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611 Acxomocuil: according to Sahagun, a deity honored by Aztec merchants. Cacique: a tribal chief in Latin America, deriving from the sixteenth century. The term is a Spanish variation of the Taíno word cacike or the Arawak word kassequa, both meaning “chieftain.” Cenote: the name given in Central America and southern Mexico to a type of freshwater-filled limestone sinkhole. The name derives from the Mayan word dz’onot. Cenotes have long been major sources of water in much of the Yucatán peninsula, most of which lacks other water that is easily accessible year-round. Chac (also Chaac or Chaak): an important deity in the pantheon of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization in Mesoamerica . Chac was the god associated with rain and thunder and was also significant in rites and observances associated with fertility and agriculture. Chalchihuitlicue (also Chalciuhtlicue or Chalcihuitlicue; “She of the Jade Skirt”): the Aztec deity of lakes and streams in Aztec. She is also a patroness of birth. Cochimetl (Cocochimetl): the Aztec deity of commerce and merchants. Cowrie: marine snails of the genus Cypraea (family Cypraeidae ), which are found mainly in tropical regions. Ehecatl(“Wind”):theAztecdeityofwind,anaspectofQuetzalcoatl . He had no known permanent physical form. Fine Orange: pottery of fine-grained paste and little temper from the western Maya lowlands, probably near Laguna de Terminos, the lower Usumacinta and Grijalva rivers region. Hacha: a thin-bladed axe thought to have had a ritual or ceremonial function for the Maya, with a possible connection to the ball game. Incensario: a pottery vessel, or censer, in which incense is burned, especially during religious services. Itzamna: paramount deity of the colonial Yucatec Maya; in Postclassic Yucatec codices, Itzamna appears as the aged deity known as God D. Ixtlilton:(“LittleBlackOne”):theAztecdeityofmedicineand healing often alluded to as the brother of Macuilxochitl. Kancab (also Kankab or Chac kancab): red earth, often found in cenotes, used as a slip for pottery and, with sascab (marl) and grass, in house construction. Kinich Ahau Itzamna: see Itzamna. Mano: a handstone used in conjunction with metates and other grinding slabs to grind grain and other substances. Metate: a stone artifact used for processing grain and seeds. It consists of a large stone with a smooth depression worn into the upper surface. Plant materials are ground in this depression using a smooth hand-held stone known as a mano. Mictlantecutli: a death god. Glossary GLOSSARY 612 Milpa: a crop-growing system in the Yucatán peninsula area of Mexico. The word is borrowed from the Aztec and means “field.” Based on ancient Maya slash-andburn methods, it produces maize, beans, lima beans, and squash. The milpa cycle calls for a period of cultivation and a period of letting the area lie fallow. Agronomists believe that at current levels of consumption the system is self-sustaining. Mixcoatl (“Cloud Serpent”): theAztec deity of the hunt and identified with the Milky Way, the stars, and the heavens in several Mesoamerican cultures. Although Mixcoatl was part of the Aztec pantheon, his role was less important than that of Huitzilopochtli, who was their central deity. Municipio: Spanish for “municipality,” one of the two types of second-level municipality in Mexico. Each of Mexico’s thirty-one states is divided into a variable number of municipios. The Mexican municipio can be compared to the U.S. county, although the local municipal government (ayuntamiento), headed by a presidente municipal (municipal president), can be more usefully compared to that of a U.S. city mayor. Oliva shells (Olividae): a family of Gastropods found mostly in warm tropical seas. They secrete a mucus similar to that of the Muricidae, from which a purple dye can be made. Olla: Spanish term for a pottery jar with a flaring neck. Palma: protective gear worn during ball games; in stone form, it was probably a trophy or ritual object. Plumbate Ware: a pottery characterized by surface slips of high iron content fired at unusually high temperatures, resulting in a lustrous glaze-like finish; the only Mesoamerican semivitrified ware. Plumbate pottery was widely traded from Mexico to El Salvador, and its manufacture ceased at the beginning of the Late Postclassic period. Quetzalcoatl (“Feathered or Plumed Serpent”): the Nahuatl term for the Feathered Serpent deity of ancient Mesoamerican culture. Quetzalcoatl is also a mythical culture hero from whom almost all Mesoamerican peoples claim descent. He is often described as the divine ruler of the mythical Toltecs of Tollan. Many different Mesoamerican cultures—including the Maya, K’iche, Pipil, and Zapotec...

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