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Late Postclassic Chronology in Western Morelos, Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Michael E. Smith  and
John F. Doershuk
Michael E. Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Institute for Mesoamerican Studies, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222
John F. Doershuk
Affiliation:
3D/Environmental Services, 781 Neeb Rd., Suite 5, Cincinnati, OH 45233
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Abstract

Chronology building is an integral part of the archaeological research process, and changing research questions often require the refinement of existing chronologies. This view is illustrated with a description of the derivation, refinement, and confirmation of a ceramic sequence for the Postclassic period in Morelos, Mexico. The joint application of stratigraphy and quantitative ceramic seriation produced a five-phase Postclassic chronology. To deal with problems in distinguishing the stylistically similar ceramics of the final three phases, discriminant-function analysis was employed, resulting in the confident phasing of nearly all excavated contexts at the sites of Capilco and Cuexcomate. Calendar years are assigned to the phases by radiocarbon dating, and the implications of the dated sequence are explored briefly.

La construcción de cronologías es una parte esencial del proceso de investigación en arqueología, y a menudo, los cambios en las preguntas que el arqueólogo hace requieren de un refinamiento en las cronologías ya existentes. Este tema se ilustra con la descripción de la derivación, refinamiento y confirmación de una secuencia cerámica para la época Postclásica en Morelos, México. La primera actividad fue la construcción de una secuencia cerámica, con cinco fases para la época Postclásica. Se utilizó la estratigrafía y la seriación cuantitativa de la cerámica de Xochicalco. Esta cronología se aplicó a los depósitos excavados en los sitios de Capilco y Cuexcomate para el Proyecto Morelos Postclásico. Hay tres fases en estos sitios: Temazcalli, Cuauhnahuac Temprano y Cuauhnahuac Tardío. La secuencia temporal se confirmó con la estratigrafía, pero fue difícil fechar casas y depositos debido a la gran semejanza de los tipos cerámicos en Cuauhnahuac Temprano y Tardío. Luego se empleó la técnica de análisis de funciones discriminantes, y como resultado fue posible fechar casi todos los depósitos usando las fases cerámicas. Usamos fechamiento de radiocarbono para determinar las fechas caléndricas de las fases. También usamos la hidratación de obsidiana, pero sín éxito. El artículo concluye con una discusión de los resultados del estudio.

Type
Articles
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , December 1991 , pp. 291 - 310
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1991

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