The Zapotec economy it had its solid foundations specifically in two areas: agriculture and commerce. The Zapotec culture is part of the Mexican pre-Columbian era and refers to a society that had wide influence, since it is considered one of the main cultures that made up Mesoamerica.
The origin of the Zapotec culture was close to 800 BC and its physical setting was the current state of Oaxaca. This culture has had such significance that even today it is possible to find large communities that maintain their Zapotec roots. It is estimated that today in the state of Oaxaca and its surroundings there are about 800,000 members of this population.
Fishing, hunting and gathering were activities that were present in the economic sphere of the Zapotecs, but agriculture was their main source of subsistence and commercialization..
Among the most relevant foods that the Zapotecs cultivated, corn stands out, which became the main livelihood not only of this community, but also of those that were in the surroundings..
As a consequence of the demand for this and other products, the Zapotecs also performed the functions of merchants, since they were in charge of distributing their products to neighboring communities. Thanks to these actions, commerce became one of the fundamental pillars of the Zapotec economy..
Various investigations have determined that the Zapotec community was especially dedicated to agriculture. In fact, it is considered that the Zapotecs were a people clearly focused on agriculture and this can be evidenced thanks to the large agricultural cities that they came to build and populate..
Each Zapotec home was considered an independent production center, so each family was in charge of watching over their crops. The production of the Zapotecs was characterized by being for their own consumption and also for commercialization..
Regarding cultivation methods, the Zapotec community had some highly complex irrigation systems that allowed the generation of optimal harvests..
There is evidence that shows that the Zapotecs created terraces, channels and various structures through which they generated a fairly efficient agricultural procedure..
However, it is worth noting that not all producers used these complicated systems, and many depended exclusively on rainwater. In general terms, it can be said that Zapotec agriculture was of the temporary type.
The Zapotec culture occupied large areas of land, which is why the different regions in which they developed could vary in terms of climatic conditions and soil characteristics; the irrigation system to be implemented also depended on these factors.
As a consequence of these differences that existed in the regions, in each one of them a different food could be grown, which would respond better to the specific conditions of that area..
For example, in the areas that were in the valley of the territory, some Zapotecs grew wheat and chickpea. On the contrary, the higher areas were ideal for the cultivation of coffee and in the areas near the isthmus, foods such as coconut, mango and banana could be found..
Among the main food products cultivated by the Zapotecs are cocoa, beans, chili, squash and corn; The latter was one of the most important, and even represented a kind of exchange currency between the Zapotec culture and neighboring communities..
Some foods also produced by the Zapotecs but on a smaller scale were onions, peas and garlic, among others. They also harvested different types of fruits, such as plums, grapes, and custard apples..
It is worth noting that a large part of the contributions of the Zapotec culture are reflected in the creation of various utensils thanks to which they were facilitated both the harvest and the treatment of the food they planted..
Such is the case of the so-called metate, a tool made of stone through which they ground corn. This implement was of great economic importance, because thanks to it it was possible to create different types of flours that, in addition to being consumed within the same community, could be marketed and generate succulent economic benefits.
Today there are still rural communities that continue to use metate as a grinding tool; are located in Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, among other countries.
The Zapotecs carried out a fairly elaborate trade through which they were able to sustain their economy. Investigations have determined that this culture conceived several trade routes that crossed the entire region
One of the main means of commercial exchange was corn, a food that was used practically as a currency. Corn was one of the most important crops of the Zapotecs, so it was convenient for them to use it as the main means of exchange..
In addition to corn, the Zapotecs also gave high value to the maguey, a type of plant from which the main ingredient of beverages such as mezcal is extracted, which is widely recognized and consumed in Mexico..
In addition to trading food, the Zapotecs also based their trade on other elements of pottery and ceramics. This is evidenced by the fact that characteristic Zapotec handicrafts have been found in neighboring communities in the area..
Some of the outstanding elements that the Zapotecs made were funeral masks and urns. Likewise, they commercialized a great variety of fabrics made with the cotton that they themselves harvested and that was another essential element of their economy..
Among the most relevant contributions of the Zapotec culture stands out the commercialization of the cochineal grana, an insect that lives parasitically on the nopal. After dissecting the female's body, the so-called carmic acid can be extracted from it, which is nothing more than a red dye..
This product was widely marketed in Mesoamerica and also later to European countries. The Zapotec culture was one of the first to produce and market this product..
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