SCORPIO AND LONG-DISTANCE TRADE IN MESOAMERICA

This paper establishes a relationship between Scorpio and the astronomical group of the Ciudadela at Teoti- huacan, linking them to the city’s merchant elite. Its argument is based on a brief di scussion of the alacr ́an and the context in which it appears in Prehispanic documents and art. Human fig...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor: Bernd Fahmel Beyer
Formato: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:México
Recursos:Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Repositorio:Redalyc-UNAM
OAI Identifier:oai:redalyc.org:57150516004
Acesso em linha:https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57150516004
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Física, Astronomía y Matemáticas
Archaeoastronomy
Descrição
Resumo:This paper establishes a relationship between Scorpio and the astronomical group of the Ciudadela at Teoti- huacan, linking them to the city’s merchant elite. Its argument is based on a brief di scussion of the alacr ́an and the context in which it appears in Prehispanic documents and art. Human figures wi th a scorpion-tail are emphasized because of their association with the merchant class and Venus. The icono graphy used to represent this star takes on many shapes, some of which were related to war. The ori gin of this symbol can be found on the southern coast of Guatemala, from where cacao was distributed to Oaxaca and the highlands. During the Postclassic the Soconusco was one of the most cherished domains of the Aztec, whose pochteca not only carried out long-distance trade but also had the power to solve or promote diplomatic co nflicts.