Knowra Alfonso Caso Alfonso Caso Alfonso Caso (1896–1970) was a Mexican archaeologist and public official whose excavations at Monte Albán reshaped knowledge of Zapotec and Mixtec history.
Monte Albán : A major pre-Columbian city in Oaxaca, Mexico, founded by Zapotec people and later occupied by Mixtec communities. Caso directed excavations there that established its importance as a long-lived Zapotec capital.
Eulalia Guzmán : A Mexican archaeologist and educator who researched pre-Columbian cultures and worked in heritage institutions. Guzmán and Caso belonged to the generation that built archaeological research and public heritage work in Mexico.
National Institute of Anthropology and History : Mexico’s federal institution for archaeological research, cultural heritage protection, and the operation of museums and historic sites. Caso helped found the institute and served as its director, connecting excavation with heritage administration.
Zapotec civilization : A succession of Indigenous societies in Oaxaca, Mexico, known for cities, writing, calendrical knowledge, and distinctive cultural traditions. Monte Albán excavations made the depth and development of Zapotec urban civilization clearer.
Tomb 7 of Monte Albán : A richly furnished tomb at Monte Albán containing Mixtec offerings placed centuries after its original construction. Caso’s excavation revealed objects that transformed understanding of Mixtec presence at the ancient city.
Ignacio Bernal : A Mexican archaeologist and historian who studied Mesoamerican civilizations and directed the National Museum of Anthropology. Bernal continued and expanded the archaeological institutions and research traditions Caso helped establish.
National Museum of Anthropology : Mexico City’s national museum devoted to the archaeology and anthropology of Mexico’s Indigenous peoples. Caso’s institutional work helped shape the museum’s archaeological collections and public role.
Mixtec civilization : Indigenous societies of Oaxaca and neighboring regions, renowned for city-states, pictorial histories, and skilled craft production. Caso’s study of Tomb 7 and codices illuminated Mixtec history beyond the city’s earlier Zapotec phases.
Mixtec Codices : Pre-Columbian and early colonial screenfold manuscripts recording Mixtec histories, genealogies, and rituals. Caso used their genealogies and place signs to interpret archaeological finds and Mixtec history.
Eduardo Noguera : A Mexican archaeologist known for research on pre-Columbian ceramics and Mesoamerican chronology. Noguera’s ceramic studies complemented the stratigraphic and chronological work associated with Caso.
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