The Utilization of Grooved Human Bones: A Reanalysis of Artificially Modified Human Bones Excavated by Carl Lumholtz at Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexico

Abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. This study reports a detailed analysis of artificial modifications observed on a collection of human bone artifacts from CarlLumholtz's nineteenth-century excavations at El Palacio, Michoacan. The data obtained confirm that they were used as musical rasps called omichicahuaztli in Nahuatl and also provide new interpretations of their acquisition, manufacture, and abandonment processes. Cut marks indicate that the bones were taken from fresh cadavers of at least eight individuals, possibly sacrificial victims. Regarding manufacture and use of these instruments, important variations are observed and suggest that different persons could have manipulated them. Finally, it is possible to demonstrate that most of the instruments were broken intentionally prior to being buried with numerous individuals. Regarding the context in which the omichicahuaztli were used, it is interesting to point out some characteristics of the associated skeletons. Among male skulls, the high incidence of traumatic lesions that may have occurred in warlike context strongly suggests that many of the buried individuals were warriors. This association may indicate that Tarascan omichicahuaztli, similar to those of the Aztec, were used in funerary ceremonies dedicated to dead warriors. El presente estudio se basa en un analysis detallado de las modificaciones artificiales observadas en una serie de artefactos confeccionados en hueso humano procedente de las excavaciones de finales del siglo XIX de Carl Lumholtz en el sitio de El Palacio, Michoacan. Los resultados obtenidos confirman que fueron empleados como instrumentos musicales, llamados "omichicahuaztli" en nahuatl; y aportan ademcis nuevos datos acerca de sus procesos de adquisiciOn, fabricacion y abandono. Las huellas de corte muestran que los huesos fueron obtenidos de ocho individuos recien fallecidos, posiblemente desacrificios o victimas rituales. Las importantes variaciones registradas en la manufactura y use de los instrumentos sugieren que fueron confeccionados por diferentes personas. Finalmente, es posible demostrar que la mayoria de los instrumentos fueron quebrados intencionalmente antes de ser enterrados conjuntamente con numerosos individuos. En cuanto al contexto en cual los omichicahuaztli fueron utilizados, es interesante senalar algunas caracteraticas de los esqueletos con ellos asociados. Entre los crcineos masculinos, la alta incidencia de lesiones traumciticas, semejantes a las que ocurren en contextos belicos, sugiere que muchos de los esqueletos pudieron ser de guerreros. Eso indicarla que, al igual que sus rivales aztecas, los tarascos empleaban el omichicahuaztli en ceremonial funerarias dedicadas a los guerreros fallecidos. nificanc...

Neurocranial shape variation among Tarascan populations: Evidence for varying degrees in artificially modified crania in pre‐Hispanic West Mexico (1200–1400 AD)

“…Previous investigations (Michelet, Pereira, & Migeon, ; Pereira, , ) among pre‐Hispanic populations from the Zacapu basin have documented the diversity of ACM forms between the Classic and Postclassic periods (300–1500 AD). They have also stressed the difficulty involved in identifying some variants less severely affected by the modification process that appear along the Postclassic period.…”

“…In addition, new cultural elements observed among the archaeological artifacts as well as the modifications to the existing funerary behaviors have been interpreted by Pereira et al (in press) to be the results of interactions between the autochthonous populations and a newly settled Chichimec group. This Chichimec migration and settling occurred during the 13th century, at the same time as the occupation of the two archaeological sites of El Palacio and Malpaís Prieto, both dating to 1200–1450 AD (Pereira, ; Pereira et al, in press). It is unclear whether the mild modified variants innovation consisted of newly derived versions of pre‐existing west Mesoamerican techniques or genuine technical novelties brought by the settlers.…”

“…Very little information regarding the archaeological context and exact location of the excavations have been provided. Lumholtz discarded the postcranial material, with the exception of several carved long bones (Pereira, ), focusing instead on the skulls that he transported to the American Museum of Natural History where they are now preserved. Twenty‐three skulls come from Malpaís Prieto.…”

The missing femur at the Mitla Fortress and its implications

“…In central and west Mexico during the Late Postclassic period (AD 1300-1520), human femora were worked into musical instruments (Pereira 2005). Rattles and drumsticks were fashioned from the bones of recently dispatched sacrificial victims or enemies killed during battle (Pereira 2005) and were decorated with a series of notched grooves or elaborate carvings (von Winning 1959;Klein 2002;McVicker 2005). A key use of these instruments was to provide musical accompaniment for the funerals of fallen warriors (von Winning 1959;Klein 2002).…”

Symbolic bones and interethnic violence in a frontier zone, northwest Mexico, ca. 500–900 C.E.

“…AU 74B included highly fragmentary and exfoliated long bones and cranial fragments. One humerus shaft had perimortem equidistant excisions on the lateral and medial sides, corresponding to musical instruments known as raspers (34). The bone deposit midway along the patio wall (AU 74C) was comprised of poorly preserved long bone shafts very similar to those in AU 74A.…”