Flyover of urban landscape in the 9th century

Any reader should not overanalyze my choice of the 9th century. This was just a fun little exercise in historical mapping and a birds-eye snapshot in time of the urban landscape in the 9th century Western Hemisphere. It's not thorough, it's not exhaustive, and it leaves out plenty. 

But also know that in the 9th century, Mesoamerica was on the eve of the arrival of new expansionistic hegemonic states in the tradition and aesthetics of Teotihuacan on the central plateau in Xicocotitlan with a reiteration or even an outright reintroduction of Toltecized warrior elitism in the Maya area, based in Chichen Itza. For reference on late middle horizon history, see the history gathered by Fernando de Montesinos and Blas Valera on the political comings and goings of the rulers of Wari with possible reference to Tiwanaku and beyond (but do note: this is a controversial take). At around the year 1000 both Wari and Tiwanaku collapsed or rather disintegrated into warring and competing states, one of which was Quthqu (Cuzco) which would later become the seat of the burgeoning Inka empire.

And now...

In Pirwa (the Andes): 

Pachakamaq had already been a major piligrimage center for a few centuries by this point and would continue being so until the Inkas. It is a very large religious city, inhabited by a famous oracle and most likely priests of some order or another, serving the deity Pachakamaq meaning the "Animator of the Universe".

The site folklorically named Pikillaqta by locals and later by archaelogists was a major control center of later Wari times as it was a more defensible location due to the narrow valley passes that lead up to it. Perfect for defense from many directions. I will probably make a post about this at a later point. 

Wari, near the valley of Huamanga where the Inka city of Wamanqa was founded (later renamed Ayacucho after independence from the Crown of Spain) is thought to have been the main early capital of the eponymous state. It is quite a large urban area described by Charles C. Mann in "1491" as "a dense, alley-packed craze of walled-off temples, hidden courtyards, royal tombs, and apartments up to six stories tall" and where "most of the buildings were sheathed in white plaster making the city sparkle in the mountain sun."

The white border line is the general and vague frontier zone between Wari and Tiwananku. The frontier is broad and vague because it shifted as frontiers tend to do over such long periods of time. We have archaelogical indications of frontier zones and regions but no clear "line" in the sand demarcating the separation. An illustrative exmaple of a clearcut and well-studied frontier zone is at Cerro Baul where interethnic relationships, water conflict, feasting, and diplomacy is apparent in the archaeological record.

Tiwanaku, whose original name comes from Thiya wana quw(a) in Pukina according to Rodolfo Cerron Palomino, was a city of stoneworking virtuosity. The whole state is named after the city in a "pars pro toto." Its tumbled and haphazardly strewn stones a testament to the sheer magnitude of cultural vandalism that took place at this site since its abandonment. On its stones can be seen the master mason's art in its full splendor. Perfectly shaped and chiselled surfaces and corners, laser-straight lines, metal staples holding the enormous stones in place--which are something of a necessity in such an earthquake prone region of the earth. Even so, archaeologists can only theorize and wonder at what it looked like at its height although some inroads have been made regarding this (see Alexei Vranich and Kevin Eslinger).

Together "Wari" (or the pre-Inka imperial state) and Tiwanaku were the two main states that formed central Andean civilization in the first millenium of our era. 

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and...

In Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America):

Cholollan Tlachihualtepetl was a major religious and market center after the fall of Teotihuacan sometime in the 7th century. In the 9th century it probably had the largest market in all of Mesoamerica, even compared to the already declining Maya cities. The sheer longevity of Cholulan power and influence during such a turbulent time can be likened to the persistence of the Rome's political influence throughout the middle ages in the form of the Papal States. Likewise, the leaders of Cholollan Tlachihualtepetl were priests at the helm of a state. It was conquered for a time at around the turn of the millenium around the 10th to 12th centuries by the Olmeca Xicallanca according to sources.

Cacaxtla was one of these Xicallanca bases on the plain of Cuetlaxcoapan. It was a sumptuously decorated palatial complex on a hill where it most likely doubled as a religious center and as a royal residence. The art at Cacaxtla is quite different from the art of central Mexico due to its Mayan influences, denoting the origin of the Xicallancan realms ruling caste.

Tajin on the gulf coast of Mesoamerica is a very interesting site becasue of its uniqueness. Tajin is not inspired in Maya forms or central Mexican forms. Rather it is its very own trunk (under the umbrella of the Mesoamerican tradition of course).  The city center remains well taken care of, thanks to decades of archaeological work and just fine worksmanship such as stone paved streets and high quality chiselled masonry blocks. Its carved stone panels decorating the city give the viewer a sense of life, fashion, and religious thought during the 9th century at this important Mesoamerican city. Surviving sections of painted stucco serve as a clue that the city must have possessed a dazzling and figuratively wondrous appearance with many imaginative depictions of decorative flourishes, deities, monsters, and humans.

Po' was a state on the western frontiers of the Maya realm. It is a very large superstructure containing temple shrines on its many stone terraces. The overall platform reached 75 meters in height and it is probably one of the lagest single constructions in Mesoamerica before modern times. It is often cited for its surviving monumental frieze on the wall of one of its terraces showing a religious scene. This beautifully stuccoed, brightly painted city center complex, with its rich stone statuary and stucco friezes make Po' a highlight in 9th century Mesoamerica and it must have been a sight to behold.

Yax Mutal was one of larger cities of the Peten. It was dwarfed by Oxwitza' (Caracol) and Kaanul (El Mirador - Calakmul) but still a very large and sophisticated urban area with paved roads, metropolitan water collection, purification, management, and distribution systems, and a hinterland with infrastructure such as fortresses, defensive walls, moats, and terraces. The city center contains soaring temple towers of limestone and concrete, with large roofcombs (as these superstructures have been termed in Mesoamerican architecture). These roofcombs were richly decorated with enormous royal portraits and texts. Although severely weathered, you can still make out some of the figures with the right lighting.

Chichen Itza and Uxmal were important capitals of the nortern Maya realm and remained so until the 16th century, if in a rather unkempt and semi-abandoned state much like Rome during the early middle ages. Due to tourism campaigns and infrastructure, Chichen Itza is seen as the premier Maya city to the outside world. It certainly was, at least on the peninsula, for many centuries. This can be determined by the important military and political role the post-classic Chilam Balam texts attribute to the city and also by the size and scale of the architecture. It should be mentioned that this size and scale is not unprecedented on the peninsula at this time. However, Chichen Itza's survival makes it more notorious. Itzamal (modern Izamal) and Tho' (modern day Merida, Yucatan) were cities of substantial size, antiquity, and power. Some vestiges of Itzamal's prehispanic history are still visible to visitors like the K'inich Kak Mo ku but Merida's have been pretty much destroyed beyond all recognition in the building of the Hispanic Christian city over its ruins.