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

该项目将探索墨西哥瓦哈卡州下里奥维德河谷的古代精英如何在古典早期(公元250-500年)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，到末期形成时期(公元前100年至公元250年)，里约维德河谷下游(LRVV)已经形成了一个国家政体。这座城市的中心位于占地200公顷(500英亩)的里约维约市。里约维耶霍城邦在古典主义早期突然衰落，表现为寺庙等公共空间的废弃，人口和城市规模的减少，以及在可防御的地点发展社区。随着这些事件的发生，里约维德河谷下游的居民开始使用从400多英里外的帕丘卡(Pachuca)矿进口的火山玻璃(黑玉)，就在巨大的古城特奥蒂瓦坎(Teitihuacan)之外。其他与特奥蒂瓦坎有明确风格或制造联系的物品，如陶器，也出现在下里约热内卢河谷的早期古典考古记录中。古典主义时期早期的这些变化明显表明瓦哈卡海岸和新兴的特奥蒂瓦坎政体之间存在着新的政治和经济联系。然而，根据目前可获得的数据，这些联系的性质仍然很难确定。这项研究项目的目的是填补里约维德河流域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。对LRVV和特奥蒂瓦坎之间的关系的探索将通过对精英住宅的考古挖掘完成，这是关于古代政治和经济交流实践的一个经常被忽视的信息来源。然后，我将把考古数据与四个模型进行比较，这些模型预测了随着LRVV和特奥蒂瓦坎之间的相互作用的建立，精英住宅的物质文化可能会发生怎样的变化。我使用了一套七种物质文化类别--如陶瓷餐具和埋葬风格--试图确定与特奥蒂瓦坎的不同类型的关系将如何影响精英住宅。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。挖掘出的材料与四种模型中的一种最接近的“契合度”应有助于确定特奥蒂瓦坎与里约热内卢河谷下游之间存在何种关系。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有关的数据，并制定一种有别于大多数关于这一主题的研究中所使用的方法的方法。它还将帮助培养一位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.