Home Region: Mexico (North America)

Classic Basin of Mexico

100 CE 649 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 mx_basin_of_mexico_7 / MxClass

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[MxCuicu] [None] Update here

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

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General Description

The Basin or Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly corresponding to modern-day Mexico City. Here, we are interested in the phase of its prehistory known as the Classic or Early Classic period (c. 100-649 CE). This period was characterised by sophisticated forms of artistic expression and high levels of craft specialisation, pronounced differences between the material culture of the wealthier classes and that of the poorer ones, and trade networks extending farther and farther across the wider region. In the Basin of Mexico, Teotihuacan was the dominant centre, and the presence of Teotihuacano artefacts outside of the Basin testifies to its far-ranging influence. ^[1] Indeed, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the world, with a population of about 100,000 ^[2] or 125,000. ^[3]
Relatively little is known regarding Teotihuacan’s political organisation. There is no consensus on the existence of a ruler’s palace at the site, nor have royal burials or depictions of individual rulers been found. The site has yielded representations of elite personages, but they are usually shown in groups, partaking in processions, and wearing masks, suggesting that power was shared or distributed: perhaps, the city was governed by a committee of representatives from different interest groups, and/or spokespeople for some or each of the city’s thousands of apartment compounds. ^[4]

[1]: (Evans 2012: 122-123) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/AN5IUQ7X.

[2]: (Carballo 2019: pers. comm. to E. Cioni and G. Nazzaro)

[3]: (Sugiyama 2005: 2) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/P56I2R2H.

[4]: (Feinman 2012: 230-231) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/M7SIWVJQ.

General Variables

Identity and Location

Temporal Bounds

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Polity Succession

Language

1 Language Genus

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

Professions

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

Law

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

Special-purpose Sites

Information / Writing System

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

Information / Money

Information / Postal System

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7) was in:
(100 CE 649 CE)	Basin of Mexico

Home NGA: Basin of Mexico

General Variables

Identity and Location Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Temporal Bounds Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[100 CE ➜ 649 CE] Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Succeeding Entity	MxEpicl Expert	100 CE 649 CE
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Preceding Entity	MxCuicu [None] Update here Expert
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Language Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Language Genus	uncoded Undecided Expert	100 CE 649 CE
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Religion Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[100,000 to 125,000] people	100 CE 649 CE
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Polity Population	- Suspected	100 CE 649 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	3	100 CE 649 CE
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Professions Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Bureaucracy Characteristics Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Unknown Suspected	100 CE 649 CE
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Law Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	100 CE 649 CE
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Irrigation System	Unknown Suspected	100 CE 649 CE
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Food Storage Site	Unknown Suspected	100 CE 649 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Unknown Suspected	100 CE 649 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Special-purpose Sites Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Writing System Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Money Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Postal System Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Information / Measurement System Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Moat	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Fortified Camp	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Earth Rampart	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Ditch	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Complex Fortification	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Long Wall	absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Military use of Metals Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Iron	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Copper	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Bronze	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Projectiles Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Sling	Present	100 CE 649 CE
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Self Bow	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Javelin	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Composite Bow	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Atlatl	Present	100 CE 649 CE
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Handheld weapons Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Sword	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Spear	Present	100 CE 649 CE
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Polearm	Absent Inferred	100 CE 649 CE
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Dagger	Present	100 CE 649 CE
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Battle Axe	Present	100 CE 649 CE
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Animals used in warfare Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Elephant	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Donkey	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Dog	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Camel	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Armor Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Shield	Present	100 CE 649 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Plate Armor	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Limb Protection	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Helmet	Present	100 CE 649 CE
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Chainmail	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Breastplate	Absent	100 CE 649 CE
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Naval technology Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Disputed	100 CE 649 CE
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Human Sacrifice Classic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_7)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More