altepetl (MH894r)

altepetl (MH894r)
Iconography

Glyph or Iconographic Image Description: 

This iconographic example is included here as a representation of an altepetl (pueblo). It includes a profile view of a pre-contact style temple (on the left), although the crenelation at the top is shown in more of a frontal view. On the right is what appears to be a Christian church with three units, all built with stone or adobe bricks, and two dark, arching entryways. There is a compound in front of these buildings that is surrounded by a wall, which is shown in something of a bird’s eye view.

Description, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Added Analysis: 

The gloss gives an article followed by the diphrase, “atl tepetl,” water-mountain or mountain spring, referring to the two nouns that combine to make altepetl. Many early settlements were on top of hills (for defensive purposes), and they had natural springs (for sustaining life).

Added Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Gloss Diplomatic Transcription: 

yn atl tepetl

Gloss Normalization: 

in altepetl

Gloss Analysis, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Source Manuscript: 
Huexotzinco, Matrícula de (MH)
Date of Manuscript: 

1560

Creator's Location (and place coverage): 

Huejotzingo, Puebla

Syntax: 
diphrasis (visual)
noun(s)
Cultural Content & Iconography: 
Architecture, Construction, Buildings
Stones, Rocks, Lapidary, Masonry
Cultural Content, Credit: 

Jeff Haskett-Wood

Colors: 
black & white drawing (no color)
Shapes and Perspectives: 
bird's eye view
frontal view
profile view
rectangular
Keywords: 

pueblos, tecpancalli, iglesia, atrio, arquitectura, piedra, adobe

Glyph or Iconographic Image: 
Relevant Nahuatl Dictionary Word(s): 

altepe(tl), town, pueblo, ethnic state, https://nahuatl.wired-humanities.org/content/altepetl

Glyph/Icon Name, Spanish Translation: 

pueblo

Spanish Translation, Credit: 

Stephanie Wood

Image Source: 

Matrícula de Huexotzinco, folio 894r, World Digital Library, https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_15282/?sp=860&st=image.

Image Source, Rights: 

This manuscript is hosted by the Library of Congress and the World Digital Library; used here with the Creative Commons, “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License” (CC-BY-NC-SAq 3.0).

Historical Contextualizing Image: 
See Also: 

Altepetl (MH537v)

Teotlaltzinco (MH808v)