Spatial Distribution of Ceramic Sherds at the Plaza of the Columns, Teotihuacan, Mexico

Summary

During the Early Classic period (250-550 CE), Teotihuacan in what is now central Mexico was the largest city in the Western hemisphere. Occupying 76,400 m2 of Teotihuacan’s ceremonial center, the Plaza of the Columns, which consists of three mounds and the surrounding area, has been posited as the site of a palatial-administrative complex. The occupational history of the Plaza of the Columns is interpreted in light of a three-dimensional distribution map of ceramics, organized according to two factors: temporal phase and vessel form. Ceramic data includes over 99,000 pieces from multiple areas of the Plaza analyzed thus far, excavated during the 2015 and 2016 field seasons. Mapping the distribution of ceramic temporal phases should allow us to align the various excavation contexts chronologically and trace the usage of particular areas over time. The distribution of ceramic forms, meanwhile, can help identify the extent of household and public activities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21999