State Formation and Economic Integration: New Perspectives from Ceramic Sourcing in the Oaxaca Valley, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Checking the Pulse: Current Research in Oaxaca Part II" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The two occupations at Tilcajete, El Mogote and El Palenque, offer a unique perspective on the political and economic changes surrounding the rise of Monte Albán. Located in the southern arm of the Valley of Oaxaca, El Mogote was an important Rosario phase (700–500 BCE) community that grew in size and political importance during the Early Monte Albán I phase (500–300 BCE). During the Late Monte Albán I phase (300–100 BCE), the site was rebuilt and continued to grow while resisting Monte Albán’s control. This later occupation is known as El Palenque. Here we utilize ceramic provenance data from El Mogote (N = 280) and El Palenque (N = 194), supported by a large regional database, to examine how exchange interactions between the sequential occupations at Tilcajete and other valley communities were affected by the rise and growth of the Monte Albán state. The results provide new insights into whether Monte Albán’s influence enhanced unification and integration of the valley, or led to increased economic fragmentation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Checking the Pulse: Current Research in Oaxaca Part II   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37202.0