teotihuacan - Scuderie del Quirinale

exhibition dossier
teotihuacan
city of the gods
Teotihuacan grew to become the dominant force in the Valley of Mexico between 300 and
100 BCE, and its influence soon spread to a far wider area that included also mountainous
regions. At the peak of its splendor, it was one of the largest human settlements anywhere
in the world. Teotihuacan is simply vast: its squares, its pyramids and its streets simply
overwhelm the visitor with their enormous size.
Brian Fagan
Malinaltepec Mask, with mosaic covering and
necklace with pendant.
Stone with applications in turquoise,
amazonite, obsidian and shell.
100-650 AD, Museo Nacional de Antropología,
Mexico City
• how to use this file
• Teotihuacan
• work modules
the metropolis
the pyramid
wall paintings
masks
shells
• suggestions for further reading
from the Art Bookshelf
• internet sites
how to use the file
This file is designed for anyone
interested in finding things out
and in experimenting with things.
It offers suggestions for discussion
topics and activities. The work
modules explore key themes with
images, information, quotes and tips
for encouraging creative activity.
It is a useful tool for further
developing the issues addressed at
the exhibition, either at school or and
at home, in an attempt to foster
ongoing dialogue with schools
and families well beyond the mere
visit to exhibition itself.
to analyze thoroughly our
methodology, we suggest you:
C. Francucci e P.Vassalli (a cura di),
Educare all’arte, Electa Milano 2005
C. Francucci e P.Vassalli (a cura di),
Educare all’arte. Immagini esperienze
percorsi, Electa Milano 2009
suggestions for use
a resource for teachers, parents and professionals
With over 400 exhibits from digs conducted between 1998 and 2004 and on display here
in Italy for the very first time, the Teotihuacan: City of the Gods exhibition offers the public
an overview of this ancient Mexican civilization which disappeared so myteriously. The
visitor is taken by the hand and led to discover the most important and appealing aspects
of Teotihuacan, from its town planning to its politics, from its religion to daily life in the
city, and from its art to the city's role in a broader Central American context.
This file, like the exhibition itself, offers a mix of several distinct disciplines and touches on
a variety of different aspects in the spectacular artistic story of this city, which many have
likened to a central American Rome, in an attempt to bring the exhibition to life for
children as it strikes a chord with their own lifestyle and experience.
We’d love to know what you think of this dossier and the things it offers so please
don’t hesitate to write us at this address: didattica.pde@palaexpo.it
educational aims
• encouraging group work based on interaction with others involving story telling,
descriptions and dialogue, asking each other questions, information, impressions,
opinions and feelings;
• educating children to critically observe and analyze objects from other cultures than
their own, discovering the similarities and the differences inherent in human activity;
• familiarizing childern with diversity by discovering the customs and the history
of a different people;
• fostering the realization that the form and material of a work of art can help
to mold its significance and its function;
• helping children to realize the part each one of us has to play in preserving
our heritage through the study of archaeology;
• approaching history through comparison with children's own daily lives
to stimulate curiosity and to explore its relevance to the present day;
• offering learning methods based on the kind of theoretical criteria and practical
solutions that can be achieved in a workshop environment.
Sculpture with an image of a death deity.
Stone, stucco and pigment, 400-600 AD,
Museo Nacional de Antropología,
Mexico City
2
obsidian volcanic stone that looks
like glass and is usually grayish black
in color. In Teotihuacan, on the other
hand, it has a distinctive green color.
At least as sharp as metal, it is used
to make blades and other sharp tools.
Aztecs a nomadic people that
began to settle in the Valley of
Mexico in the 13th century,
subsequently establishing
Tenochtitlàn where Mexico City
stands today.
Toltecs a warrior people who took
over the city of Teotihuacan after its
fall, maintaining control over it for
about two hundred years.
conquistadores Spanish colonizer
who conquered Central and South
America in the mid-16th century,
after the discovery of the New World,
and brought the native population
under brutal control.
the Diego Rivera collection
Some of the exhibits on display come
from the prestigious collection of
artist Diego Rivera. Starting in 1942,
the artist devoted the last years of his
life to the creation of a studio-home
(today the Museo Diego Rivera
Anahuacalli) to house his collection
of archaeological artifacts. Precolumbian civilizations meet
contemporary history in Rivera's art,
in which the religious symbols of
ancient Mexico are fused with
today's events. His paintings are
designed for the large wall surfaces
of public buildings. One of his most
important projects was the
presidential palace, for which he
painted the "History of Mexico from
the Conquest to 1930".
Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan is situated close to Mexico City, at an altitude of approximately 2,300 mt.
Devoid of either walls or military constructions, the city is a grandiose sacred complex
which includes pyramids, temples and palaces. It dominates an alluvial valley with springs
that make the terrain extremely fertile. The presence of volcanoes provided the local
people with obsidian, a material which can be used to make artifacts and tools. The city
reached the peak of its splendor between 150 and 450 CE, when it became the center of a
major culture that wielded a power and influence over Central America comparable with
that wielded in Europe by ancient Rome.
After its mysterious fall, the peoples who settled in the city were so overawed by the
enormous size of the massive ruins meeting their eyes, that they were convinced the gods
had sacrificed their own existence to permit the start of a new era. It was the Aztecs who
called it Teotihuacan, "the city where gods are born" and who dedicated the largest
pyramids in the city to the Sun and Moon. Even today we still do not know the reasons
that led to the city's downfall. Was it sudden climate change that brought famine and
hardship? Was it a barbarian invasion? Or was it a series of internal grassroots uprisings
within Teotihuacan society itself? Some sources tell us of looting and burning in the city
by the Toltecs in around 700 CE. Many hundreds of years later, the Spanish conquistadores
found Teotihuacan completely abbandoned and covered in garbage, earth and vegetation.
The first archaeological digs were undertaken in the early 20th century and they have
been going on without a break since then, unearthing a grandiose Neolithic metropolis.
Teotihuacan became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
chronological outline of ancient civilizations in Central America
3
work module
Avenue of the Dead this name
was given to it by the Aztecs, who
believed that the awe-inspiring
buildings on either side of it were
tombs built by giants for the first
lords of Teotihuacan.
zenith this is the highest point in
the sky, directly overhead the
observer on the ground, and it lies
exactly 90° from the horizon. In the
Tropic of Cancer the sun reaches in
zenith at midday on 21 June, the day
the summer solstice is celebrated.
Quetzalcóatl this is the name that
the Aztecs gave to the plumed
serpent, the principle deity
throughout Central America. The
Quetzal, a rare climbing bird with a
tail over 80 cm. long and iridescent
blue-green plumage, was a symbol of
divinity and it is combined here with
the coatl or water snake. The three
elements of air, water and earth are
merged in his final aspect.
the metropolis
We know very little about the knowledge or the beliefs of those who built Teotihuacan.
Despite the fact that archaeologists have been working among the ruins for over a century,
only a very small part of the city has been scientifically excavated to date.
Fernando Jiménez del Oso
Teotihuacan was built to a specific plan around a north-south axis known as the Avenue of
the Dead, with the major ceremonial buildings rising to either side of it. The monumental
area is built in accordance with the principles of symmetry and perpendicularity. The
planners designed their city in a cross shape, cutting the north-south axis by diverting the
San Juan river. The project's regularity has prompted archaeologists to posit a close link
between the site on which each building was erected and observation of the map of the
heavens. The Avenue of the Dead reproduces the sun's trajectory in the course of a single
year, while the great Pyramid of the Sun marks the spot on the horizon where the sun sets
once a year, on the day it reaches its zenith. At the northernmost point of the Avenue we
encounter the Pyramid of the Moon which, while smaller than that of the Sun, is perfectly
aligned with it because it was built on higher ground. To the south of the Avenue, the
Citadel is a square-shaped complex which is thought to have been the residence of the
priests, the most powerful elite in the city. Within its walls is located the pyramid of
Quetzalcóatl, a temple dedicated to the most important deity in Central America. The
other buildings were erected on a grid plan organized around the two main streets, the
Avenue of the Dead and the East-West road. The point at which these two streets intersect
marks the center of the city and divides Teotihuacan into four large neighborhoods, each
one devoted to different economic and social activities. The city was built of stone, sundried mud bricks and wood, all of which were easily available in the region.
Pyramid of the Moon
Pyramid of the Sun
Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl
Avenue
of the
Dead
4
Citadel
topic for discussion
religion in ancient cities
In Teotihuacan and in other ancient civilizations there is always a close tie between
religion and the city. Families, groups and tribes assigned enormous importance to sacred
areas with buildings dedicated to the practice of their religion. These buildings are often
set on three levels: below ground for the cult of the dead; at ground level for man's
earthly life; and on a raised level to get closer to heaven and to the gods. Compare
Teotihuacan with other ancient cultures such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome.
Which sacred buildings represent the point of contact between heaven, earth
and the underworld?
activity
the accidental town-planner
In ancient times, cities were not formed by a gradual increase in the number of their
inhabitants and their buildings, they were founded when it was felt that a cultural
community had formed which was united in its customs and in its interests. Try drawing
the plan of an ancient city to reflect the lifestyle of its mysterious population. Plot the
outline of the city walls on squared paper. Think about the shape of the outline and decide
how many gates are going to be needed to get into the city. To allow people to move
about inside the city, you are also going to have to plan streets that meet and cross,
leading to public and private areas such as houses, squares, shops, sacred areas and leisure
spaces. When you have finished, choose a name for your ancient city. If you prefer, you can
use collage rather than drawing, simply collecting pictures of walls, roads and buildings
from old newspapers and magazines. Look at your plan and try to imagine entering the
very fabric of the city, ambling down its streets and heading for one or the other of the
sites you have created. Make sure it contains everything that its inhabitants might need
to allow them to live in accordance with their own customs.
Jaguar emerging from a plumed ‘portal’
Stone, stucco and pigments, 350-650 AD
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
5
work module
ziggurat a truncated, stepped
pyramid built by the Sumerians, each
level smaller than the one below
and joined by external staircases.
The ziggurat was a platform designed
to support a temple on the summit.
Tlaloc this is the name that the
Aztecs gave the god of water and
thunderstorms: "he who causes the
crops to grow". He is depicted with
goggle eyes and an upper lip in
the shape of a mustache with four
long fangs.
leap year a leap year is a solar year
to which an extra day is added at the
end of February to keep our calendar
in sync with the cycle of the seasons.
This ploy is adopted in both the Julian
and Gregorian calendars.
Talud
Tablero
Talud
Tablero
South American pyramids were built with extremely advanced construction techniques and
astronomical references that were very similar to those adopted by the architects and
astronomers of ancient Egypt.
Luigi Colli
the pyramid
The pyramids of Teotihuacan are compact buildings which bore covered temples on their
summits. Unlike the pyramids of Egypt, they were neither used as tombs for kings nor
erected some distance from the center of the city. The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest
built structure in Teotihuacan and it can be seen from anywhere in the city. It has oblique
walls called taludes, alternating with rectangular steps or terraces known as tableros. It
consists of five storeys, one above the other, and it was built over a natural cave with a
subterranean stream. The cave is shaped like a flower with four petals and it symbolizes
the birth of life and creation. The summit of the pyramid represents life at the center of
the universe.
The priests used a staircase on its left side to reach the now destroyed temple located at
the very top of the pyramid. During religious ceremonies, the faithful could see the priests
climbing to the top of the pyramid, but then they lost sight of them, envisioning them
entering heaven. Like the ziggurats of Mesopotamia, the pyramids of Teotihuacan served
to bring the priests closer to the gods, to strike awe and reverence into the hearts of the
people, to boost the city's prestige, and also to allow astronomers to study the heavens
more easily. Another important pyramid in the city is dedicated to Quetzalcóatl. It
comprises six superimposed talud-tablero stages and is decorated with heads carved in
relief. On the taludes we find serpents with plumed collars, snails, shells and starfish, while
on the tableros plumed serpents alternate with the heads of dragons with scaly skin,
which many scholars suggest may be identified with Tlaloc, the god of water and or
fertility. There are a total of 366 stone heads; in other words, there are as many heads as
there are days in a leap year. The pyramid was planned to reflect the agricultural calendar,
because it associates the cult of the sun with the cult of rain in a constant evocation of
fertility and life. In addition to these huge monuments, Teotihuacan has over one hundred
minor pyramids, all of which are built along each side of the Avenue of the Dead.
6
Pyramid of the Sun
Head carved in relief, Pyramid of Quetzalcóatl
topic for discussion
pyramids in the ancient world
Pyramids were built all over the ancient world, from Mexico to China, from Mesopotamia
to Egypt, and from the islands of the Pacific to Bosnia. How can cultures so distant from
one another have erected such similar buildings? Are they all shaped the same? Do they
all serve the same purpose? Look up the subject of pyramids in the ancient world either
on the Internet or in a library; compare their similarities and discover their differences.
activity
the energy enshrined in a pyramid
Many scholars argue that the pyramid is a powerful accumulator of energy thanks to its
shape. They have conducted experiments with small pyramids built to the plan of the
Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt, and they have come up with some seriously bizarre
results. These models can actually increase the vital energy, the life force, of the things
inside them. Food keeps longer, plants grow faster even without any light, and the normal
decomposition of organic substances slows down. Having trouble believing that, are you?
Well then, try building a pyramid out of any material you can find, even cardboard, but
make it big enough so you can sit comfortably inside it. Once you are inside, cross your
legs, place your hands on your knees, close your eyes and concentrate: a charge of positive
energy will start to descend on you from the apex of the pyramid.
7
work module
fresco to make a fresco, you have to
cover the wall with a layer of plaster
and apply paint on it while the plaster
is still wet, before it starts drying out.
The colors penetrate into the plaster
as it dries and they become part of
the wall itself, which allows the
plaster to stay firmer and the colors
to stay brighter for a very long time.
pelota the Spanish word for a “ball”
denotes, in this instance, a game in
which players used either their feet
or a stick rather like a golf club.
The playing field represents the
cosmos, the rubber ball is the sun,
and the players are the gods tasked
with moving the sun across the sky
What is left of the paintings […] tells us above all of a religion inspired by life itself, in which
the transcendental deities appear to incarnate the eternal flow of life between fertility,
blossoming and fertilization.
Luigi Gulizia
wall paintings
Painting in Teotihuacan was at the service of religion just as architecture was. It achieved
its loftiest expression in the fresco decoration of the temples and of the priests' houses.
It covered the buildings both inside and out, although red on its own was often used for
the latter purpose. There were two techniques used in painting: fresco, which consisted in
wetting parts of the wall and then applying the colors diluted in water or cactus sap; and
tempera, which demands the addition of resin or glue to color that is then applied to walls
already dry. The colors used were drawn from the earth and from minerals, like Indio red,
turquoise blue, malachite green or yellow ochre. These substances were ground in mortars,
mixed on a palette and then applied to the walls with brushes. The preparatory drawings
were either scratched into the walls using pieces of obsidian or drawn on them with pieces
of charcoal. The decorations are symbolic and they are still difficult for us to interpret
today. The most frequent kinds of decoration depict deities, priests in a procession,
animals, plants, water and food.
Wall painting in Teotihuacan offers scholars a veritable mine of useful information to help
them reconstruct the customs and traditions of its inhabitants. One of the most
interesting examples are the paintings recording the game of pelota: even though no
playing field has yet been discovered in Teotihuacan, the wall paintings show us that the
game was played there on quite a large scale.
Mural painting with singing quetzal.
Stucco and pigments, 200-400 AD,
Museo Amparo, Puebla
Mural painting showing Tláloc singing and scattering food.
Stucco and pigments, 400-600 AD,
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
8
topic for discussion
serpent gods
Frescoes and sculptures tell us that the most important deity in the Mexican pantheon
was Quetzalcóatl, the plumed serpent. Many deities are associated with the serpent in the
history of religions, to represent the life force, transformation and rebirth. The snake is
present in every ancient culture as a symbol of the continuity of life and of the link with
the underworld on account of the animal's habit of withdrawing to concealed,
underground lairs. Mysterious and primitive, the snake emerges from the watery depths
where life began, and it is "reborn" every season when it goes into hibernation and moults,
changing its skin. In our own culture today we tend to have a rather negative perception of
the snake. Why is that? Talk it over with your teacher and your parents, and try to discover
where and when the snake began to be associated with evil and dishonesty.
activity
a prayer to Tlaloc
Frescoes often show Tlaloc, the god of water and lightning, in the act of pouring water and
seeds from his hands to vouchsafe the earth's prosperity. He is a compassionate deity who
irrigates fields in response to the priests' prayers, yet at the same time he is fearsome and
capable of immense wrath, of causing drought, flooding and hailstorms.
Tlaloc is portrayed with the eyes and nose of a snake, the mouth and teeth of a jaguar and
with the feathers of a heron on his hair, symbolizing the clouds that gather around
mountain tops before a rainstorm. To ensure plentiful corn crops, the priests beseeched
Tlaloc's favor with processions, rituals and magic formulas. Try composing your own plea in
rhyming verse, working the words rain, thunder, help, energy, fertile, earth and sun into it.
Build the most powerful sentences into a single composition and recite it as a group while
staging a ceremony involving making an offering to the deity.
Tlaloc bearing a basket of maize
Stucco and pigments, 400-600 AD
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
9
work module
nephrite a green stone whose
name comes from the Greek word
"nephros", meaning a kidney.
The Greeks believed that an amulet
made of nephrite would preserve
the wearer from kidney trouble.
basalt a dark, or black, volcanic stone
that forms when magma comes
into contact with water or air and
rapidly solidifies.
jade a gleaming, translucent green
stone held to be far more valuable
than nephrite. The Aztecs put a tax
on jade, which unfortunately resulted
in the recycling, and consequent
destruction, of numerous
older artifacts.
incense burners small,
extravagantly decorated altars used
for burning incense during religious
ceremonies.
Many ritual masks in granite, onyx and jade with large ornaments on their ears were also
made for funerary purposes.
Mary Hollingswo
masks
The artists of Teotihuacan excelled in the production of stone masks carved in nephrite,
basalt and jade. These stones did not come from quarries close to the city but from other
regions of Central America, thanks to Teotihuacan's vast trading network. The masks are
almost all life-size, but they cannot be worn because they are too heavy and they have
neither eyeholes nor breathing holes. For long time people presumed that they were
funeral masks, yet these masks were not found in burial grounds but in public buildings.
They were probably fixed to the face of wooden statues that have decayed over time.
They are shaped like upside-down triangles with a rounded tip, and with small recesses for
the eyes and mouth that were then inlaid with shell and obsidian. The holes in the ears
and forehead suggest the presence of pendentives and of headgear decorated with
feathers, fabric and other perishable materials. The masks have stylized features and
display the stony expressions of ancestors or of minor gods. The faces are anonymous,
possibly to highlight the importance of equality in Teotihuacan society.
Some of the masks, however, are made of painted terracotta with large disc-shaped
earrings and butterfly noses. These are often found in the center of ceremonial incense
burners or on their lids, and their function was to bring the faithful face to face with the
deity or priest whom they had come to venerate. Unlike the stone masks, these terracotta
masks do have eyeholes and a hole for the mouth, so that the wearer could see and speak.
activity
discover the mask!
Make a deck of playing cards using pictures of the masks on display in the exhibition.
You will find six of them in the following page. Print as many colored copies as you need.
Once you have plastic-coated them, deal them out on the table face down. Turn two
random cards over,trying to find masks in the pack that have the same features: raw
material, obsidian eyes, butterfly noses, shell teeth and so on. If you turn two the same,
pick them up and place them as a pair in front of you. Otherwise, turn them face down
again. The aim of the game is to pick up pairs of similar masks by remembering where
they were when they were turned over.
10
Anthropomorphic mask with butterfly nose ornament,
ceramic, stucco and pigments, 500-600 AD,
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
Anthropomorphic stone mask, 100-650 AD,
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
Anthropomorphic mask with plumed ornament, ceramic,
100-650 AD, Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
Malinaltepec Mask, with mosaic covering and necklace with
pendant. Stone with applications in turquoise, amazonite,
obsidian and shell.
100-650 AD, Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
Mask with applications and earflares.
Greenstone and diorite.
100-650 AD, Museo del Templo Mayor, Mexico City
Anthropomorphic mask. Greenstone. 100-650 AD,
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
11
work module
king conch a large mollusc found
in tropical seas, whose pink shell is
used in particular in the manufacture
of cameos and pearls.
One of the most ancient, universal and, at the same time, enduring uses to which mankind
has put the shell is as a horn or trumpet.
www.mtsn.it/molluschi
shells
Men have been using molluscs since the dawn of history, either to eat or to use a raw
material from which to make tools. Their convex shape meant that they could also be used
to hold things. The powder obtained from crushing them was used in the construction
industry, mixed with other substances to produce plaster for walls. Shells were also used
as a form of coinage because of their symbolic and religious value. The intensity of
Teotihuacan's trade with other regions of Central America allowed it to import numerous
shells and sea snails from the Pacific Ocean and from the Gulf of Mexico. Symbols of
wealth and power, shells were used also for decoration or as offerings to the gods,
especially in honor of the dead. The people of Teotihuacan used shells to make bangles,
earrings and necklaces. The technique used to pierce them involved rubbing a stick back
and forth on the surface, using water and sand as abrasive materials. The shell is
associated with the sea, with the sun that rises out of the sea and sets in it, and with the
moon that commands the tides and fertility.
The largest mollusc species in America, the king conch, was often covered in plaster and
frescoed with geometrical motifs and symbols of the calendar cycle, using natural
pigments. Wall paintings also show us that the shell was used as a wind instrument, not
unlike a trumpet or a horn. The tip of the shell was pierced and polished to allow the
player or musician to blow in it.
Conch trumpet painted with calendrical
glyphs and feathers, Pleuroploca gigantea,
stucco and pigments, 100-650 AD,
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
12
topic for discussion
the conch shell horn
Blowing a conch shell trumpet, or horn, is a tradition common to many eras in history and
to many parts of the world. In Central America the conch shell was blown either to call for
rain, or to plead for it to stop! It is still blown today to warn of an approaching
thunderstorm, to call the flock home, and in some cases even to alert people to the
mailman's approach or to take the place of church bells. In the Mediterranean area the
conch shell is still used today in the islands of the Aegean, in Croatia, in Sardinia, in Liguria,
in Corsica, in Provence and in Majorca, but it goes by a different name in each of these
places. What are those names? To find out, conduct a search on the Internet or at the library.
activity
post-modern musical instruments
You can make an endless range of sounds come out of objects that are easily found in
nature. To make drums, whistles, flutes and trumpets, our ancestors used shells, animal
bones, stones, wood and walnut shells. If you want to make a wind instrument today, all
you have to do is go into a garage or closet and find: a rubber tube about 120 cm. long;
an average-sized plastic or copper funnel; and a male plastic faucet coupling. Place the
coupling in one end of the tube and the funnel in the other. Put the coupling to your lips
like a regular mouthpiece and start blowing. Delight your skeptical audience with the full
range of sounds that you can make with your post-modern musical instrument!
Zoomorphic vase, ceramic, pigment, shells and
greenstone, 400-600 AD,
Museo Nacional de Antropología, Mexico City
13
Teotihuacan. La città degli dei.
09 november 2010 - 27 february 2011
credits
Project designed by
Educational Services
Art Workshop
Director
Paola Vassalli
Project Manager
Francesca Romana Mastroianni
with Chiara Bandi
Suggestions for further reading
Francesca Romana Mastroianni
suggestions for further reading from the Art
Bookshelf
Organized by
Elena Fierli
with Giulia Franchi
for adults
English translation
Stephen Tobin
Graphic design
rocchi pavese design
information •
activities and workshops
Let's MIX-MEX
schools • kindergarten
and primary schools
Tuesday to Friday 11.30 am
admission J 4.00 (kindergarten:
admission free)
activities J 80.00 per class group
two classes can be accommodated
at once (max 25 children per class)
booking compulsory (there is no
charge for this service)
families • children from 7 to 11 years
of age
Sunday 11 am to 1 pm
activity + admission to the
exhibition J 12.00
booking recommended (there is
a J 1.50 charge for this service)
family offer
activity + admission to the exhibition
J 10.00 per child
admission to the exhibition
J 10.00 per adult (max 2)
children ages 7 to 11 who take
part in two workshops associated
with the major exhibits at the
Palazzo delle Esposizioni
and the Scuderie del Quirinale
may purchase a special combined
workshop ticket for J 18.00
Palazzo delle Esposizioni
via Nazionale 194, 00184 Rome
www.palazzoesposizioni.it
information and reservations
schools: tel. 06 39967 200
others: tel. 06 39967 500
Monday to Friday
9 am to 6 pm
Saturday 9 am to 2 pm
Philip P. Arnold, L’occupazione del paesaggio. Aztechi ed europei nella valle del Messico,
Jaca Book 2009
Simone Barcelli, Tracce d’eternità, Cerchio della Luna 2009
David Herbert Lawrence, Il serpente piumato, Mondadori 2000
Felipe Solís, Teotihuacan. La Città degli Dei, Skira 2010 (exhibition catalogue)
Max Toth, Greg Nielsen, Roberta Rambelli, L’energia della piramide, studio Tesi 2001
for children
Ferninand Anton, Secret world of the Aztecs, Prestel 2002
Caroline Arnold, City of the Gods: Mexico's ancient city of Teotihuacan, Clarion Books 1994
Andrea Belloli, Exploring World Art, Frances Lincoln 1999
Marino Benzi, Fiabe e leggende degli indios del Messico, Condaghes 2006
Raphaël De Filippo, L’archeologia a piccoli passi, Motta Junior 2007
Belinda Gallagher, 100 things you should know about pyramids, Miles Kelly 2009
Christiane Lavaquerie-Klein, Laurence Paix-Rusterholtz, Huaca. Trésors des peuples
d’Amérique du sud, Réunion des Musées Nationaux 2006
Alfonso Pérez de Laborda, Sandro Corsi, Gli antichi astronomi, Jaca Book 2007
Juan Schobinger, La prima metropoli Teotihuacan, Jaca Book 1994
Maria Teresa Uriarte, L'architettura precolombiana in Mesoamerica, Jaca Book 2009
internet sites
http://teotihuacan.com.mx
http://archaeology.asu.edu/teo
http://www.in-sieme.it/unesco/messico/teotihuacan.htm
http://www.gobiernodigital.inah.gob.mx/mener/index.php?contentPagina=32
www.templomayor.inah.gob.mx
www.diegorivera.com
www.museomuraldiegorivera.bellasartes.gob.mx
photo credits
(C) Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes –
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, México.
Photo: Martirene, Alcantara, assistant Olivier Dekeyse
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