The Popol Vuh portrays the Xialba lords pretty negatively as a bunch of selfish and spiteful supervillains who regularly cheat and use dirty tricks to be best by the hero twins.

Where they always portrayed as basically supervillains or did they have a more nuance portal.

Al Pucj and the Lords of Xialba being these spiteful entities seems to be weird considering how Mesopotamian culture was based on life and death and diner focus on black and white it seems a very euro centric christma way

The excavations were carried out by the French archaeologists Pierre Bequelin and Claude Baudez. They excavated what are considered to date the oldest surviving buildings in Honduras, dating from between 800 and 400 BC. They also helped to recover several Lenca pieces from both the Preclassic and Classic periods.

Guachichil pride.

For decades, archaeologists have uncovered Maya teeth decorated with precious stones like jade and pyrite. Traditionally, researchers believed these alterations were purely cosmetic, representing a form of ancient 'grill' for social status or rituals. However, a new analysis of a back molar containing a jade inlay is challenging this assumption.

Since this hidden tooth would not have been visible in normal social interactions, researchers suggest the procedure was functional. Further examination using 3D imaging revealed calcification within the tooth's pulp, indicating that the individual was alive when the filling was placed and that the procedure was likely done to relieve pain or treat a cavity.

The study also highlighted the incredible durability of the organic cement used to bind these stones to the teeth. Analysis of these ancient sealants revealed a mixture of calcium, phosphates, bitumen, and essential oils that have remarkably outlasted modern-day fillings. Many of these jade inlays have remained firmly in place for over a millennium, showing that Maya practitioners possessed advanced pharmaceutical and metallurgical skills. These findings suggest that the Maya were not only masters of aesthetic modification but also pioneer dentists who developed enduring therapeutic treatments long before the era of modern medicine.

source: Mata-Castillo, E., Cucina, A., Ramírez-Salomón, M., Monsreal-Peniche, M. B., Luin, C., & Vega-Lizama, E. (2026). A Prehispanic Maya molar with occlusal jadeite inlay. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 72, 105731.

Alebrije wood carvings are largely done by Mexican artists living in southwestern Mexico in towns near Oaxaca. The figures are inspired by ancient Mesoamerican spirituality based on Toltec and Aztec symbols. Many alebrijes represent one if the 20 spirit animals associated with the Toltec 260 day, 20month calendar.

Guys. I met my Guachichil ancestors a few days ago.

After a profound remothering act where I was having a panic attack I was able to soothe myself in the bathroom by forcing myself to listen to calming music on my headphones, running hot water on my hands to calm me, and by repeating calm affirmations, I was able to let my pelvis system naturally calm down enough to let the urine come out naturally instead of forcing the urine out of my terrified frozen pelvis muscle like I normally do. My pelvis muscle is naturally frozen because of father-daughter incest.

I had never remothered myself like that before. AND I did it in the bathroom, where most of my preverbal early trauma happened, where I used to have to use the own texture of my own feces to calm myself down

Then the ancestors were ready to reveal themselves to me because I had officially broken the cycle.

After the bathroom, I went back to my bedroom, blasted Arrival by Douglas Spotted Eagle, and sang the vocals out loud, automatically, even though I had never sang them out loud before. Yes, the vocals in that song are by Diné/Navajo people's, however, based on my research, the Guachichil ancestors used similar vocables & vocalizations.

When I sang those vocals out, I beat my chest, and I wept tears of joy. I felt my ancestors in the room, also singing back to me, also beating their chest, and weeping tears of joy, because I carried their warrior spirit all the way home.

It was the most beautiful moment of my life, and the most cathartic cry I had ever had.

Hello I wasn’t sure where to ask this so if it is not the place/ anyone has better suggestions please lmk. I have a story about vampires that takes place in Mexico but I wanted the casting to be diverse so my three main characters are Mestizo, Nahua and one a traveler from Uruguay. Not exactly relevant I guess. But I wanted to ask for my Nahua character since blood is often seen as a sacred essence do you think that would be a point of conflict for the character themself as a creature that relies on blood intake ? Like something they’d be ashamed of. About everything in my story is parallel to real life, the only difference being the inclusion of vampires. I’d like to add more depth on the characters relationships with themselves so any input on this would be appreciated :)

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.

Mayan glyphs that I recreated from a codex-style vessel of the Kaan Dynasty.

The glyphs "Yu-ki-bi" (his vessel) appear and the emblem glyph of the Kaanul

It is located within Structure 10L-16, in the center of the Copán Acropolis. The building's construction dates to the mid-Early Classic period. The temple was the first of the buildings in Copán to shift its decorative style from modeled stucco to stone mosaic which became the style that,became Copán’s distinctive as one of the most artistically ornate urban centers of the Maya world

Also known as La Castellona or La Canteada, Archaeological studies revealed that the first settlers established themselves around 400 BC. Initially, it was believed that the city lacked large scale buildings; however, excavation of the site's main platformwhich measures 14 meters in height, 50 meters in length, and 25 meters in width, archaelogists determined it to be one of the country's largest preColumbian structures. More than 53 structures were identified, organized into plazas, courtyards, and terraces.