Scale and Hierarchy among Architectural Centers in the Mixtequille, South-Central Veracruz, Mexico

在国家科学基金会的支持下，Barbara Stark博士和她的同事将在墨西哥中部韦拉克鲁斯的西Papaloapan盆地进行两个实地考古调查和分析。在过去62平方英尺的田野工作中。公里。斯塔克博士绘制了17个正式建筑群的地图，以及总共1900个特征。根据相关的陶瓷遗骸，这些陶器的年代可以追溯到古典时期(公元300-900年)，并与Mixtequilla文明有关。斯塔克博士现在希望将它们置于更广泛的地理环境中，并重建它们之间的功能关系。为了实现这一目标，她将对周围地区进行大规模的地面调查，以确定更多的结构和综合体的位置。将收集和分析包括陶器和石器在内的表面材料。在此基础上，将有可能确定个别事件的发生时间，确定它们之间的相互作用程度，并深入了解所发生的制造和生存活动的范围。根据相对规模和相关遗骸，还可以确定将个别特征纳入中央等级政治结构的程度。尽管考古学家对玛雅文明了如指掌，但这只是美国史前时期繁荣发展的众多文化之一。科学家们希望了解这些复杂实体的政治、经济和社会组织的变化范围，而Mixtequilla文明提供了极好的数据来源。尽管在接受调查的相对较小的地区，居住群体的数量出人意料地高，但尚不清楚它们是如何组合在一起的(或不匹配的)。它们是紧密地整合到一个单一的等级制度中，还是与经典的低地玛雅人的情况相反，个别单位的运作具有相对的自治性？斯塔克博士的研究将提供有价值的见解。它将产生许多考古学家感兴趣的数据，并帮助培训美国和墨西哥的学生。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Barbara Stark and her colleagues will conduct two field seasons of archaeological survey and analysis in the Western Papaloapan basin in Central Veracruz, Mexico. During past fieldwork in a 62 sq. km. area Dr. Stark mapped 17 formal complexes of building remains as well as a total of 1900 features. On the basis of associated ceramic remains these have been dated to the Classic period (300-900 AD) and are associated with the Mixtequilla civilization. Dr. Stark now wishes to set them into a broader geographic context and reconstruct the functional relationships among them. To accomplish this goal she will conduct a large scale surface survey of surrounding regions to locate additional structures and complexes. Surface materials including pottery and stone artifacts will be collected and analyzed. On this basis it will be possible to date individual occurrences, determine the degree of interaction among them and gain insight into the range of manufacturing and subsistence activities which took place. Based on relative size and associated remains it will also be possible to determine the extent to which individual features were incorporated into a centralized hierarchical political structure. Although archaeologists know a great deal about the Mayan civilization, this is only one of many cultures which flourished in prehistoric Middle America. Scientists wish to understand the range of variation in political, economic and social organization which characterizes these complex entities and the Mixtequilla civilization provides an excellent source of data. Although the number of habitation groups is surprisingly high in the relatively small region surveyed, it is not clear how they fit (or don't fit) together. Were they closely integrated into a single hierarchical system or did individual units function with relative autonomy, in contrast to the Classic lowland Mayan case? Dr. Stark's study will provide valuable insight. It will produce data of interest to many archaeologists and assist in training both US and Mexican students.