Vol. 29 No. 83 (2022): Temas contemporáneos de la música en América Latina. Un abordaje antropológico
Miscelánea

The empire in a box. : The economy of offerings of the Templo Mayor

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  • Miguel Ángel Báez Pérez

Published 2022-07-21 — Updated on 2023-04-23

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Keywords

  • Tribute, offering, logistics, Tenochtitlan, market.

How to Cite

The empire in a box. : The economy of offerings of the Templo Mayor. (2023). Cuicuilco Revista De Ciencias Antropológicas, 29(83), 215-234. https://revistas.inah.gob.mx/index.php/cuicuilco/article/view/18172 (Original work published 2022)

Abstract

The goods offered in the Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan came from all corners of the empire. Much has been learned about the meaning of these ritual acts, but little has been written about it from the perspective of the Mexica economy. The market, the gifts, the specific companies that extracted resources, and the tributes, were all factors that interacted simultaneously, promoting the transfer of thousands of products, raw materials, animals and exotic materials, which would later be transformed and offered in lavish ceremonies. Sumptuous godos, such as gold and feathers were taxed and traded throughout the empire, but upon arrival in the capital they were transformed by the specialized hands of artisans associated with the government. For their part, animals, plants, and exotic goods were transported to Tenochtitlan to be used during rituals associated with the Emperor and the bureaucratic and religious apparatus. All these goods inform us about a history of organization and logistics which was rarely seen in Mesoamerica.

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