Unearthing Shaft Tombs: Enlivening Ancient West Mexican Ceramics in the UT Art & Art History Collections

Hudson Day

Advisor: Dr. Astrid Runggaldier

Abstract

In this thesis, I create an exhibition-style catalog of ancient West Mexican ceramic objects from Colima, Nayarit, and Jalisco in the Art and Art History Collection. In doing so, I provide an introduction to the frequently overlooked cultures of West Mexico and a chapter on the historiography, archaeology, and art history in this region. Then, thematic chapters follow the first two sections to engage with larger topics in iconography and style. These chapters are composed of individual catalog essays for AAHC objects selected through lab work. The concept of “shamanism” and other mystical terms formulated by Westerners have been applied very broadly and repeatedly to West Mexican art over time. Simplistic concepts like this are used to “other” non-Western peoples, and this thesis aims to locate problems with cultural analysis done in and about West Mexico. This mysticism became a tool used to interest people in collecting looted objects originating in the Occidente and has helped to form assemblages like the AAHC. To contrast this somewhat negative phenomenon, methods for seeing Indigenous peoples and their art from an emic perspective are evaluated so that existing collections can be used ethically for research and community engagement purposes. These methods allow for a more well-rounded analysis of anthropomorphic figures, architectural models, and other funerary or elite objects from this region. Through these combined narratives of historical background, environment, collecting history, physicality, and iconography, I aim to present a more complete picture of the ancient world of the Occidente and our interactions with it in the modern day.