Connections and Complexity: Shifting Perspectives and Current Research in Western Mesoamerica

Fifty years ago, Ignacio Bernal famously stated that western Mesoamerica lacked "civilization." Since the west had not received "Olmec" influence, Bernal reasoned, the region was a uniquely isolated area in which complex societies and "high culture" failed to develop and flourish. Since then, much archaeological research in west Mexico has attempted to demonstrate the fallacy of this reasoning. Ironically, however, many treatments have been based on the same outmoded neo-evolutionary frameworks and static typologies that underpin Bernal’s vision, thereby reinforcing the original perception and losing sight of the richness of the archaeological data itself. In contrast, this symposium highlights current archaeological research in western Mesoamerica to provoke and engage debate surrounding these and other issues. Through the presentation of original data and interpretations, contributions seek to advance understanding of both regional complexity and diversity, as well as the role of the west in broader, pan-Mesoamerican sociocultural processes. The symposium thus illustrates the ways in which research and areal data from western Mesoamerica can meaningfully contribute to the construction of theoretical models applicable in multiple contexts and capable of enhancing archaeological descriptions and explanations of the dynamic diversity characteristic of all Mesoamerican societies.