Comparing the Megalopolises of New and Old Worlds: Examining the Urban Infrastructure of Teotihuacan and Imperial Rome

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Innovations and Transformations in Mesoamerican Research: Recent and Revised Insights of Ancestral Lifeways" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Two of the ancient world’s largest cities were Teotihuacan in Mexico and Rome in Italy. Although their estimated population sizes are wildly divergent—the first of many features to be examined—the actual infrastructure, and thus the possibilities for the enhancement of social interaction, for both ancient sites show significant similarities. This poster will present analysis of comparative population dynamics, street layout, open spaces, public architectural facilities, sanitation, varieties of housing, and indicators of economic inequality. The integrating concept on display will be, following the suggestion of George Cowgill, the character of the “lived experience” of the inhabitants, as reconstructed from the archaeological data for both sites and the documentation available for ancient Rome. Critical elements determinative of urban-rural relationships will also be featured, including the character of suburbs, and whether the giant cities, combined with larger nearby communities, could approach the threshold of being considered a kind of “ancient megalopolis.”

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Innovations and Transformations in Mesoamerican Research: Recent and Revised Insights of Ancestral Lifeways   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35942.0