Cover 1
Half-title 3
Title 5
Copyright 6
Dedication 7
Contents 9
Figures 15
Tables 19
Acknowledgments 21
SECTION I AN EARLY FORMATIVE MESOAMERICAN PROBLEM 25
1 Introduction 27
OUTLINE OF BOOK 31
NOTE 36
2 Knowledge in an Archipelago of Complexity 37
A CORE/PERIPHERY PERSPECTIVE 38
Core/periphery perspectives in Mesoamerica 42
GIFT EXCHANGE AND SOCIAL DEBT 44
CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION AND SOCIAL CAPITAL 46
PERSUASIVE DISPLAY AND SOCIAL POWER 48
LOCAL COHESION CREATED THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF GIFTS 51
KNOWLEDGE KULA AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY 53
AN ARCHIPELAGO OF COMPLEXITY 58
Trobriand Islanders 63
Germanic Barbarians 64
Early Bronze Age Cyclades 65
Chav铆n Horizon Peru 67
SUMMARY 69
NOTE 70
3 Mesoamerica\u2019s First Style Horizons and the \u201cOlmec Problem\u201d 71
EARLY AND MIDDLE FORMATIVE MESOAMERICAN STYLE HORIZONS AND CULTURE HISTORY OF THE SOCONUSCO AND THE GULF COAST 72
Initial Ceramic Period 76
SOCONUSCO 77
GULF COAST 79
Horizon I 81
GULF COAST 83
SOCONUSCO 88
Horizon II 91
SOCONUSCO 92
GULF COAST 95
Horizon III 95
GULF COAST 96
SOCONUSCO 98
THE \u201cOLMEC PROBLEM\u201d 99
EXPECTED PATTERNS FOR THREE MODELS OF INTER-REGIONAL INTERACTION 103
Initial Ceramic Period: Hypothesis 1 (PPM) expectations 105
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 105
LOCAL ECONOMY 105
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEMS 105
FOREIGN ECONOMY 106
Initial Ceramic Period: Hypothesis 2 (EEM) expectations 106
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 106
LOCAL ECONOMY 106
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM 106
FOREIGN ECONOMY 107
Initial Ceramic Period: Hypothesis 3 (AAM) expectations 107
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 107
LOCAL ECONOMY 107
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM 107
FOREIGN ECONOMY 108
Horizon I: Hypothesis 1 (PPM) expectations 108
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 108
LOCAL ECONOMY 108
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM 109
FOREIGN ECONOMY 109
Horizon I: Hypothesis 2 (EEM) expectations 109
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 109
LOCAL ECONOMY 110
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM 110
FOREIGN ECONOMY 111
Horizon I: Hypothesis 3 (AAM) expectations 111
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 111
LOCAL ECONOMY 112
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM 113
FOREIGN ECONOMY 114
Horizon II: Hypothesis 1 (PPM) expectations 114
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 114
LOCAL ECONOMY 115
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM 115
FOREIGN ECONOMY 115
Horizon II: Hypothesis 2 (EEM) expectations 116
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 116
LOCAL ECONOMY 116
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM 116
FOREIGN ECONOMY 117
Horizon II: Hypothesis 3 (AAM) expectations 117
SETTLEMENT/POLITICAL ORGANIZATION 117
LOCAL ECONOMY 117
REPRESENTATIONAL SYSTEM 120
FOREIGN ECONOMY 120
Summary 120
CREATING MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE HYPOTHESES 120
NOTES 122
SECTION II ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA 127
4 Settlement Patterns and Architecture 129
EARLY AND MIDDLE FORMATIVE SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN THE CUAUHT脡MOC ZONE 130
Survey methods 132
SURVEY RESULTS 135
Comparisons between Soconusco and San Lorenzo settlements 138
THE CUAUHT脡MOC SITE 141
ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENT AT CUAUHT脡MOC 144
SUMMARY OF SETTLEMENT PATTERNS AND ARCHITECTURE 152
NOTE 155
5 Diet, Food Processing and Feasting 156
THE CONTEXT OF SAMPLES 159
CUAUHT脡MOC DIET 161
Faunal remains 161
Maize density 168
Bone isotopes 169
Summary of dietary evidence 170
FOOD PREPARATION AT CUAUHT脡MOC 172
Ceramic data 175
Proportion of undecorated tecomates 176
Wall thickness of undecorated tecomates 177
Fire-cracked rock density 178
Ground stone density 179
Ground stone form 180
Conchas-phase grater bowls 181
Obsidian density 184
Summary of food preparation evidence 185
FEASTING AT CUAUHT脡MOC 186
Proportion of serving-to-cooking vessels 189
Wall thickness of decorated tecomates 190
Proportion of decorated dishes 191
Average rim diameter of decorated dishes 192
Rim diameters of decorated dishes 193
Summary of feasting evidence 195
SUMMARY OF THE CUAUHT脡MOC DOMESTIC ECONOMY 196
NOTES 197
6 Representation and Aesthetics 199
THE COLOR OF CERAMICS 202
Quantitative changes in ceramic color scheme 204
Black and white ceramics on the Gulf Coast 205
White-rimmed black ware decorated dishes 207
ANTHROPOMORPHIC FIGURINES 210
Quantitative changes 211
Qualitative changes 212
EFFIGY POTS AND CERAMIC ICONOGRAPHY 228
Initial Ceramic Period 229
Horizon I 233
Horizon II 241
SUMMARY OF CHANGING AESTHETICS AT CUAUHT脡MOC 246
NOTES 248
7 Inter-regional Exchange Patterns 251
SOCONUSCO\u2013GULF COAST EXCHANGE ROUTES AND TRAVEL TIME 252
Coastal route by foot 254
Coastal route by canoe 256
Highland routes 257
OBSIDIAN EXCHANGE 259
Cuauht茅moc obsidian sourcing results 261
CERAMIC EXCHANGE 265
Cuauht茅moc ceramic sourcing results 265
OTHER EXCHANGED OBJECTS 268
HORIZON I ESTUARY SITES 273
SUMMARY OF THE CUAUHT脡MOC EXTERNAL ECONOMY 277
SECTION III DERIVING MEANING FROM THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD 281
8 Data and Expectations 283
EPISTEMOLOGY AND DATA 284
EVALUATING THE SOCONUSCO DATA 286
INITIAL CERAMIC PERIOD 287
Settlement/political organization 287
Subsistence and technology 292
Symbolism 292
Exchange 293
Directions for future work 293
HORIZON I 294
Settlement/political organization 294
Subsistence and technology 296
Symbolism 297
Exchange 299
Directions for future work 300
HORIZON II 301
Settlement/political organization 301
Subsistence and technology 302
Symbolism 303
Exchange 303
Directions for future work 304
ELITE EMULATION IN DIACHRONIC PERSPECTIVE 305
CAUSATION, TEMPORAL RESOLUTION AND THE HORIZON I TO HORIZON II TRANSITION 309
NOTES 314
9 Conclusion 315
SUBSTANTIVE CONTRIBUTION 316
Settlement and architecture 316
Domestic economy 317
Ideology 318
Exchange 319
Summary 321
AN EARLY FORMATIVE MESOAMERICAN ARCHIPELAGO OF COMPLEXITY 321
WAS SAN LORENZO MESOAMERICA\u2019S MOTHER? 324
1. Subsistence production 325
2. Long-distance exchange 325
3. Cosmology and ritual 326
4. Social stratification 327
Summary 327
WAS SAN LORENZO A CHIEFDOM OR A STATE? 328
A MORE MEANINGFUL WAY TO INTERPRET CULTURAL CHANGE 330
HISTORICAL MATERIALISM AND MESOAMERICA\u2019S FIRST HORIZONS 332
NOTES 338
Appendix 1 Temporally secure excavation contexts at Cuauht茅moc with detailed ceramic data 339
Appendix 2 Temporally secure excavation contexts at Cuauht茅moc without detailed ceramic data 344
References Cited 349
Index 385