editions of Clavigero’s Historia .... (7). This map, en- 
titled Anahuac or the Empire of Mewico, the Kingdom 
of Acolhuacan & Michuacan &c as they were in the year 
1521, has designated only a few towns in what is now 
the State of Oaxaca; one of these is Chinantla. The town 
is located in the ‘‘province’’ of Chinantla. Very near the 
town of Chinantla, the map designates a town called 
Achiotlin (‘place of achiote’’); this town either bears 
another name now or does not exist. It is of interest, 
however, to point out that in the vicinity of San Juan 
Valle Nacional, where the town of Chinantla probably 
existed, achiote (Biva Orellana LL.) abounds, whereas 
in the higher mountains to the south, this plant is less 
frequent. 
We find anumber of other writers referring incidental- 
ly to the Chinantla and using the name in its correct his- 
torical sense. In 1864, Orozco y Berra (25) stated that ‘‘La 
Chinantla, con su cabecera del mismo nombre, era une 
provincia mexicana....’* and Brinton (5, 24), in 1892, 
wrote that ‘“lhe Chinantecs inhabited Chinantla, which 
is a part of the State of Oaxaca, situated in the Sierra 
Madre, on the frontier of the Province of Vera Cruz.”’ 
Unfortunately, the term Chinantla has not always re- 
tained its original and historically correct meaning. In 
recent years, it has been applied to other parts of Oaxaca. 
It has been used among historical and anthropological 
writers to refer to the entire area which the Chinantece 
Indians inhabit. This area includes most of the District 
of Tuxtepec, the northern half of the District of Choa- 
pam, a small part of the District of Villa Alta, the 
northeastern section of the District of Ixtlan, and most 
of the eastern third of the District of Cuicatlin, and so 
comprises the greater part of northeastern Oaxaca. A- 
mong the writers who have used Chinantla in this broad 
sense, the following may be cited. 
[ 106 | 
