Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism
Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism. Some archaeologists have suggested recently that clusters of houses at Classic Maya sites functioned as urban neighborhoods. This article presents comparative historical and ethnographic data...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Société des américanistes
2011-10-01
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| Series: | Journal de la Société des Américanistes |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/13456 |
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| _version_ | 1832096276532953088 |
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| author | Michael E. Smith |
| author_facet | Michael E. Smith |
| author_sort | Michael E. Smith |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism. Some archaeologists have suggested recently that clusters of houses at Classic Maya sites functioned as urban neighborhoods. This article presents comparative historical and ethnographic data from low-density cities to support this interpretation. I review two Mesoamerican cases: the Aztec calpolli and the modern Tzotzil house cluster; and urban clusters in two African cases: the Nupe city of Bida in West Africa and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The kinds of social relationships, activities, and conditions that characterize neighborhoods in high-density cities are also found in the comparative examples of house clusters. This comparative information strengthens the argument that clusters of houses served as neighborhoods in Classic Maya cities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e360d1a7eb9944a9a623559034b9975e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0037-9174 1957-7842 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2011-10-01 |
| publisher | Société des américanistes |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal de la Société des Américanistes |
| spelling | doaj-art-e360d1a7eb9944a9a623559034b9975e2025-02-05T15:54:27ZengSociété des américanistesJournal de la Société des Américanistes0037-91741957-78422011-10-01971517310.4000/jsa.13456Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density UrbanismMichael E. SmithClassic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism. Some archaeologists have suggested recently that clusters of houses at Classic Maya sites functioned as urban neighborhoods. This article presents comparative historical and ethnographic data from low-density cities to support this interpretation. I review two Mesoamerican cases: the Aztec calpolli and the modern Tzotzil house cluster; and urban clusters in two African cases: the Nupe city of Bida in West Africa and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The kinds of social relationships, activities, and conditions that characterize neighborhoods in high-density cities are also found in the comparative examples of house clusters. This comparative information strengthens the argument that clusters of houses served as neighborhoods in Classic Maya cities.https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/13456clusterMaya Classic societylow-density citiesneighborhoodscomparative analysissettlement patterns |
| spellingShingle | Michael E. Smith Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism Journal de la Société des Américanistes cluster Maya Classic society low-density cities neighborhoods comparative analysis settlement patterns |
| title | Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism |
| title_full | Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism |
| title_fullStr | Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism |
| title_short | Classic Maya Settlement Clusters as Urban Neighborhoods: A Comparative Perspective on Low-Density Urbanism |
| title_sort | classic maya settlement clusters as urban neighborhoods a comparative perspective on low density urbanism |
| topic | cluster Maya Classic society low-density cities neighborhoods comparative analysis settlement patterns |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/13456 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michaelesmith classicmayasettlementclustersasurbanneighborhoodsacomparativeperspectiveonlowdensityurbanism |