The Neighborhood as a Social and Spatial Unit in Mesoamerican Cities

Recent realizations that prehispanic cities in Mesoamerica were fundamentally different from western cities of the same period have led to increasing examination of the neighborhood as an intermediate unit at the heart of prehispanic urbanization. This book addresses the subject of neighborhoods in archaeology as analytical units between households and whole settlements. The contributions gathered here provide fieldwork data to document the existence of sociopolitically distinct neighborhoods within ancient Mesoamerican settlements, building upon recent advances in multi-scale archaeological studies of these communities. Chapters illustrate the cultural variation across Mesoamerica, including data and interpretations on several different cities with a thematic focus on regional contrasts. This topic is relatively new and complex, and this book is a strong contribution for three interwoven reasons. First, the long history of research on the “Teotihuacan barrios” is scrutinized and withstands the test of new evidence and comparison with other Mesoamerican cities. Second, Maya studies of dense settlement patterns are now mature enough to provide substantial case studies. Third, theoretical investigation of ancient urbanization all over the world is now more complex and open than it was before, giving relevance to Mesoamerican perspectives on ancient and modern societies in time and space. This volume will be of interest not only to scholars and student specialists of the Mesoamerican past but also to social scientists and urbanists looking to contrast ancient cultures worldwide. Contents 6 Preface - Michael E. Smith, M. Charlotte Arnauld, and Linda R. Manzanilla 8 1. Introduction: Neighborhoods and Districts in Ancient Mesoamerica - Michael E. Smith and Juliana Novic 14 2. Neighborhoods and the Civic Constitutions of Premodern Cities as Seen from the Perspective of Collective Action - Richard E. Blanton and Lane F. Fargher 40 I: The Central Highlands 66 3. Neighborhoods and Elite “Houses” at Teotihuacan, Central Mexico - Linda R. Manzanilla 68 4. Structure and Organization of Neighborhoods in the Ancient City of Teotihuacan - Sergio Gómez-Chávez 87 5. The “Tlajinga Barrio” A Distinctive Cluster of Neighborhoods in Teotihuacan - Randolph J. Widmer and Rebecca Storey 115 6. Teotihuacan Neighborhoods and the Health of Residents The Risks of Preindustrial Urban Living - Rebecca Storey, Lourdes Márquez-Morfín, and Luis F. Núñez 130 7. Compact Versus Dispersed Settlement in Pre-Hispanic MesoamericaThe Role of Neighborhood Organization and Collective Action - Gary M. Feinman and Linda M. Nicholas 145 II: The Maya Area 170 8. Neighborhoods in Pre-Hispanic Honduras Settlement Patterns and Social Groupings Within Sites or Regions - Julia A. Hendon 172 9. Neighborhoods in Classic Lowland Maya Societies Their Identification and Definition from the La Joyanca Case Study (Northwestern Petén, Guatemala) - Eva Lemonnier 194 10. Houses, Emulation, and Cooperation Among the Río Bec Groups - M. Charlotte Arnauld, Dominique Michelet, Boris Vannière, Philippe Nondédéo, and Eva Lemonnier 215 11. Intermediate-Scale Patterns in the Urban Environment of Postclassic Mayapan - Timothy S. Hare and Marilyn A. Masson 242 12. Intermediate Settlement Units in Late Postclassic Maya Sites in the Highlands An Assessment from Archaeology and Ethnohistory - Marie Annereau-Fulbert 274 13. Postclassic Maya “Barrios” in Yucatán An Historical Approach - Tsubasa Okoshi-Harada 299 14. Neighborhoods and Intermediate Units of Spatial and Social Analysis in Ancient Mesoamerica - M. Charlotte Arnauld 317 About the Authors 334 Index 344 Introduction : Neighborhoods And Districts In Ancient Mesoamerica / Michael E. Smith And Juliana Novic -- Neighborhoods And The Civic Constitutions Of Premodern Cities As Seen From The Perspective Of Collective Action / Richard E. Blanton And Lane F. Fargher -- Neighborhoods And Elite Houses At Teotihuacan, Central Mexico / Linda R. Manzanilla -- Structure And Organization Of Neighborhoods In The Ancient City Of Teotihuacan / Sergio Gómez-chávez -- The Tlajinga Barrio : A Distinctive Cluster Of Neighborhoods In Teotihuacan / Randolph J. Widmer And Rebecca Storey -- Teotihuacan Neighborhoods And The Health Of Residents : The Risks Of Preindustrial Urban Living / Rebecca Storey, Lourdes Márquez-morfín, And Luis F. Núŭñez -- Compact Versus Dispersed Settlement In Pre-hispanic Mesoamerica : The Role Of Neighborhood Organization And Collective Action / Gary M. Feinman And Linda M. Nicholas -- Neighborhoods In Pre-hispanic Honduras : Settlement Patterns And Social Groupings Within Sites Or Regions / Julia A. Hendon -- Neighborhoods In Classic Lowland Maya Societies : Their Identification And Definition From The La Joyanca Case Study (northwestern Petén, Guatemala) / Eva Lemonnier -- Houses, Emulation, And Cooperation Among The Río Bec Groups / M. Charlotte Arnauld ... [et Al.] -- Intermediate-scale Patterns In The Urban Environment Of Postclassic Mayapan / Timothy S. Hare And Marilyn A. Masson -- Intermediate Settlement Units In Late Postclassic Maya Sites In The Highlands : An Assessment From Archaeology And Ethnohistory / Marie Annereau-fulbert -- Postclassic Maya Barrios In Yucatán : An Historical Approach / Tsubasa Okoshi-harada -- Neighborhoods And Intermediate Units Of Spatial And Social Analysis In Ancient Mesoamerica / M. Charlotte Arnauld. M. Charlotte Arnauld, Linda R. Manzanilla, And Michael E. Smith, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Intro -- Contents -- Preface - Michael E. Smith, M. Charlotte Arnauld, and Linda R. Manzanilla -- 1. Introduction: Neighborhoods and Districts in Ancient Mesoamerica - Michael E. Smith and Juliana Novic -- 2. Neighborhoods and the Civic Constitutions of Premodern Cities as Seen from the Perspective of Collective Action - Richard E. Blanton and Lane F. Fargher -- I: The Central Highlands -- 3. Neighborhoods and Elite "Houses" at Teotihuacan, Central Mexico - Linda R. Manzanilla -- 4. Structure and Organization of Neighborhoods in the Ancient City of Teotihuacan - Sergio Gómez-Chávez -- 5. The "Tlajinga Barrio" A Distinctive Cluster of Neighborhoods in Teotihuacan - Randolph J. Widmer and Rebecca Storey -- 6. Teotihuacan Neighborhoods and the Health of Residents The Risks of Preindustrial Urban Living - Rebecca Storey, Lourdes Márquez-Morfín, and Luis F. Núñez -- 7. Compact Versus Dispersed Settlement in Pre-Hispanic MesoamericaThe Role of Neighborhood Organization and Collective Action - Gary M. Feinman and Linda M. Nicholas -- II: The Maya Area -- 8. Neighborhoods in Pre-Hispanic Honduras Settlement Patterns and Social Groupings Within Sites or Regions - Julia A. Hendon -- 9. Neighborhoods in Classic Lowland Maya Societies Their Identification and Definition from the La Joyanca Case Study (Northwestern Petén, Guatemala) - Eva Lemonnier -- 10. Houses, Emulation, and Cooperation Among the Río Bec Groups - M. Charlotte Arnauld, Dominique Michelet, Boris Vannière, Philippe Nondédéo, and Eva Lemonnier -- 11. Intermediate-Scale Patterns in the Urban Environment of Postclassic Mayapan - Timothy S. Hare and Marilyn A. Masson -- 12. Intermediate Settlement Units in Late Postclassic Maya Sites in the Highlands An Assessment from Archaeology and Ethnohistory - Marie Annereau-Fulbert