Teotihuacan: An Experiment in Living

by Esther Pasztory

This book is the first comprehensive study and reinterpretation of the unique arts of Teotihuacan, including architecture, sculpture, mural painting, and ceramics. Comparing the arts of Teotihuacan - not previously judged "artistic" - with those of other ancient civilizations, Ester Pasztory demonstrates how they created and reflected the community’s ideals. Most people associate the pyramids of central Mexico with the Aztecs, but these colossal constructions antedate the Aztecs by more than a thousand years. The people of Teotihuacan, who built the pyramids as part of a city of unprecedented size, remain a mystery.

Genres: History

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book once you learn to live with the worry that it is all building up to a declaration that the author is a reincarnated Teotihuacana princess/priestess. The personal anecdotes detract from the solid snippets of analysis scattered throughout.
I'm not sold on the macroargument, but there's plenty to ruminate on here.