The society of the Teotihuacanos was divided into different classes that made up a kingdom presided over by Nobles, who in turn were family. Well-defined social elites stand out among the main characteristics of this society.
According to testimonies from Spanish authors, this society was made up of monarchs, princes, ministers, high priests, generals and captains, merchants, commoners, serfs and slaves, as if it were an empire.
In turn, all of them followed a very advanced form of theocratic government compared to other cultures of the time.
However, other researchers maintain that there was a state government in Teotihuacán, thanks to the organization of its leaders.
For them, this structure does not make Teotihuacán an empire, since for this type of reign to exist, lands must be conquered with other cultures and languages.
Curiously, in Teotihuacan society, a specific character does not stand out, which is something unusual for a civilization with more than 700 years of life.
According to specialists, for the Teotihuacanos it was incorrect to represent members individually. This structure breaks the format followed by other peoples that have theocratic model.
Historians point out that the Teotihuacan elites, unlike the Mayans, are shown as a group closely linked in relation to the divine tasks and their rulers.
Scientific studies of burials and offerings indicate that in pre-Aztec society there are sub-divisions in status, age, and sex.
Hierarchical structure
Some historians maintain that at the top of the socio-cultural organization of Teotihuacan society was a king who led the population, while others consider that they were groups of elites who competed to govern the city.
This difference in criteria is due to the fact that in the Teotihuacan culture not so many finds were found in terms of writing and pictorial works.
The greatest reference to their lifestyle that exists was discovered through architectural structures and bone material.
Thanks to the architectural distribution of its temples and dwellings it was possible to demonstrate that there were sub-social classes within each group. The nobles, along with the priests and the military, had the highest ranks of authority.
Likewise, the bone pieces found allowed the researchers to have a broader vision of how these classes were related.
Results of these studies concluded that the priests and the military had a fairly close relationship, since many of them performed both roles.
The military dressed as priests, this gave them a divine power, which allowed them to have control of the city.
The Teotihuacanos represented part of their social organization with figures called "humanse" which did not indicate the names of the rulers, but the class to which they belonged, unlike the Mayans for example.
Consequently, it is very difficult for researchers to define who or who were the village leaders.
Likewise, this society served as a model for other cultures in Mesoamerica, however, today there are ongoing investigations to discover the mysteries that this community still holds.
It has been difficult to identify the role that its inhabitants played and how they became the example of other peoples after reaching their extinction.
Consequences of social organization
Most of its inhabitants were dedicated to agriculture. It was also verified that they practiced commercial exchange with other populations of the products they obtained. This may explain the transfer of their customs to other settlers.
Another theory holds that before the city fell into ruins, some settlers decided to emigrate.
Archives report that their stays in the villages were short and that they later became nomads who transmitted their customs.
This is how the ceremonial center of Tula arose, which preserved some religious ideas such as the cult of Quetzalcóalt, which is derived from Teotihuacán.
Studies show that for the Teotihuacanos the place they occupied was cosmogonically privileged, as they demonstrated this among their customs throughout the period of their existence.
Without a doubt, Teotihuacan society has been one of the most organized of the time. The findings show that they could have a well-defined socio-political structure.
However, few studies confirm this. What is undeniable is that this town was one of the fundamental pillars for the social-cultural development of other primitive civilizations in Mexico.
References
- From Teotihuacán to the Aztecs: Anthology of Historical Sources and Interpretations. By Miguel León Portilla
- Prehispanic Domestic Units in Western Mesoamerica: Studies of the Household. Written by Robert S. Santley, Kenneth G. Hirth
- Teotihuacan Archeology of a Mesoamerican city. By Natalia Moragas Segura
- Investigations in Teotihuacán Redefining the Old Problems. By Natalia Moragas Segura
- Social Organization and House Hold Structure of a Teotihuacan Apartment Compound: S3W1: 33 of theTlajinga Barrio. By Randolf J. Widmer and Rebeca Storey