Archaeological Survey in the Mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico

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Drs. Stephen Kowalewski and Laura Finsten will conduct a regional archaeological survey of approximately 1000 square kilometers of mountainous land adjoining the Valleys of Oaxaca and Nochixtlan in southern Mexico. They will attempt to locate and describe all substantial archaeological sites, as well as the environmental contexts (topography, soils, water, vegetation, etc.) of them. These sites will then be dated using existing ceramic chronologies from adjacent valleys. Pottery and stone artifacts will be collected and analyzed to provide information on changing lifestyles and political affiliation over time. While the archeology of this mountainous region is not well known, extensive work has been conducted over many years in the adjoining Oaxaca and Nochixtlan Valleys. In both, large independent polities arose, and their influence expanded to encompass surrounding areas. However, how the two interacted with each other is not well understood, and because the present project will focus on the intervening region, it should provide such information. It will permit a broader level of macroregional analysis and fill an important gap in a survey project which, with great success, has continued for many years. While of potential importance, mountainous regions have been slighted in past work not only in Mexico but in many regions of the world. Such difficult terrain makes systematic survey difficult. Sites also can be hard to find. The methodology which Drs. Kowalewski and Finsten have developed may be applicable in many other regions. This research is important for several reasons. First, it will fill a major blank in the archaeological map. Secondly, it will test a new survey technique of potential widespread utility. Finally, it will provide new insight into the rise and interactions among complex societies. In the examination of such states archaeologists have tended to focus attention on the "heartlands." By examining the "edges" this research provides a needed corrective.