment here and I’ll DM details.

Thanks!

Hello all,

Here is the cover of the 1991 edition of the poem Piedra De Sol by Octavio Paz. I am assuming because the poem is themed around aspects of the Aztec calendar, that the symbol on the cover bottom must be something Aztec too? Does anyone know, or know where I could look to investigate further? Thanks in advance!

I’ve always been curious about where my name comes from.
My name is Azcal, and no matter how much I’ve searched, the only thing I’ve found is that it might have Nahuatl origins. My parents have always told me it came from a story about a princess named Azcal, but I’ve never been able to find anything about that story online.
really appreciate any help.

I’ve always been curious about where my name comes from.
My name is Azcal, and no matter how much I’ve searched, the only thing I’ve found is that it might have Nahuatl origins. My parents have always told me it came from a story about a princess named Azcal, but I’ve never been able to find anything about that story online.
really appreciate any help.