Commensalism, Imaginaries and Early Urbanism: A Mezcala Sculpture in the Mixteca Alta, Mexico

Early urban societies feature specialized processes that integrate disparate populations as part of their social construction. One such process is commensalism and the associated display exotica from interregional interaction. Hosts a feast between 400 300 bce at early centre Etlatongo, in Mixteca Alta Oaxaca, Mexico, displayed pottery manifested relationships with elites Monte Albán other regions but also expressed connections something fundamentally different. The hosts sacrificed greenstone sculpture Mezcala style Guerrero state, located to west previously unknown Oaxaca aesthetics. discovery this figure contributes reassessing extent interaction during time often marked by regionalism well providing information on little-known civilization. A relational ontology explores how agentive object alterity its aesthetics facilitates understanding perceptions distant others or imaginaries, entanglements facilitated status differentiation for nascent elites, particularly role mediators.