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IMPLEMENTS OF STATE POWER

Weaponry and martially themed obsidian production near the Moon Pyramid, Teotihuacan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2007

David M. Carballo
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Abstract

The expansionary strategies of Teotihuacano political leaders involved the large-scale manufacture of weaponry and the production of ceremonial items representative of a coherent suite of symbols expressing themes of warfare and sacrifice. Recent excavations at the Moon Pyramid demonstrate that such production activities were undertaken next to the monument, where obsidian was reduced into dart points and eccentrics linked to militarism and sacrificial practices in the art and archaeology of the city. These craft production activities were likely directly administered by state functionaries and formed part of the physical and ideational bases of state political authority. The finished products served as means of direct military coercion and symbolic reification of state authority, materialized through the militaristic offering complexes within the major temples of the city. This study presents a detailed technological analysis of the production activities and contextualizes their social significance by examining their symbolic manipulation in the art and sacrificial offerings of Teotihuacán.

Resumen

Recientes excavaciones alrededor de la Pirámide de la Luna en Teotihuacán, México, han descubierto basureros de talleres de obsidiana, los cuales resultaron de la producción especializada de puntas de dardo en muy altas cantidades, excéntricos miniaturas (incluyendo puntas, cuchillos, figuras humanas, serpientes, coyotes, y otros), y cuchillos/excéntricos de gran tamaño. Las actividades de talla sucedieron durante la fase Xolalpan (350–550 d.C.) y todos sus productos estuvieron asociados con temas asociados con la guerra y el sacrificio humano; tanto en sus aspectos físicos como armas e implementos de sacrificio, como en sus aspectos simbólicos observados en las ofrendas sacrifícales adentro de las pirámides de la ciudad, y en su arte. La ubicación de estas actividades al lado de la pirámide, la presencia de micro-lascas en dos depósitos, y el acceso a amplias materias primas evidente en el desgasto de lascas usables en otro, implica la supervisión directa del Estado teotihuacano, apoyando el hipótesis hecho originalmente por miembros del Teotihuacan Mapping Project para el área.

El presente trabajo incluye un estudio detallado del material lítico obtenido de las excavaciones, que toma en cuenta las secuencias de reducción cuales resultaron en su acumulación y sugiere métodos clasificatorios para estudios de lítica tallada, particularmente con respeto a implementos bifaciales. Tiene la meta principal de romper un estancamiento en la investigación relacionado a la identificación de talleres de obsidiana y la importancia social de estos dentro de Teotihuacán, lo cual ha afectado la arqueología de la ciudad desde la década de las ochenta. Sugiere que combinando datos arqueológicos e iconográficos logramos una comprensión mejorada del significado social de las actividades económicas especializadas tales como éstos. En este caso, nos presentan con un aspecto importante de la estrategia política de los líderes teotihuacanos, implicando los medios físicos y simbólicos de la expansión política.

Varios métodos son utilizados para estimar la cantidad de puntas que resultaría en tan altas concentraciones de desecho, con un promedio en exceso de 4300 para un solo depósito, posiblemente igualado por un segundo depósito excavado por un proyecto de salvamento de la INAH. Ambos depósitos también estuvieron asociados con la producción de excéntricos pequeños, cuales simbólicamente muestran implementos de la guerra, el sacrificio, y animales predatorios. Un tercer depósito estuvo asociado con la producción de cuchillos y excéntricos de mayor tamaño, semejante a los cuales han sido descubiertos adentro de las ofrendas de las pirámides de la ciudad pero hechos de la obsidiana proveniente del yacimiento de Tulancingo.

Aunque estos basureros corresponden a una fase tardía de la ciudad, amplias concentraciones de desechos incorporadas en el relleno de las estructuras al oeste de la Pirámide de la Luna sugieren una larga trayectoria de actividades similares durante la historia del monumento, probablemente localizados en la gran plaza abierta al noroeste del monumento. Estas investigaciones iluminan ciertas actividades patroneadas por el Estado teotihuacano, pero todavía faltan exploraciones de más zonas de talleres dentro de la ciudad para mejor entender como se organizo la producción de herramientas domésticas, la cual probablemente fue organizado de una manera más independiente.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 18 , Issue 1 , Spring 2007 , pp. 173 - 190
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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