Ndaxagua (also Ndaxagua cave, Ndaxagua natural tunnel), locally known in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

as ''El Puente Colosal'' ("Colossal aturalBridge") is a natural cave with double entrance and

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...

, located in the extreme northern end of the Coixtlahuaca Basin, central-southern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The cave was most likely used by

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area in southern North America and most of Central America. It extends from approximately central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica. W ...

n cultures such as the Zapotec and

Mixtec The Mixtecs (), or Mixtecos, are indigenous Mesoamerican peoples of Mexico inhabiting the region known as La Mixteca of Oaxaca and Puebla as well as La Montaña Region and Costa Chica Regions of the state of Guerrero. The Mixtec Culture wa ...

as well. The cave gets its name from a natural rock bridge formation above it. The cave functioned as a sacred entrance into the basin. Several Coixtlahuaca

codices The codex (plural codices ) was the historical ancestor of the modern book. Instead of being composed of sheets of paper, it used sheets of vellum, papyrus, or other materials. The term ''codex'' is often used for ancient manuscript books, with ...

refer to this cave. In

codex The codex (plural codices ) was the historical ancestor of the modern book. Instead of being composed of sheets of paper, it used sheets of vellum, papyrus, or other materials. The term ''codex'' is often used for ancient manuscript books, with ...

depictions, the cave was believed to be the place where

Quetzalcoatl Quetzalcoatl (, ; Spanish: ''Quetzalcóatl'' ; nci-IPA, Quetzalcōātl, ket͡saɬˈkoːaːt͡ɬ (Modern Nahuatl pronunciation), in honorific form: ''Quetzalcōātzin'') is a deity in Aztec culture and literature whose name comes from the Nahu ...

descended from heaven. There are several pre-Columbian inscriptions at the Ndaxagua site. These murals in the cave depict

anthropomorphic figures Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

with protruding beak-like mask. Another mural shows a deer ready to be sacrificed by a figure holding a blades. Another sacrificial mural is present as well.

Location

the region belongs to the communities of

Tepelmeme Villa de Morelos Tepelmeme Villa de Morelos is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. It is part of the Coixtlahuaca District in the Mixteca Region The Mixteca Region is a region in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, part of the broader La Mixteca ar ...

and

Santa María Ixcatlán Santa María Ixcatlan is a town and municipality in Oaxaca in south-western Mexico. It is part of the Teotitlán District in the north of the Cañada Region. Geography The municipality has an area of 201.58 km2 at an elevation of 1,840 met ...

and is part of the protected semi-desert area of the

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve The Tehuacán-Cuicatlán biosphere reserve is a protected natural area located in southeastern Mexico. Its name derives from its two main locations: Cuicatlán and Tehuacán, in the latter are their administrative offices, covers 490,186 hectares d ...

Juquila River Santa Catarina Juquila is a town in the State of Oaxaca, Mexico, and is the seat of the municipality also called Santa Catarina Juquila. It is part of the Juquila District in the center of the Costa Region. The name "Juquila" comes from "Xuhquilill ...

ext site

Five years of speleological investigation in the karst of Sierra Mixteca-Zapoteca, South of Tehuacàn, Oaxaca, Mexico Conference: 15th International Congress of Speleology

References

* Caves of Mexico Mesoamerican sites Mixtec sites Cave sites in Mesoamerican archaeology Archaeological sites in Oaxaca Landforms of Oaxaca {{mesoamerica-stub

Location

See also

ext site

References