Review of feline representations (Felidae: Carnivora) in archaeological pieces and allusive toponymy of El Salvador

Abstract

Our ancestors in Mesoamerica gave great importance and respect to nature, involving themselves in the care and veneration of some of its components, such as fauna. The animal species meant respect for them, because in their cultures they saw them as divine beings, since many of them transmitted strength and superiority. Such was the importance that high-ranking characters such as kings or warriors dressed with skins and parts of animal species, taking them to a state of divinity. Some of the most important species within the worship of Mesoamerican Cultures are: Panthera onca, Puma concolor y Leopardus spp. These feline species were possibly of great importance in the political, social and economic spheres within these cultures, since they presented the characteristics that they perceived necessary for their worship.

This work involved an extensive search for information through field research, magazine and newspaper publications online, digital documentation, for the investigation of how feline species have been related to our ancestors in Mesoamerica, which allowed us to make a small compilation of relevant information, of the findings that have been found over time to the present. It is vitally important to raise awareness about this issue as it could help inspire present and future generations about the importance and role of feline species in our environment for their conservation.