Codex Zouche-Nuttall pages 1-41 : narrative structure, contents, and chronologies

This dissertation is a concise examination of the complete obverse manuscript (document 1) of the pre-Hispanic pictogram screen-fold painted by the Mixtec Indians of Oaxaca. The study begins with the historiography of Native American Mexican screen-fold books as related by the first historian of the New World, Peter Martyr d’Anghera, in his De orbe novo and proceeds through major authors from the early twentieth century to present day. The nature of “native” history is explored as is the nature of pictogram narrative history. The superficial narrative structure of Codex Zouche-Nuttall, document 1 is then defined and interpretative reading techniques employed in this dissertation are applied to it. The codex document 1 contents (pages 1-41) are then listed in detail by section, structure, personnel, events, and native dates corresponded with the European calendar, this latter in so far as is possible. This definition explicates each of three bifurcated sections of the document, each section consisting of a story plus genealogy or genealogies. Additionally, essays on codex contents are provided to further elaborate these divisions of study within Codex Zouche-Nuttall document 1. These essays explore certain mysterious parts of the stories, as in the case of the Ladies Three Flint and the Four Lords from Apoala. Inferences are made from codex text regarding Postclassic Period Mixtec social organization via both political structure and religion. The end result is a concise elaboration and explanation of the entire document.