Spanish Chroniclers Research Articles

The Self-Liberated Slave Periquillo Saves the Missionary Juan Pobre: Blackness, Indigeneity, and the Origins of the Black Pacific

ABSTRACT Seeking to chart the depth of the history of the Black Pacific, this article utilizes a contemporaneous Spanish chronicle to interrogate an episode from 1602 in Luta (Mariana Islands), where a former slave named Periquillo negotiated with CHamorus to spare the life of the missionary Juan Pobre de Zamora. I demonstrate that Indigenous CHamoru notions of community, the singular position of diasporic Africans in the Pacific (which made possible their role as go-betweens), and awareness of both groups of Spanish inhumanity drove the course of events. Resurrecting this episode draws backward the timeline of studies of the Black Pacific, which tend to focus on the second half of the 20th century.

From the Americas to the Philippines. The travels of the pineapple: a sixteenth-century globe trotter

Originating in South America, the pineapple –Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.– underwent a lengthy domestication process. Since ancient times, the Native Americans had taken it with them on their migrations and valued the sweetness of its pulp, its medicinal properties, and the quality of its fibre. Much later it was described by Spanish chronicles in Central America and observed by European travellers and missionaries along the Brazilian coast. From the 1560s, the fruit was transported by the Portuguese from Brazil to East Africa and the West coast of India, and from here it was later transferred to other parts of Asia. In the 1580s, the Spanish introduced the species into the Philippines from the New World. This work focuses on the importance that pineapple cultivation has attained in the tropics, especially in the Philippines; it highlights the success that fabrics and embroidery made from fibres extracted from the pineapple achieved in the late sixteenth century; it demonstrates how the introduction of a foreign vegetable species into the Philippines has today resulted in an industry that supports local farmers in the sustainable production of raw materials, providing a means of production for artisans in the region and contributing to the success of a circular economy on a global scale.

El Dorado Offerings in Lake Guatavita: A Muisca Ritual Archaeological Site

AbstractArchaeological and ethnohistorical investigations in the south of the Colombian Plateau, in the Eastern Highlands, suggest that before European contact Guatavita was an important Muisca chiefdom—largely because of the prestige conferred by the presence of ceremonial centers in their territories, especially around the lakes in the hills surrounding the Guatavita-Guasca Valley. The fame of Lake Guatavita as the most important Muisca shrine was fueled by Spanish chronicles during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which described it as the core of mass offering ceremonies or of lavish rituals for the chief's investiture, which fed both the story and the myth of El Dorado. This article presents the results of the archaeological survey done around the lake. The type and distribution of the material culture suggest that there was a shrine where small-scale ritual offerings took place, rather than conspicuous celebrations.

In Search of Monsters: Constructing the “Other” in Spanish Chronicles of the Americas and Early Russian Descriptions of Siberia

This article compares two geographically distant and not directly related traditions of constructing the “other” and “otherness” in the Age of Discovery. It discusses the indigenous populations of the Americas and Siberia as portrayed by Spanish and Russian chroniclers of late fifteenth to seventeenth centuries, examining common points and differences in the construction of “the other” and “otherness.” Emphasis is placed on the common elements in viewing the “other” by Spanish and Russian chroniclers, which have origins in works of Greek and Roman authors and in Christian exegesis of the Old and New Testaments. These common points are attribution of animal characteristics and “anomalous” behavior to indigenous peoples of Americas and Siberia, their identification with monstrous races of Classical authors and the Bible, and correlation between the presence of monstrous peoples and fabulous riches, which was the principal motivation to gather all the available information on monsters in distant lands.

Demonization and sanctification of indigenous feminine roles in the 16th century Philippines

The indigenous feminine roles were hidden from the trappings of the early Spanish chroniclers in the 16th century since their worldviews and background prompted them to write in favor of the Spanish aims of colonization and evangelization. In the process, they despised the importance of women’s status which the author described as demonization. To bring back indigenous women’s honor and dignity, the method of reconstruction is employed to retrieve their narratives that showcase their value be it in the rituals of the maganito, leadership and social functions in the community, and their place in the family and clan. It is in this practice of restoration that the author come up with his notion of sanctification which is considered holy when their integrity is respected and acknowledged. The study employs demythologization technique which emanates from the dialectical enlightenment designed by the critical theory pioneered by Adorno and Horkheimer. The research is limited to the indigenous feminine roles in the 16th-century Philippines. This is qualitative research that analyzes primary sources be it written, visual or artifact materials. The findings of the study shall enrich United Nation Sustainable Development Goal 5 that tackles gender equality and empowerment since any attempts to promote holistic growth should anchor to the respect of human dignity and take into account various dimensions including the stories of the marginalized.

Peach Palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth.): Ancestral Tropical Staple with Future Potential.

A pre-Columbian staple, Bactris gasipaes Kunth. is a palm tree domesticated around 4000 years ago, so appreciated that a Spanish chronicler wrote in 1545, "only their wives and children were held in higher regard" by the Mesoamerican natives. The peach palm is an integral part of the foodways and gastronomy of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, and other tropical American countries; meanwhile, it is almost unknown in the rest of the world, except for hearts of palm. Although abundant, the species faces anthropogenic threats. The purpose of this study is to describe and summarize the physicochemical, nutritional, and bioactive characteristics of the peach palm and its two main alimentary products: hearts of palm and fruits, highlighting the functional and antioxidant potential of the latter, showing both ancestral and modern uses. There is active research on peach palm products and coproducts that aim for better, more sustainable uses of its traditional and recently found properties. The review and presentation of studies on this strategically relevant species can motivate the protection of endangered populations and stimulate new lines of research to advance development in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, with fair trade, sustainable development goals, and adaptation to climate change in mind.

Across Time, Space, and Matter

Across Time, Space, and Matter

Macanas in the Postclassic Maya Lowlands? A Preliminary Look

ABSTRACT Abundant obsidian prismatic blade segments in late (Late Postclassic/Colonial; ca. AD 1300–1700) lowland Maya lithic assemblages, generally ignored, are evaluated against the possibility that they were used in macanas, broadsword-like weapons resembling the Aztec macuahuitl, as attested by Spanish chroniclers. Measurements of 4,664 segments, proximal, medial, and distal, from seven sites around the central Peten (Guatemala) lakes, plus Tipu and Santa Rita Corozal (Belize) and Mayapan (Yucatan, Mexico), were analyzed. Segment dimensions are highly variable, both within and between sites, but appear to have had two modal sizes, rectangular (minimally 12 × 8 mm) and smaller and squarish (around 10–12 mm square). Macanas themselves also may have been made in two sizes, small and large. Although it cannot be proven that the segments were used in Maya macanas, the possibility warrants further study.

La religión mapuche según los cronistas de Indias

This article deals with the Mapuche religion as seen by Spanish chroniclers who wrote about the indigenous peoples of Chile. In these documents, we find numerous religious elements that help us understand the mythology and beliefs of the Mapuche at the beginning of the conquest. Addressing the subject of his study, the author analyzes the works of those chronicles in order to create a general panorama of their vision of indigenous religions, taking into account certain methodological problems that such study entails, e.g. religiocentrism and religious syncretism.

Uma cousa minha os reis e os governadores das ordens militares portuguesas nos séculos XV e XVI

From King João I (1385-1433), the administration of the Portuguese Military Orders - Santiago, Christ, and Avis - was increasingly concentrated in members of the royal family, until its total concentration in the person of the king himself, in 1551.The aim of this paper is to analyse the family connections that help to explain the holding of directive roles in the Portuguese Military Orders by members of the royal family during the 15th and 16th centuries and how this dynamic was seen by a Spanish chronicler of the late 16th century. In parallel, we will analyse cordial relations and some conflict situations that accompanied this whole process, as well as the normative activity of the administrators of these militia throughout this conjuncture.

Dog Nomads: Canid Economy and Athapaskan-Pueblo Exchange

Testimonies of early Spanish chroniclers consistently emphasize the Athapaskan practice of long-distance trade with Pueblo communities aided by hundreds of pack dogs. Despite being the subject of numerous anthropological studies that focus generally on issues of social evolutionary trajectories leading up to European contact, we actually understand very little about how these regional exchange networks operated and the multi-species interactions and gendered labor requirements that made them possible. Using data derived from Spanish accounts, ethnographic information on the management of pack dogs, and modern studies of packing energetics, I model the number of dogs that would be required to sustain interregional trade under different packing conditions. Rather than focusing on the general dynamics of human behavior, this study highlights the details and mechanics of caring for large packs, the historical relationships between Apache women and their dogs, and the role of this partnership in Athapaskan migration and long-distance trade.

Untranslatable Huacas: The Languages of Cultural Appropriation in Early Modern Spanish Chronicles in Peru (1550–1615)

Untranslatable Huacas: The Languages of Cultural Appropriation in Early Modern Spanish Chronicles in Peru (1550–1615)

Ideas about Trans-Pacific Origins and Voyages in Early Spanish Chronicles from the Americas

ABSTRACT During their explorations of the Americas and the South Sea, the Spanish pondered the question of the origins and ancient voyages of the Indigenous people they encountered. They also documented sightings of local raftsmen along the American Pacific coast and chronicled knowledge gained from them about lands to the west. These writings are not only part of the history of ideas of trans-Pacific contact; they have also been used as evidence demonstrating these contacts—as secondary sources concerning pre-European Indigenous traditions. This article describes and analyzes the earliest European ideas about trans-Pacific contacts or origins concerning the Americas, based on a detailed reading of some of the earliest chronicles. It argues that the central influence of the European intellectual landscape appears to have been the belief that both the biblical traditions and new geographical theories were converging in order to motivate the discovery of lands to the west.

Viscacha: luxury, fate and identification in Precolumbian Textiles

Since the sixteenth century, references by Spanish chroniclers to the use of chinchilla hair (Andean rodents of several species including viscacha) by Andean weavers indicate that the fine hair of these animals had been incorporated into textiles. Their fine soft hair, often mottled in color, has distinctive characteristics which vary and, as a result, make them difficult to identify. Some archaeological finds, primarily in Chile have reported viscacha skins and fur bags, but few if any reports have identified the presence of textiles or spun yarns that incorporate this special fiber. The depiction of the animal takes on special meaning in tapestries from the colonial era, though to date, its identification as a material component in these works has not been possible. A long-term project of several stages involved the search for potential items in museum collections of pre-Columbian textiles where viscacha hair might have been used. Collaboration with scientific study in the field of proteomics has enabled the establishment of protocols for species identification, enabling a more precise method to confirm their use. We are establishing the beginning of a group of textiles that have been positively identified, which will be presented in this paper. The special character of the fiber has been confirmed in ethnographic study where, even today, the fine hair is used in special ways, including the direction of spin of its yarns and its use as special amulets for luck in love and health. The illusive meaning of this animal, that lives in remote rocky areas, thriving in regions with little water, may play a role in its significance and efficacy as a conveyor of symbolic meaning can now be confirmed through its use and presence in ritual textiles of the Andean past.

Codicological and paleographical study of manuscript A 331/143 BUS. A romance version of Historia Gothica, by Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada.

La falta de una clasificación sistemática de los manuscritos castellanos ha dificultado conocer con exactitud las tendencias seguidas en la elaboración de los códices a lo largo de los siglos, carencia no obstante a la que se está poniendo fin con los estudios al respecto de los últimos años. El presente artículo espera contribuir a esta línea de investigación sirviéndose del análisis codicológico y paleográfico para, a ser posible, determinar la cronología aproximada del ms. A 331/143 de la Biblioteca Universitaria de Sevilla, contenedor de una traducción de la crónica Historia de rebus Hispaniae o Historia Gothica del arzobispo de Toledo Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada (1170-1247). Ésta, además, no ha sido tenida en cuenta hasta la fecha en los estudios sobre la tradición textual de esta obra. También se comparará con una selección de manuscritos conservados de distintas versiones de esta crónica

Evidence of a large “prehistorical” earthquake during Inca times? New insights from an indigenous chronicle (Cusco, Peru)

A colonial chronicle written by the indigenous Peruvian author Pachacuti Yamqui Salcamaygua ([1613?]) relates a legend of the sudden appearance of a huge animal – kilometres in length and approximately 4 m in width – and described as the Andean snake-like deity amaru. Pachacuti Yamqui alleged that this fantastic event occurred on the day that the sovereign Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui’s eldest son was born around 1440 CE, and was named “Amaru”. We suggest that the underlying event was an earthquake, and that the propagation of the surface rupture across the landscape resembled a sudden appearance of a snake-like being wriggling over the mountains and leaving an undulating surface trace. The concordance between the snake’s route and the layout of a major fault complex above Cusco, as well as several ethnographic testimonies, support this hypothesis. Although little is known about pre-1532 CE seismicity, the current tectonic settings of the Cusco area point to seismic awareness of the Incas (ca. 1300–1532 CE). Independent results from architectural and paleoseismological fields in the Cusco area corroborate a significant impact of large earthquakes on local societies. In Peru, without pre-Hispanic written sources, the oral folklore and traditions preserved in Spanish chronicles offer a relevant, but still underexploited resource for identifying paleo-extreme events. Combining multidisciplinary geomorphic observations, archaeological evidence and historical sources, we revisit this legendary episode and its possible implications.

Political and Social Dimension of Ballgame in North-East Petén, Guatemala: A Comparative Analysis of Ballcourts Distribution through a Regional Perspective

Abstract Ballgame is one of the primary patterns used to describe Mesoamerica as a cultural area. From the first Spanish chroniclers until recent academic research, the study of ballgame and ballcourts has always been an important topic. Many studies focused on the urban and regional distribution of ballcourts, using ballgame as a pattern to understand the political organization of a specific territory. Through a comparative analysis of the main sites of North-East Petén, in Guatemala, starting from Uaxactún territory, and other region in the Maya area, this paper will try to show the differences in social and political dimension of ballgame across the centuries, especially between Late Preclassic and Early Classic.

Slægt og rum i Inkariget. En fortolkning

In the Spanish manuscripts of the 16th and 17th centuries conceming the Inca empire, accounts of a succession of Inca rulers and their descendants are often represented. Modem anthropologists have accepted the statements of the Spanish chroniclers about the existence of a dynasty in the Inca empire, as well as the individual rulers as the main characters in the history of the empire. Against this general agreement, the anthropologist Zuidema has put forward the hypothesis that descriptions and the summaries of the sources should not be understood literally. Often the Spaniards did not understand that their Indian informants sought to describe a particular spatial organization in the Inca empire by means of a temporal succession. Hence, according to Zuidema, several of the so-called rulers represented contemporary chiefs of important social groups of the empire. As a contribution to a discussion of the different ways of reading the sources, the article presents the hypothesis that the Spaniards’ Indian informants described the presence of the royal family in time and space by means of an abstract structure of five elements. It is suggested that the structure is pan-Andean and older than the Inca empire.

El gen histórico de la rebeldía. Sangre, historia y memorias en la persistencia omaguaca (Jujuy, Argentina)

En este artículo se analizan los modos en que un pueblo indígena de las tierras altas de Jujuy (Argentina) recurre al pasado prehispánico y colonial como locus que legitima sus prácticas y proyectos políticos. Para ello establece una filiación histórico-genética con sus ancestros prehispánicos, apelando a la posesión de un común acervo heredado por sangre, y a la autoridad historiográfica que reprodujo por al menos un siglo los discursos sobre su bravura presentes en las crónicas españolas del siglo xvi. Para el análisis se abordan dos registros: 1) las crónicas y fuentes históricas que entre fines del siglo xvi y principios del xvii describieron a los indígenas de la región, junto a los discursos arqueológicos e historiográficos que tres siglos después reprodujeron o cuestionaron estas caracterizaciones bravías; 2) la actualización de tales descripciones en el presente a través del análisis de las narrativas y materialidadades que ofician de soportes de las memorias y del linaje omaguaqueño.

Children of Heaven

Ruling over western South America for nearly 100 years, the Inca Empire was one of many global cultures that practiced human sacrifice, though few other rituals of human sacrifice are as captivating as the Inca child sacrifice of capacocha. Capacocha children were chosen to be representatives of the Inca people in the afterlife. As such, they were afforded an elevated position in society before their death. Following their selection, children would undergo a year-long pilgrimage terminating at a mountain top shrine where they would be killed. As a result of the low temperature and oxygen levels present at such a high elevation, the bodies of capacocha children were protected against decomposition, creating some of the best-preserved natural mummies in the world. These mummies have been the subject of numerous bioarchaeological analyses to determine their age, sex, geographic origin, pathological conditions, diet, and cause of death. Beyond these, however, the mummies present a unique opportunity to study how the capacocha ritual process — including the sudden ascension in status — manifested itself on the children's bodies. This paper aims to review the bioarchaeological data garnered from the mummies in order to reconstruct the experience of a child chosen for capacocha. Results suggest higher variability between children selected for capacocha than was originally outlined by Spanish chroniclers.