This article examines changes in ritual practices during the Epiclassic period in central Mexico. It presents data recovered from recent excavations of a shrine discovered in Lake Xaltocan in the northern Basin of Mexico. Pottery and AMS dates place the construction and use of the shrine in the Epiclassic period. The shrine was first built during or soon after the collapse of the Teotihuacan state. With the decline of Teotihuacan and the emergence of competing centers, ritual practitioners began human sacrifice: the remains of over 30 individuals were documented, including 13 complete severed crania. This practice suggests conflict as the political landscape became decentralized. Despite how broader processes may have affected behavior, the shrine, ritual practice was fundamentally local. We present archaeobotanical evidence of offerings of food, incense, and flowers that elucidates the micro leve I nature of ritual at the shrine. Este artículo examina los cambios en las prácticas rituales durante el período Epiclásico en el centro de México. Presenta datos recuperados de excavaciones recientes de un lugar sagrado descubierto en el Lago de Xaltocan, situado al norte de la Cuenca de México. Las cerámicas y las fechas de radiocarbano 14 el santuario en el período Epiclásico. Este hallazgo consiste en una plataforma construida y utilizada cuando el estado de Teotihuacan se encontraba dominado por la tensión que conllevó al colapso. Con la caída de Teotihuacán y la aparición de otros centros políticos, la práctica del sacrificio humano se inició; en este caso se ejemplifica con la presencia de los restos de más de 30 individuos, incluyendo 13 cráneos decapitados completos, hallados en el contexto ceremonial. Esta costumbre sugiere la existencia de conflicto cuando el paisaje político se volvió más descentralizado. Aunque los procesos regionales afectaron las actividades en el sitio, el ritual era, sobre todo, un fenómeno local. Presentamos datos arqueobotánicos que indican que los practicantes del ritual realizaron ritos asociados con el agua y la fertilidad e hicieron ofrendas de comida, incienso, y flores.
Latin American Antiquity is a quarterly journal devoted to special reports on archaeology, prehistory, and ethnohistory in Mesoamerica, Central America, South America, and culturally related areas.
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Latin American Antiquity
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