Dancing dogs,

200 BCE–200 CE

Shaft-tomb Ceramics of West Mexico

The cultures of western Mexico, in the present-day states of Jalisco, Nayarit, and Colima, shared a tradition of burying the deceased in deep shaft tombs located under homes. These tombs often accommodated generations of family members: when someone died, the bones of their ancestors were moved aside to create room for the new ancestor. A great variety of ceramic objects were produced in distinctive local styles to accompany the dead. Human figures might represent loved ones or key moments in the history of the interred; animal representations might have been perceived as providing sustenance in the afterlife, or they may have been seen as eternal companions.