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

这个项目将探讨在早期古典时期（公元250年至500年），墨西哥瓦哈卡的下里奥韦尔迪山谷的古代精英如何与墨西哥中部的特奥蒂瓦坎州互动。 亚瑟乔伊斯博士的考古研究表明，在形成末期（公元前100年至公元250年），里奥韦尔迪河谷（LRVV）下游已经形成了一个国家政体。 该政体的中心位于占地200公顷（500英亩）的里奥别霍市。 在古典时期早期，里奥别霍城邦突然衰落，如寺庙等公共空间的废弃，城市人口和规模的减少，以及在防御地点的社区发展。 伴随着这些事件，下里奥韦尔迪山谷的居民开始使用从400多英里外的帕丘卡矿山进口的火山玻璃（黑曜石），就在巨大的古城特奥蒂瓦坎之外。 其他与特奥蒂瓦坎风格或制造业有明显联系的物品，如陶瓷随葬器皿，也出现在里奥韦尔迪山谷的早期经典考古记录中。 早期古典时期下里奥韦尔迪山谷的这些变化清楚地表明了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，根据现有数据，这些联系的性质仍然难以确定。 本研究项目的目的是填补里奥韦尔迪河谷这一时期的现有数据空白，并使人们能够更全面地了解这两个地区之间的关系。通过对精英住宅的考古发掘，将对LRVV和特奥蒂瓦坎之间的关系进行探索，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，我将比较考古数据与四个模型，预测如何在精英住宅的物质文化可能已经改变了LRVV和特奥蒂瓦坎之间的相互作用的建立。使用一套七种物质文化类别，如陶瓷器皿和墓葬风格，我试图确定如何不同类型的关系与特奥蒂瓦坎会影响精英住宅。 在挖掘之后，我将把挖掘材料中的模式与模型中预测的模式进行比较。 挖掘出的材料与四个模型中的一个最接近的“拟合”应有助于确定特奥蒂瓦坎与下里奥韦尔迪河谷之间存在何种关系。 该项目将提供关于古代政治和经济关系的关键数据，特别是与特奥蒂瓦坎人的关系，并开发一种与大多数关于这一主题的研究所用的方法不同的方法。它还将协助培养一名有前途的青年科学家。

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.