ANTH 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Quetzalcoatl, Feathered Serpent, Cosmogram
24 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Cowgill argues that teotihuacan was in line with pw"s idea of a cosmogram (streets and grid system) and not simply by authority. Fortress-like function, but wasn"t a fortress at all. Within it is the temple of quetzacoatl. Scholars have suggested that the ciudadela was a palace for ruling elite. Quetzacoatl: feathered serpent, quetzal is associated with military and coatl is transformation. Tlatoc: rain or storm god; mixes associations of water (fertility) and destruction. Some interpret it as a royal tomb (with retainers) Some accoutrements are made of human remains: bones, teeth, jaws are transformed into jewelry. Parts of teotihuacan conformed to pw"s ideology. It was an important economic center with significant class differences at the site. Supported by intensive agriculture: dry farming, irrigation. Chinampas are a way of increasing agriculture in a marshy area to increase surface area: anchored by trees. They grew corn, beans and squash (together make a complete protein), tomatoes, fruits.
