Casas Grandes Architecture and Pottery: A Comparison between Architectural and Pictorial Spatial Concepts

Abstract

The essay focuses on certain spatial concepts that emerge from the comparative analysis of the architecture of the pre-Columbian city of Casas Grandes and the pictorial designs on its polychrome pottery. This comparison reveals profound similarities that point to plausible correspondences with long lost Casas Grandes rituals. Without seeking to present an unequivocal interpretation or address problems of an archaeological or historical nature, the text concentrates on plastic issues; among these, a preeminent role is played by the way the stepped fret is executed.