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TEOTIHUACAN
A. Teotihuacán site
1. REQUIRED READING:
a) Coe 1984
b) Millon 1981
2. SUPPLEMENTARY READING:
a) Millon 1973
3. Location
a) about 40 km northeast of Mexico City
b) archaeological zone of about 200 hectares
c) Teotihuacan Valley
1) in Valley of Mexico (8000 sq km)
a> characterized by lake system
2) small "sub-valley" defined by low ranges of hills
a> 500 sq km
b> altitude of over 2200 m
c> overlooked by Cerro Gordo volcano
3) strategic location
a> passage to and from Valley of Mexico
b> access to obsidian sources
c> permanent springs
d> rich, irrigable alluvial plain
e> other resources
1> salt from Lake Texcoco
2> limestone to northwest
3> volcanic stone
4> clay for pottery
4. History of research at Teotihuacan
a) Early history
1) name of the site means "abode of the gods" in Nahuatl
a> real name of site and culture is unknown
2) Aztecs believed site had been built by a race of giants
a> bones of mammoths found nearby
1> Tepexpan man found in 1947
a: radiocarbon dated to ca. 8000 BC
2> two imperial mammoths found in 1952-54 near Santa Isabel
Iztapán
a: evidence for butchering on spot by Tepexpan contemporaries
3) Leopoldo Batres
a> began work at site in 1905
b> under pressure to restore Pyramid of the Sun for centenary
of Mexican independence in 1910
1> restoration has five intermediary platforms
4) Mexican Revolution
a> 1910, Porfirio Díaz lost election to Francisco Madero
1> refused to leave and became object of popular rebellion
b> after revolution, archaeology became an integral part of
public policy
c> new nationalism and pride for things Indian
d> Teotihuacan became a national symbol
5) Manuel Gamio
a> major explorations of site in 1917
b> restored Temple of Quetzalcoatl and Citadel
6) Sigvald LinnÇ
a> Swedish archaeologist
b> excavated at site from 1932-1935
c> unearthed first palace residences
d> found conglomeration of 175 rooms around network of
corridors encompassing 4000 sq yds
e> interpreted two large houses as shelter for pilgrims
f> responsible for revealing urban nature of site
7) Laurette SÇjournÇ
a> French-born Mexican archaeologist
b> excavated at site from 1955-1957
c> found Palace of Zacuala under bean field
1> covered 5000 sq yds
2> lavish murals with iconography ancestral to later works
3> interpreted site as cradle of Nahuatl civilization
d> futher excavations in 1963
1> uncovered more murals
8) Ignacio Bernal
a> Mexican archaeologist
b> directed National Institute of Anthropology and History
(INAH) excavations from 1960-1964
c> restoration campaign made possible by President Adolfo L¢pez
Mateos
1> also opened National Museum of Anthropology in 1964
d> site intensively excavated in 1962-1964
1> Avenue of the Dead cleared of debris
2> plaza in front of Pyramid of the Moon cleared and
refurbished
3> highway built for access to the site (opened 1964)
4> statue of Tlaloc
a: found near village of CoatlinchÝn
1: still in original quarry near Texcoco
b: 23 feet high and weighs 168 tons
c: moved to Mexico City in 1964
1: local villagers believed rain would cease
A. parted with statue on promic of road, school,
clinic, and electricity
B. rainfall pattern hasn't changed
9) RenÇ Millon
a> University of Rochester
b> made exploratory survey in region north of Pyramid of the
Moon in 1957
1> found major extension of building zone
2> noted large mounds arranged in plazas
3> concluded site had been a major city
c> mapping project
1> mapped 8 sq mi (20 sq km)
2> identified over 500 craft workshops
a: more than 200 ceramic workshops
b: stoneworking, shell, and figurine loci
3> located 2600 major structures over 8 sq mi
d> collaborated with George Cowgill
1> prepared coded data file
a: 291 items of information for each of 5047 "sites"
1: each site an architectural unit, structurally-related space,
or other significant space (cemeteries, etc.)
10) William Sanders
a> Pennsylvania State University
b> undertook ecological study concurrent with mapping project
1> worked together with Jeffrey Parsons, Richard Blanton, and
associates
2> found evidence of terracing and irrigation
c> argued Teotihuacan was "a true city"
11) Others
a> Work in regions surrounding Valley of Mexico
1> Tula to northwest
2> Hidalgo, Tlaxcaca, and Puebla to east
3> Morelos to south
4> Valley of Toluca to west
b> Work in Kaminaljuyu and Tikal
c> Evelyn Rattray
5. Architecture
a) Site layout
1) precise gridwork pattern
b) General construction techniques
1) Lime plaster
a> technique for burning limestone probably introduced from
YucatÝn and Guatemala
b> burning probably contributed to drying of climate
c> creation of plaster may have led to ecological disaster
c) Cerro Gordo
1) Stephen Tobriner
a> found passage in 1580 report to Philip II
1> earliest Western reference to Teotihuacan
2> mentions noise of water in large mountain (Cerro Gordo)
a: "Towards the north lies a big mountain which the native name
b> noted that Cerro Gordo, a volcano, had a thin vertical shaft
that emitted air and the noise of water travelling
underground
c> conjectured that Teotihuacanos believed mountain was the
source of water
d) Pyramid of the Sun
1) chronology
a> largest and oldest construction at site
b> sherds and figurines in fill are of Late Formative dates
c> this and a few adjoining platforms were sole monumental
architecture at site for several centuries
2) form
a> 61 meters tall
1> one of tallest and largest in North America until 20th
century
b> recalls construction of circular platform at Cuicuilco
c> broad staircase focus of building
1> single flight divides into two and then merges again
2> may have functioned as backdrop for rituals and public
events
3> attendants going up stairs would have vanished and
reappeared
3) construction
a> probably had perishable superstructure
b> made of horizontal layers of clay faced with unshaped stones
c> Batres' reconstruction criticized, but 19th century
paintings show five distinct levels
4) cave
a> discovered by Jorge Acosta during installation of Light and
Sound equipment in 1971
b> near center of pyramid
c> ceramics indicate use from Late Formative through Classic
d> chamber with layout resembling four-leaf clover
1> later Aztecs claimed to have come from "Chicomoztoc" or
Seven Caves
2> chambers may have been revered by Aztecs
5) orientation
a> east faces 1530' north of west
b> sun sets on axis with building on day of zenith passage
(June 21)
1> pyramid faces the setting sun
c> governs axial arrangement of other buildings at site
e) Pyramid of the Moon
1) chronology
a> built after Pyramid of the Sun
b> construction of type used before AD 300
2) construction
a> core made of piers built of slabs of tufa
b> shafts in between filled with dirt
c> more rapid filling out of final shape with earth
f) Avenue or Way of the Dead
1) known as "Miccaotli" to Aztecs
2) orientation
a> runs north-south
b> oriented 1525' east of north
c> complimented by secondary axis, East and West Avenues
1> together, divide city into quadrants
3) size
a> 130 ft wide
b> about a mile and a half long
4) construction
a> changes elevation up and down stairs at several points
b> commands attention as architectural form in its own right
c> lined on both sides by more than 75 temples and small
platforms
1> have never been excavated
2> only partially reconstructed
3> may contain tombs
5) chronology
a> at least two older layers of construction beneath present
platforms
6) general remarks
a> roadway connected nothing
b> afforded axial order, without leading from one place to
another
g) Ciudadela
1) found by mapping project to be at center of city
h) Great Compound
1) companion precinct to Ciudadela
a> together, the two structures form massive architectural unit
i) Temple of Quetzalcoatl
1) chronology
a> construction of type dating prior to AD 300
b> sculptured facade revealed beneath later construction
1> reconstructed between 1917-1920
2) construction
a> same type as Pyramid of the Moon
j) Bird-Butterfly (QuetzalpapÝlotl) Palace
1) discovered in 1962 by Mexicans directed by Jorge Acosta
2) chronology
a> one of latest buildings at site
b> roof had collapsed, beams burnt, suggesting disaster
3) construction
a> enclosed courtyard, resembling medieval cloister
1> may represent habitation of warrior society
b> richly decorated rooms with stucco floors
c> roofs once supported by small wooden beams 5" in diameter
4) artwork
a> reliefs represent owl of warfare and quetzal
k) Residential compounds
1) more than 2000 identified
l) Zacuala Palace
1) enclosed palace compound
m) General remarks
1) Pyramid of the Sun is where it is because of cave
a> interior chambers modified
b> used extensively during end of Tzacualli phase (AD 1-150),
around when first pyramid was built
1> inner chambers excavated by Acosta
2> died before report was submitted, notes are inaccessible
c> cave may have been seen as place of origin of moon (and
possibly sun)
2) orderly distribution of platforms reflects cosmic order
3) spatial relationship reflects rhythm of universe
4) design is one of most impressive open-volume constructions
in the history of architecture
5) platforms are non-military, serving ritual rather than
defensive needs
6) talud-tablero construction
a> sloping component called talus
b> cantilevered vertical panel, tablero, framed by rectangular
moldings
c> effect is that of a box hung on a pyramid
1> talus shadowed by tablero
2> tablero appears to float on cushion of shadow
3> form is unstable, with tendency to collapse
d> tablero profile may have been invented in middle period
(Stage II) after building of pyramids
e> frequently decorated with sculpture or painting
f> recognized as symbol for temple in Teotihuacan
1> common to platforms supporting temples
2> this symbolism lines Avenue of the Dead
a: compared to great, open-air cathedral
3> enormous talud-tablero facades on Great Compound
g> found at other sites
1> Cholula
2> El Taj°n
3> Tikal
6. Chronology
a) Terminal Cuanalan (ca. 200 BC)
1) population of several thousand in region
b) Proto-Teotihuacan I or Patlachique (150-1 BC)
1) first large settlement
a> sufficient size to provide base for rapid expansion
2) covered roughly 8 sq km
3) population estimated to have reached 20-40,000
4) "influence" from Puebla-Tlaxcala region
a> architectural planning
b> influence from Cholula and Cuicuilco
c) Teotihuacan I or Early Tzacualli (AD 1-75)
1) before construction of pyramids
2) deliberate concentration of rural population in city
a> came from eastern and southern Valley of Mexico
3) population may have reached 80,000-100,000
a> for 600 years 85-90% of the inhabitants of eastern and
southern Valley of Mexico were concentrated in Teotihuacan
4) influence from Puebla-Tlaxcala region
d) Teotihuacan IA or Late Tzacualli (AD 75-150)
1) rapid expansion of city to cover 20 sq km
2) Avenue of the Dead laid out
3) dramatic increase in population
e) Teotihuacan II or Miccaotli (AD 150-200)
1) pyramids of Sun and Moon built
a> internal pyramids in each
2) Ciudadela constructed
f) Teotihuacan IIA or Early Tlamimilolpa (AD 200-300)
1) beginning of construction of outlying suburbs
2) resettlement of population in residential compounds
3) expansion of Teotihuacan state
4) increasing flow of raw materials and production goods
g) Teotihuacan IIA-III or Late Tlamimilolpa (AD 300-400)
1) construction of most residential compounds
2) population may have reached at least 65,000
h) Teotihuacan III or Early Xolalpan (AD 400-550)
1) continued construction of residential compounds
2) peak population reached at around 85,000
a> Millon suggests possibly 150-200,000
3) ecological ruin probably irreversable around AD 500-600
a> evidence of constant rain and water crises
1> probably exacerbated by building with mortar and stucco
2> depletion of forests caused dessication of landscape
3> deforestation also caused soil erosion
4> erection of more temples may have perpetuated cycle
i) Teotihuacan IIIA or Late Xolalpan (AD 550-650)
1) destruction by fire and abandonment about AD 650
a> core area of temples badly burned
1> much more burning in monumental center than outlying areas
2> all temples of Ciudadela have evidence of burning
a: palaces do as well
b> temples violently destroyed
c> fires were deliberately and systematically set
d> may have been conflict with nomadic peoples to the north
1> disrupted by expansion of city
2> perhaps occasionally employed as miners or laborers
3> "Destroying it politically apparently required destroying it
so thoroughly ritually that it could never again rise to a
position of political preeminence."
4> some evidence invaders were culturally close to
Teotihuacanos
a: only motivation for systematic ritual destruction
b: were clearly familiar with beliefs and value systems
c: destruction followed ritual pattern
2) dissolution of apartment compounds
j) Teotihuacan IV or Metepec (AD 650-750)
1) transplanted settlements on shore of Lake Texcoco
2) military becomes prominent in iconography
3) abandonment around AD 750
B. Wednesday, 9/14 - Teotihuacan settlement, subsistence,
trade, and politics
1. Settlement patterns within city
a) Three types of residences:
1) palaces with a central courtyard forming single household
a> Viking Group
1> grid of right-angled alleys running off main street
2> central patio and large rooms
a: some with elaborate murals
2) large apartments clustered around central court
a> Xolalpan
1> well excavated by LinnÇ in 1930's
2> situated a few hundred meters east of Pyramid of the Sun
3> central courtyard surrounded by four platforms
4> better quality housing than Tlamimilolpa
5> discrete clusters of rooms on platforms
a: may have had about 60 rooms
3) continuous clusters of rooms with interconnecting alleys and
small couryards
a> Tlamimilolpa
1> relatively isolated apartment compound
a: excavated by LinnÇ
b: dates to ca. AD 250-450
c: located in sparsely developed area on eastern edge of city
d: endless succession of rooms
1: form interconnected clusters
2: separated by interior passageways
3: 180 excavated altogether
b) Residential palaces
1) construction
a> stone and adobe with plastered walls and floors
2) Ciudadela
a> suggested by Armillas to be ruler's palace
1> may be equivalent of Aztec Tecpan complex
b> alternately, may have been dormitory for priesthood
c> found by mapping project to be at center of city
3) Edificios Superimpuestos
4) Atetelco
a> 1500 m southwest of Pyramid of the Sun
b> placed by ceramics early in Teotihuacan III
c> paintings of cult of Tlaloc on interior walls in palace
5) Tetitla
a> 1000 m southwest of Pyramid of the Sun
b> different levels of construction indicate occupation of some
duration
6) Tepantitla
a> 500 m east of Pyramid of the Sun
b> frescoes depicting Tlaloc
1> paradise of Tlalocan
a: for those chosen by Tlaloc
1: drowned persons
2: those struck by lightning
3: lepers
7) Zacuala
a> excavated by SÇjournÇ in 1950's
b> located in same sector as Atetelco and Tetitla, but 2000 m
from Pyramid of the Sun
c> covered area of 4000 sq m
d> rooms and porticos distributed around thirteen patios, which
were bounded by more porticos
e> central patio included temple occupying entire east side
f> painting of high quality, very well preserved
1> abstract aspects of Teotihuacan religion in yellow, dark
blue, and turquise over a brilliant red background
c) Residential compounds
1) more than 2000 discovered through site mapping
2) identified as apartment complexes by Millon
a> probably housed 60-100 people in different households
b> may represent cognatic kin groups
1> may have favored rapid expansion of craft economy
3) one-story structures, surrounded by high stone walls
4) construction
a> common size was 50-60 meters square
b> planned and built in single operation
1> patios had drains to carry off excess rainwater
a: networks of drains carried water into streets
1: often stone-lined
b: indications of prior planning and construction
2> surfaced with concrete lacking lime
3> interior walls and floors surfaced with plaster
c> interiors divided into rooms, patios, and passageways
1> divided by stone or adobe walls
d> each compound has one or more temple platforms
e> kitchen floors identified
1> cooking probably was done on portable, 3-prong ceramic
stoves
f> appear to have been maintained for 100 years or more
g> many rebuilt three or four times
5) population size
a> estimated by Millon at 125,000
b> may have reached 200,000 at maximum
c> was sixth largest city in the world in AD 600
d) Foreign barrios at Teotihuacan
1) more than 600 craft workshops tended to cluster in
neighborhoods
2) characterized in some instances as apartment compounds set
off from immediate surroundings
3) marked status differences noted between barrios
4) barrio temples noted within apartment compounds
a> Yayahuala an example
5) Oaxaca barrio
a> located in western part of city
b> occupied during 4th century (Late Tlamimilolpa)
c> Zapotecs living in typical Teotihuacan housing
d> burials were Zapotec style
1> extended position
2> interred with Zapotec-style pots
a: one pot clearly imported from Oaxaca
e> manufactured Oaxaca-style pots from local clays
f> may have been embassies or merchants' quarters
g> luxury goods for Teotihuacanos may have been manufactured
h> reinforced by evidence from Monte Alban for relationship
between the two centers
1> barrios also noted at Monte Alban
6) Merchants barrio
a> located on eastern periphery of city
7) Maya barrio
8) Veracruz barrio
9) "Barrios" also known from Aztec Tenochtitlan
2. Subsistence systems in the Valley of Mexico
a) floral evidence
1) domesticated food plants
a> maize
1> tended to be small
2> Nal-Tel/Chapalote variety
3> evidence for steamed tamales
b> beans
c> squash and pumpkin
d> tubers
e> tomatoes
f> plum
g> avocado
2) useful plants
a> cotton
b> bark paper (Ficus sp.)
c> reeds
d> bottle gourd
e> maguey
3) wild plants
a> tubers
b> prickly pear
c> fruits
b) faunal evidence
1) domesticated animals
a> dog
b> turkey
c> represented less than 10% of food consumed
2) wild animals
a> fish
b> deer
c> cottontail rabbit
d> jackrabbit
e> ducks
f> geese
g> quail
c) agriculture
1) Millon estimates 2/3 of urban population lived from
cultivating land
2) lime important for processing maize kernals
3) irrigation
4) lake system
3. Trade
a) Marketplaces may have been very important
1) Great Compound may have been the central marketplace
2) possibility that cacao was known as currency
b) Obsidian sources and production
1) city monopolized procurement and distribution of obsidian
a> specialization begins early in city's history
1> nine obsidian workshops dated to Patlachique phase (150 BC -
1 AD)
2> dramatic increase to 48 or more in Tzacualli phase (AD
1-150)
a: accompany dramatic population increase
b> monopolization of sources and distribution from Tlamimilolpa
phase (AD 200-400) on
c> 400 obsidian workshops in city during Classic period (AD
200-750)
1> most in apartment compounds
2> blades, scrapers, cores, and bifaces made near major streets
3> blank with pointed base (not used locally) may have been
produced for export
4> three regional manufacturing areas
a: Pyramid of the Moon
1: cores, blades, and bifaces
b: Ciudadela
1: cores, blades, and bifaces
c: Great Compound
1: specialized in cores and blades
5> Green obsidian at Pachucha (Cerro de Navajas)
a: 50 km to north of site
b: may have been distributed to workshops uniformly by state
c: makes up 90% or more of core/blade production from
Tlamimilolpa on
d: Pachuca obsidian has been found at Kaminaljuyu, Tikal,
Becan, Altun Ha, and other Maya sites
6> Tepeapulco a center of obsidian production under Teotihuacan
control
c) Long-distance trade in shells
1) Spondylus
2) Pecten
3) Strombus and other conches
d) Ceramics
1) several barrios specialized in production of San Martin
Orange (a kitchen ware)
a> may have had specialized marketplace
2) evidence for possible Maya barrio producing polychrome wares
3) Teotihuacan-style slab-foot and stuccoed vessels appear at
Kaminaljuyu, Tikal, and other Maya sites
4) Thin Orange manufactured elsewhere, but production was
controlled by Teotihuacan
e) Other materials
1) evidence for jade and onyx workshops
2) mica
3) cinnabar
a> used to decorate pottery and in burial rituals
b> mined in Sierra de Queretaro some 200 km from Teotihuacan
4) hematite
a> main pigment in murals and on ceramics
5) turquoise
a> probably came from New Mexico area
4. Politics and government
a) state apparatus
1) state characterized by:
a> social stratification
1> evidence for secular elite
b> specialization of activities
c> utilization of surplus
d> strong religious focus
e> monumental art and architecture
1> implies centralized control
2) believed apparent by first century AD
a> Parsons suggests plan for depopulating countryside
b> could only have been carried out by centralized use of
legitimized power
1> decision-making body with use of legitimized force
3) functions
a> reorganized management of entire region's resources
1> transformation of settlement hierarchy
a: from dispersed to concentrated
2> large-scale population relocation
a: people moved to provide food and services for city
3> city was "primate center", 25 times larger than "secondary
centers"
a: hub of regional marketing system
b> developed "inner hinterland" of Valley of Mexico
1> 85-90% of inhabitants of Valley of Mexico concentrated in
Valley of Teotihuacan, most in the city
2> managed "outer hinterland" in Morelos and other regions
a: expansion begun in Tlamimilolpa (4th century AD)
b: cotton production may have been major motivation
c: major occupation in vicinity of Tula
1: Late Tlamimilolpa through Metepec (AD 300-750)
d: settlements in lime-producing areas
e: major centers in southeastern Hidalgo and northern Tlaxcala
f: "Teotihuacan corridor"
1: sites between Apizaco and Huamantla
2: settlement towards Gulf Coast and Puebla Valley
c> controlled production and distribution of manufactured items
1> ceramic workshops found in all parts of city
a: concentrated near clay sources
b: 30 workshops in several barrios specializing in a special
kitchen ware (San Mart°n Orange)
c: distribution suggests minor state control
d> controlled procurement and distribution of obsidian
e> appealed to variety of religious beliefs and rituals
1> maintained religious and cultural attraction of city
2> legitimized economic expansion
4) long-range planning and implementation
a> construction of residential compounds coincided with
expansion of craft production and expansion of Teotihuacan
state
b> monumentality represents "spectacular realization in stone
of the values and goals of its builders" (Millon)
5) self-confidence manifest in planning suggests individual or
collective rule
6) temple and polity were probably not separated
a> no portraits of individuals at top of social hierarchy
b> little evidence for "secularized elite"
b) social stratification
1) vast gulf supposed between upper and lower classes
a> Millon has identified six distinct classes
b> artistic representations
1> portraits of rulers unknown
a: vast status differences may have removed them from pubic eye
2> no explicit representations of subjugation
3> no portrayals of servants
4> possible suggestions in relative size of characters
portrayed
5> status differences indicated by dress
a: priests in costume
b: others in loincloths
6> some evidence for two rulers from AD 380-445 seen in Maya
stelae at Tikal
c> upper classes probably lived in Ciudadela/Great Compound
1> twin palace structures
d> lowest classes probably lived in small, insubstantial one-
or two-room adobe structures
1> locations at site largely arbitrary
2> probably a very small group (no more than a few thousand)
2) human sacrifice
a> no human sacrifice depicted in art
1> however, human hearts, sometimes impaled on knives, are
shown
2> one representation of bird (quail) sacrifice
b> human skeletons found in Pyramid of the Sun, Temple of
Quetzalcoatl, and other buildings
3) militarism
a> warriors are absent from local art until late in site's
history
1> even then, no armed figures in combat
b> Teotihuacan-related military figures appear in Maya art at
Tikal ca. AD 450-500
1> Stela 31
2> scene on cylindrical tripod vessel, probably from Veracruz
4) religion
a> Pasztory remairks that Teotihuacan was "the first... in
Mesoamerica to turn the agricultural fertility cult into a
state cult"
b> city was believed to be the place where the present cycle of
human existence came into being
c> location where sun and moon rose to heavens from a fire into
which two deities had thrown themselves as sacrifices to end
the darkness
1> Aztec belief at time of Conquest
d> city's shirnes were probably the objects of pilgrimage
5. Teotihuacan influence abroad
a) Central Mexico
1) Cholula
a> large pyramid in Valley of Puebla
b> florescence similar to that of Teotihuacan
c> underwent depopulation at time of Teotihuacan's burning
b) Veracruz
1) Matacapan
c) Guatemala
1) Kaminaljuyu
2) Tikal
6. SUPPLEMENTARY READING:
a) Sanders and Price 1968
C. Teotihuacan art and iconography
1. MAP ASSIGNMENT DUE
2. Iconography
3. Murals
a) Chronology
1) occurs mostly prior to AD 700
2) early period
a> painted exterior walls common
b> decoration confined to geometric bands and checkerboards
c> applied al fresco to wet plaster
3) middle period
a> ideographic signs
1> heraldic friezes with glyph-like forms
b> large forms representing water, seashells, and marine plants
c> painting in colors on dry plaster
d> black outlines
4) last period
a> scenes with many small personages
1> processions of profile figures in ritual activities
b> depictions of roads, buildings, animals
c> symbolic depictions for speech or song
d> religious sacrifices and other world scenes
5) chronology of individual murals unknown
6) Teopancaxco
a> suburb of the city
b> altar painted with costumed priests with flowered speech
scrolls, advancing on sun-like disk
7) Tetitla
a> suburb southwest of ritual center
b> painted tablero framed by interlaced serpents
1> bright blue-greens, ochers, and reds
c> frontal, repeating rain-god figures
1> streams of water and ideographic signs flow from hands
d> another tablero with jaguars and coyotes in profile
1> animals loll tongues at possible human hearts
2> frame of interlacing jaguar and coyote legs
e> human in netted jaguar suit one of two flanking doorway
1> kneels on path marked by footprints leading to temple
2> temple has elaborate, thatched roofcomb
a: probably typical, perishable superstructure
8) Temple of Agriculture
a> near Pyramid of the Moon
1> discovered in 1884
2> known only from copy made in 19th century
b> earliest known landscape painting
c> sacrificial scene
d> water foreground with scalloped waves
e> two pyre-like forms with scrolls of smoke and flame
f> figures bear offerings
g> three priest-like figures with animal headdresses and speech
scrolls
9) Tlalocan painting
a> located east of Pyramid of the Sun in Tepantitla compount
1> on walls framing a patio within palace compound
b> rich color and animation make this the most splendid at the
site
c> copy made by August°n Villagra
d> probably later than Temple of Agriculture mural
1> dates to Teotihuacan III
e> two registers
1> upper half
a: water image flanked by priests
1: water goddess similar to basalt sculpture from Pyramid of
the Moon courtyard
2: water flows from hands
3: plants (morning glories?) sprout from head
A. crawling with butterflies and spiders
B. suggest hallucinogenic rituals
b: cleft source of two wavy floods
1: each of these is filled with sea creatures
2> frame of interweaving serpent forms
3> lower half
a: two rivers flowing from mountain source
b: space filled with dancing figurines
1: play in streams of abundant water flowing from mountain
2: speech scrolls coming from mouths
3: play ball, piggyback, and splash in water
4: movements like figurines of Teotihuacan III
c: butterflies and flowering trees
d: interpreted by Alfonso Caso as Tlalocan, an Aztec paradise
dedicated to Tlaloc
1: paradise for those who died by drowning
b) Murals
1) burial platform northwest of stream separating south pyramid
from other buildings
a> early archaeological context
b> painted tablero frame
c) Technique
1) Cholula paintings related to style at Teotihuacan
a> red, ochre, black, and blue
b> depict seated and reclining drinkers
1> painters may have become drunk while painting mural!
2) after AD 450
a> fewer colors employed
b> images perfectly replicated, suggesting use of stencil
c> emphasis on growing militarism
1> anthropomorphic figures bearing arms
2> friezes of jaguars and coyotes lolling tongues at possible
human hearts
d) General symbolism
1) Glyphs
a> about 15 signs recur often enough to suggest use as glyphs
b> usually appear as two or three signs in ornamental bands or
friezes
c> some signs may stand for cult objects
d> others are costume elements
e> writing system appears to consist of:
1> names
2> time-markers
3> astral signs
4> directional symbols
5> some bar-and-dot numerals
f> some signs found in Classic Maya
1> trapezoid sign interlaced with a triangle
2> same sign appears in Mixtec manuscripts as solar year
g> others in Classic Zapotec art
1> treble scroll, trilobed drop, mountain sign
h> others in Classic Veracruz
1> figure of a fat god
2> angular scrollwork
3> smiling figurines
4> headdresses inscribed with signs
2) Social iconography
a> mostly signs of peaceful agrarian lifestyle
1> images of flowers, twining strands of water, song and speech
scrolls bespeak peaceful and poetic worship of nature
2> strong current anxiety about flood and drought
3> insistent references to water
b> art is impersonal
1> figurines devoid of individuality
2> expression limited to animated aspects of watery and
benevolent nature
c> aggressive behavior absent until late
4. Stone sculpture
a) Chronology
1) prior to AD 300
a> carving of great sculptural friezes (ex: citadel)
b) Architectural elements
1) early period
a> water deity
1> found in courtyard of Pyramid of the Moon
2> may date to middle phase of Classic period
3> characteristics
a: stands 10 1/2' high
b: carved of basaltic lava
c: pectoral cavity for insertion of stone symbolic of the heart
d: hem of skirt has scoll symbolizing liquid
1: probably goddess depicted in Tlalocan mural
e: cleft in head
1: recalls Olmec works (although blockiness of sculpture is
very different)
2: may have been aligned with Cerro Gordo
4> probably an architectural support
a: no other similar ones, however
5> may be prototype for Aztec goddess Chalchiuhtlicue
2) middle period
a> Temple of Quetzalcoatl
1> sculptured facade was covered by later construction
a: restored between 1917-1920
2> finely-fitted stone veneer
a: painted plaster masked joints
3> low relief and feathered serpent forms
4> carved conch and pecten forms
5> larger feathered rattlesnake above talus on tablero
6> carved clay decorations
a: geometric head of cubical forms, possibly rain spirit
b: paired feathered serpents and fire serpents
c: alternation of forms reflected in murals and vase-painting
7> painted in red and white at first
8> painted stucco replaced sculptured ornament in 3rd century
c) Funerary masks
1) thin slabs with perforations along the margin
a> often made of basalt, onyx, jadeite, obsidian
b> provenience on most of these is unknown
2) suspended on the outside of mummy bundles
3) eyes and mouth encrusted with colored materials
4) facial planes painted or encrusted with geometric designs
5) geometric conception of human face
a> squarish proportions characteristic of Teotihuacan
6) six fundamental saw cuts to facial features
a> horizontal cut for mouth
b> triangle of converging cuts define nose and mouth
c> two horizontal cuts for eyes
7) style may derive from figurines
d) Ballcourt marker
1) found at La Ventilla, an outlying residential compound
2) found in absence of masonry court
a> teams competing in front of similar marker appear in
Tlalocan mural
3) four individual components
a> each worked in elaborate interlocking scroll design
1> characteriztic of Classic Veracruz sculpture
2> typical of El Tajín, which as eleven ballcourts
5. Ceramics
a) Figurines
1) may have been ancestor images
2) may have been images of gods and fertility symbols
3) chronology
a> earliest (Stage I) like those of Chicuilco and Ticoman
1> triangular pinches of clay and coffee-bean eyes
2> found in fill of Pyramid of the Sun
b> next (Stage II) are squarish and flattened
1> reflect shapes of masks
c> middle (Stage III)
1> handmade figurines replaced with molded heads
d> final (Stages IV and V)
1> post-date destruction of site
2> ornate and jointed
3> also found on west side of Lake Texcoco
b) Stuccoed vessels
1) chronology and imagery similar to monumental paintings
2) heavy, lipped lids with paintings to match the body
3) cut-out slab feet
4) Tlaloc vessel (Miller 1986:Fig. 56)
a> blue, goggle-eyed Tlaloc bearing an olla
1> smaller olla also has Tlaloc motif
b> in Aztec mythology, Tlalocs poured water on earth
c) Thin Orange ands Thin Gray pottery
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