Fang & Feather: The Origin of Avian-Serpent Imagery at Teotihuacan and Symbolic Interaction with Jaguar Iconography in Mesoamerica

Summary

The Central Mexican city of Teotihuacan rose to prominence in the last century BC and lasted for six centuries The civic plan was arranged around two main perpendicular avenues lined with temples and public monuments. By the third century AD, the population was housed in apartment compounds. On the walls were murals depicting ornately dressed administrators, armor-clad warriors, and fantastic creatures. These murals were the birthplace of the Feathered Serpent. My research proposes that the Feathered Serpent of Teotihuacan was a new deity serving as a symbol of the city; conceived in direct opposition to the jaguars used to symbolize kingship in contemporary Mayan polities. Past studies have treated the murals of Teotihuacan as either literal representation of supernatural deities or as a set of signs to be translated like a language. This study concludes that there is an intermediate interpretation wherein the feathered serpent is both a god and a symbol of identity. This is found in the representations of Teotihuacanos outside of Teotihuacan and outsiders within the barrios of Teotihuacan. Thus, Mesoamerican states not only foregrounded concepts of community identity, but also actively recognized those of other polities they came into contact with.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 18743