Living in Early Urban Center: Preliminary Results of the Tlalancaleca Archaeological Project, Puebla

Summary

The archaeological site of Tlalancaleca was one of the largest urban centers in Central Mexico during the Middle to Terminal Formative periods (ca. 650 BC-AD 200/250). The site consists of a central plateau with civic-ceremonial cores and its surrounding areas, which are divided into the Northern Sector and the Southern Sector. Our research over five field seasons indicates that the urban landscape underwent significant changes through time, including initial urban growth during the Middle Formative, a grand-scale urban transformation during the Late Formative, and further expansion during the Terminal Formative. This paper presents preliminary results of mapping, ground survey, surface collection, manual auger probe, and excavations, which were carried out at the Northern Sector of Tlalancaleca. Preliminary analysis suggests that there was an extensive occupation in the peripheral areas during the Terminal Formative (ca. 100 BC-AD 200/250). The paper discusses the process of urban expansion, socio-spatial organization, and the use of public space in residential areas along with implications for regional sociopolitical processes during this dynamic period in Central Mexico.

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): 16806