ZOQUE INDIANS IN MEXICO

ZOQUE IS A MIXE-ZOQUEAN LANGUAGE OF MEXICO. THEY HAVE ABOUT FIVE LANGUAGES. TWO POPULAR LANGUAGES ARE VERACRUZ AND ARE RELATED TO ZOQUE. THEY TOTAL 40,000AND ANOTHER ARE 30,000. THEY LIVE NEAR CHIAPAS IN A WIDE VARIETY OF TOWNS. THEY ALSO LIVE IN THE STATE OF OAXACA. THEY FOLLOW ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION.

IN PREHISTORIC PERIOD, THE ZOQUE LIVED THROUGHOUT TABASCO. THEY ARE BELIEVED TO BE DECENDANTS OF THE OLMEC WHO EMIGRATED TO CHIAPAS AND OAXACA. THEY HAD A GOOD COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP WITHE MIXICA. IN 1494 THEY DEFEATED THE AZTECS AND FORCED TO PAY TRIBUTE.

IN 1523 THE SPANISH CONQUEST OF THE ZOQUE LANDS COMENCED IN 1523. THEY GOT LAND PARCELLED OUT TO THE ZOQUE. THEY THEY ENDURED FORCED LABOR , AND OBLIGATED TO PAY HIGH TRIBUTE. DISEASES AND EXPLOITATION OF THEIR CONDITION DECREASED THERE POPULATION.

IN WAS NOT UNTIL 1922 THAT THERE CONDITION IMPROVED SOMWHAT. IN 2010 ARCHAEOLOGISTS FOUND A TOMB INSIDE A PYRAMID THAT MAY HAVE BEEN THE OLDEST BURIAL IN MEXICO. THE TOMB WAS BUILT BY THE ZOLQUE IN CHIAPAS. PYRAMIDS WERE BUILT AS REPRESENTATIONS OF THE LEVELS LEADING FROM THE UNDERWORLD TO THE SKY. THE TOMB WAS A 13' BY 9' CHAMBER OF WOOD. THE MAN INSIDE WAS ABOUT 50 AND THERE WERE IMAY CERAMIC VESSELS FROM THE OLMEC. A WOMAN'S TOMB WAS NEARBY FROM OLMEC.

THE ZOLQUE WORE TRADITIONAL DRESSES WITH SHORT SLEEVES. THEY HAVE HOUSES OF ONE OR TWO ROOMS MADE FROM ADOBE OR MUD. THEY HAVE CORRUGATED IRON ROOFS. AGRICULTURE IS THEIR MAIN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. THEY GROW PRIMARILY CORN, BEANS, CHILIS AND SQUASH BASED ON TOPOGRAPHY. THEIR SOIL IS NOT RICH. THEY RAISE PIGS AND FOWL IN SMALL QUANTITY. THEY WORK ALSO IN CONSTRUCTION.

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