danzante

The term Mesoamerica refers to a region in Mexico and Central America that was urbanized before Spanish colonization. This area includes parts of modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador.12

Mesoamerican art is diverse, with distinct styles emerging from different cultures and regions. The Olmec civilization, flourishing around 1200 BCE, is known for its colossal heads and "were-jaguar" figurines. Later, the Zapotec people developed writing and a calendar, as evidenced by the danzantes reliefs at Monte Albán, which likely depict sacrificed individuals. The Maya civilization, prominent in the Late Classic period (600-900 CE), created narrative and often intricate art, particularly in carving, pottery, and jade work. The Aztec, who rose to power by 1200 CE, are known for their powerful stone sculptures.321

The danzantes are ancient Mesoamerican stone reliefs, primarily found at Monte Albán. These carvings depict human figures in what appear to be dance postures, though they are widely interpreted as representations of sacrificed individuals. Many danzante sculptures include hieroglyphs near the figures' heads, likely indicating the names of defeated lords, and some also feature calendrical notations. The danzantes are significant as they represent some of the earliest evidence of writing and the calendar in Mesoamerica, developed by the Zapotec elite during the Middle Formative period.2