Enriched Spatial Syntax Analysis of Two Late Postclassic Terraces in Tlaxcallan, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Tlaxcallan: Mesoamerica's Bizarro World" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The work studies, from a human ecology perspective, the process of adapting the environment to the needs of the pre-Hispanic population of Tlaxcallan during the period of 1250-1519 A.D. It is proposed that the construction of the environment is the result of the interaction among ecological, historical, political, economic and symbolic factors which are intertwined to give shape and structure to the pre-Hispanic settlement of Tlaxcallan. The subject is addressed through the diachronic study of the environment constructed through the analysis of spatial syntax and architectural value, emphasizing the study of space by means of a comprehensive examination of cultural artifacts, architecture, and spatial configuration in two residential terraces with the aim of understanding the patterns of Tlaxcaltecans' social behavior and organization as reflected in the design, distribution, and use of spaces. The analyses show that the terraces of Tlaxcallan were multifunctional spaces, dynamic and in constant transformation, where people carried out domestic tasks and activities related to the economy of its inhabitants. It is found that urban design is the product of a particular historical process, involving a particular ecosystem, and a complex geopolitical panorama in the region, all of which were successfully addressed and overcome through policies of collective cooperation between the state and its inhabitants.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Tlaxcallan: Mesoamerica's Bizarro World   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25298