El Zapotal: A Ceramic Figurine

El Zapotal: A Ceramic Figurine Museo de Antropología de Xalapa, Xalapa, Veracruz, México, El Zapotal Figurine Clifford C. Richey July 2021 It would be helpful to refer to: https://www.academia.edu/33253716/Depicted_Sign_Language_An_Ancient_System_of_Communication when reading this paper. The sources for approximately three hundred historically documented gesture signs are listed. Other signs have been determined through a known context of signs. The paper explains the organization of Form, Imagery, Gesture Signs, Stance, allusion, positional, pictorials, and incorporation, as used in creating compositions. 2 We begin our translation with the Large compounded Gesture Signs partially obscured by the Faces. Illustration 1: The Large Gesture Signs in Background The Large, the great, (green) Gesture Sign for, the opening, or, gap,1 the (red) Center Line indicates, the one, positional, within, the opening, that is, positional, on, the (dark green) Horizontal Line, that means, the surface. The (red) Vertical Line appears to act like template for the depiction of the Faces and as a center line that divides the section into Left and Right, east and west.2 The sign also establishes Horizontal Curved Crossbar is the sign for, the upper-side, or, upper-world. The “V” shaped opening sign extends to the Oval sign, the vertical-turning-place, on the upper Necklace. The Cords of the Necklace are in the Form of the sign for, the arising, Left and Right, in the east and west. Illustration 2: Gesture Signs The one, that is, positional, within, the opening, is the Image of a Bat whose spirit essence or major behavioral trait is, the one who flies, erratically, in the darkness. The “V” Form also overlays a portion of the female Figure’s Face. 1 Tomkins, William: Indian Sign Language, Dover Publications Inc., New York, 1969. GAP 30-31, Number One 2223, PRAIRIE or EVEN PLANE 46-47 2 Tomkins, 73 “… where the points of the compass are not clearly understood, the left side supposes the east...” 3 Illustration 3: The Left, the Eastern Side of the Earth 4 Illustration 4: Bird Form and Location Figure The (dark gray) Form of a Bird, the one that flies, is, positional, on the side, of the (light blue) sign for, arising. from the surface, of, the, (red) Triangular, Female-earth. The (shades of green) Bird has a Tail in the Compound Form of a Large, the great, (blue green) Water Droplet. water particle. The Water droplet is composed of the (light green) Triangular, Female-earth, and the (dark green), the part, positional, on the side. The (dark green) Wing, the part that flies, The Body seems to be a compound of Forms, a Rectangular, (light green), place, sign, and, positional, on, the surface, of, the, Triangular, Female-earth, sign. The (light blue) Curved Line is the sign for, arising, Double Lined, unseen.3 The (light green) Beak, the Mouth of the Bird, has the meaning, the water source. The Rightward Leaning Stance of the Bird’s Body and Beak means, waiting, at, the (dark tan) Fingers, the ones, as Vertical Rectangles, indicates the, (4 Count) vertical-places, in all four directions, or, everywhere. Next to the Curved Line, arising, of the Form of the Arm, the warrior, is a faint, Finger, the one. pointing, upwards, from, the surface, of, a Triangle, the Female-earth. To the left of this is the Form of a Hand (in contact with the Finger,) the steward of the Sun. The Bracelet (separates the Arm from the Hand) is composed of Two complete (light blue) Circles, represent, the ones, the locations, Left and Right, in the east and west, positional, the (green) Half Bead is an, on, the side, sign. Next we see the (dark tan) Arm that represents, the warrior, followed by the (yellow) Gesture Sign for, the star.4 The star sign is in contact with the Egg shaped Form, the one who will emerge, (hatch). The (light blue) Ear alludes to its orifice, the hole. The (light blue) sign represents, taken,5 in the direction indicated, upward, Double Lined, unseen, and terminates, on the side. 3 4 5 Tomkins, 32-33 Tomkins, 54-55 Tomkins, 54-55 5 Illustration 5: The Left Side, The Eastern Side of the Female Figure 6 Illustration 6: The Right Side, the Western Side of the Female Figure 7 Illustration 7: The Center of the Female Figure 8 Illustration 8: The Center, Continued 9 Illustration 9: Details of Bat Imagery The Bat’s Face is, positional, within, the Form of an Egg, whose spirit essence is, the one who will emerge. The Eye of the Bat is, positional, Left and Right, in the east and west. The Two Shepherd’s Crooks are the signs for, taken, to the surface. At top of the Crooks a “V” shaped, opening, that is between the signs, at the center. The Triangular sign for, the Female-earth, positional, within, the earth, is the Triangular Form of, a female-spirit. It is the female-spirit that is taken to the opening on the earth’s surface. The Eyes of the Bat are pictorially, closed, indicating that it can’t see. The Eyes are composed of the signs for the Upper Half, the upper-world, the Surface Lines for, the middle world, and the Under-Half, the under-world. The upper-world, the sky, was considered male, and the underworld, female, the middle-world contained both genders. The Bat’s Nose is in the Form of a Finger and is the gesture sign (when placed in front of the signer’s Nose indicates, a man, or, a male.6 6 Tomkins, 38-39 10 Illustration 10: Details of Bat Imagery Continued The Bat’s Nose alludes to the Nostrils, the holes, positional, in the east and west. The Form and Imagery of the around the Nostrils was based on the shape of a, cross sectioned, Mushroom whose spirit essence means, the one that arises from the earth in the darkness (nighttime). The signs emanating from the Nostrils are Water Droplets, water particles, that are, turning-upwards, positional, on, small Triangles, the surface, of the Female-earth. The Chin of the Bat is composed of a (black) Horizontal Rectangle, a horizontal-place, positional, within, the darkness. Above the Bat’s Head is a damaged overlay on the ceramic. The Form of the area is that of, the Large, the great, part, 7There is some Imagery of, moisture, or, wet, (multiple Triangular Dots), female-spirits, unfortunately, the rest is not clear. 7 Tomkins, 44-45 11 Mushroom Form and Imagery was prevalent in many ancient cultures. An initially mysterious, Mayan, Image of a Mushroom sheltering a Squirrel can be viewed below. A comparison between the size of a Squirrel and Mushroom would make the Mushroom over two feet (nearly 61 centimeters) tall! Photo Credit: Leemage via Getty Images Illustration 11: The Mushroom and The Squirrel 12 Illustration 12: Mushroom and Squirrel Continued There are two additional Forms within the Larger Foot Imagery. There is the, male-spirit, sign and the Form of a Tumi Knife that may represent, a ray of the Sun (the one that cuts, the face of the earth). There is much Form and Imagery related to Knives and Darts of different styles that may each have their own distinct meaning that has not yet been determined through their context. We can clearly see what the Mushroom/Squirrel message is about. The idiom about squirreling something away is still used today.8 8 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squirrel%20away Definition of squirrel away: to put (something) in a safe or secret place especially so that it can be kept for future use 13 Some details about the center of the Figure: Mountain (black and white), Hill, (blue) There is a (blue) Stepped Rectangle at the base of the Figure that is the Form for, a hill. A smaller version of, a mountain, sign that has more steps or levels. The (yellow) “U” shaped, turning, signs are Double Lined, hidden, or unseen, positional, within, the hill. The Feet, the walks, Stance, on the sides, Left and Right, in the east and west. Illustration 13: Color Inverted Between, at the center, of the (yellow), turning, signs, (Within the Skirt of the earth) there appears to be a Face, or Faces, his appearance, the details of which are not clear. Based on previews translations of the cosmology, there may be Two Faces joined together in the blackness, the darkness, of the under-world. This would mean that the Two Faces of Venus, in the east and west, are, united as one, in the dark under-side of the Female-earth. The Curved sides of the hill sign follow the Form of, arising, Hands, the steward of the Sun, in the east and west. These speculations are not intended to be included in the translation. The Large gesture based signs in the background of the Figure's Head/Face is a Very Large, the great, (red) “V” shape, opening,9 sign, positional, on, the (green) Horizontal Line that indicates, the ground's surface. Positional, within, the opening, is the Large, the great, (tan) Vertical Line sign that means, one, that refers to the Imagery of a, Bat Face, his appearance, his spirit essence, the one that flies, erratically, in the darkness. 9 Tompkins, William American Indian Sign Language, Dover Publications, Inc. New York, 1969. The land or prairie pp. 46-47, The one, the male pp.38-39, 14 ? Illustration 14: Bat Form/Imagery Comparison The Bat, spirit essence, the one that flies erratically, between the Circles, the one in the east and the one in the west, at the center. Even today we use the idioms, “blind as a bat”, and “Batty.” Illustration 15: Wolf/Form/Imagery Comparison The Wolf, spirit essence, the scout, the spy, The Wolf was associated with Venus as the advance scout for the Sun. It arose before the Sun and acted as its Eye, and Scout. Apparently seeking out sources of water to quench the Sun’s thirst. The Sun “drank up” the water found at, the water sources, the centers. Along with the water the Sun drank up the female-water-spirits, taking them to the sky and Venus. These were the spirits of the elite, the deceased leaders that were of the lineages of the Sun. Other lineages had their own destinations in the sky.10 10 Tomkins, 54-55 15 The Nazca culture in Peru also used the Wolf to describe Venus.11 Above we see the gesture signs compounded for, star, female-spirit, (black Curved Line) arising,12 signs. The, star sign, is compounded with the gesture sign (the Fingers) for, the wolf.13 The Wolf’s spirit essence was, that it jumped up in the tall grass to look around for its prey. This observable behavioral trait represented, the spy, or, the scout. Summary: While we are missing some of the details and may have miss-perceived some of the Form and Imagery, we are still able to understand the thrust of the Figure's message. We understand that the Female Figure represents the Female-earth and the Gesture Sign behind her Head indicates a great opening in the surface of the earth. The Vertical Line in the center of the opening means, the one within the opening. The Female-earth’s skirt represents, the under-world where there is an, unseen-turning. The Foot Imagery that tells us that the spirit of a deceased Mayan elite walked on the sides of the earth, in the east and west. The deceased's role in the culture is identified by the Arm and Hands that represent a warrior, and steward of the Sun. This informs us that he was a member of the lineage of the Sun, the original founders of the culture. The Hand (s), the steward of the Sun, is positioned on the hillsides where the Serpents, the streams of water emerge from the under-world. Originally such sites were natural springs that the ancients considered to be portals between the under-world and the sky. As the culture grew in population and became involved in agriculture on the plains they constructed artificial hills or mountains with stone imagery of the Serpents moving down the sides. The Serpent’s open Mouths representing, water sources, that served as virtual spring sites. The Dual Necklaces of the create Double Lines that indicate, unseen, turning, with The Figure’s Face, his appearance, at the Center that refers to the natural spring sites that later became the man made centers for the culture. The Necklaces incorporated the Face into the composition. The Face that originally represented the Face of the Female-earth pictorially does not carry over into what is now a different subject area when read individually, The Form of the Face is in the shape of the sign of a, male-spirit and it occupies a center position between the Two Circular gesture signs that indicate the centers in the east and west. This center, is of course, where the spirits of the deceased leave the underworld for the sky. 11 https://www.academia.edu/14522695/The_Nazca_Cat_Demon_Vessel_Updated_ 12 Tomkins, 12-13 13 Tomkins, 60-61 16 Above the pictorial Female-earth’s Head is the Large, the great, Face, the male-spirit’s appearance. The Form is a Large, the great, Egg, representing, one who will emerge, from the center. The Imagery of the Face is that of a Bat, the one who flies erratically, in the darkness. The Bat’s Eyes are closed indicating that he cannot see. But with his very Large, very great, Ears, he was considered, the one, with, great hearing. The Bat’s Left, eastern, Arm, the warrior, and Hand, the steward of the Sun, present the reader with the message, that the deceased is a star, the great flier, that arises high in the east. At this point there is little doubt that the subject is Venus, the final destination of those elite warriors and stewards of the Sun. In their afterlife they continued to serve the Sun as they did during their lifetimes.