Captivation, Coproduction, and Technologies of Compromise at Postclassic Xaltocan, Mexico

Inspired by Benjamin’s 2019 call for greater awareness of “captivating technologies,” this paper explores monumental buildings in prehispanic Mesoamerica as heuristic parallels to modern technoscience, reconsidering the relations among technologies, people, and power. Like contemporary technologies, monumental buildings could reinforce hierarchical relationships by trapping subordinates in cycles of labor (re)production and physically inscribing the authority of rulers on the landscape. However, as products of their societal contexts, they also embodied more nuanced relationships. Drawing on a coproductionist analysis of technoscience that recognizes the mutually constitutive nature of technology and society, I explore how a monumental building from the site of Xaltocan in central Mexico embodied the intersecting social, political, and ideological interests of its patrons and makers. This interpretation frames monumental buildings as reflections of collective values and demonstrates how they could simultaneously bolster the political authority of leaders and foster local solidarity. This case study provides one example for the conditions under which more community-oriented technologies might be produced or facilitated in hierarchical societies like our own. Braiding archaeological perspectives and those from science and technology studies introduces new pathways for connecting material practices over time, emphasizing how decisions made in the past continue to shape both current landscapes and future possibilities.