El paisaje urbano de Palenque: una perspectiva regional

Abstract

Generally, the terms “rural” and “urban” are described as concepts denoting different phenomena. These studies see the urban as implying high culture, economic and politic complexity, functional, economic and status heterogeneity. While the “rural” expresses the opposite: traditional communities with high levels of functional and economic homogeneity. Whithin the archaeological field, specially in Mesoamerican studies, it is necessary to overcome this conceptual dichotomy in order to adress those regional processes that led to the emergence and development of complex societies with a strong urban tradition. With this objective in mind, I discuss urbanism by analizing certain relevant aspects of Palenque social development. I specially focuse on the discussion of models that deal with city form and function and the possible role that the city, played at the regional level. Finally, using the concept of “urban landscape” developed by urban sociologists I try to discusse some aspects of regional settlement distribution in the Palenque region.