Moon Pyramid Research Articles

Animal Matter in Indigenous Place-Thought: A Case from the Moon Pyramid, Teotihuacan

This article interrogates an archaeological application of the Indigenous concept of place-thought, defined by Vanessa Watts as an “understanding of the world via a physical embodiment” through studying corporeal animal forms. This latter encompasses the osteological traces of animal matter (sacrificed animals and prepared body parts) that, because of their material vitalities, provide an opportune site of engagement to retrieve ancient interpersonal relationships. Over 100 corporeal animal forms from Burials 2 and 6 are interpreted as agentive persons who brought into being the Moon Pyramid as an altepetl (water mountain) of Teotihuacan. The altepetl is a seminal place-thought in Mesoamerica intimately tied with sovereignty. The author argues that potentate apex predators (eagles, wolves, jaguars, pumas, and rattlesnakes) became part of Teotihuaccan’s community through their captive management and were buried alive to sustain the altepetl as master guardians. A zooarchaeological and isotopic investigation of corporeal animal forms provided lurid details of human–predator interactions, including differential access to the animals, esoteric knowledge about their personhood, and even deceit of that information. She concludes that providing a contextually and historically contingent, data-driven, and inter-personally centered reconstruction of ancient place-thought, though admittedly partial and from a specific perspective, should be attainable given the enhanced methods in archaeology.

Pyramids, Mountains, and Sight Lines

Teotihuacan’s distinctive urban grid has long attracted scholarly investigation. This essay examines several aspects of how the monumental core and its relationship to surrounding mountains changed over time. Specifically, it discusses how two of the most notable geomantic alignments at Teotihuacan—that of the Moon Pyramid with Cerro Gordo and that of the Sun Pyramid with Cerro Patlachique—were gradually refined over the centuries. Marvin Trachtenberg’s model for premodern design processes, called Building-in-Time, with its emphasis on continual redesign, concatenation, and retrosynthesis, serves as analytical framework. First, the essay argues that the location of the front stair of the Moon Pyramid remained fixed in successive reconstructions of the building because it frames a particular visual relationship between the Sun Pyramid and Cerro Patlachique behind it. Second, it presents a north-south alignment between the summits of the Moon and Sun Pyramids that developed as the Moon Pyramid was enlarged. Finally, it considers how the structures of the Moon Plaza helped eclipse the view of Cerro Gordo during the final phases of the Moon Pyramid’s history. These sight lines shaped the viewers’ embodied experience in ways that reinforced social hierarchies, reminding us that monumental architecture in Teotihuacan’s center not only unified its subjects but also reified distinctions among them.

Designing the underworld in Teotihuacan: Cave detection beneath the moon pyramid by ERT and ANT surveys

Teotihuacan is one of the largest pre-Hispanic cities established in central Mexico. Caves and tunnels have been previously found underneath two important edifices: the Sun and Quetzalcóatl pyramids, probably dedicated to religious ceremonies about the underworld, fertility and the creation of humankind. The main objective of this study was to provide hard evidence about the existence of a cavity beneath the Moon Pyramid, the second largest structure in the site. For this purpose, we applied ERT and ANT surveys, non-invasive geophysical techniques that permitted the identification of a void under the Moon Pyramid and some access tunnels. The historical impact of this discovery opens the discussion about the symbolic meaning of this pyramid and the origins of urban planning at the site.

Book Review: Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire, edited by Matthew Robb

Teotihuacan: City of Water, City of Fire , by Matthew Robb, ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, in association with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 2017. 444 pages, 350 color illus. Hardcover $75.00. Reviewed by Ellen Hoobler. In 1973, the archaeologist Rene Millon published two

Análisis tecnológico de los monolitos de piedra verde hallados en la plaza de la pirámide de la luna, teotihuacán

During the excavations carried out in 2014 and 2015 in the Plaza of the Moon Pyramid in Teotihuacan, Mexico, five monoliths made out of green stone were recovered. In order to identify the raw material and the tools used for their manufacture, a suitable methodology had to be proposed since the monoliths’ dimensions and weight greatly limited their transportation to a laboratory for analysis. The raw materials were identified through chemical composition analyses using X-ray microprobe and micro-Raman. Manufacture prints were characterized by experimental archaeology and scanning electron microscopy. We found that the monoliths were manufactured locally using flint and andesite tools; the raw materials were identified as green metamorphic stones with varying elemental composition, including quartz, and resembling serpentines.

Imputation approach for deducing a complete mitogenome sequence from low-depth-coverage next-generation sequencing data: application to ancient remains from the Moon Pyramid, Mexico.

It is considered that more than 15 depths of coverage are necessary for next-generation sequencing (NGS) data to obtain reliable complete nucleotide sequences of the mitogenome. However, it is difficult to satisfy this requirement for all nucleotide positions because of problems obtaining a uniform depth of coverage for poorly preserved materials. Thus, we propose an imputation approach that allows a complete mitogenome sequence to be deduced from low-depth-coverage NGS data. We used different types of mitogenome data files as panels for imputation: a worldwide panel comprising all the major haplogroups, a worldwide panel comprising sequences belonging to the estimated haplogroup alone, a panel comprising sequences from the population most closely related to an individual under investigation, and a panel comprising sequences belonging to the estimated haplogroup from the population most closely related to an individual under investigation. The number of missing nucleotides was drastically reduced in all the panels, but the contents obtained by imputation were quite different among the panels. The efficiency of the imputation method differed according to the panels used. The missing nucleotides were most credibly imputed using sequences of the estimated haplogroup from the population most closely related to the individual under investigation as a panel.

Animal Management, preparation and sacrifice: reconstructing burial 6 at the Moon Pyramid, Teotihuacan, México

In 2004 the Moon Pyramid Project uncovered Burial 6, a massive offering cache at the core of the monument located at Teotihuacan's central ceremonial precinct. This dedicatory chamber included the remains of over fifty animals, the majority representing the most dangerous carnivores on the landscape such as eagles, felines (jaguars and pumas), canines (wolves, coyotes and hybrids between wolves and dogs) and rattlesnake. Faced with this extraordinary faunal assemblage, we investigate the dynamic ritual processes which took place during the dedication ceremony. We reconstruct not only the chaîne opératoire, the acquisition, preparation, use and deposition of each animal, but also attempt to recreate individual life histories of some of the animals deposited in this burial. This type of analysis allows us to appreciate and understand the truly complex types of interactions the Teotihuacanos had with these highly symbolic animals; including the practice of animal management and captivity within the urban center. This study demonstrates the heterogeneity of the animal population interred in the offering chamber, which involved both wild and tamed animals sacrificed alive as well as faunal products manipulated and prepared extensively prior to their deposition. Such a reconstruction of the ritual processes prompts us to question the significance of such a deposit within the context of the arising metropolis at Teotihuacan.

The Black San Pablo Paleosol of the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico: Pedogenesis, Fertility, and Use in Ancient Agricultural and Urban Systems

Although archaeologists have generally assumed that the ancient landscape in the Teotihuacan Valley was somewhat similar to the present day, recent research has documented large‐scale modification of the soil by accelerated human‐induced erosion–sedimentation processes from the pre‐Hispanic and Colonial periods up until the present. Consequently, the Formative and Classic period soil (approximately 400 B.C.–A.D. 650) is buried in most of the Teotihuacan Valley. Recent soil survey and archaeological excavation have shown that the modern soil horizon differs remarkably from the Teotihuacan soil horizon. In this paper, we present a pedogenic interpretation of the Teotihuacan paleosol referred to as the Black San Pablo Paleosol (BSPP), which contributes to the reconstruction of regional paleoenvironment and human‐induced processes. The BSPP has been identified in both natural landscapes and under Classic period Teotihuacan buildings, as well as inside the fill of the Moon Pyramid. Maize pollen and phytoliths testify to the soils use for agriculture, whereas diatoms and phytoliths indicate irrigation practices. These results are supported by soil micromorphology. The evaluation of agronomic properties of the BSPP indicates qualities suitable for agriculture; however, water infiltration is low, indicating possible problems with seasonal water saturation.

Formative and Classic Period Obsidian Procurement in Central Mexico: A Compositional Study Using Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

This report presents the results of a compositional study using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to examine central Mexican obsidian procurement at four sites dating to the Formative and Classic periods. The study demonstrates LA-ICP-MS to be a highly accurate obsidian sourcing technique, with results that are directly comparable to instrumental neutron activation analysis. It documents a shift circa 600 B.C. in which Middle Formative villages in Tlaxcala began to obtain obsidian almost exclusively from sources located in the Mesa Central, when they had previously obtained approximately 50 percent from Mesa Central sources and 50 percent from sources located in the Sierra Madre Oriental. This shift broadly coincided with the development of large regional centers in Tlaxcala-Puebla and suggests a linkage between the local political evolution occurring at this time and increased interactions with the Mesa Central economic sphere, including the Basin of Mexico. Obsidian workshop dump deposits next to Teotihuacan’s Moon Pyramid, dating to a millennium later, demonstrate the continued reliance on predominantly Mesa Central sources but also diversified procurement that drew on several sources. The Teotihuacan deposits exhibit the preferential utilization of particular sources depending on the types of implements being produced.

RESIDENTIAL HISTORIES OF THE HUMAN SACRIFICES AT THE MOON PYRAMID, TEOTIHUACAN

AbstractTo investigate geographic origins of the sacrificial Burials 2–5 from the Moon Pyramid at Teotihuacan and to reconstruct changes in residence since their childhoods, we analyzed tooth enamel for oxygen- and strontium-isotope ratios and bone just for oxygen-isotope ratios. The combination of these analytical techniques involves both climatic and geological variables, therefore enhancing resolution of geographic identification. Most of the sacrificed individuals appear to have been born in a foreign location. These regions probably include other areas within the Basin of Mexico and the central highlands, as well as the Gulf Coast and the Sierra Madre del Sur. Other possible regions of origin are the southern highlands, the Motagua Valley, and the Maya Lowlands. There is considerable overlap in the oxygen-isotope ratios between the Moon Pyramid and Feathered Serpent Pyramid victims, but each structure contains a group of isotopically distinct individuals. The Moon Pyramid sacrifices include some individuals with high oxygen-isotope ratios, possibly indicating the Gulf Coast or Maya Lowlands, whereas the Feathered Serpent Pyramid contains a distinct group with very low oxygen-isotope ratios, possibly indicating Oaxaca, Michoacan, or the coastal plain and piedmont of Guatemala. The sacrifices in the two pyramids also differ in their patterns of movement. Most of the Moon Pyramid victims appear to have arrived in the city recently, but the majority of those from the Feathered Serpent Pyramid had lived in Teotihuacan for a long time before their death.

THE MOON PYRAMID PROJECT AND THE TEOTIHUACAN STATE POLITY

AbstractThe Moon Pyramid is the second largest monument at Teotihuacan and represents a key source of information regarding the state polity and its underlying ideology. It was little known archaeologically until now. Extensive excavations around the pyramid and tunnel operations within its nucleus have discovered an elaborate architectural sequence, including seven overlapping monumental constructions and five burial complexes of sacrificed individuals and sacred animals associated with rich offerings. The excavations in nearby structures and the three-dimensional mapping of the Moon Plaza complex provide valuable new data relevant to better understanding the ancient city, including its foundation and urbanization processes and the ideology of leadership that was materialized by successive monumental constructions.

DEDICATORY BURIAL/OFFERING COMPLEXES AT THE MOON PYRAMID, TEOTIHUACAN

AbstractA series of highly elaborated burial/offering complexes have been discovered recently in association with seven superimposed monumental constructions at the Moon Pyramid. The archaeological contexts excavated during the past seven years indicate that these dedicatory complexes were symbols of a state religious ideology and communicated sociopolitical information on behalf of ruling elites. Rich artifacts made of obsidian, greenstone, shell, pyrite, ceramics, wood, and textile, as well as abundant skeletal remains of sacrificed animals and human beings, stand out in these unusual ritual deposits. Many of the offerings possess strong connotations of warfare and ritual sacrifice. After describing the five burial/offering complexes and discussing their possible function and religious significance, we conclude that, when the expanding Teotihuacan state orchestrated these monumental constructions, the most important ritual paraphernalia was buried in the new enlargement programs to express the ideology of sacred rulership.

INTRODUCTION

This is the twenty-fifth Special Section published in Ancient Mesoamerica, and therefore it represents something of a milestone in the history of the journal. The goal has been to present in each special section a collection of related papers from a single project or region or on a selected topic to provide readers a tightly integrated summary of current research and interpretations. Certainly one of the most compelling and provocative special sections we have published was “Urban Archaeology at Teotihuacan” which appeared in vol. 2, no. 1 (1991). This collection of papers featured two stunning articles on the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, then often referred to as the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Constructed in the early third century A.D., the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, along with the Sun Pyramid and the Moon Pyramid, was one of the three most powerful monuments in the sacred urban landscape of Teotihuacan. Rubén Cabrera Castro, Saburo Sugiyama, and George L. Cowgill (1991) reported on excavations in the 1980s of the Feathered Serpent Pyramid and the investigation of more than 137 sacrificial burials, including more than 70 males identified as soldiers because of associated offerings, discovered at the base of and underneath the pyramid. In the second article, Alfredo López Austin, Leonardo López Luján, and Saburo Sugiyama (1991) presented their brilliant iconographic analysis of the sculptural facades of the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, arguing that the monumental structure was dedicated to the myth of the origin of time and calendric succession, a tangible cosmogonic proclamation that Teotihuacan was “the place where time began.”

IMPLEMENTS OF STATE POWER

AbstractThe expansionary strategies of Teotihuacano political leaders involved the large-scale manufacture of weaponry and the production of ceremonial items representative of a coherent suite of symbols expressing themes of warfare and sacrifice. Recent excavations at the Moon Pyramid demonstrate that such production activities were undertaken next to the monument, where obsidian was reduced into dart points and eccentrics linked to militarism and sacrificial practices in the art and archaeology of the city. These craft production activities were likely directly administered by state functionaries and formed part of the physical and ideational bases of state political authority. The finished products served as means of direct military coercion and symbolic reification of state authority, materialized through the militaristic offering complexes within the major temples of the city. This study presents a detailed technological analysis of the production activities and contextualizes their social significance by examining their symbolic manipulation in the art and sacrificial offerings of Teotihuacán.

THE HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE MOON PYRAMID, TEOTIHUACAN

AbstractBeginning with Building 4, each new version of the Moon Pyramid in Teotihuacan was initiated with a major sacrificial event. These events invariably included human victims, males ranging in age from about 14 to 60 or more years (Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI) = 37). Many display cranial modification and dental decoration. In the earliest offering, Burial 2, the lone human was merely one element in a complex tableau. In subsequent sacrifices, the human victims increased in number and became a major focus of the event. There was also a growing dichotomy among them, with numbers of decapitated victims being included in the sacrifices. Skeletal elements from the pyramid fill suggest still other rituals involving human crania (MNI = 11), but the context of these is not yet clear.

Indoor radon and thoron concentrations in the pyramides of Teotihuacan

This paper presents radon and thoron concentrations measured in the prehispanic tunnel of the Sun Pyramid and in the archeological tunnel 1 in the Moon Pyramid. Radon and thoron concentrations were measured using several electret passive environmental radon monitor (E-PERM) configurations and detection systems. Results were in good agreement with no significant difference ( P H E ) calculated for the highest concentration was much lower than the action level (3-10 mSv . y -1 ). A quality assurance program was improved.