Ndaxagua

Ndaxagua

Ndaxagua (also Ndaxagua cave, Ndaxagua natural tunnel), locally known in Spanish as El Puente Colosal ("Colossal [Natural] Bridge") is a natural cave with double entrance and archaeological site, located in the extreme northern end of the Coixtlahuaca Basin, central-southern Mexico. The cave was most likely used by Mesoamerican cultures such as the Zapotec and Mixtec as well.

The cave gets its name from a natural rock bridge formation above it. The cave functioned as a sacred entrance into the basin. Several Coixtlahuaca codices refer to this cave. In codex depictions, the cave was believed to be the place where Quetzalcoatl descended from heaven.

There are several pre-Columbian inscriptions at the Ndaxagua site. These murals in the cave depict anthropomorphic figures with protruding beak-like mask. Another mural shows a deer ready to be sacrificed by a figure holding a blades. Another sacrificial mural is present as well.

References

  • Brady, James E.; and Keith M. Prufer (Eds.) (2005). In the Maw of the Earth Monster:Studies of Mesoamerican Ritual Cave Use. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-70586-7. 



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Oaxaca — This article is about the state. For the city, see Oaxaca, Oaxaca. For the ship, see Oaxaca (ship). Oaxaca Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca   State   …   Wikipedia

  • Oaxaca, Oaxaca — Oaxaca is the name of both a state in Mexico and that state s capital city. This article is about the city/municipality. For the state, see Oaxaca. Oaxaca   City Municipality   Oaxaca de Juárez …   Wikipedia

  • Valley of Oaxaca — Looking southwest over the site of Monte Alban. Situated on a mountaintop, Monte Alban overlooks much of the Valley of Oaxaca. The Valley of Oaxaca is a geographic region located within the modern day State of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. The… …   Wikipedia

  • La Mixteca — Map showing the historic Mixtec area. Pre Classic archeological sites are marked with a triangle, Classic sites with a round dot and Post classic sites with a square. La Mixteca is a cultural, economic and political region that covers parts of… …   Wikipedia

  • Maya cave sites — are caves used by and associated with the Maya civilization of pre Columbian Mesoamerica. Certain beliefs and observances connected with cave sites are also maintained among some contemporary Maya communities. These cave sites are understood to… …   Wikipedia

  • Mixtèques — Le roi et seigneur de guerre mixtèque Huit Cerf Griffe d Ocelot (à droite). Rencontre avec quatre Jaguars, illustration extraite d’un texte précolombien, le Codex Zouche Nuttall. Les Mixtèques (prononcer « Michtèques », en espagnol… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Selva Zoque — region of Southern Mexico The Selva Zoque (English: Zoque Forest), which includes the Chimalapas rain forest, is an area of great ecological importance in Mexico. Most of the forest lies in the state of Oaxaca but parts are in Chiapas and… …   Wikipedia

  • Costa Region, Oaxaca — Costa Region   Region   Oaxaca regions Costa to the south …   Wikipedia

  • Demographics of Oaxaca — see also Indigenous people of Oaxaca The state of Oaxaca, Mexico has a total population of about 3.5 million, with women outnumbering men by 150,000 and about 60% of the population under the age of 30. It is ranked tenth in population in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Mixteca Region, Oaxaca — Mixteca Region   Region   Oaxaca regions Mixteca in the northwest …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”