Project description
Cracking the Teotihuacan food puzzle
In the bustling heart of ancient Mesoamerican cities like Teotihuacan, a mystery shrouds the food production systems that once sustained thriving urban populations. While historical records reveal a plant-heavy diet supplemented with local wildlife and small-scale turkey husbandry, many gaps in our understanding remain. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the AviCulture project will test two hypotheses. First, did Teotihuacan residents practice low-intensity turkey and quail husbandry at the household level? Second, were aquatic birds, possibly reflecting lake exploitation, more pivotal to urban subsistence than previously thought? To answer these questions, the project will use zooarchaeological and proteomic analyses. The findings will shed light on ancient urban food production, underscoring the significance of avian fauna and lacustrine resources.
Objective
Lessons from Mesoamerican cities are well-suited to address many problems with feeding urban populations today, as large cities thrived in this region in the absence of large, domesticated animals. While we know that residents of Teotihuacan consumed a plant-heavy diet, supplemented with wild animals harvested from local ecosystems and some husbandry of small animals, like turkeys, there are still many gaps in our understanding of Teotihuacan’s food production system. AviCulture tests two hypotheses to better our understanding sustainable food production in the city. 1. Residents practiced low-intensity husbandry of turkeys and quails at the household level. 2. Aquatic birds, a proxy for lake exploitation, were more important to urban subsistence than current evidence suggests. The project will test these hypotheses across multiple assemblages at the city by integrating common zooarchaeological analysis with proteomic analysis to improve taxonomic identification of bone and egg remains and examining eggshells to assess embryonic development. The findings of this research will speak to the organisation of two important food production strategies for the city and highlight the importance of avian fauna and lacustrine resources in investigating the development of urban economies during the classic period.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European FellowshipsCoordinator
10124 Torino
Italy