Articles in Ancient Mesoamerica offer insights about the Mexican highlands before, during, and after the Mexica took control of it.

In only a couple hundred years, they created an empire that stretched from coast to coast in ancient Mesoamerica. Assisting them in this endeavor were numerous deities, one of whom was Chalchiuhtlicue, the Goddess of Water. Read Danièle Dehouve’s article, where she deconstructs the symbolism of this deity to arrive at insights regarding Mexican theonyms. The consequences of expansion halted the conquests of other groups in Central Mexico. Roger D. Mason and David D. Earle outline how a small group of ethnic Nahua, the Tlahuica, made great headway into Morelos, until they themselves were halted by the Mexica. The smallest corporate unit of society, the household, functioned well at Xaltocan before Mexica domination of this region. Residents produced their own pottery, both utilitarian and decorated wares, as determined by neutron activation analysis. Their practices influenced the economy in the Early Postclassic, as detailed by Kristin de Lucia, Matthew T. Boulanger, and Michael D. Glascock. During the early Colonial Period, the Mexica world was turned upside down. Follow Katarzyna Szoblik’s insights as she analyzes Nahua cultural memory and how it was used to perpetuate the story of two Mexica princesses known as Chalchiuhnenetzin.

________________
Nancy Gonlin (Ph.D.) is Professor of Anthropology at Bellevue College and Co-Editor of Cambridge journal Ancient Mesoamerica.
________________
Read these articles from Ancient Mesoamerica alongside research from other leading Cambridge archaeology journals and key titles in our new collection – all free to access until the end of the year.