5 ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES OF THE TEOTIHUACANOS - HISTORY - 2024

The most important economic activities of the Teotihuacanos were agriculture, commerce, artisan production, mineral extraction and tributes. The Teotihuacán culture was located in the Central Basin of Mexico. Teotihuacán was the largest, most influential, and most revered city in the history of the New World.

Its architecture, art, and religion had a great influence on all subsequent Mesoamerican cultures. The city covered about 20 square kilometers, and its population is estimated at 125,000-200,000.

Ceremonial Centers of the Teotihuacanos

In this way, it became one of the largest cities in the world for the time. It was the main economic and religious center of the region.

Brief description of the economic activities of the Teotihuacanos

Teoticuacán, the City of the Gods, is considered the cradle of Mesoamerican civilizations.

Its urban development implied the diversification of economic activities. These are briefly described below.

farming

Agriculture was one of the main economic activities of the Teotihuacanos. Probably two thirds of the urban population were involved in the agriculture of the surrounding fields.

Its crops include: corn, beans, squash, tomato, amaranth, avocado, cactus, and chili (a variety of pepper used as a condiment).

This was made possible by soil conditions, a favorable climate, and the invention of an irrigation system. Animal husbandry included turkeys and dogs.

Commerce

There were a large number of merchants in the city. Many of them had come there from remote places.

Archaeological discoveries show that various resources from other lands were brought to be turned into offerings to the gods, luxury clothing and ornaments for the elite.

Among the objects that were imported were shells from the coast, precious stones from Guerrero, mica from Oaxaca, bird feathers from the tropical lowlands, and cotton from Morelos or Veracruz and other items.

Locally, it is also likely that there has been an intense commercial exchange between farmers, artisans and other specialists.

Thus, trade became, especially in the last stages of its growth, one of the most important economic activities of the Teotihuacanos.

Artisan production

Perhaps up to a quarter of the Teotihuacan population worked in non-agricultural artisan trades. In the archaeological sites of the metropolis more than 500 craft workshops have been found.

Most of these are stores made of obsidian, a volcanic stone with which different types of tools were made.

Also, there were other handicraft specialties, such as the manufacture of pottery and clay figures and the work with precious stones, basalt and slate.

In the same way, there were artisans linked to municipal constructions such as plasterers, masons, tasters and painters.

Mineral extraction

Teotihuacan had obsidian which, at that time, was the most economically important mineral. This was used in the manufacture of a great variety of utensils that were later transported to all corners of Mesoamerica.

The gray-veined obsidian was mined from Cerro de Olivares, near Otumba. For its part, the green obsidian was taken from a small volcano west of Tulancingo and from the mines of the Sierra de las Navajas near Pachuca.

On the other hand, the region was also the source of an excellent clay for the manufacture of ceramics and of tezontle, a porous volcanic rock used in construction. In addition, basalt, slate, andesite and sandstone were mined.

Tributes

In Teotihuacán a tributary system was implanted. The safe commercial exchange took place in the markets of Teotihuacán.

The city was located on an important high mountain route linking the Valley of Mexico with the Valley of Puebla and, ultimately, with the lowlands of the Veracruz coast.

Surely, many long-distance merchants had to traverse the metropolis, no doubt adding significantly to their coffers with taxes and tribute.

In this sense, many theorists think that an excessive increase in taxes was what could have accelerated the destruction of this Mesoamerican culture.

This increase could have been caused by an unusual population growth that made it impossible to meet the needs of its rulers and settlers.

References

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4. Helms, MW (1982). Middle America: A Culture History of Heartland and Frontiers. Maryland: University Press of America.
5. Gutiérrez de MacGregor, MT González Sánchez, J. and Zamorano Orozco, JJ (2005). The basin of Mexico and its demographic-spatial changes. Mexico DF: UNAM.