Ancient Architecture in the MesoamericaTeotihuacan 150 B.C. – A.D. 750

Teotihuacan, Mexico 150 B.C. – A.D. 750

I. Circumstances surrounding the emergence of the unique city of Teotihuacan

Cuicuilco destroyed by volcano Xitle in 50 BC

Poverty Point, Louisiana 1000 BC

1.

Moon pyramid

Sun pyramid

Avenue

Citadel dwellings

Teotihuacan

I. A. What are the architectural significant features of the city of Teotihuacan?

TeotihuacanI. B. What is the city’s urbanistic plan and orientation?

I. B.

Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan

Khorsabad, Iraq

Ur, IraqPoverty Point

El-Kahun, Egypt

Neolithic England

I. C. How are some features of Teotihuacan unique in Mesoamerica or in comparison to other complex civilizations that experienced an “urban revolution”? 1. Features in A. and B. above2.

Teotihuacan dwelling: Quetzalpapalotl “Palace”

I. C. 1.

Teotihuacan

I. C. 2. Its organizing axis?

Teotihuacan – plaza in front of the Moon Pyramid

I. C. 3. Its open-volume plan?

Teotihuacan

I. C. 2.

Washington DC Mall

open-volume compositions

II. Interpretation: Metropolis w/ Communal Ideology Bound to the Order of Nature

3.

II. A. Political context: What is the evidence that Teotihuacan might have adopted an “integrationist” strategy of governing?

1. urbanistic evidence

4.

II. A. 2. architectural evidence

Courtyard of an apartment compound typical apartment compound

Principal patio

Principal shrine

II. A. 3. evidence from art works

Storm God elite class (priest-ruler?)

Murals from Teotihuacan

elite class (priest-ruler?)

elite class (priest-ruler?)

1.

II. B. Number of ways in which Teotihuacan’s design was “bound to the order of nature” or to the cosmosas an expression of its unique communual ideology

Teotihuacan

5.

II. B. 1. Sun Pyramid

Sun Pyramid Teotihuacan mural

II. B. 2. Moon Pyramid

Moon Pyramid

Moon Pyramid

II. B. 2. the pyramid clarifies and compacts the mountain’s shape

II. A. 2.

Mt. Tetzcotzingo in the Valley of Mexico

Teotihuacan mural

Moon Pyramid

II. B. 3. City plan Teotihuacan

6.