Pochteca

William Sanders comments, "The [merchants '] political functions are so heavily stressed in this narrative that some writers have lost sight of the primarily entrepreneurial aspect of the Pochteca economy and have even described them as an arm of the state."

The Ancient Maya - A Commercial Empire 2006

William Sanders comments, "The [merchants '] political functions are so heavily stressed in this narrative that some writers have lost sight of the primarily entrepreneurial aspect of the Pochteca economy and have even described them as an arm of the state."

The Ancient Maya - A Commercial Empire 2006

At the bottom were the farmers and artists who sold or bartered their goods; next were the Tlanecuilo, or regional merchants, who sold foodstuffs and household items; at the top were the Pochteca, who undertook long-distance trade expeditions and imported luxury items such as gold, feathers, shells and fine cotton cloth.

More Than Blood and Brutality 2008