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THE MOON PYRAMID PROJECT AND THE TEOTIHUACAN STATE POLITY

A brief summary of the 1998–2004 excavations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2007

Saburo Sugiyama  and
Rubén Cabrera Castro
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Abstract

The Moon Pyramid is the second largest monument at Teotihuacan and represents a key source of information regarding the state polity and its underlying ideology. It was little known archaeologically until now. Extensive excavations around the pyramid and tunnel operations within its nucleus have discovered an elaborate architectural sequence, including seven overlapping monumental constructions and five burial complexes of sacrificed individuals and sacred animals associated with rich offerings. The excavations in nearby structures and the three-dimensional mapping of the Moon Plaza complex provide valuable new data relevant to better understanding the ancient city, including its foundation and urbanization processes and the ideology of leadership that was materialized by successive monumental constructions.

Resumen

La Pirámide de la Luna, el segundo monumento más grande en Teotihuacán, fue seleccionada para investigación intensiva ya que ha sido poco explorada, pero es claramente una estructura de importancia vital para entender la ideología política, las organizaciones sociales y la historia del estado teotihuacano. Nuestra excavación extensiva de túneles en su interior reveló que la pirámide sufrió una serie de modificaciones y ampliaciones arquitectónicas, dando una gran cantidad de materiales inusuales para diversos análises. Se encontró que habían siete niveles constructivos superpuestos uno cubriendo otro anterior sucesivamente, así como que cinco complejos de entierros-ofrendas fueron dedicados a tres de los siete niveles detectados en la Pirámide de la Luna. Estaban asociados a ellos abundantes ofrendas simbólicas de calidad excepcional, incluyendo objetos de obsidiana, piedra verde, conchas, cerámicas, materiales orgánicos y huesos de animales sacrificados, todos dedicados a los monumentos; estas aparentemente reflejaban sacrificios humanos con significados religiosos, símbolos de poder político de los dirigentes y de la institución militar sagrada. Este artículo describe brevemente los resultados de las excavaciones relizadas tanto en el interior como en el contorno de la pirámide, cada fase constructiva con datos de cerámicas incluidas y resultados del análisis de 14C, así como comentarios preliminares al momento de concluir el trabajo de campo que se llevó a cabo desde 1998 hasta 2004.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 18 , Issue 1 , Spring 2007 , pp. 109 - 125
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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