When East Meets West, Volumes I and II: Chichen Itza, Tula, and the Postclassic Mesoamerican world

Stanton, Travis W.; Taube, Karl A.; Coltman, Jeremy D.; Marengo Camacho, Nelda I.

doi:doi:10.30861/9781407359717

When East Meets West, Volumes I and II: Chichen Itza, Tula, and the Postclassic Mesoamerican world

Travis W. Stanton, Karl A. Taube, Jeremy D. Coltman and Nelda I. Marengo Camacho

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This volume represents the first large-scale reconsideration of the Epiclassic and Early Postclassic periods in broader Mesoamerica in 20 years. In part, the focus is to examine the influence of the ruins of Classic period Teotihuacan in the political, social, and economic structures of societies at the transition to the Postclassic period. Teotihuacan was a locus of critical cultural innovations in Mesoamerica. These innovations included fusing a warrior cult with long-standing ideas surrounding what has been broadly termed ‘Flower World’, as well as profound changes to economic and political structures. Later Mesoamerican societies drew on these innovations in their own unique ways and this volume attempts to move the discussion of cultural changes beyond the traditional focus on the sites of Chichen Itza and Tula, to consider many other communities across Mesoamerica and beyond.This volume is part of a two volume set: ISBN 9781407319810 (Volume I); ISBN 9781407353647 (Volume II); ISBN 9781407359717 (Set of both volumes).

Front cover
Title page
Copyright page
ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE MAYA
Titles in the Archaeology of the Maya Subseries
Of Related Interest
Contents
INTRODUCTION
- 1. Social Mobility in the City of the Sun: The Legacy of Chichen Itza at the Turn of the Postclassic Period
  - Politics, Economics, and the Appeal of Social Mobility
  - Final Thoughts
  - Organization of the Volume
  - Acknowledgements
TEOTIHUACAN’S CONTINUING LEGACY
- 2. Revisiting “Mesoamerica’s Classic Heritage”: Updates from Teotihuacan
  - Teotihuacan. . .a Classic Heritage?
  - A Pan Mesoamerican “High Culture”
  - Contextualizing the Recent Archaeological Finds
  - The Ancient Tunnel beneath the FSP
  - Plaza of the Columns Complex: Feasts and Murals
  - Of Places: Constructing a City, Constructing a Cosmos
  - Of Things: Constructing Key Symbols
  - Collapse
  - A Pan-Mesoamerican High Culture as a Classic Heritage
- 3. Quetzalcoatl and His Mountain: The Origins of a Mesoamerican Paradigm for Political Power
  - The Postclassic Coatepec and Symbols of Political Authority
  - The Epiclassic Coatepec and Symbols of Political Authority
  - Teotihuacan: Origins of the Coatepec and Symbols of Power
  - The Nature of the Feathered Serpent: Quetzalcoatl
  - Conclusions
- 4. The Triple Legacy of Teotihuacan at Chichen Itza
  - Learning from the Classic Maya City-States
  - Epiclassic City-States
  - Visiting Teotihuacan
  - Conclusions
FLOWER WORLD AND THE SUN
- 5. Journey to Dawn: Gold-Disk Pectorals and Divine Solar Authority in Postclassic Mesoamerica, West Mexico, and the Lower Central American Connection
  - Gold Metallurgy and Flower Worlds in Mesoamerica
  - The Aesthetic of Brilliance: Gold Metallurgy in Lower Central America and the Mesoamerican Connection
    - Gold-Disk Pectorals as Solar Mirrors in Lower Central and northern South America
  - The Creation of the Fifth Sun: Mirrors and the Solar- Origin Narrative of Classic Teotihuacan and Its Legacy
  - Journey to the “House of the Sun”: Divine Solar Authority and Gold-Disk Pectorals in the Toltec Flower World of Tula and Chichen Itza
    - Gold-Disk Pectorals in Sculpture and Murals at Toltec-Period Chichen Itza
    - Gold-Disk Pectorals in Toltec Art in Highland Central and Southern Mexico and the Gulf Coast
  - Gold-Disk Pectorals among the Aztec
  - Gold-Disk Pectorals in the Nahua-Mixteca Region
  - Gold-Disk Pectorals in Postclassic West Mexico
  - Situating the Aztatlan Region in the Mesoamerican and Lower Central American Worlds
    - Caciques Antiguos: Gold-Disk Pectorals and Aztatlan Political Authority
      - “Antiquities in a Garden”: An Elite Aztatlan Burial in Tepic, Nayarit
      - Elite Regalia and the Symbolism of Gold-Disk Pectorals in the Aztatlan Core Zone
    - Huichol Cargo Holders and Solar Mirror Pectorals: Aztatlan Legacies in the Gran Nayar
  - Conclusion: Lower Central American Gold and the Aztatlan and Toltec Co-Traditions in Early Postclassic Mesoamerica
- 6. Of Plumbate and Paradise: A Hypothesis for the Appeal and Distribution of Fancy Tohil Plumbate Ceramics
  - Introduction
  - Patterns and Enigmas of Distribution
  - In Search of the Ideology of an Aesthetic
  - Metal, Plumbate, and Flower Worlds
  - Flower World and Plumbate in West Mexico
  - Fancy Tohil Effigy Iconography and Solar/Rain Paradises
  - Xochipilli
  - Xiuhtecuhtli
  - Tlaloc
  - Dead Warriors: Dawn of the Luminous Dead?
  - Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli and Other Deities of the Quetzalcoatl Complex
  - Animals
  - Conclusion, or Call for Further Research
- 7. South Meets North: Cotzumalhuapa and the Origins of Flower World Representations at Chichen Itza
  - Prodigious Vegetation at Chichen Itza and Cotzumalhuapa
  - Flowering Vines
  - Speech Scrolls and Flowering Vines in Escuintla
  - Chichen Itza and Cotzumalhuapa
  - Final Comments
- 8. The Flower World of Chichen Itza
  - Introduction
  - The Aesthetics of Flower World
  - The Sun God and Paradise
  - The Plumed Path of the Sun
  - Agents of the Sun
  - Conclusion
- 9. The Sun God and the Plumed Serpent in the Mixtec Codices
  - The Odyssey of Lord Eight Deer
  - Where Does the Sun God Reside?
  - The Mixtec Oracle of Achiutla
  - Discussion
- 10. The Tula Vase: Interactions between Central Mexico and Yucatan during the Early Postclassic
  - The Upper Scene
  - The Lower Scene
  - The Vessel Base Frame
  - Conclusions
CHICHEN ITZA AND THE EAST
- 11. History, Ceremony and Cultural Revivalism at Chichen Itza: An Epigraphic Perspective
  - Introduction
  - An Overview of Sources
  - The Ninth Century in Maya History
  - Bak’tuns, K’atuns, and Rituals of Fire
    - Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan Revivalism
  - Conclusions
- 12. Perspectivas recientes sobre los análisis cerámicos de la temporada de campo 2019–2020 del Proyecto Chichen Itza
  - Perspectivas cerámicas entorno a Chichen Itza
  - Una vista a la temporada de Campo 2019–2020 del Proyecto Chichen Itza
  - Pozos de sondeo en Tres Dinteles (Cochuah, 250–600 d.C.) y (Yabnal-Motul, 600–830 d.C.)
  - Pozos de sondeo en la plataforma al oeste de la Casa de la Luna
  - Excavación en el área central de la Plaza Sur de la Serie Inicial
    - Altar 5C13
    - Unidad de Excavación I
    - Unidad de Excavación II
  - Chichen Itza, la periferia y lo que nos cuenta la cerámica
  - Conclusión
  - Agradecimientos
- 13. Reconceptualizing the Classic to Postclassic Ceramic Transition in Yucatan: A Consideration of the Ceramic System, Attribute Analysis, and Chronological Boundaries
  - The Rise and Fall of the New Empire
  - The Complex/Sphere Problem for Understanding Slate Ware Ceramics
  - Employing Ceramic Systems as a Solution
  - From Type-Variety to Modal Analysis
  - Chronology of the Late-Terminal Classic
  - Conclusions
  - Acknowledgements
- 14. What’s in a Name? Chichen Itza from Classic to Postclassic
  - Epiclassic, Terminal Classic, or Early Postclassic: What’s in a Name?
    - Epiclassic Central Mexico
    - Terminal Classic Pottery in the Southern Maya Lowlands
    - Early Postclassic Mesoamerica
  - Continuity through Change: Architecture, Art Traditions, Writing, Pottery, and Obsidian
    - Architecture of the Pure Florescent and Modified Florescent Styles
    - Writing Systems and Iconographic Traditions at Chichen Itza
    - The Pottery of Chichen Itza, the Cehpech-Sotuta Overlap, and Ongoing Debates
    - Obsidian and Other Materials
  - Construction Sequence of the Great Terrace
    - UCSD Excavations
      - Early Chichen Architecture of the Great Terrace (Phases 1a-1b, Stages I-II)
      - Pure Florescent-Style Architecture of the Great Terrace (Phases 1c-1d, Stages IIB-III)
      - Transitional-Style Architecture of the Great Terrace (Phases1e-2, Stages IV-V)
    - Modified Florescent Architecture of the Great Terrace (Phases 3–5, Stages IV-V)
    - Reinterpreting the UCSD Stratigraphy and Dates
      - The Three Carnegie Floors
      - The Castillo-sub 2
      - Absolute Chronology of the Great Terrace
    - Ceramics of the Great Terrace
    - Continuity and Change: Conclusions of the UCSD Great Terrace Project
  - Classic to Postclassic Transition: Tradition, Transformation, Emulation, and Migration
  - Acknowledgments
- 15. Desarrollo y esplendor de Chichen Itza durante el Posclásico Temprano
  - La ciudad de Chichen Itza en el tiempo
  - Arquitectura y urbanismo
  - Secuencia cronológica y arquitectónica para el sitio
  - Actividades en la vida diaria de la gran ciudad
  - Ocaso de la ciudad
  - Agradecimientos
- 16. The South Plaza of the Initial Series Group at Chichen Itza
  - The South Plaza
    - The House of the Shells
    - The Temple of the Owls
    - Chultun
    - The Gallery of the Monkeys
    - The Temple of the Little Heads
    - The Central Altar
    - The Plaza
  - Discussion
  - Acknowledgments
- 17. Patio and Gallery-Patio Structures at Chichen Itza: Some Spatial and Temporal Considerations
  - Introduction
  - Gallery-Patios and Patios: How Many are There and Where are They?
  - Patios and Gallery-Patios: Their Chronology
    - Patio 6E3 (Temple of the Hieroglyphic Jambs)
    - Patio 5D7
    - Patio 2A17
    - Gallery-Patio 3D11 (El Mercado)
    - Gallery-Patio 5D40
    - Gallery-Patio 2D14
    - Gallery-Patio 2D6
  - Conclusions
- 18. Deities, Realities, and the Murals of the Upper Temple of the Jaguars at Chichen Itza
- 19. Understanding Disk H of Chichen Itza
- 20. Coastal Settlements and Identities and the Rise of the Itza
  - Coastal Networks and Identities
  - Coastal Settlement Pattern Changes in the Early Postclassic
    - West Coast
    - North Coast
    - East Coast
  - Discussion
  - Concluding Remarks
  - Acknowledgements
TULA AND THE ‘BROADER WEST’ OF CENTRAL MEXICO
- 21. Tula and the Origins and Characteristics of an Epiclassic-Early Postclassic Art Tradition
  - Introduction
  - A Brief History of the Tula Region
  - Ethnohistory
  - The Tula Art Tradition
    - Architecture and Spatiality
    - Colonnaded Halls
    - Sunken Spaces
    - Sunken Space-Colonnaded Hall
    - Sculpture: Categories, Subject Matter, and Materials
  - Parallels with the Tula Art Tradition
  - Salient Shared Themes in Art Traditions of Tula and Other Central Mexican Cultures
    - Almenas
    - Animal Processions
    - Representations of Warfare, Sacrifice, and Rulers
    - Representations of Deities
      - Mayahuel and Deities of Pulque and Dance
      - Xipe Totec, the Flayed Lord
      - Tlaloc, the Rain Deity
      - Xiuhtecuhtli and Tonatiuh
      - Itzpapalotl and the Cihuateteo
      - The Venus Deity, Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli
      - Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl, and the Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl Saga
    - Writing and Calendrics
  - Internationalism at Tula Chico and Tula Grande
  - Epiclassic and Early Postclassic Interaction
    - Teotihuacan
    - Oaxaca
    - Bajío
    - West Mexico
  - Horizons and Networks
  - Conclusion
  - Acknowledgments
- 22. A Dark Horse of the Early Postclassic: Observations on the Iconography and Epigraphy of El Cerrito, Queretaro
  - El Cerrito: Research History, Chronology, and Site Layout
  - Sculpture and Iconography
  - Old Relationships? Epiclassic and Early Postclassic Writing at El Cerrito
  - Concluding Remarks
  - Acknowledgements
- 23. The Forgotten Gods of Ixtapantongo (Estado de México): A Comparative Study of Rock Paintings at an Early Postclassic Site
  - The Ixtapantongo Rock Paintings and Their Archaeological Context
  - Brief Description of the Ixtapantongo Group I Rock Paintings
  - Stylistic Characterization of the Group I Paintings
    - Material-Technical Aspects
      - Support
      - Technical Characteristics
    - Visual Aspects
      - Outlines
      - Ground Lines
      - Color
      - Representation of Texture
      - Positions of the Figures and the Juxtaposition of Planes
      - Body Proportion
      - Stylistic Affinity
  - Scene 1: The Warrior and the Gods
    - Warrior (n. 1)
    - Tonatiuh (n. 3)
    - Xiuhtecuhtli (n. 2)
    - Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli (n. 4)
    - Xipe Totec (n. 5)
    - Mayahuel (n. 6)
    - Pahtecatl (n. 7)
    - Tlatlauhqui Tezcatlipoca (n. 8)
  - Ixtapantongo Group I: A Representation of the Birth of the Sun?
  - Arrows, Solar Warriors, Sacred Bundle and Music: The Instruments of the Sun’s Veneration
    - Quiver, Arrows, and Sacred Warfare
    - The Arrival of the Sacred Bundle?
    - The Appearance of Music and Rituals
      - Three Figures and a Drum
    - Music and Priests
  - Sacrifices at Ixtapantongo: Heart Extraction and Tzompantli
  - Conclusions
- 24. Cholula’s Decline and Regeneration in the Post-Teotihuacan World
  - The Chronological Framework
  - Setting the Stage: Classic Period Cholula
    - Stratigraphy and the End of Prosperity
    - The Patio de los Altares and the Chaotic End of the Classic
  - The Nextli Phase (A.D. 650–900)
    - Above and Below the Ash
    - Nextli Ceramics
    - Nextli Sculpture
    - Nextli Burial Practices
    - The Olmeca-Xicalanca
  - Revitalizing the Holy City in the Aquiahuac Phase (A.D. 900–1150)
    - Repopulating and Reorganizing the City
    - The Patio de los Cráneos Esculpidos
    - The Altar Azteca
    - Building 1
    - Who Lived at the Aquiahuac Tlachihualtepetl?
    - An Aquiahuac Ballcourt?
  - Final Comments
  - Acknowledgments
- 25. When Tlaxcalteca Met Olmeca Xicallanca: Epiclassic to Early Postclassic Chronology and Cultural Change in the Puebla-Tlaxcala Region
  - Introduction
  - Archaeology, History, and the Altepetl
  - The Olmeca Xicallanca
  - Olmeca Xicallanca and Tolteca Chichimeca
  - Olmeca Xicallanca and Teochochimeca
  - Dating the Olmeca Xicallanca and Teochiochimeca Encounter
  - How Far Back in Time Can the Olmeca Xicallanca Occupation Be Traced?
  - Conclusion
  - Acknowledgements
MOVING BEYOND EAST TO WEST
- 26. Collapse and Connections in the Postclassic Lower Río Verde Valley, Oaxaca
  - Setting the Stage: The Late Classic/Early Postclassic Transition in Mesoamerica
  - The Early Postclassic in the Lower Río Verde Valley
  - The Late Classic to Early Postclassic Transition in the Lower Río Verde Valley
    - Excavations at Río Viejo
    - Excavations at Monte El Santo
  - The Lower Río Verde Valley in the Context of the Mesoamerican Early Postclassic
  - The Mixtec Conquest and the End of the Early Postclassic on the Coast
  - Concluding Thoughts
  - Acknowledgements
- 27. Adaptation in a Time of Transformation: The Late Classic to Early Postclassic Period Transition in Highland Chiapas
  - Introduction
  - Highland Chiapas as a Cultural and Geographic Frontier
  - Political History and Cultural Contacts
    - The Western Chiapas Highlands
    - The Eastern Chiapas Highlands
  - Regional-Scale Networks
  - Broader Connections
    - Marketplaces and Currencies
    - Ballcourts
    - Central Mexican Influences
    - Northeast Chiapas and the Gulf Coast Influences
  - Conclusion
  - Acknowledgements
- 28. Ethnicity and Identity at Chichen Itza
  - Part I: Paradigms and Ethnicity
    - Marking Boundaries
  - Part II: Crisis and Renewal in the Ninth Century
    - The Southern Maya Lowlands
    - The Northern Maya Lowlands
  - Part III: Cultural Transformation at Chichen Itza
    - A Brief History of the New Consensus
    - Re-Evaluating Cultural Change at Chichen Itza
      - Archaeology
      - Iconography
      - Epigraphy
      - Maya Hieroglyphs
      - Non-Maya Hieroglyphs
      - Ethnohistory
  - Discussion
    - A Renewed Hypothesis
  - Acknowledgments
- 29. Understanding Greater Nicoya: Epiclassic and Early Postclassic Extended Relations in Southern Mesoamerica
  - Introducing the Problem
  - The Ethno-Linguistic Context
  - Archaeological Signals for a Pipil Presence
  - Extended Relations of Greater Nicoya
  - Matters of Identity
  - Greater Nicoya: Epiclassic Echoes?
  - Epiclassic Object Work
  - Discussion
  - Conclusion
INTERREGIONAL CONNECTIVITY
- 30. The Fire Priests of Chichen Itza and Beyond: Tracking the Origins and Spread of a Venerable Mesoamerican Institution
  - Mythlogical Fire Priests
  - Historical Fire Priests
    - North Temple
    - Temple of the Wall Panels
    - The Mercado Dais
  - Jaina
  - Becan
  - Tula
  - Teotihuacan
  - Beyond
  - Conclusion
  - Acknowledgements
- 31. A Mesoamerican Tradeware Revisited: Mexican Influences in the Origins and Evolution of Plumbate Pottery
  - Classic-Period Mexican Influence on Ceramic Production in Southern Mesoamerica
    - Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) of Pottery and Ceramic Raw Materials from Pacific Guatemala
    - Other Classic-Period Ceramic Traits of Pacific Guatemala with Parallels in Central Mexico or the Gulf Coast
  - Origins of the Plumbate Industry
    - Evidence from Archaeological Investigations within the Tohil Plumbate Production Zone
    - Other Evidence Relevant to Connections between Escuintla and Eastern Soconusco
    - Chronological Placement of the Earliest Plumbate Workshops
    - Invention of Plumbate Glaze
    - Summary of Evidence on the Origins of Plumbate
  - Tohil Plumbate
    - Tohil Plumbate Workshop Contexts
    - Variability and Change in Production Practices in the Lower Río Cahuacan Plumbate Workshops
  - Fancy Tohil Plumbate and the Early Postclassic
    - Early Postclassic in the PACS Study Area and Pacific Coastal Plain
    - Paleoenvironmental Evidence for Early Postclassic Demographic Collapse on the Pacific Coast
    - Fancy Tohil Plumbate and the Early Postclassic beyond the Pacific Coast
    - Demise of the Plumbate Tradition
  - Conclusion
  - Acknowledgments
- 32. Excarnación post-sacrificial y exhibición de marionetas humanas en el contexto de la Mesoamérica pos-teotihuacana
  - Introducción
  - Champoton, Campeche
    - Entierro 23
    - Entierro 28
  - Lagartero, Chiapas
  - Tonina, Chiapas
  - Patrones compartidos entre los estudios de caso
  - Casos adicionales de excarnación en la Mesoamérica Epi- y Posclásica
  - Discusión y conclusiones
  - Agradecimientos
- 33. Living Hills of the Ancestors: Copan Temple 22, El Palmar, and Sacred Architecture of the Northern Maya Lowlands
  - Mountain and Cave Imagery and Symbolism in Ancient Mesoamerica
  - Mountain Caves in Ancient Maya Art and Architecture
  - Mountain Caves and Architecture in Late Postclassic Central Mexico
  - Temple 22 and Mountain Symbolism and Ritual at Late Classic Copan
  - When the North Meets the South
  - Temple Architecture and Serpent Doorways of the Northern Maya Lowlands
  - Mountain Imagery and Symbolism at Chichen Itza
  - Conclusions
  - Acknowledgements:
COMMENATARIES
- 34. The Epiclassic and Early Postclassic Mesoamerican Weave: Multiregional Warp, Ideological Weft
  - The Mesoamerican Melting Pot
  - Periodization as Shifts in Interaction Networks
  - Population Mobility as Gradual, Long-Lasting, and Multifaceted Phenomena
  - Crude Timelines and ‘Migration’ as an Over-the-Counter Measure
    - An Afterthought on Colonnaded Halls
  - Directionality, Replication, and Sacred Geography
    - Cycles of the Sun and the Indigenous Replication Principle
    - Sacred Geography
    - Sacred Landscape
    - Sacred Mountain
    - The Sun’s Journey
  - Serpents
    - Semiotics of Rank and Power
    - Contexts and Meanings
    - The Offerings: Ritual Protocols and Sustenance Prayers
    - Conventional Emblems and Ritual Instruments
  - The Flower World Notion: A Double-Edged Sword
  - Acknowledgements
References Cited
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Published: 2023

Publisher: BAR Publishing

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9781407359724 (ebook)
9781407359717 (paper)

BAR Number: S3134

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When East Meets West, Volumes I and II: Chichen Itza, Tula, and the Postclassic Mesoamerican world

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