Doctoral Dissertation Research: A View from Afar: Elite Residences, Teotihuacan Interaction, and the Early Classic Period in the Lower Rio Verde Valley, Oaxaca

该项目将探索在早期古典时期（公元250年至500年），墨西哥瓦哈卡州佛得角河谷下游的古代精英是如何与墨西哥中部的特奥蒂瓦坎州互动的。亚瑟·乔伊斯博士的考古研究表明，在最后形成时期（公元前100年至公元250年），一个国家政体已经在佛得角河谷（LRVV）下游发展起来。该政策的中心位于占地200公顷（500英亩）的里约热内卢Viejo市。在早期古典时期，Viejo城邦突然衰落，如寺庙等公共空间的废弃，城市人口和规模的减少，以及在可防御地点发展社区。与这些事件同时发生的是，低海拔的佛得角山谷居民开始使用从帕丘卡矿山进口的火山玻璃（黑曜石），帕丘卡位于400多英里外，就在巨大的特奥蒂瓦坎古城之外。其他与特奥蒂瓦坎有明显风格或制造联系的物品，如陶瓷丧葬器皿，也出现在佛得角谷早期古典考古记录中。这些早期古典时期的变化，在佛得角河谷的低里约热内卢0材料仍然清楚地表明瓦哈卡海岸和新兴的特奥蒂瓦坎政体之间新的政治和经济联系。然而，鉴于现有的数据，这些关系的性质仍然难以确定。本研究项目的目的是填补里约热内卢Verde山谷在这一时期的现有数据空白，并允许更完整地了解两个地区之间的关系。探索LRVV和特奥蒂瓦坎之间的关系将通过对精英住宅的考古发掘来完成，这是一个经常被忽视的古代政治和经济交流实践的信息来源。然后，我将考古数据与四个模型进行比较，这些模型预测了在LRVV和特奥蒂瓦坎之间建立互动后，精英住宅的物质文化可能会发生怎样的变化。通过对七个物质文化类别的研究，比如陶瓷器皿和埋葬方式，我试图确定与特奥蒂瓦坎不同类型的关系是如何影响精英住宅的。挖掘后，我会将挖掘材料中的图案与模型中预测的图案进行比较。挖掘材料与四种模型中最接近的“匹配”应该有助于确定特奥蒂瓦坎与下里约热内卢Verde山谷之间存在什么样的关系。该项目将提供有关古代政治和经济关系的关键数据，特别是与特奥蒂瓦坎人有关的数据，并发展一种不同于大多数关于这一主题的研究所使用的方法。它还将帮助培训一名有前途的年轻科学家。

This project will explore how ancient elites in the lower Rio Verde valley, Oaxaca, Mexico, interacted with the Central Mexican state of Teotihuacan during the Early Classic Period (AD 250 to 500) . Archaeological research by Dr. Arthur Joyce has shown that, by the Terminal Formative Period (100 BC to AD 250), a state polity had developed in the lower Rio Verde valley (LRVV). The polity's center lay at the 200 hectare (500 acre) city of Rio Viejo. The Rio Viejo city-state suddenly declined in the Early Classic Period, as evidenced by disuse of public spaces such as temples, a decrease in the population and size of the city, and the development of communities in defensible locations. Concomitant with these events, lower Rio Verde valley residents began using imported volcanic glass (obsidian) from mines at Pachuca, located over 400 miles away, just beyond the massive ancient city of Teotihuacan. Other objects with clear stylistic or manufacture connections to Teotihuacan, such as ceramic funerary vessels, also appear in the lower Rio Verde valley's Early Classic archaeological record. These changes in Early Classic Period lower Rio Verde valley material remains clearly indicate new political and economic ties between the Oaxaca coast and the bourgeoning Teotihuacan polity. The character of these ties, however, remains difficult to ascertain given currently available data. It is the objective of this research project to fill the existing data gap on this time period in the Rio Verde valley and allow for a more complete understanding of the relationship between the two regions.Exploration of the relationship between the LRVV and Teotihuacan will be done through archaeological excavation of elite residences, an often overlooked source of information on ancient political and economic exchange practices. I will then compare the archaeological data against four models that predict how material culture might have changed at elite residences with the establishment of interaction between the LRVV and Teotihuacan. Using a suite of seven material culture categories-such as ceramic serving vessels and burial style-I have attempted to determine how different types of relationship with Teotihuacan would have impacted elite residences. After excavation, I will compare patterns in excavated materials with patterns predicted in the models. The closest "fit" between excavated materials and one of the four models should serve to identify what type of relationship existed between Teotihuacan and the lower Rio Verde valley. This project will offer key data on ancient political and economic relations, especially in relation to the Teotihuacan, as well as developing a methodological approach distinct from that used in most research on this topic. It will also assist in training a promising young scientist.