Ancient West Mexicos: Time, Space, and Diversity

395 Pages·2020·35.21 MB·English

by  Joshua D. Englehardt, Verenice Y. Heredia Espinoza, Christopher S. Beekman

Ancient West Mexicos
University Press of Florida
Florida A&M University, Tallahassee
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers
Florida International University, Miami
Florida State University, Tallahassee
New College of Florida, Sarasota
University of Central Florida, Orlando
University of Florida, Gainesville
University of North Florida, Jacksonville
University of South Florida, Tampa
University of West Florida, Pensacola

Ancient West Mexicos
Time, Space, and Diversity
Edited by
Joshua D. Englehardt, Verenice Y. Heredia Espinoza,
and Christopher S. Beekman
University Press of Florida
Gainesville · Tallahassee · Tampa · Boca Raton
Pensacola · Orlando · Miami · Jacksonville · Ft. Myers · Sarasota
Copyright 2020 by Joshua D. Englehardt, Verenice Y. Heredia Espinoza,
and Christopher S. Beekman
All rights reserved
Published in the United States of America.
25 24 23 22 21 20 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Englehardt, Joshua, editor. | Heredia Espinoza, Verenice Y., editor.
| Beekman, Christopher, editor.
Title: Ancient West Mexicos : Time, Space, and Diversity / edited by Joshua
D. Englehardt, Verenice Y. Heredia Espinoza, Christopher S. Beekman.
Description: Gainesville : University Press of Florida, [2020] | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019040157 (print) | LCCN 2019040158 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780813066349 (hardback) | ISBN 9780813057453 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Indians of Mexico—Antiquities. | Time
perception—Mexico—History. | Space perception—Mexico—History. |
Indian art—Mexico—History. | Mexico—Antiquities.
Classification: LCC F1219 .A5973 2019 (print) | LCC F1219 (ebook) |
DDC 972/.01—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019040157
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019040158
The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State University System
of Florida, comprising Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast
University, Florida International University, Florida State University, New College of Florida,
University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of
South Florida, and University of West Florida.
University Press of Florida
2046 NE Waldo Road
Suite 2100
Gainesville, FL 32609
http://upress.ufl.edu
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables xi
Introduction: Ancient West Mexicos 1
Christopher S. Beekman, Joshua D. Englehardt,
and Verenice Y. Heredia Espinoza
Part 1. Time: Revised Regional Chronologies
1. The Cultural Sequence during the Formative Period in the Valley
of Colima 39
Laura Almendros López
2. The Early Segment of the Chronological Sequence at Los
Guachimontones 62
Christopher S. Beekman
3. Revisiting the Archaeology of the Huetamo Area, Southeastern
Michoacán, Mexico 103
José Luis Punzo Díaz, Diego Rangel, Erika Ibarra, Jesús Zarco,
and Mijaely Castañón
4. The Early Postclassic Aztatlán Colonization of the Pacific Coast
of Jalisco 131
Joseph B. Mountjoy, Fabio Germán Cupul-Magaña, Rafael García de
Quevedo-Machain, and Martha Lorenza López Mestas Camberos
Part 2. Space: Old Questions, New Methods
5. Architectural Discourse and Sociocultural Structure
at Los Guachimontones, Jalisco 159
Kimberly Sumano Ortega and Joshua D. Englehardt
6. Constructing the Pre-Hispanic Landscape in the Santiago Bayacora
Basin, Durango 197
David Arturo Muñiz García and Kimberly Sumano Ortega
Part 3. Diversity: Refined Theoretical Perspectives
7. What the Teuchitlán Tradition Is, and What the Teuchitlán Tradition
Is Not 233
Verenice Y. Heredia Espinoza
8. Cerro de Santiago: An Epiclassic Site within the World-System of
Central-Northern Mexico 269
M. Nicolás Caretta and Manuel Dueñas García
9. Weaving Our Life: The Economy and Ideology of Cotton in Postclassic
West Mexico 302
Michael Mathiowetz
10. Conclusions 349
Stephen A. Kowalewski
List of Contributors 367
Index 373
Figures
I.1. Map of West Mexico 2
1.1. Map of Colima detailing current municipal divisions 41
1.2. Comparative table of ceramic forms of the Capacha, Ortices, and
Comala phases 47
1.3. Burial 9 from El Diezmo-Adonaí, Colima 48
1.4. Calibrated dates obtained from molar in Burial 9 49
1.5. Burial 22 from El Zalate, Colima 49
1.6. Calibrated dates obtained from molar in Burial 22 50
2.1. Map of the Nuclear and Talleres sectors of Los Guachimontones 63
2.2. Map of the Loma Alta Sector 69
2.3. Schematic representation of relative stratigraphic relationships
between architectural groups from the Nuclear Sector and the Loma
Alta Sector 70
2.4. Stratigraphic charts of the Nuclear Sector, the Talleres Sector, and the
Loma Alta Sector 94
3.1. Location of the study area and the sites registered in the region of
southeastern Michoacán 104
3.2. Chronology proposed for the Middle Balsas Region, Michoacán 108
3.3. Relevant sites in the Chigüero Dam area 109
3.4. Orthophotograph of the main excavations at the Loma de Piritícuaro
site 111
3.5. Excavations at the La Casita site 113
3.6. Funerary vessels from the Los Tamarindos site 115
3.7. Proposed ceramic chronology of the Middle Balsas region,
southeastern Michoacán 117
viii · Figures
3.8. General diagram of Tamarindos-phase prismatic blade
technology 126
4.1. Location of selected important Aztatlán sites in western Mexico 133
4.2. Map of the Arroyo Piedras Azules site 136
4.3. Sherds of polychrome pottery from the Arroyo Piedras Azules site
138
4.4. Polychrome pottery from the Arroyo Piedras Azules site, with
depictions of persons 139
4.5. Polychrome pottery from Arroyo Piedras Azules, methods and
various designs 140
4.6. Red and Buff, and Polychrome Incised Aztatlán pottery 141
4.7. Fragments of pottery figurines, and a pottery stamp from an
Aztatlán stratum, recovered from the Arroyo Piedras Azules site 143
4.8. Copper celt, ringlets, fishhooks, and a bell from Aztatlán deposits at
the Arroyo Piedras Azules site 144
4.9. Cylindrical stone objects 145
4.10. Weaving tools made of bone and pottery sherds 146
4.11. Pit #2 strata cut, Arroyo Piedras Azules site 147
4.12. Northern face of Pit #2 stratigraphic cut, Arroyo Piedras Azules site
148
4.13. Four types of decorated Aztatlán pottery from the excavation of
stratigraphic Pit #2 at the Arroyo Piedras Azules site 149
5.1. Los Guachimontones within the Valles Region of Jalisco State 160
5.2. Examples of guachimontón complexes, from the Loma Alta Sector of
the Los Guachimontones site 161
5.3. Axial line graph for the Nuclear Sector of Los Guachimontones at its
peak occupation in the Tequila III phase 171
5.4. Axial line graph for the Loma Alta Sector 172
5.5. Depthmap visibility analysis within the Nuclear Sector at its peak
occupation in the Tequila III phase 174
5.6. Depthmap visibility analysis within the Loma Alta Sector 175
5.7. Node maps and justified gamma graphs of the Nuclear Sector at its
peak occupation in the Tequila III phase and Loma Alta 176
Figures · ix
5.8. Axial line graph for the Nuclear Sector of Los Guachimontones
considering only TII phase construction 183
5.9. Depthmap visibility analysis within the Nuclear Sector considering
only TII phase construction 184
5.10. Node map and justified gamma graph of the Nuclear Sector
considering only TII phase construction 185
6.1. Map of the Santiago Bayacora Basin (SBR) study area, northern
Mesoamerica 198
6.2. Vertical stratigraphy in the Santiago Bayacora Basin 204
6.3. Horizontal stratigraphy in the Santiago Bayacora Basin 205
6.4. Dimension hierarchy in the Santiago Bayacora Basin 207
6.5. Comparative maps of the Cerro del Gato site 208
6.6. Comparison of sites in the Santiago Bayacora Basin by structure and
dimension 209
6.7. Map showing details of visibility application for the SBR 211
6.8. Levels of intersite visibility in the SBR Basin 212
6.9. Comparative maps of El Encinal and La Ferrería 218
6.10. Comparative map of other sites in the northern area 219
6.11. Proposal for the establishment of the El Encinal site 221
7.1. The site of Los Guachimontones 242
7.2. The proposed core and periphery of the Teuchitlán tradition 244
7.3. Guachimontón and associated four-structure groups at Santa
Quiteria 246
7.4. Guachimontón and associated four-structure groups at AMA-
CUM-06 and AMA-CUM-12 247
7.5. Guachimontón and associated four-structure groups at
AMA-RIT-35 248
7.6. Guachimontón and associated four-structure groups
MAG-HUI-02 249
8.1. Location of archaeological sites in the Río Verde Basin 270
8.2. The archaeological site of Cerro de Santiago 271
8.3. Map of the ceremonial area of Cerro de Santiago 280
8.4. Excavation 53 and recovered material 281