Teotihuacan: Ritual Economy, Exchange, and Urbanization Processes in Classic Period Mesoamerica

Teotihuacan, the largest urban center in Mesoamerica during the Classic period (C.E. 150–650), demonstrated how a new ideology centered on fertility and militarism fostered social cohesion, expanded its exchange network across vast areas, and drove the development of a complex ritual economy. The study reveals that specialized workshops produced thousands of ritually symbolic artifacts, which circulated widely and became integral to the city's fabric. This economic system, coupled with strategic urban planning featuring high population density, sacred architecture, and ethnic barrios, sustained Teotihuacan as a metropolis of over 200,000 inhabitants for nearly half a millennium. The research highlights the interplay between ideology, trade, and urbanization in shaping one of Mesoamerica's most influential civilizations.

Filini, A. (2015). Teotihuacan: Ritual Economy, Exchange, and Urbanization Processes in Classic Period Mesoamerica. Economic Anthropology, 2(1), 97–119. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/sea2.12020