WOW Gal Angel
Zelia Maria Magdalena Nuttall
The Queen of Mexican Archaeology
One of the first and most important Mexican archaeologists, Zelia was a mama bear to what mattered to her: her proteges, her work, and especially her daughter (whom she raised alone!).
The vast majority of the time, she was nurturing and kind, a welcoming host and well-regarded socialite. But cross her, and oh boy, the claws would come out.
From the start, Zelia wasn’t interested in a conventional life. While the other girls were engrossed in fairy tales, 8-year-old Zelia was head down in her copy of Antiquities of Mexico, realizing what she wanted to be when she grew up. She married and had a kid early on, but 4 years into the marriage, decided to go it alone. She got a divorce, sole custody, and her freedom under her birth name.
Zelia Nuttall was born in San Francisco in 1857 to an Irish father and a Mexican mother. She grew up straddling two worlds. This unique heritage ignited her fascination with Mexico’s ancient past, setting her on a path that would revolutionize the study of Mesoamerican civilizations.
At a time when women were largely excluded from academic circles, Zelia defied convention. She immersed herself in historical texts, learned multiple languages, and gained recognition as a self-taught expert in pre-Columbian history. Her breakthrough came in the 1880s when she identified and analyzed the Codex Nuttall, a Mixtec manuscript filled with pictographic records of royal genealogies and conquests. This discovery propelled her into the global spotlight, earning her respect in anthropological circles dominated by men.
Zelia wasn’t content to study from a distance. She traveled extensively, combing archives in Europe for overlooked Mesoamerican documents and conducting fieldwork in Mexico. One of her most significant contributions was her work on the Florentine Codex, a crucial source of Aztec history recorded by Spanish friars and indigenous scribes. She also uncovered the long-forgotten existence of the Aztec xiuhpohualli, a 52-year calendar cycle tied to celestial movements, proving that the Aztecs possessed sophisticated astronomical knowledge.
Beyond research, she was a fiery advocate for the preservation of Indigenous heritage. At a time when colonial powers dismissed Mesoamerican cultures as primitive, she argued for their complexity, artistry, and scientific advancements.
She formed connections with scholars worldwide, publishing extensively and challenging Eurocentric interpretations of history.
Though she never held an official university position, Zelia’s influence was profound. She was a research associate at Harvard’s Peabody Museum and an advisor to Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology.
Even in her later years, she continued to write, correspond, and push the boundaries of Mesoamerican studies.
Imagine you are living in the 1800s. You see the words archeologist and anthropologist describing a woman. Unconventional, right?
Dig into this book to learn about this inspirational trailblazer who dedicated her life to study the ancient cultures of Mexico
Zelia Nuttall’s legacy is one of tenacity, intellect, and passion. She unlocked the secrets of the Aztecs, proving that their civilization was far more advanced than previously acknowledged. Today, her pioneering work continues to inform and inspire scholars, cementing her place as one of the most prominent figures in the study of ancient Mesoamerica. She was an equal to all the men in her profession in a time when most women were considered a man's chattel.
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