In the context of this artwork, explore the Mountains and Lightning of the Prehispanic Panel.
The top left corner of the prehispanic panel depicts a mountain and the other two panels of the mural also contain mountains, a reminder that 90% of the State of Oaxaca is mountainous. This terrain has strongly impacted the history and myths of Oaxaca as reflected in several elements of the prehispanic panel. The isolation created by the mountains, called Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca have helped to generate and sustain 16 formally registered indigenous peoples of Oaxaca. An immense map in the National Museum of Antropología in Mexico City, (see below) captures the predominance of mountains surrounding in the state of Oaxaca. The prehispanic city state called . Monte Albán, appears in green in the map below. Some 20 other prehispanic settlements also appear on the map. An immense lake, supposedly in the Oaxaca Valley would have been a source of food.
The top left corner of the panel also depicts Lightning bolts emanating from the sky. This gives us a hint of the power that Zapotecs and Mixtecs saw in lightning and the sky as the source of life. And García Bustos also depicts Lightning bolts sending energy to the maize (corn) in the milpa.
Oaxaca Mixtec Sierra Norte de Oaxaca Mountains and Lightning maize Zapotec Zapotecs milpa Sierra Madre de Oaxaca indigenous peoples of Oaxaca Monte Albán mural left