Application of the Canonical Theory to Origin and Development of Social Complexity at Tak'alik Ab'aj, Guatemala

Summary

This paper presents the Canonical Theory of the origin and early development of social complexity, which has previously been successfully applied to other formative polities in the Near East, early China, Inner Asia, Aspero-Caral, and Oaxaca, among others. The theory explains how and why sociopolitical complexity emerges following repeated instances of challenges and opportunities that are successfully or unsuccessfully resolved by the local community, based on extant lines of evidence. This application to the case of Tak'alik Ab'aj, located in present-day southern Guatemala, during the Preclassic period, aims at contributing to research on the earliest formative stages of Maya societies in Mesoamerica. The main findings from this application of the theory indicate that it is possible to understand the process of sociopolitical formation at Tak'alik Ab'aj as the result of iterative and prolonged processes of collective action problem-solving by the community in response to challenges and opportunities that arose over several centuries. Significant natural hazards and societal stress in various forms were among the many severe challenges faced by the early communities at Tak'alik Ab'aj. Our results contribute to theoretical development and to advancing scientific understanding of the origin and subsequent development of sociopolitical complexity.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15545