Monkeys in the City of Gods: on the primate remains and representations in Teotihuacan, Central México

DAMIÁN RUIZ RAMONI

World Archeoprimatologies: Interconnections of Humans and Nonhuman Primates in the Past

‎ Cambridge University Press

Año: 2023; p. 13 - 47

Primates are mammals with high cultural significance in ancient societies. Theobjective of this research is to explore the material culture and biological remainsof primates found in Teotihuacan, one of the largest pre-Hispanic urban areas ofMexico. Remains of Mesoamerican spider monkeys (Ateles cf. A. geoffroyi) werefound in the Pyramid of the Moon, Xalla, and the Plaza of the Columns. Portablematerial culture that resembles primates was recovered elsewhere withinTeotihuacan, but mostly in Tetitla and La Ventilla. Murals with representations ofmonkeys were found at these last two Teotihuacan sites. Possibly, primates reachedTeotihuacan because of relationships with peoples from more distant lands such asthe Mayan region as well as the Oaxacan province ruled by Monte Albán. The riseof 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 and the long period of time in which Teotihuacan had been researched. Nevertheless,the existence of monkeys in Teotihuacan, either as exotic animals or as portableobjects, does also seem to indicate that they were disseminated within different partsof the city. Thus, living primates and their representations circulated with theirsymbolic value in Teotihuacan, particularly among members of the ruling elite,and likely among members of other neighboring Mesoamerican societies.