2023 Excavations at Early Classic (AD 200-500) Jalieza, Oaxaca, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Jalieza is an important archaeological site in the Valley of Oaxaca that was founded during the Early Classic (AD 200-500). It is an especially useful case study for understanding how and why the Zapotec state fragmented. Previous excavations at the earliest sector of Jalieza, a hilltop called Cerro Danilín, suggested that the site may have resisted incorporation into the Monte Albán state during this time. Recent excavations in two new areas of Jalieza offer preliminary evidence that: (1) structures during this time were oriented similarly to Tilcajete, a site resisting incorporation into the Monte Albán-headed Zapotec state during its expansionist period; and (2) obsidian (whose access was regulated by Monte Albán) was relatively scarce at Jalieza. These results are a vital step toward understanding the role that Jalieza played in the gradual fragmentation of the Monte Albán state, which by AD 700 had broken into many smaller secondary states. The results of new excavations show that the collapse of complex societies can be gradual, as local communities gain their autonomy and resist re-incorporation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38446.0