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| Old Town Mazatlan |
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| Old Town Mazatlan |
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| Nice Apartments in Old Town |
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| Serving Bowl - Archaeological Museum |
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| Figurines - Archaeological Museum, Mazatlan |
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| Decorative Plate |
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| Lovely Pots |
We spent our last day in Mazatlan visiting the small Archaeological Museum in Old Town. The museum showcases artifacts of the indigenous people who inhabited the Sinaloa territory long before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1531. Over 10 thousand years ago native peoples were hunting with arrowheads and spears; starting about 4,000 yrs. ago these early inhabitants learned to farm maize, chili beans, zucchini, and root vegetables like sweet potatoes. They also grew cotton and tobacco and took advantage of fruit trees like guava and plums. Settlements found along the edge of rivers and in marshy swamp land have provided archaeological material, revealing a highly developed culture. These sites are often recognized from the surface by remains of Mollusk shells, housing bedrock, and ceramic fragments. Artifacts housed at the museum include bowls, pots, and figurines dating between 750 AD and 1200 AD along with human remains found in large ceramic urns. Indigenous groups of Sinaloa buried their dead twice. The first time in a space dug in the ground, then after two or three years the bones were dug up and placed in an oval-shaped ceramic urn with a lid. In 1995 in the town of Chametla, five urns were unearthed of which one contained the remains of a male with pots and arrowheads. The others contained the remains of children and young women. Two of these urns are exhibited at the museum in Mazatlan. The predominant colors of the various ceramic pots and urns are red, orange, black, and cream with different geometric designs like circles, rhombuses, dots, spirals, staggered lines, and checked patterns. It is believed that some vases depict gods relating to agriculture like the Maize God and Rain God. Other vases depict more sinister images like The Snake of the Clouds and the God of Death. Research indicates that plain pots were used mainly for cooking, while the highly decorative ones were used primarily for serving the food. Diaries of the Spanish Conquistadors describe the magnificence of the Sinaloa, especially Chiametlan (now Chametla) on the Baluarte River, and Quezala on the Presidio River. Mud figurines are considered one of the most important findings. The figurines are generally naked, occasionally dressed in loincloths and wearing ornaments such as necklaces. Both men and women wore jewelry. A figurine which was found while altering the Nautical School in Mazatlan is known locally as “Jorobado de la Nautica” (or Nautical Hunchback). The figure has a hunched back and is dressed in a leather loincloth. Hunchbacked people were believed to have special sacred powers and sometimes were recruited into the local government to bring good luck. We enjoyed learning about the indigenous people of Sinaloa and seeing all the wonderful artifacts. The museum is well worth a visit and information is printed in both English and Spanish.
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| The Hunchback |
We spent our last day in Mazatlan visiting the small Archaeological Museum in Old Town. The museum showcases artifacts of the indigenous people who inhabited the Sinaloa territory long before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1531. Over 10 thousand years ago native peoples were hunting with arrowheads and spears; starting about 4,000 yrs. ago these early inhabitants learned to farm maize, chili beans, zucchini, and root vegetables like sweet potatoes. They also grew cotton and tobacco and took advantage of fruit trees like guava and plums. Settlements found along the edge of rivers and in marshy swamp land have provided archaeological material, revealing a highly developed culture. These sites are often recognized from the surface by remains of Mollusk shells, housing bedrock, and ceramic fragments. Artifacts housed at the museum include bowls, pots, and figurines dating between 750 AD and 1200 AD along with human remains found in large ceramic urns. Indigenous groups of Sinaloa buried their dead twice. The first time in a space dug in the ground, then after two or three years the bones were dug up and placed in an oval-shaped ceramic urn with a lid. In 1995 in the town of Chametla, five urns were unearthed of which one contained the remains of a male with pots and arrowheads. The others contained the remains of children and young women. Two of these urns are exhibited at the museum in Mazatlan. The predominant colors of the various ceramic pots and urns are red, orange, black, and cream with different geometric designs like circles, rhombuses, dots, spirals, staggered lines, and checked patterns. It is believed that some vases depict gods relating to agriculture like the Maize God and Rain God. Other vases depict more sinister images like The Snake of the Clouds and the God of Death. Research indicates that plain pots were used mainly for cooking, while the highly decorative ones were used primarily for serving the food. Diaries of the Spanish Conquistadors describe the magnificence of the Sinaloa, especially Chiametlan (now Chametla) on the Baluarte River, and Quezala on the Presidio River. Mud figurines are considered one of the most important findings. The figurines are generally naked, occasionally dressed in loincloths and wearing ornaments such as necklaces. Both men and women wore jewelry. A figurine which was found while altering the Nautical School in Mazatlan is known locally as “Jorobado de la Nautica” (or Nautical Hunchback). The figure has a hunched back and is dressed in a leather loincloth. Hunchbacked people were believed to have special sacred powers and sometimes were recruited into the local government to bring good luck. We enjoyed learning about the indigenous people of Sinaloa and seeing all the wonderful artifacts. The museum is well worth a visit and information is printed in both English and Spanish.
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| Intricate Designs |
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| Ancestral Burial, Second Phase |
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