The 1-Peso Note of the Banco Minero: Archaeology and Mexican Nationalism

This presentation explores the ethnopolitical significance of a vignette on a Mexican banknote from 1888. Employing the theoretical constructs of the "imaginario" and visual linguistics, it analyzes the image in the context of the associated Diaz dictatorship. It concludes that the Diaz oligarchy employed the engraving to help paint the dictatorship as the reestablishment of Mexican hegemony in the wake of the French-led Maximilian occupation of Mexico, to rally Mexican nationalism, and to develop a Mestizo-focused modern identity for Mexico that celerates its prehistoric native past. The study identifies the particular Aztec piece that was used as a model for the vignette and points out the irony, probably intentional, of using an ancient artifact that was showcased in the French national collection at the Louvre, when the image was developed. The presentation provides the nucleus for the development of an article for peer-reviewed publication.