Colima Dogs
Archaeologists estimate that dogs have been domesticated for over 10,000 years, with evidence in the archaeological record indicating domesticated dogs have existed in the southwestern region of Mexico for at least 3,000 years. Ceramic effigies, or representations, of Xoloitzcuintle, more commonly referred to as Xolo, or Mexican Hairless, have been found across the region.
Dogs played an important role for indigenous people in this region. Not only did domesticated dogs provide an opportunity for food, but they also served spiritually as a part of ceremonial and religious life. In some cultures, Xolos would be consumed in sacrificial ceremonies, then buried with their human companions to act as guides to the afterlife, or underworld of that culture. Xolos were considered sacred and or useful by the Aztecs, Toltecs, Maya and other Mesoamerican groups. A sixteenth-century Spanish account from Bernado de Sahagún describes an Aztec meal to include dogs “bought … to provide the people as food.” (Sahagún, 1950-1982, 9:48).
Xoloitzcuintle, or Mexican Hairless dog.
Pre-Columbian Colima Dog vessel from Colima, Mexico. These were manufactured in the Late Pre-Classical Period, 250 BC - 250 AD.
Today, we know of the significance of domesticated dogs in indigenous cultures partly due to the creation of ceramic effigies, known as Colima Dogs. Colima pottery can be recognized by their shiny (as a result of burnishing before firing), red-orange appearance. Colima dogs can be found in a variety of poses, often featuring large pot-bellies or maize (corn) in their mouths. Placed in burial chambers, Colima Dogs acted as or represented a source of food, a companion, or a guide to the deceased.
You can see a number of Colima Dogs in the Museum of Native American History’s Great Room. A 3D version of a Colima Dog is available from the Minneapolis Museum of Art.
References:
Bernado de Sahagún, General History of the Things of New Spain: Florentine Codex. Santa Fe, N.M.: School of American Research.
Sophie D. Coe, America’s First Cuisines. 1994, University of Texas Press.