Measurement as Cultural Practice: Cosmogonic Order in the Architecture of Mitla, Oaxaca

Abstract This article reconstructs the architectural measurement system employed at Mitla, Oaxaca, challenging the long-previous interpretations that no coherent system of measurement existed at the site. Through a systematic analysis of architectural components, it identifies a locally defined system of length measurement based on a common anthropometric core—the palm—reproduced through generative bases and articulated with selected numerical entities. The analysis identifies a primary unit, P23 (1.84 m), together with additional units selectively assigned according to architectural category, spatial group, and social function. What previously appeared to be dimensional irregularity is shown to reflect a structural system of an architectural planning. Beyond defining dimensions, the combination of units and numerical entities organized architectural space and incorporated concepts associated with ritual time, death, renewal, and cosmic order. Recurrent dimensional relationships involving the 52-year Mesoamerican cycle indicate that measurement formed part of a broader symbolic framework embedded in architectural design. The study documents a previously unknown Zapotec system of measurement, expanding current knowledge the diversity of Mesaoamerican systems of measurement. More broadly, it shows that architectural measurement formed an integrated components of ritualized design, consistent with the ceremonial character of Mitla, known in Zapotec as Lyobáa, “the place where souls rest.”