Description
Book SynopsisLong 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.
Trade Review'Drawing on half a century of intimate involvement with the archaeology of Teotihuacan, George L. Cowgill provides a lucid and synthetic account of this iconic early city and civilization. It will appeal to anyone interested in the deep roots of urbanism and human creation of cities.' David M. Carballo, Boston University
'In the authoritative words of archaeologist George L. Cowgill, Ancient Teotihuacan presents the great pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan and its people. He offers a fresh synthesis of decades of research about this unusually large and influential multiethnic city whose legacy has made it a UNESCO World Heritage site.' Deborah L. Nichols, Dartmouth College
'Ancient Teotihuacan details eight centuries of history of the first city in the Americas. A lucid combination of solid data and sophisticated theory reveals why this civilization flourished, how its sociopolitical system changed over time, and what factors brought about its decline. Fifty years of archaeological research make George L. Cowgill the world's authority on the subject, and his book the most ambitious ever written.' Leonardo López Luján, Director of the Templo Mayor Project
'George Cowgill has given us a worthy summary of one of the most fascinating cultures in the prehispanic New World.' Norman Hammond, Antiquity
Table of Contents1. Preliminaries; 2. Situating Teotihuacan; 3. Urbanism begins in central Mexico: 500–100 BCE; 4. Teotihuacan takes off: 100–1 BCE; 5. Teotihuacan supremacy in the basin of Mexico: 1–100 CE; 6. Great pyramids and early grandeur: 100–250 CE; 7. Teotihuacan at its height: 250–550 CE; 8. Teotihuacan ideation and religion: imagery, meanings, and uses; 9. 'Interesting times': Teotihuacan comes apart and a new story begins: after 550 CE; 10. Teotihuacan in a wider perspective.
