In pre-Columbian times before the Conquerors' arrival, Zinacantan already had strong links with the Aztecs in the Central Zone of Mexico. Zinacantecans exchanged their products (salt, amber, etc.) with Aztec traders. The first missionaries who came to evangelize the native inhabitants in Zinacantan were the Dominican Friars. They settled in Zinacantan in the 16th century and built a wooden chapel to begin their mission. These missionaries left Zinacantan before they were expelled from Mexico by the government in the 17th century. They resumed their pastoral work in Zinacantan in 1976. Pictured is "Iglesia de San Lorenzo" (the church of Saint Lorenzo)
