ABSTRACT
In contrast to monumental architecture, vernacular architecture is often treated as both temporally conservative and spatially local (Deetz 1996:126-127; Hohmann-Vogrin 2012; Rapoport 1969:14). In Mesoamerican archaeology, such conceptions are exemplified by archaeological models underscoring the agency, economic networking, and political maneuvering of elite rulers and governing officials who innovate and make use of monumental architecture. For example, scholars have suggested that a small group of elite merchants, priests, or political leaders forged a political-religious cult known as the cult of Quetzalcoatl during the Terminal and Postclassic periods (ca. 800-1521 CE). This cult transcended political and ethnic boundaries, making it one of the most far-reaching modes of connecting different peoples throughout Mesoamerica. One of its many material manifestations is the circular shrine, a type of public building considered to have been dedicated to the culture-hero and/or deity Quetzalcoatl (Harrison-Buck and McAnany 2013; Ringle et al. 1998:185). Because vernacular architecture is rarely considered in relation to such widespread changes, it implicitly appears conservative and local.
