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Ritual and Economy in a Pre-Columbian Chiefdom
This volume examines the organization and ritual economy of a pre-Columbian chiefdom that developed in central Honduras over a 1,400-year period from 400 BC to AD 1000. Extremely applicable and broadly important to the archaeological studies of Mesoamerica, Ritual and Economy in a Pre-Columbian Chiefdom models the ritual organization of pre-Columbian societies across Honduras to expand the understanding of chiefdom societies in Central America and explore how these non-Maya societies developed and evolved. As part of the ritual economy, a large quantity of jade and marble artifacts were deposited as offerings in the ritual architecture of the El Cajón region’s central community of SalitrÃ...
Archaeological Research in the El Cajon Region, Volume 1
The environmental basis for a comprehensive regional archaeological study of Mesoamerica's southern periphery. Includes geography, geology, climate, vegetation, natural resources, contemporary land use, and botanical remains recovered from archaeological sites. Special feature: an extensive Spanish/English table of equivalents of the technical terms used in the volume. Complete text in English and Spanish.
Migrations in Late Mesoamerica
Bringing the often-neglected topic of migration to the forefront of ancient Mesoamerican studies, this volume uses an illuminating multidisciplinary approach to address the role of population movements in Mexico and Central America from AD 500 to 1500, the tumultuous centuries before European contact. Clarifying what has to date been chiefly speculation, researchers from the fields of archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistics, ethnohistory, and art history delve deeply into the causes and impacts of prehistoric migration in the region. They draw on evidence including records of the Nahuatl language, murals painted at the Cacaxtla polity, ceramics in the style known as Coyotlatelco, s...
Visual Culture of the Ancient Americas
In the past fifty years, the study of indigenous and pre-Columbian art has evolved from a groundbreaking area of inquiry in the mid-1960s to an established field of research. This period also spans the career of art historian Esther Pasztory. Few scholars have made such a broad and lasting impact as Pasztory, both in terms of our understanding of specific facets of ancient American art as well as in our appreciation of the evolving analytical tendencies related to the broader field of study as it developed and matured. The essays collected in this volume reflect scholarly rigor and new perspectives on ancient American art and are contributed by many of Pasztory’s former students and collea...
Ancient Maya State, Urbanism, Exchange, and Craft Specialization
An exhaustive analysis of political and economic change right through the sequence of Maya civilization, based on the direct evidence of chipped stone assemblages from a wide variety of contexts in two regions. The acquisition of raw materials, the production of tools, and the use of tools are all fully considered for what they can tell us about long-distance political and economic relations and local economic organization. An unexpected bonus of the study was information on the use of chipped stone in warfare. The full dataset is provided electronically. Complete text in English and Spanish.
The Mermaid and the Lobster Diver
Approximately 90 percent of Miskitu boys and men in the RÃo Plátano Biosphere Reserve along the north coast of Honduras have worked as deepwater divers in the lobster industry and their participation has left an indelible imprint on their society. While lobster diving is lucrative, it is also a life-threatening occupation and many divers have been injured or killed from decompression sickness—locally referred to as liwa mairin siknis (Mermaid sickness). According to Miskitu folklore, the Mermaid is the main water spirit, owner of all fresh and saltwater resources and capable of punishing male divers for extracting too many of her lobsters. Wary of the wrath of the supernatural liwa mairi...
The Quijos Chiefdoms
Archaeological study of the emergence of the ethnohistorically documented Quijos chiefdoms in the eastern Ecuadorian Andes. This research evaluates links between the emergence of centralized leadership and the organization of agricultural production. The focus is on reconstructing the demographic history of 137 km2 based on a full coverage systematic survey, and on reconstructing patterns of food production and consumption based on analysis of pollen, phytoliths and plant macroremains from the excavation of 31 tests at locations representing different environmental settings and settlement types. The study proposes a sequence starting at about 600 B.C., with the first manifestations of a regional system of centralized authority appearing after about 500 A.D. Neither control of basic resources nor specialized craft production seem to have been important in the social and political dynamics of the emerging Quijos chiefdoms. Complete text in English and Spanish
The Formation of Complex Society in Southeastern Mesoamerica
This book presents discussions on the formation of complex society of Southeastern Mesoamerica throughout pre-Columbian times. These societies include ones from the Early Preclassic or Formative period to those encountered by the Spaniards when they arrived in the early 16th century. Diverse classes of data from archaeology, ethnography, and ethnohistory are utilized. The book provides wide spatial and temporal coverage, as well as a wide diversity of theoretical perspectives. Anyone interested in archeology or the evolution of prehistoric complex societies will find this book fascinating.
