The Epiclassic from the Mexica perspective: Stone sculpture evidence

Summary

The ways in which human societies create a sense of history and incorporate it into daily life varies through time. In the Late Postclassic Basin of Mexico for example, cultural groups perpetuated, but also abandoned aspects of the stories of their ancestors. The uses, causes and reasons for this practice depends on a combination of several factors. The use of the past and how it was conceived and incorporated into the perspective of the Mexica is of particular interest. Previous studies have explored this topic, focusing in particular on Mexica objects depicting the "archaizing" Xochicalco style, such as the clear examples of four fire serpent heads, now in National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. This topic requires re-examination, principally because recent research has uncovered valuable information about the duration of Epiclassic imagery for hundreds of years. The Mexica perspective informs our understanding of the Epiclassic due to the marked continuities in form and meaning displayed by sculptural works. This paper examines the continuity of these ideas and related concepts through the analysis of a number of examples, specifically unpublished stone sculptures that were recovered from the ancient imperial capital.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Reconsidering the "Epic" in the Mesoamerican Epiclassic Period Part 2: Interregional Interactions   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage