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

在国家科学基金会的支持下，迈克尔·E·史密斯博士和一个国际同事团队将在墨西哥中部的卡利斯特拉瓦卡遗址进行两个考古季节的实地研究。通过绘制和挖掘房屋和梯田，考古学家将有助于我们理解早期人类历史上的两个关键过程：城市和城市化的发展，以及帝国的扩张。墨西哥考古学家何塞·加西亚·帕扬于20世纪30年代首次探索卡里斯特拉瓦卡，他挖掘并修复了不朽的寺庙和宫殿。当新发掘的信息与早期田野调查的结果相结合时，考古学家将帮助解决早期城市化发展中的几个谜题：城市为什么会发展？古代城市日常生活的性质是什么？帝国主义和征服对城市生活有何影响？哈里斯特拉瓦卡最初是一个小帝国的首都，后来被更强大的阿兹特克帝国征服，并改建为阿兹特克省。卡里斯特拉瓦卡提供了一个独特的机会来阐明城市化和帝国主义在早期人类社会中的性质和意义。史密斯的研究始于对加西亚·佩扬在卡里斯特拉瓦卡的田野工作的收集和结果的彻底研究。第一个实地考察季的重点将是绘制遗址地图，并从遗址表面密集收集文物。当对文物进行分析时，结果将为第二个更长的田野工作季节提供基础，专门挖掘房屋和农业梯田。考古学家发现，对住宅的研究提供了有关古代人民社会、经济和宗教生活的最佳信息。在第二季期间，几项专门的技术将在现场应用。地质考古测试将允许重建斜坡上梯田的作用，探地雷达将帮助定位要挖掘的房屋。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，以帮助重建卡利斯特拉瓦卡的生活。简短的第三季实验室工作将侧重于对出土文物和其他材料的编目和研究。卡里斯特拉瓦卡是研究墨西哥中部古代都市主义和帝国主义的理想场所。当这次田野工作的结果与史密斯之前在墨西哥中部另一个地区(莫雷洛斯)进行的田野工作进行比较时，我们对这些基本过程的理解将大大提高。作为对托卢卡山谷阿兹特克时期遗址的第一次现代考古研究，这次田野工作的年代学和其他结果将有助于考古学家了解该地区的其他遗址。许多来自美国、墨西哥和欧洲的研究生和本科生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位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。

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.