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Chapter 3. Houses and Ancestors, Altars and Relics: Mortuary Patterns at Teotihuacan, Central Mexico
Author(s) -
Manzanilla Linda
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
archeological papers of the american anthropological association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.783
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1551-8248
pISSN - 1551-823X
DOI - 10.1525/ap3a.2002.11.1.55
Subject(s) - mesoamerica , dismemberment , grave goods , sacrifice , human sacrifice , ancient history , archaeology , history , geography , politics , political science , law
This chapter reviews the mortuary program at Teotihuacan, one of the largest prehispanic cities in Mesoamerica during the Classic Period (ca. A.D. 150–750). Three different types of practices are identified: (1) domestic funerary rites and ancestors' care; (2) special individuals and relic care; and (3) human sacrifices. In terms of the first practice—which is the most common at Teotihuacan—the location, type of container, position, funerary goods, and funerary rites are examined. With respect to the second practice, mortuary bundles and human relics are considered. The problem of human sacrifice along its distinct parameters (sacrificial victims related to the main pyramidal structures; decapitation; defleshing and dismemberment; heart extraction) is treated in the third section.