Natural Order, Social Order, Political Legitimacy, and the Sacred City: The Architecture of Teotihuacan
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Publication Date
1-1-1999
Publication Title
Mesoamerican Architecture as a Cultural Symbol
Abstract
In this collection, prominent scholars provide new interpretations and useful syntheses of many of the most significant Mesoamerican architectural traditions from the Preclassic to the Postclassic periods. The essays examine the built environment as a carrier of cultural meanings. The many pyramid-temples, palaces, and ballcourts comprising Mesoamerican centers were constructed in the context of hierarchical societies, and provided monumental expressions of elite authority. The design of individual buildings, as well as the layout of site plans, often embodied Mesoamerican beliefs about the structure of the cosmos, natural forces, or the numinous power of landscape forms, thus providing sanction for the sociopolitical order.
Document Type
Book Chapter
Recommended Citation
Kowalski, Jeff Karl, "Natural Order, Social Order, Political Legitimacy, and the Sacred City: The Architecture of Teotihuacan" (1999). KIP Articles. 8033.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/8033
