Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Development Of Hierarchy In Emergent Complex Societies

这项研究的中心目标是了解在传统社会中，社会结构如何受到战争的影响。当一个社会处于这样的压力之下时，阶级和经济界限会被强调，社会结构差异会增加，还是会有一种平等的差异？考古学提供了一种方法，通过在一段较长的时间内跟踪这一过程来获得洞察力。在Wendy Ashmore博士的监督下，Kirby Farah将在墨西哥Estado de Mexico的Xaltocan精英住宅进行考古挖掘和分析。Xaltocan位于墨西哥盆地北部的一个人造岛屿上，该岛以前是一个浅咸淡湖（Xaltocan湖）。民族历史记录表明，萨尔多坎是由Otomí的发言者在11世纪建立的，并作为Otomí城邦的首都，直到14世纪末被Cuauhtitlan和Azcatpotzalco的Tepanecs联盟征服。法拉女士的研究将集中在萨多坎被征服（公元1100-1400年）之前的几个世纪里，萨多坎精英的身份形成和家庭空间实践。在这一时期，萨尔多坎正处于其权力的顶峰，并不断卷入区域冲突。利用家庭考古学的方法和理论，这项研究将确定阶级如何影响Xaltocan的日常生活实践。历史记录中有很多关于强大的统治者控制沙多坎几个世纪的记载，但是到目前为止，还没有对精英空间进行深入的考古研究。这项研究将为Xaltocan精英的国内实践提供急需的见解，并将有助于确定这些实践如何随着时间的推移而变化，以应对不断升级的地区战争。分离活动区域的方法，包括土壤化学和微工件分析，以及更传统的宏观工件分析，将使对空间实践的细致理解成为可能。此外，放射性碳和相关测年技术（使用来自Xaltocan的极其精细的陶瓷年表）有助于我们了解精英实践如何随时间变化。从这项研究中收集的数据将与Xaltocan普通家庭的现有数据以及墨西哥盆地其他后古典精英住宅的数据进行比较。通过这些比较，本项目寻求新的方法来研究精英如何管理他们作为地方领导人和区域精英的双重角色。这项研究具有重要意义，因为它将为研究阶级关系和身份形成提供一个与世界范围内的考古项目相关的比较模型。该项目的成果将产生比上述主题更广泛的影响。这项研究是Farah女士研究生培训的一个组成部分，也将包括来自国立大学Antropología e Historia的墨西哥学生。该项目将为这些学生提供实地培训（墨西哥的学位要求）并促进国际合作。该项目的结果将在美国同行评议的出版物中传播，并将以向INAH提交的年度和最终项目报告的形式向墨西哥学者提供。该项目还将积极参与当地社区，提供现场参观和讲座，策划博物馆展览，在当地博物馆发布每周项目更新，并以西班牙语分发研究成果。这些努力将使萨尔多坎的居民更容易获得当前的考古发现，从而使他们能够了解当地的遗产。这种模式将当地社区的利益放在首位，广泛适用于全球的考古项目，以及任何与当地社区有关的研究工作。

The central goal of this research is to understand how, in traditional societies, social structure is affected by warfare. When a society is under such stress are class and economic boundaries emphasized and societal structural differences increased or is there a leveling of difference? Archaeology provides a means to gain insight by following the process across an extended period of time. Under the supervision of Dr. Wendy Ashmore, Kirby Farah will perform archaeological excavations and analyses at an elite residence in Xaltocan, Estado de Mexico, Mexico. Xaltocan is located in the northern Basin of Mexico on a human-made island in what was formerly a shallow, brackish lake (Lake Xaltocan). The ethnohistorical record indicates that Xaltocan was founded in the 11th century by Otomí speakers and served as the capital of the Otomí city-state until the end of the 14th century when it was conquered by an alliance between Cuauhtitlan and the Tepanecs of Azcatpotzalco. Ms. Farah's research will focus on identity formation and domestic spatial practices of the elite at Xaltocan in the centuries leading up to Xaltocan's conquest (ca. AD 1100-1400). During this period Xaltocan was at the height of its power and constantly entangled in regional conflict. Using methods and theory developed for doing household archaeology, this research will determine how class impacted everyday life practices at Xaltocan. The historical record contains numerous references to the powerful rulers that controlled Xaltocan for centuries, however to date there has been no intensive archaeological research performed at elite spaces. This research will provide much needed insight into the domestic practices of Xaltocan's elite and will help determine how these practices changed over time in response to escalating regional warfare. Methodologies for isolating activity areas including soil chemical and microartifact analyses, in addition to more conventional macroartifact analyses will enable a nuanced understanding of spatial practices. In addition, radiocarbon and relative dating techniques (using the extremely refined ceramic chronology from Xaltocan) contribute to our knowledge of how elite practices changed over time. Data gleaned from this research will be comparable to extant data on commoner households at Xaltocan and to other Postclassic elite residences in the Basin of Mexico. Through these comparisons, this project pursues new ways to examine how elites managed their dual roles as local leaders and regional elites. This research is significant because it will provide a comparative model for studying class relations and identity formation that is pertinent for archaeological projects worldwide.The results of this project will have broader impacts beyond the topics outlined above. This research is an integral component of Ms. Farah's graduate student training and will also incorporate Mexican students from the Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia. The project will provide these students with in-field training (a degree requirement in Mexico) and fosters international cooperation. Results of this project will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications within the US and will be accessible to Mexican scholars in the form of annual and final project reports to INAH. This project will also actively involve the local community by providing site tours and lectures, curating museum exhibits, posting weekly project updates at the local museum, and by distributing research results in Spanish. Such efforts will empower residents of Xaltocan to learn about their local heritage by making current archaeological findings more accessible. This model, wherein the interest of local communities is a central priority, is broadly applicable for archaeological projects worldwide, and for any research endeavors that have implications for local communities.