A page from the Codex Tepetlaoztoc, now held by the British Museum, depicts tribute in feather banners and records Indigenous deaths in the lower left corner. Photo credit: The British Museum
Kay and Velma Kimbell Endowed Chair in Art History, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development and Professor of Art History Lori Boornazian Diel, Ph.D., recently traveled to Seville, Spain, to further her research at the Archivo General de Indias. There, she examined two key records connected to the Codex Tepetlaoztoc, shedding light on 16th-century court cases that detail the mistreatment and crimes inflicted upon the people of Tepetlaoztoc by their Spanish overlords.
Lori Boornazian Diel, Ph.D.
The Codex Tepetlaoztoc, a manuscript commissioned by Indigenous inhabitants and their governor, was likely part of these legal cases. The lawsuits were brought against the Spanish encomenderos, who were tasked with converting the Native population to Christianity in exchange for tribute in the form of labor and goods.
“I reviewed the two records from the court cases—one was over 400 pages, and the second was even longer, closer to 700 pages,” Diel explained. “One of the big questions is how the Codex Tepetlaoztoc traveled from Mexico to Europe. How did it become separate from the legal cases? There’s evidence suggesting it was in the King of Spain’s library in the 17th century, so how did it get from there to its current location in The British Museum?”
One of the central themes of Diel’s work is how the Native people sought to hold the Spaniards accountable for their abuses. The manuscript meticulously details the tribute they paid, including gold and feather works, alongside vivid images depicting Spaniards beating native men—and in one instance, burning them.
“It’s kind of a dark document,” said Diel. “On one hand, the tribute is beautifully rendered, but then you’re faced with scenes of brutality.”
Diel’s fascination with the arrival of the Spanish and the blending of two distinct cultural traditions drives her research. She explores the grandeur of the Aztec civilization and examines how the Spaniards managed to gain control.
Seville Cathedral captured during Diel’s research trip.
“I’ve always focused on the underdog, and I see the Natives under Spanish colonial rule as the underdog,” said Diel. “In this manuscript, there’s a particular Spanish figure named Gonzalo de Salazar—who wasn’t even one of the conquistadors but arrived later—whose abuses against the Natives are recorded through this document.”
Additionally, Diel investigates how Indigenous peoples utilized art to assert their power under colonial rule.
They used art, specifically their visual discourse, to hold the Spaniards accountable,” said Diel. “Even though the court cases reveal that the Natives didn’t have a lot of power and rarely won, the survival of this manuscript is significant.”
“It highlights the actions of someone like Salazar, who was not a good person, allowing their voices to still be heard through the art, which I think is really important.”