Ancient Teotihuacan Early Urbanism in Central Mexico [Hardcover]

This is the first comprehensive English-language book on Teotihuacan, the largest city in the Americas before the 1400s.Long before the Aztecs and 800 miles from Classic Maya centers, Teotihuacan was part of a broad Mesoamerican tradition but had a distinctive personality. This book synthesizes a century of research, including recent finds, and covers the lives of commoners as well as elites.Long before the Aztecs and 800 miles from Classic Maya centers, Teotihuacan was part of a broad Mesoamerican tradition but had a distinctive personality. This book synthesizes a century of research, including recent finds, and covers the lives of commoners as well as elites.This is the first comprehensive English-language book on the largest city in the Americas before the 1400s. Teotihuacan is a UNESCO world heritage site, located in highland central Mexico, about twenty-five miles from Mexico City, visited by millions of tourists every year. The book begins with Cuicuilco, a predecessor that arose around 400 BCE, then traces Teotihuacan from its founding in approximately 150 BCE to its collapse around 600 CE. It describes the city's immense pyramids and other elite structures. It also discusses the dwellings and daily lives of commoners, including men, women, and children, and the craft activities of artisans. George L. Cowgill discusses politics, economics, technology, art, religion, and possible reasons for Teotihuacan's rise and fall. Long before the Aztecs and 800 miles from Classic Maya centers, Teotihuacan was part of a broad Mesoamerican tradition but had a distinctive personality that invites comparison with other states and empires of the ancient world.1. Preliminaries; 2. Situating Teotihuacan; 3. Urbanism begins in central Mexico: 500100 BCE; 4. Teotihuacan takes off: 1001 BCE; 5. Teotihuacan supremacy in the basin of Mexico: 1100 CE; 6. Great pyramids and early grandeur: 100250 CE; 7. Teotihuacan at its height: 250550 CE; 8. Teotihuacan ideation and religion: l£.