MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2023 AT 7:00 PM MDT
GENERAL MEETING - (HYBRID)
Beyond The Urban Center: Current Research At San Ignacio, A Regional Center In Teotihuacan’s Rural Countryside
Speaker: Erik Jurado, PhD Candidate, University of Colorado-Boulder and 2023 Alice Hamilton Scholarship Award Recipient
Abstract: Although urbanism is a key focus of anthropological archaeology, most archaeological research on urbanism is city-centric, meaning that studies have focused disproportionately on the urban centers themselves. As a result, we know comparatively little about the rural dimension of urbanism and the role of rural communities in urban processes and dynamics. This is particularly true of Teotihuacan in Central Mexico, the largest city in the western hemisphere at its height (100 BCE-550 CE). To address this issue, my doctoral thesis investigates Teotihuacan polity organization and urban-rural interaction at San Ignacio, a regional center in Teotihuacan’s rural countryside in what is today the Mexican state of Morelos. The primary aim of this research is to improve our understanding of San Ignacio’s relationship with Teotihuacan and to determine Teotihuacan’s local impact on the social identities, ritual practices, and political-economic activities of rural communities in Central Mexico. In this presentation, I summarize 2019 and 2023 fieldwork carried out at San Ignacio with CAS support. I present preliminary findings regarding San Ignacio’s relationship with Teotihuacan and directions for future research.
Bio: Erik Jurado works in Central Mexico on questions related to Teotihuacan, urbanism, and urban-rural interaction. He received his BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Colgate University in 2015, and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Colorado-Boulder (PhD in progress, MA 2021). Since 2019, he has been a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.
UPCOMING SPEAKER EVENTS:
November 13th – Dr. Jack Ives will be speaking on his work at Franktown Cave
December 11th – Members Night Potluck and Presentations