Postclassic Urbanism at Calixtlahuaca: Reconstructing the Unpublished Excavations of José García Payón

Introduction

Calixtlahuaca was the capital of a powerful Postclassic polity in the Toluca Valley (in the modern state of México). Known today for the quality and quantity of its monumental architecture, Calixtlahuaca was once one of the leading cities in Postclassic central México. Because of its regional significance and its historical role in the conflict between the Aztec and Tarascan empires, research at Calixtlahuaca has great potential for illuminating a variety of issues concerning the Postclassic cultures of central México, particularly in the realms of urbanization, imperialism, social identity, and historical processes. Much of Calixtlahuaca’s monumental architecture was excavated and restored by José García Payón in the 1930s. Unfortunately, García Payón never completed the analysis of his excavations and he failed to publish his results beyond a few short technical articles and general works. The goal of this project was to analyze the artifacts and notes from his excavations to illuminate aspects of the chronology, significance, and urbanization of Calixtlahuaca.

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