Monkeys in the City of Gods

Abstract

Primates are mammals with high cultural significance in ancient societies. The objective of this research is to explore the material culture and biological remains of primates found in Teotihuacan, one of the largest pre-Hispanic urban areas of Mexico. Remains of Mesoamerican spider monkeys (Ateles cf. A. geoffroyi) were found in the Pyramid of the Moon, Xalla, and the Plaza of the Columns. Portable material culture that resembles primates was recovered elsewhere within Teotihuacan, but mostly in Tetitla and La Ventilla. Murals with representations of monkeys were found at these last two Teotihuacan sites. Possibly, primates reached Teotihuacan because of relationships with peoples from more distant lands such as the Mayan region as well as the Oaxacan province ruled by Monte Albán. The rise of the presence of primates in Teotihuacan occurred during the Classic period (~200-550 CE); however, it is relatively scarce considering the large size of the city

Archaeoprimatology: TheLongue DuréeInterface Between Humans and Nonhuman Primates

“…Except for the Byzantine and Roman sites with mosaics (23%), the rest of the primatomorphic depictions were rendered with the fresco technique (Supplemental Table 1). Although in Teotihuacan primates are depicted in a mural and on a floor in neighborhoods associated with Mayan residents (Urbani et al 2022b), in the remaining locations with frescoes (96%, 22/23), the depictions occurred on walls and were observable at eye level and therefore were likely intentionally painted to be readily noticed by the viewers. Among these depictions, baboons painted in Egyptian tombs are particularly common (e.g., Supplemental Figure 1a).…”