Mesoamerica (Geographic Keyword)
2,301-2,325 (2,387 Records)
Ancient Maya palaces from the Classic Period exhibit a high degree of similarity in terms of architectural layout. While the significance of the similarities has been explored previously, the differences have not been understood as well. This paper attempts to explicate differences in morphology and begin to understand their meaning.
Variations in Late and Terminal Classic Ceramic Firing Facilities within Southeastern Mesoamerica. (2015)
Research conducted in the adjoining Naco and Middle Chamelecon and Cacaulapa River (MCC) valleys of northwestern Honduras has revealed a wide array of ceramic firing facilities and implements used in fabricating pottery vessels during the Late (AD 600-800) and Terminal Classic (AD 800-1000). The diversity of manufacturing processes is especially well represented at two major workshops, one located at the Naco valley center of La Sierra and the other at the site of Las Canoas in the MCC. The...
Verbal Art As Performance (1975)
This resource is a citation record only, the Center for Digital Antiquity does not have a copy of this document. The information in this record has been migrated into tDAR from the National Archaeological Database Reports Module (NADB-R) and updated. Most NADB-R records consist of a document citation and other metadata but do not have the documents themselves uploaded. If you have a digital copy of the document and would like to have it curated in tDAR, please contact us at comments@tdar.org.
The View from Above: The Semi-Autonomous Elite Maya Hilltop Complex of Escalera al Cielo (2017)
Escalera al Cielo (EaC) is a Terminal Classic Period Maya elite hilltop complex located 1.5 km to the west of the site of Kiuic in the Puuc Region of the Northern Lowlands. Previous research on the hilltop focused largely on investigating the organization and day-to-day activities associated with the northern residential architectural group. The southern group, located atop the highest spur of the hill and consisting of four vaulted masonry structures accessed by a grand staircase, was believed...
Violence and Veneration at the Edges: Mortuary Traditions and Social Order along the Northern and Southern Frontiers of Mesoamerica (2019)
This is an abstract from the "Journeying to the South, from Mimbres (New Mexico) to Malpaso (Zacatecas) and Beyond: Papers in Honor of Ben A. Nelson" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The northern and southern frontiers of Mesoamerica are about 2000 km apart and are separated by an incredible diversity of peoples and environments. Yet, these frontier spaces appear to be developmentally similar in many ways during the period ca. AD 500-1000, including...
Virtual Copan - From 3D data collection to analysis inside a web visualization tool (2015)
The 3D modelling technology is getting more used for the research, preservation, reconstruction, documentation, communication of cultural assets. Heritage 3D models, accessible on the web, are the most powerful solution to disseminate culture and, at the same time, a great source for tourism, research and education. While the use of 3D technologies in CH have been around for many years there are still some blocking factors that slow down a wider approach. On the technological side we still miss...
Virtual Graphic Representation and Urban Analysis Architectural Grand Central Acropolis: Main Access and Structure 4D1-20 El Mirador, Petén; Guatemala (2015)
This paper develops Maya urbanism and architecture this complex acropolis type of El Mirador site. In order to perform an analysis of this building, proposing a graphical representation allowing their virtual and theatrical reconstruction of the same. This hypothetical proposal is modeled based on historical information and recent archaeological evidence in this sector. The Grand Central Acropolis is located southwest of the nucleus of the settlement and as its name suggest, It is a great...
The virtual reconstruction of "Los Bebedores Mural" from Cholula, Puebla, México (2015)
Almost half a century has gone by since the discovery of Los Bebedores (The Drinkers) in 1969, and it still has not received the attention that one of the most extensive large format murals in Mesoamerica deserves. A poor preservation, a hasty register because the Cholula Project was ending, an unfortunate later restoration, and the repetitive selection of the more obvious personages to illustrate the few publications on the theme, are just some of the factors responsible for the scarce...
Vision and Revision in the Use of Residential and Non-Residential Space at Middle Preclassic Maya Sites: A View from Pacbitun, Belize (2015)
Most Maya archaeologists never take advantage of excavating into plazas. The perception might be that there isn’t much information other than recovering artifacts to date successive constructive phases associated with the buildings they are investigating along the edges of the plaza. Over the years, some archaeologists have seen the utility of this approach – one that emphasizes locating early Maya buildings, even entire communities - beneath plaza surfaces in site centers. The amount of data...
Vista Alegre: Recent excavations of an ancient Maya port site along the north coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico (2017)
The Proyecto Costa Escondida (PCE) has undertaken investigations along the north coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico since 2006. In this paper we present results of the 2016 field season, which was focused on the small island port site of Vista Alegre. The 2016 field season at the site had two main objectives. One was to document the extent and scale of human modification at Vista Alegre. The second was to investigate distinct architectural groups at the site to better understand their chronology. To...
Visualizing Death: Representations of Death and Rebirth on an Early Classic Maya Mid-Level Elite Burial Vessel from Uxul, Mexico (2016)
Excavations during the 2014 field season at the Maya site of Uxul in Campeche, Mexico revealed an Early Classic ceramic burial vessel that was embellished with hieroglyphic elements and contained an infant skeleton. The hieroglyphic elements on the vessel body and lid visually represent the underworld and feature components of larger phrases that are used in Classic Maya monumental and ceramic texts to record processes of death and renewal. The occurrence of both iconographic and hieroglyphic...
Visualizing Prehistoric Artifacts: 3D Scanning, GIS, and Data Sharing (2015)
Since 2009, the 3D Scanning of Molded and Modeled Artifacts Project has collected a sample of approximately 100 specimens. The main goals of our project include the assessment of mold and stamp use as methods of standardized mass production of clay artifacts in prehistoric Mesoamerica and beyond, as well as, digitally archiving images housed in various collections. In this presentation, we aim to introduce a virtual catalogue of clay artifacts that contains digital raw 3D data. The Digital 3D...
Vocablos nahuas aplicados al proceso constructivo de los edificios prehispánicos del Altiplano Central (2015)
Este trabajo presenta los términos constructivos que se aplicaron en época prehispánica para nombrar elementos arquitectónicos, algunas técnicas constructivas, así como a los individuos que colaboraron en las actividades relacionadas con la edificación, particularmente en edificios del Posclásico en el Altiplano Central. SAA 2015 abstracts made available in tDAR courtesy of the Society for American Archaeology and Center for Digital Antiquity Collaborative Program to improve digital data in...
Volcan_12k_Clip Raster (2010)
The aim of the LEAP projects was to publish multi-layered e-publications and develop and link them to associated digital archives. The original LEAP project was funded by the AHRC while the LEAP II, A Trans-Atlantic LEAP, was supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This raster is part of a 2011 LEAP II project "Placing immateriality: situating the material of highland Chiriquí" by Karen Holberg. All files associated with this record must be downloaded to ensure that the raster file opens...
Volcan_50k_Clip Raster (2010)
The aim of the LEAP projects was to publish multi-layered e-publications and develop and link them to associated digital archives. The original LEAP project was funded by the AHRC while the LEAP II, A Trans-Atlantic LEAP, was supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This raster is part of a 2011 LEAP II project "Placing immateriality: situating the material of highland Chiriquí" by Karen Holberg. All files associated with this record must be downloaded to ensure that the raster file opens...
Volcanic Glass and Iron Nails: Shifting Networks of Exchange at Postclassic and Colonial Achiutla, Oaxaca, Mexico (2016)
In this paper I present data from recent excavations at the highland Mixtec site of Achiutla, Oaxaca, Mexico, to shed light on how indigenous residents there negotiated changes and continuities in exchange relationships from the Postclassic (AD 900-1521) to Early Colonial (AD 1521-1650) periods. Various lines of evidence demonstrate that Achiutla had significant economic ties to both the Basin of Mexico and the Oaxaca coast, and that the site was an important locus along trade routes between the...
Volcanic hazards pose by Tacaná to the Soconusco region (2015)
The Tacaná Volcanic Complex consists of four volcanic edifices: Chichuj, Tacaná, and San Antonio volcanoes, and Las Ardillas dome. It began its formation ~225 ka yr ago at Chichuj, followed by Tacaná ~50 ka, and San Antonio volcano and las Ardillas Dome during late Pleistocene. Its volcanic history recorded during the past 50 ka yr indicates that the complex has experienced major flank failures at Tacaná (~15 ka) and San Antonio (~2 ka). The latter destroyed the southern flank of San Antonio...
The Volcano That Went Boom: Payson Sheets’ Contributions to Understanding the Tierra Joven Blanca Eruption of the Ilopango Caldera, El Salvador (2016)
Payson Sheets’ seminal work on the Tierra Joven Blanca (TBJ) eruption of the Ilopango Caldera, El Salvador was one of the first projects to address the impact of large-scale disasters in Mesoamerica. The on-going research on this eruption has been important for understanding the event as well as developing method and theory for reconstructing the cultural impact(s) of sudden massive stresses. While originally dated to AD 290±110, the TBJ eruption has been re-dated to the mid 5-6th century and...
Voted Off the Olmec Island: Remote Sensing and Regional Reconnaissance Surrounding La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico (2017)
This paper reports on the first stage of a regional settlement study initiated in 2016 by the Proyecto Arqueológico La Venta (PALV). Previous work beyond the primary site core of La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico has primarily focused on a limited subset of regional features. PALV’s inaugural season of field reconnaissance, alongside analysis of 5-meter resolution LiDAR and historic aerial photos, demonstrates that Formative and Post-Classic period occupations beyond the main La Venta "island" were...
Walls, Ditches and Spoil: Methodological Issues in the Study of Pre-Columbian Fortifications (2017)
A critical facet of studying past warfare is the analysis of fortifications. Fortifications are often visible on the surface, making these archaeological features identifiable through surface reconnaissance. Moreover, test pits and trench excavations into gated areas or across various sections of fortifications can be used to establish the martial functions of these archaeological features. Yet, the study of past warfare and fortifications often stumbles in the interpretive stage. How do we know...
Warior Regalia and Questions of Inalienable Possessions in the Aztec World (2015)
A fascinating aspect of Frances Berdan's new text, Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory (2014), is the section in Chapter 8 on warrior regalia as inalienable possessions. This topic is explored by Berdan in a rich discussion that merges Annette Weiner's framework with Berdan's own exhaustive knowledge of written and pictorial manuscript sources on the Aztecs. I would like to take this exploration into the realm of material evidence, by examining particular sculpted examples in the Aztec World. ...
Was Setaria Domesticated in Tehuacan? (2023)
This is an abstract from the "Subsistence Crops and Animals as a Proxy for Human Cultural Practice" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Excavation of Coxcatlan cave recovered remains of Setaria cf. macrostachya. Analysis suggested early increase in abundance of florets (so-called seeds) in deposits associated with El Riego Phase contexts and later decrease in Coxcatlan Phase deposits. Callen observed a size increase of Setaria florets recovered from...
Waste not, want not: A multi-proxy perspective on soil formation at Marco Gonzalez, Ambergris Caye, Belize (2015)
Set in a coastal wetland environment, Marco Gonzalez—to paraphrase the session abstract—is a repository of sediments, fauna, artefacts and plant remains, pertinent to an understanding of human-environment interactions. Marco Gonzalez is also an area of naturally occurring coral sand, grasses and sedges that has been transformed over time into cultivable land. Our preliminary results indicate, however, an inadvertent, rather than planned, transformation. Nonetheless, the site can be characterised...
Water Management and City Founding at Yaxuná, Yucatán (2015)
Like many other sites in the northern Maya lowlands, Yaxuná and its environs incorporate a number of cenotes (natural pits in the limestone bedrock that expose underlying groundwater) into the built environment. Interestingly, all but one of these permanent water sources lie beyond the limits of the site’s public and residential core. Residents of the ancient city compensated for this, at least on a seasonal basis, by constructing an aguada (a natural, or in this case human-modified, pond) in...
Watering Tlaloc's Gardens: Ancient Irrigation in the Teotihuacan Valley (2016)
As showcased by the "Feeding Teotihuacan" symposium at the 79th Annual Meetings of the Society, there has been a surge of interest in understanding Teotihuacano agriculture or food production. Nevertheless, there is still the glaring question of how the ancient inhabitants dealt with water collection and irrigation in the semi-arid environment of the Northeastern Basin of Mexico. Although canal systems have been previously identified and excavated in various sites throughout the Teotihuacan...