Hispanic-indigenous Iconography in Two Land Grant Maps of from Tenancingo, 16th Century: The Use of Toponyms for the Representation of Geographical and/or Political Entities

Abstract

In various cultural areas of Mesoamerica, including present-day Central Mexico during the 16th and early 17th centuries, maps were created with a strong pictographic component and a unique style that combined two perspectives: the indigenous and the European. Such is the case of 16th-century land grant maps from Malinalco and Tenancingo, in what is now the State of Mexico, which feature numerous pictographic elements from both styles, making them of interest for studying the cultural area to which they belong. Therefore, the present study is framed within a regional investigation whose main objective is the iconographic analysis of maps from this important region. In this context, this article aims to analyze the Hispano-indigenous iconography of two examples of these maps, originating from 16th-century Tenancingo, and, from this analysis, explain the use of toponyms to represent geographic and/or political entities. This was carried out through various disciplines, such as iconography, ethnography, and history, as well as geographic information systems (GIS), in order to develop a more comprehensive study of all their characteristics, as it is worth noting that these maps lacked an in-depth analysis of their content. Finally, the study also seeks to highlight that the importance of analyzing this type of pictographic manuscripts lies in preserving the regional and local history of these territories. This, in turn, fosters a greater sense of identity and belonging, as their value also has implications for the re-signification of their territorial symbolism, many of which have been lost over time due to various natural and anthropogenic factors.