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A possible Hindu Influence at Teotihuacan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Emily H. Vokes*
Affiliation:
Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana

Abstract

The conch shell figured on the Temple of Quetzalcoatl at Teotihuacán, is Turbinella angulata, the West Indian Chank. This species is closely related to the “Sacred Chank” of India, a shell which figures prominently in Hindu mythology, religion, and art. This finding may be interpreted as one more bit of evidence for transpacific influences on prehistoric Mesoamerican culture.

Type
Facts and Comments
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1963

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