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University of Florida Thesis Or SOCIAL COMPLEXITY IN FORMATIVE MESOAMERICA: A HOUSE-CENTERED APPROACH By CHIKAOMI TAKAHASHI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2011 1 © 2011 Chikaomi Takahashi 2 To my parents 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of many people. In particular, I would like to thank the members of my doctoral committee for their advice and guidance throughout this process of learning. I am very grateful to my advisor, Dr. Susan Gillespie, for all of her valuable guidance and encouragement to complete my study. She profoundly shaped my development as an anthropologist and an archaeologist, and reflective discussions with her influenced the directions I took in this research project. Dr. David Grove has been a fundamental influence in my intellectual development during my graduate study, especially in relation to my understanding of Formative Mesoamerica. Without his encouragement, ideas, and suggestions this dissertation would certainly not be what it is. The thoughtful reviews, comments and encouragements of Dr. Kenneth Sassaman and Dr. Mark Brenner are greatly appreciated. I am also very grateful to Dr. Andrew Balkansky who allowed me to join his Santa Cruz Tayata project and use necessary data for my dissertation. Without his generous support and thoughtful advice in the filed and the lab, I could not complete my research. I’m grateful to my friends in the Mixteca Alta whose support made my fieldwork enriching. Among the people of Tlaxiaco, I would like to specifically thank Mr. Rogelio Cruz and Antonio Cruz who facilitated my stay in Tlaxiaco in various ways. I also thank my friends in Mexico for many helpful discussions in the field and the lab, especially Nobu, Barbara, Chente, Gaby, and Vere. My field research was funded by the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (FAMSI), and I greatly appreciate their support for my research. Without their financial support, I would not have been able to complete my 4 studies in the Mixteca Alta. In addition, I appreciate the support from the Department of Anthropology, particularly Charles H. Fairbanks Award and teaching assistantships to complete my graduate study. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................ 9 LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................ 10 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 1 INTERPRETATIONS OF COMPLEX SOCIETIES IN FORMATIVE MESOAMERICA..................................................................................................... 14 Concepts of Social Complexity and Hierarchy ........................................................ 17 Complex Societies in Mesoamerica........................................................................ 20 Historical Processes versus Evolutionary Stages ................................................... 23 House Practices and Variability of Social Processes.............................................. 27 Data and Strategies for Comparison....................................................................... 30 Structure of the Study ............................................................................................. 32 2 THEORIZING COMPLEX SOCIETIES ................................................................... 37 Theories of Social Complexity ................................................................................ 38 Conceptualizing Social Complexity......................................................................... 45 Alternative Theoretical Considerations on Complex Societies................................ 50 Decentralization Perspectives .......................................................................... 52 Theories of Practice: Focus on Social Processes................................................... 54 Summary ................................................................................................................ 58 3 THE HOUSE AS CORPORATE AGENCY ............................................................. 59 What Is a House Society?....................................................................................... 60 Why Use the House?.............................................................................................. 63 Conceptual Differences between Households and Houses.............................. 64 A House-Centered Approach ........................................................................... 66 Investigation of Houses in Formative Mesoamerica ............................................... 72 Summary ................................................................................................................ 75 4 THE CULTURAL CONTEXT OF FORMATIVE WESTERN MESOAMERICA ........ 77 Mesoamerica .......................................................................................................... 78 The Gulf Coast Olmec...................................................................................... 80 The Olmec as "mother culture" problem .................................................... 83 Formative Period Oaxaca................................................................................. 85 6 San José Mogote and the Valley of Oaxaca..................................................... 86 Chalcatzingo in the Central Highlands of Mexico ............................................. 89 The Mixteca Alta............................................................................................... 92 Santa Cruz Tayata ........................................................................................... 94 The Cruz Phase (1500-300 B.C.) ..................................................................... 96 Summary ................................................................................................................ 97 5 EXCAVATIONS AT SANTA CRUZ TAYATA ........................................................ 100 The Santa Cruz Tayata Project............................................................................. 101 Surface Collections ........................................................................................ 103 Test Unit Excavations..................................................................................... 104 Horizontal Excavations ......................................................................................... 106 Excavation Methods and Strategies ............................................................... 106 House 4: Analysis of Features and Activities.................................................. 108 Stratigraphy and recovered artifacts ........................................................ 109 Socio-economic status of residents ......................................................... 111 Activities................................................................................................... 112 Overall description of House 4................................................................. 114 House 2: Analysis of Features and Activities.................................................. 116 Location and excavations ........................................................................ 116 Recovered artifacts .................................................................................. 118 Socio-economic status of residents ......................................................... 119 Activities................................................................................................... 120 Analysis of House Strategies at Santa Cruz Tayata ............................................. 121 Architecture .................................................................................................... 122 Location.......................................................................................................... 122 Burial Treatment............................................................................................. 123 Crafting........................................................................................................... 123 Pottery and Artifacts ....................................................................................... 124 Summary .............................................................................................................. 125 6 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF ARTIFACTS ...................................... 141 Formative Pottery in the Valley of Oaxaca and the Mixteca Alta .......................... 142 Pottery Form Variations in the Valley of Oaxaca and the Mixteca Alta........... 147 Stylistic and Techno-Functional Approaches in Pottery Analysis.......................... 150 Techno-Functional Aspects of Pottery............................................................ 154 Laboratory Analysis: the Pottery Assemblage from Santa Cruz Tayata ............... 156 Feature 1: Midden 1 of House 4 ..................................................................... 157 Feature 2: Midden 2 of House 4 ..................................................................... 159 Feature 3: Midden/Burial
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