After surviving the nuclear conflict of 2035, Oaxaca City in 2100 is a vibrant example of human resilience and ingenuity. While much of the modern world was devastated by the war, Oaxaca’s unique blend of indigenous heritage and post-collapse innovation has allowed it to evolve into a society that marries ancient traditions with adapted technology. The city stands as a beacon of hope, blending the cultural identity of pre-Columbian Mexico with the remnants of modernity and human creativity.
Urban Design
- Oaxaca City has rebuilt itself not by returning to a primitive state but by creatively repurposing the ruins of its former self. The city center, once filled with colonial-era architecture, now incorporates both old stone buildings and new constructions made from salvaged modern materials. Homes and communal buildings are a mix of adobe and metal, solar panels and traditional murals, with streets lit by low-energy lighting powered by wind and solar grids.
- Terraced Farms line the hills surrounding the city, taking advantage of ancient agricultural techniques like milpa (crop rotation) alongside greenhouses made from scavenged glass and plastics. These innovations allow the city to produce much of its own food despite changes to the environment caused by radiation and climate shifts.
- Oaxaca City has rebuilt itself not by returning to a primitive state but by creatively repurposing the ruins of its former self. The city center, once filled with colonial-era architecture, now incorporates both old stone buildings and new constructions made from salvaged modern materials. Homes and communal buildings are a mix of adobe and metal, solar panels and traditional murals, with streets lit by low-energy lighting powered by wind and solar grids.
Rewilded Spaces
- Nature has reasserted itself in many areas, but in a controlled way. While some areas were left to grow wild after the war, others have been carefully managed to create new ecosystems that support farming, grazing, and clean water supply. Urban gardens and orchards have sprung up, and the former plazas and parks have become self-sustaining agricultural hubs.
- The city’s residents have developed ways to decontaminate water and soil, mixing ancient indigenous practices with rudimentary modern tech, including biofilters and fungi-based soil reclamation methods.
- Nature has reasserted itself in many areas, but in a controlled way. While some areas were left to grow wild after the war, others have been carefully managed to create new ecosystems that support farming, grazing, and clean water supply. Urban gardens and orchards have sprung up, and the former plazas and parks have become self-sustaining agricultural hubs.
Social Structure and Governance
Community-Centered Governance
- The centralized Mexican government collapsed after the war, but Oaxaca’s communal governance filled the gap. Indigenous councils, with representatives from various communities (Zapotec, Mixtec, and others), work in tandem with local leaders from neighborhoods to create a decentralized yet cooperative political system. This form of governance has its roots in pre-Hispanic traditions, where decisions were made through consensus and communal effort.
- The Tequio system—communal labor for the good of the community—has been revitalized, not out of necessity but as a cultural value, creating a society that prioritizes cooperation and mutual aid. In exchange for work, citizens receive food, healthcare, and security, creating a strong sense of shared responsibility.
A Return to a Hybrid Legal System
- The justice system is based on restorative justice rather than punishment. Conflict resolution between individuals is handled through traditional indigenous practices, where the focus is on healing the community rather than incarcerating offenders. Criminals are often required to perform service for the community, repairing damage or offering reparations to victims.
- The city’s police force (more akin to peacekeepers) wear armor that blends medieval aesthetics with modern materials—crafted from carbon fiber, Kevlar, and scavenged metals. This armor is designed not only for protection but as a symbol of order and tradition. They wield non-lethal melee weapons—specially crafted batons, staffs, and shields—designed for subduing criminals without causing permanent harm, reinforcing the belief that violence should be a last resort. Their presence is both imposing and ceremonial, embodying a philosophy of strength through non-lethality.
Technology and Industry
Energy and Infrastructure
- In 2100, Oaxaca’s infrastructure isn’t based on advanced electronics or widespread digital technology. Instead, it relies on low-tech, durable, and decentralized systems. Small wind turbines dot the landscape, and solar panels power homes and workshops. Energy grids are micro-scaled, with small communities managing their own power needs through a mix of renewable energy and biofuel.
- Water purification has evolved using ancient techniques of filtering combined with modern bioengineering. The city collects and stores rainwater in large cisterns, purifying it using slow-sand filters lined with specific algae and fungi known to neutralize contaminants, ensuring a safe drinking supply for the population.
Craftsmanship and Manufacturing
- Artisans have risen in importance in this new society. Using pre-war tools and materials salvaged from industrial ruins, they craft everything from farming equipment to personal goods. Workshops around the city specialize in blacksmithing, leatherworking, and ceramics, blending old techniques with innovations like 3D printing using repurposed materials when possible.
- Weapons and armor for the peacekeepers, along with farming tools, are forged by master blacksmiths who have perfected techniques of blending high-quality metals with recycled materials. Oaxaca’s mezcal industry has also returned in full force, using ancient distillation methods but with new twists, like solar-powered distilleries.
Culture: A Fusion of Old and New
Art and Spirituality
- The post-war Oaxaca has seen a cultural renaissance, with art playing a critical role in uniting the community. Murals and mosaics are everywhere, depicting both the horrors of the war and the resilience of the human spirit. Indigenous themes, infused with post-apocalyptic imagery, celebrate Oaxaca’s survival and rebirth.
- Spirituality blends traditional Mesoamerican practices with remnants of Catholicism, creating a unique hybrid belief system that honors both ancestors and the Earth. Monte Albán has become a pilgrimage site once again, but now it’s seen as a holy place not just for the old gods but for all who survived the apocalypse. Rituals are held to thank the Earth for providing sustenance, with ceremonies held at sunrise and sunset.
Education and Knowledge
- Education in 2100 is a blend of practical and philosophical training. Schools teach essential survival skills like agriculture, metalworking, and medicine, but also philosophy, history, and art. Oral traditions have returned, but they are recorded using durable media like carved stone tablets or intricate tapestries that tell stories of both pre- and post-apocalyptic Oaxaca.
- Libraries are rare but revered institutions. Books that survived the war are protected as treasures, and new books are painstakingly handwritten by scholars who maintain the knowledge of old-world science, culture, and technology.
Economy and Trade: A New Barter System with a Modern Twist
Local and Regional Trade
- The economy of 2100 Oaxaca functions on a barter system, but it’s highly sophisticated. Credits are earned through labor in the community and can be exchanged for goods or services. While formal currency has disappeared, Oaxaca has developed its own system of tokens or vouchers that represent work hours, which can be used to obtain essentials like food, medicine, or tools.
- Trade with neighboring regions is essential, with caravans transporting goods like textiles, mezcal, and specialized crafts. The roads are safer due to alliances with other communities, and while long-range communication technology has diminished, face-to-face trade and bartering have flourished.
Innovative Currency
- In some areas, renewable energy credits function as a kind of currency. A person’s contribution to community energy production, like maintaining solar arrays or repairing wind turbines, earns them energy credits they can use for other needs. This makes renewable energy not only a necessity but a backbone of the economy.
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