In Colonial códices, the tlacuilos, master artist-scribes and experts in
the application of color, continued the tradition of representing visually many
aspects of the history and cultures of Mesoamerica. They employed traditional
materials such as paper made of bark, cloth, and animal skins, as well as dyes
made from plants and mineral pigments. European paper began to be used in the
16th century, yielding códices in book form, a change from the earlier
accordion format. Roman Catholic evangelizing of the Indians led to the destruction
of many códices, because they preserved indigenous religions and were thus
considered dangerous. Some colonial códices nevertheless document religious practices,
since the Spanish friars needed this knowledge for their missionary work. The
need to establish effective communication between conqueror and colonized explains
the appearance of what is referred to as "mixed" códices, characterized
by a combination of glyphs and figures from the indigenous tradition with dates
and numbers in Arabic and roman characters, as well as written text. Some texts
were written in Spanish, others in native languages, and still others in bilingual
form.
Approximately 500 Colonial códices are currently known. This number
is likely to increase, however, as more manuscripts no doubt await discovery in
remote towns and provinces. Some communities have preserved such treasured documents
for centuries; some are in private hands and are therefore inaccessible to scholars.
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