Ancient Origins of the Mexican Plaza: From Primordial Sea to Public Space

Contents

IX Authors’ Note XV Acknowledgments contents 1 Introduction 3 Chapter One  The Primordial Sea Forming Open Space in Mesoamerica 3  Mesoamerican Concept of Space 12 Mountains and Altepetls 13  Caves, Quatrefoils, and Sunken Courts 18  Types of Open Space in Mesoamerica 18 Triad Centering 21 U-shaped Courts 23 Quadrangles 26  Quincunx: Symbol of the Cosmos 28 Ballcourts 29  The Sunken Court of Teopantecuanitlán 31  The Dallas Plaque: A Cosmogram 33 Chapter Two  Forming Spanish Towns in Mesoamerican Culture 33  People and Ideas 35 The Invasion 37  The Europeans Making Contact 41  European Plazas in the Early Sixteenth Century 42  Origins of the Plaza 46  Building New World Towns 46  Types of Towns 46  First Acts and Encounters 49  Laws of the Indies 50 Conversion 51 Quincunx Patios 54 Relaciones Geográficas 61 Chapter Three  Sixteenth-Century Communal Open Spaces (Five Hundred Years Later) 62  Caves and Crevices 63  Amecameca, State of México 72 Zoquizoquipan, Hidalgo 77 Valladolid, Yucatán 80 Quincunxial Arrangements 81 Atlatlahuacan, Morelos 84 Huejotzingo, Puebla 87 Huaquechula, Puebla 90  Zacualpan de Amilpas, Morelos D2809_Wagner_00_A.indd 7 9/29/12 9:34 AM Ancient Origins of the Mexican Plaza viii 90 Terraced Mountains 93 Molango, Hidalgo 97 Achiutla, Oaxaca 100 Yanhuitlán, Oaxaca 103 Sunken Courts 103 Tepoztlán, Morelos 108 Tochimilco, Puebla 111 Calpan, Puebla 119  Ballcourts and Bullrings 124  Villa Díaz Ordaz, Oaxaca 126 Tlanalapa, Hidalgo 129 Tepeapulco, Hidalgo 131  Open Space Ensembles 131 Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca 134 Tlacolula, Oaxaca 137  Otumba de Gómez Farías, State of México 141 Tlacochahuaya, Oaxaca 144 Tepeaca, Puebla 147 Etla, Oaxaca 149  Bishop Quiroga’s Utopias in Michoacán 150 Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán 152 Pátzcuaro, Michoacán 154  Santa Fe de la Laguna, Michoacán 157 Erongarícuaro, Michoacán 159 Angahuan, Michoacán 162  Visible Overlays and Deliberate Alignments 162 Mitla, Oaxaca 165  Hacienda Xaaga, Oaxaca 166 Teposcolula, Oaxaca 170 Coixtlahuaca, Oaxaca 173 Epazoyucan, Hidalgo 176  The Yucatán Experience 178 Chapels, Yucatán 180 Tibolón, Yucatán 183 Izamal, Yucatán 195 Chapter Four  Origins and Evolution 197 Epilogue  Plazas in the Twenty-First Century 197  The San Miguel Example 199  Qualities of Successful Plazas 200  Sprawl and the American Myth 203 Appendix  Measured Drawings: Plans of Towns 219 Notes 229 Glossary 233 Bibliography 245 Index D2809_Wagner_00_A.indd 8 9/29/12 9:34 AM ...