Intrasite Organization and Interregional Interaction: Archaeological Investigations at Chacalilla, Nayarit, Mexico

在国家科学基金会的支持下，迈克尔·奥纳索根博士将在墨西哥纳亚里特州西海岸进行两个季节的考古研究。这项研究的重点是查卡里利亚考古遗址，这是中美洲后古典早期和中期（公元 900-1350 年）时期繁荣的区域中心。该项目旨在阐明对后古典西墨西哥阿兹塔特兰传统做出贡献的社会和经济关系，这是一种广泛共享的意识形态和物质文化综合体，包括具有复杂图像设计的彩陶、雕像、铜饰品、贝壳首饰、共同的埋葬习俗和其他元素。阿兹塔特兰传统遍布墨西哥西部和西北部的大部分地区，它可能与将这些地区与墨西哥中部和美国西南部文化联系起来的社会经济网络有关。先前的研究提出了几种经济和政治互动模型来解释阿兹塔特兰传统的广泛分布，但这些模型尚未经过检验，而且阿兹塔特兰参与者之间互动的性质在很大程度上是推测性的。查卡利利亚的研究将通过研究聚落安排、阿兹塔特兰相关文物的空间分布以及对手工艺生产和交换证据的评估来审视社区的社会政治和经济组织。对阿兹塔特兰文物的类型和空间关联的检查将揭示社会的哪些部分参与了各种互动，从而可以评估阿兹塔特兰互动的理论模型，该模型假设精英与平民参与。具体任务是 1) 系统地调查和绘制 Chacalilla 地图，并创建用于数据分析的 GIS 数据库 2) 从考古特征表面收集文物样本，3) 在代表 Chacalilla 人口社会和经济变异范围的结构样本中进行挖掘，4) 分析所有回收的考古材料，5) 对 Chacalilla 和其他遗址的陶瓷和黑曜石文物进行化学成分分析，以重建经济生产和交换网络。该研究首次对阿兹塔特兰社区的社会和经济组织进行了系统研究。阿兹塔特兰传统是加强区域间文化联系的一个例子，这种现象在世界其他出现古代文明的地区也能观察到。解决这些现象背后的机制对于中美洲的各个阶段都至关重要，特别是对于以多种相关传统为特征的后古典时期。由于长期参与区域间交流和互动，西墨西哥是研究古代政体区域间文化连通性事件相关问题的关键地区。奥纳索尔根的研究提供了社区组织和区域规模现象之间的关键联系，使考古学家能够确定一个阿兹塔特兰中心谁在互动以及交换了哪些物品。通过关注家庭和社区组织，该研究还将扩大对西墨西哥文化变异和社会形态范围的理解，该地区在中美洲研究中代表性不足。更广泛地说，该研究通过与墨西哥国家人类学和历史研究所（INAH）的合作促进国际机构合作，并为美国和墨西哥研究生和本科生提供研究机会。 Ohnersorgen 于 2003 年在 Chacalilla 进行的试点项目引起了当地社区的极大兴趣，Ohnersorgen 正在与 INAH 和纳亚里特州的一个生态组织合作，为当地学校制定社区博物馆和教育展览计划，以提高人们对考古遗产的认识和保护。

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Michael Ohnersorgen will conduct two seasons of archaeological research on the western coast of Nayarit, Mexico. The research focuses on the archaeological site of Chacalilla, a regional center that flourished during the Early and Middle Postclassic periods (A.D. 900-1350) in Mesoamerica. The project seeks to clarify social and economic relationships that contributed to the Aztatlan tradition in Postclassic West Mexico, a widely shared ideological and material culture complex that included polychrome pottery with complex iconographic designs, figurines, copper ornaments, shell jewelry, shared burial practices, and other elements. The Aztatlan tradition is manifested across much of West and Northwest Mexico, and it may be related to socio-economic networks that linked those areas with cultures in central Mexico and the US Southwest. Prior research has suggested several models of economic and political interaction to account for the wide distribution of the Aztatlan tradition, but these models remain untested and the nature of interactions among Aztatlan participants is largely speculative. Research at Chacalilla will examine community socio-political and economic organization through a study of settlement arrangement, the spatial distribution of Aztatlan-associated artifacts, and an assessment of evidence for craft production and exchange. Examination of the types and spatial associations of Aztatlan artifacts will reveal which segments of society were involved in various kinds of interactions, permitting an assessment of theoretical models of Aztatlan interaction that posit elite versus commoner involvement. Specific tasks are 1) systematically survey and map Chacalilla and create a GIS database for data analysis 2) collect a sample of artifacts from the surfaces of archaeological features, 3) conduct excavations within a sample of structures that represent the range of social and economic variability among Chacalilla's population, 4) analyze all archaeological materials recovered, 5) conduct chemical compositional analyses of ceramic and obsidian artifacts from Chacalilla and other sites to reconstruct networks of economic production and exchange. The study provides one of the first systematic examinations of social and economic organization in Aztatlan communities. The Aztatlan tradition is an example of heightened interregional cultural connectivity, a phenomenon observed in other parts of the world where ancient civilizations emerged. Resolution of the mechanisms behind such phenomena is critical at various junctures for Mesoamerica, especially for the Postclassic period, which is characterized by several related traditions. Because of its long-term involvement in interregional exchange and interaction, West Mexico is a crucial area to examine issues related to episodes of interregional cultural connectivity among ancient polities. Ohnersorgen's research provides a critical nexus between community organization and regional scale phenomena, allowing archaeologist to determine for one Aztatlan center who was interacting and what items were involved in exchange. Through its focus on household and community organization, the research will also broaden the understanding of cultural variability and the range of social formations in West Mexico, an area underrepresented in Mesoamerican studies.More broadly, the research fosters international institutional cooperation through its partnership with Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH), and provides research opportunities to American and Mexican graduate and undergraduate students. A pilot project at Chacalilla by Ohnersorgen in 2003 generated much local community interest, and Ohnersorgen is working with INAH and an ecological group in Nayarit to develop plans for a community museum and educational exhibit for local schools, promoting awareness and protection of archaeological heritage.