Urbanization and Empire at the Aztec-Period Site of Calixtlahuaca (Toluca Valley, Mexico)

卡利斯特拉瓦卡阿兹特克时期遗址（墨西哥托卢卡谷）的城市化和帝国

• 批准号: 0618462
• 负责人: Michael Smith
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Arizona State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-07-01 至 2009-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0618462&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Urbanization; Empire; Aztec; Period; Site

With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Michael E. Smith and an international team of colleagues will conduct two field seasons of archaeological research at the central Mexican site of Calixtlahuaca. By mapping and excavating houses and terraces, archaeologists will contribute to our understanding of two key processes in early human history: the growth of cities and urbanization, and the expansion of empires. Calixtlahuaca was first explored in the 1930s by Mexican archaeologist Jose Garcia Payon, who excavated and restored monumental temples and palaces. When information from new excavations is combined with the results of the earlier fieldwork, archaeologists will help solve several puzzles in the development of early urbanism: why did cities develop? What was the nature of daily life in ancient cities? How did imperialism and conquest affect city life? Calixtlahuaca initially developed as the capital of a small empire, and then it was conquered by the more powerful Aztec empire and converted to an Aztec province. Calixtlahuaca presents a unique opportunity to illuminate the nature and significance of urbanization and imperialism in early human societies.Smith's research began with a thorough study of the collections and results from Garcia Payon's fieldwork at Calixtlahuaca. The first fieldwork season will focus on mapping the site and making intensive collections of artifacts from the site surface. When the artifacts are analyzed, the results will provide a foundation for a longer second fieldwork season devoted to excavations of houses and agricultural terraces. Archaeologists have found that the study of residences provides the best information on the social, economic, and religious lives of ancient peoples. During the second season several specialized techniques will be applied at the site. Geoarchaeological testing will allow the reconstruction of the role of terracing on slopes, and ground-penetrating radar will help locate houses to excavate. Specialists in ancient plant remains and human burials will supervise the collection of technical information to help reconstruct life at Calixtlahuaca. A brief third season of laboratory work will focus on the cataloging and study of artifacts and other materials from the excavations. Calixtlahuaca is an ideal setting to study ancient central Mexican urbanism and imperialism. When the results of this fieldwork are compared to Smith's prior fieldwork in another region of central Mexico (Morelos), our understanding of these fundamental processes will improve greatly.As the first modern archaeological study of an Aztec-period site in the Toluca Valley, the chronology and other results of this fieldwork will help archaeologists understand other sites in this area. Numerous graduate and undergraduate students"U.S., Mexican, and European"will receive fieldwork and laboratory training. International cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico will be promoted through the work of several Mexican collaborators as well as through interactions with local archaeologists and historians working in the Toluca area.

在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，迈克尔·E.史密斯和一个国际团队的同事将进行两个领域的考古研究季节在墨西哥中部的卡利斯特拉瓦卡网站。通过绘制和挖掘房屋和梯田，考古学家将有助于我们了解早期人类历史的两个关键过程：城市和城市化的发展，以及帝国的扩张。Calixtlahuaca在20世纪30年代由墨西哥考古学家Jose Garcia Payon首次探索，他挖掘并修复了纪念性的寺庙和宫殿。当新发掘的信息与早期田野工作的结果相结合时，考古学家将有助于解决早期城市化发展中的几个难题：城市为什么发展？古代城市日常生活的性质是什么？帝国主义和征服如何影响城市生活？Calixtlahuaca最初是作为一个小帝国的首都发展起来的，然后被更强大的阿兹特克帝国征服，并转变为阿兹特克的一个省。Calixtlahuaca提供了一个独特的机会，阐明城市化和帝国主义在早期人类社会的性质和意义。史密斯的研究始于对Garcia Payon在Calixtlahuaca实地考察的收集和结果的深入研究。第一个实地考察季节将集中在绘制网站和从网站表面的文物密集收集。当文物进行分析，结果将提供一个更长的第二个实地考察季节致力于挖掘房屋和农业梯田的基础。考古学家发现，对住宅的研究提供了有关古代人民的社会，经济和宗教生活的最佳信息。在第二个赛季，一些专业技术将在现场应用。地质考古测试将有助于重建斜坡上梯田的作用，探地雷达将有助于确定房屋的位置以进行挖掘。古代植物遗骸和人类墓葬方面的专家将监督技术信息的收集，以帮助重建Calixtlahuaca的生活。实验室工作的第三个简短的季节将集中在文物和其他材料的编目和研究从挖掘。Calixtlahuaca是研究古代墨西哥中部城市化和帝国主义的理想场所。当史密斯在墨西哥中部的另一个地区（莫雷洛斯）进行实地考察时，我们对这些基本过程的理解将大大提高。作为托卢卡山谷阿兹特克时期遗址的第一个现代考古学研究，这次实地考察的年表和其他结果将有助于考古学家了解这一地区的其他遗址。许多研究生和本科生“美国，墨西哥和欧洲“将接受实地考察和实验室培训。美国和墨西哥之间的国际合作将通过几个墨西哥合作者的工作以及通过与在托卢卡地区工作的当地考古学家和历史学家的互动来促进。