Not so Strange Strangers in a Strange Land?

Summary

Ceramic evidence combined with obsidian and sculptural data from the archaeological site of Matacanela are beginning to paint an unexpected picture of intra- and inter-regional dynamics in the Early and Middle Classic Tuxtlas region of the southern Gulf lowlands. These data point to an unexpectedly independent political-economic relationship with the nearby center Matacapan, but one that may have been created through elite-alliance networks that differently incorporated Teotihuacan-style symbols into local political strategies. In this poster, we consider existing models for political and economic networks in the Tuxtlas, how those networks differently incorporated foreign styles in political strategies, and how new ceramic evidence, some of which includes recent NAA characterizations, addresses our evolving understanding of Classic period dynamics.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Procesos Político-Económicos de la Costa del Golfo Mesoamericana

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16074