Exchange and Economic Organization in Postclassic Sauce and Its
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Given, Borrowed, Bought, Stolen: Exchange and Economic Organization in Postclassic Sauce and its Hinterland in Veracruz, Mexico by Alanna Ossa A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Approved March 2011 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Barbara L. Stark, Chair George L. Cowgill Michael E. Smith Arleyn W. Simon Emily Umberger ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY May 2011 ABSTRACT This study analyzed archaeological residential inventories from the center of Sauce and its hinterlands to address the possible appearance of markets and the structure of exchange during the Middle Postclassic period (A.D. 1200-1350) in south-central Veracruz, Mexico. Economic development is rarely the result of a coherent strategy either on the part of managing or consuming elites or on the part of the average consumer. Instead, a combination of strategies and overlapping exchange systems provided the context, rather than any one explanation, for how commercial market exchange develops. Identifying the context is challenging because economies have multiple exchange mechanisms, which require clearly defined expectations that separate spatial and network (distributional) data. This separation is vital because different exchange mechanisms such as centralized redistribution versus central-place marketing produce similar spatial patterns. Recent innovations in identifying exchange mechanisms use network (distributional) instead of spatial expectations. Based on this new body of knowledge, new quantitative methods were developed to distinguish between exchange through social networks versus market exchange for individual items based on comparisons of household inventories, later combining this information with spatial and contextual analyses. First, a Bayesian-inspired Monte Carlo computer simulation was designed to identify exchange mechanisms, using all household items including cooking utensils, serving dishes, chipped stone tools, etc., from 65 residential units from Sauce and its hinterland. Next, the socioeconomic rank of households, GIS ii spatial analyses, and quality assessments of pottery and other items were used to evaluate social and political aspects of exchange and consumption. The results of this study indicated that most products were unrestricted in access, and spatial analyses showed they were acquired in a market near Sauce. Few restrictions on most of the polychromes, chipped stone, and assorted household items (e.g., spindle whorls) lend strong support to commoner household prominence in developing markets. However, there were exceptions. Dull Buff Polychrome was associated with the Sauce center; analyses showed that its access was restricted through social networks. ―Cookie-cutter‖ style figurines and incense burners also showed restriction. Restricted items found in Sauce and wealthier residences indicate enduring political and social inequalities within market development. For Sauce, a combination of elite and commoner household interests was crucial in supporting the growth of commercial exchange rather than a top-down directive. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Sauce Archaeological Project was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (BSC-0742324) and the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University, with permission from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia of Mexico. The dissertation writing was supported by a yearlong Dean’s Dissertation writing fellowship from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at ASU. I am grateful for the amount of institutional support and opportunities afforded me by these agencies and departments. My research was made possible by the help and encouragement of a number of individuals. I am very grateful for the encouragement and support of my chair, Barbara L. Stark, and for the use of the PALM dataset which made SAP possible. During my dissertation project, Dr Stark provided me with key insights into Veracruz prehistory while allowing me the freedom to explore new ideas. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to the other members of my committee including Arleyn Simon, George L. Cowgill, Michael E. Smith, and Emily Umberger for their continual guidance and support. Each one provided important guidance at key moments in my project. George Cowgill’s sage advice on sampling benefitted my project immensely, along with his good humor on reading many drafts of proposals. Emily Umberger’s generosity with sharing her impressive Postclassic knowledge base was incredibly helpful along with her kind writing advice. Mike Smith’s editing advice and sharp questioning were also greatly appreciated in helping improve this research. iv Finally, I could not have completed my degree here without the long-term support and advice of Arleyn Simon, director of the Archaeological Research Institute (ARI) at ASU and who has been my boss and mentor for the majority of my graduate career. Arleyn Simon was generous with her time and expertise on ceramic analysis and offered great editing advice at all stages of this research. I am very grateful for her support and generosity. The field portion of this project could not have been completed without the kind support and welcome from many community members in the Mixtequilla, Veracruz. I thank in particular my main field crew workers Ciro and Gerardo Barragán, for their kindness and patience in dealing with the logistical challenges of fieldwork with such spirit and good humor. I am also grateful for the help and guidance of Annick Daneels and Sergio Vázquez Zárate on local Postclassic materials and logistical advice. The success of this project is also based on the excellent fieldwork and lab analyses undertaken by Felicita Lopez, Monyka Salazar Weaver, John Clay, Lynette Heller, Barbara Stark, and Paul Ossa. I am also grateful for the insight and support of my colleagues, friends, and family including Chris Garraty, Lynette Heller, Tony Stratton, Eugene Ossa, Tatsuya Murakami, A.J. Vonarx, Nate Wilson, Destiny Crider, Mitsuru Kurosaki, Steven Schmich, Sarah Clayton, Krista Eschbach, Sarah Striker, Jose Lobo, Gerda de Klerk, Colleen Byron, Richard Clawson, Paul Ossa, Said Ennahid, Oralia Cabrera, Dolma Roder, Kim Savage, and Stephen Savage. I am grateful to each v of them for the stimulating conversations on research, friendship, and support throughout this long process. I especially acknowledge the loving support and insight of Tony Stratton who offered sage advice on computer programming and helpful skepticism on statistical methods. I dedicate this research in loving memory of Tony. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER Page LIST OF TABLES……………………………….....…………………………..xvii LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………..xxi CHAPTER 1. EVALUATING ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION IN POSTCLASSIC VERACRUZ ................................................................................ 1 Postclassic Mesoamerican Research Framework ............................................ 2 Economic Organization of Sauce and its Hinterland ...................................... 5 Key Concepts and Definitions for Exchange ................................... 9 Conceptual and Methodological Advances in Identifying Exchange ........................................................................................................ 11 Research Framework ...................................................................... 13 Scenarios for Commercial Development ....................................... 14 Research Objectives ...................................................................................... 18 Define the Role and Spatial Organization of Market Exchange. ... 18 Expectations. .................................................................................. 19 Define the Role and Spatial Organization of Social Network Exchanges. ...................................................................................... 20 Expectations. .................................................................................. 21 Chapter Synopses .......................................................................................... 21 vii CHAPTER Page Summary of Results ...................................................................................... 30 CHAPTER 1 NOTES .................................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 2. THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION WITH INSIGHTS FROM MESOAMERICA ...................................................... 38 Recent Perspectives on an Old Debate .......................................................... 39 New Directions in Defining and Identifying Exchange Systems .................. 41 Issues in Defining and Describing Exchange Systems .................. 42 Defining Exchange Mechanisms .................................................... 43 Spatial and Contextual Components of Exchange ......................... 44 Identifying Exchange Archaeologically ......................................... 46 Highland Mesoamerican Political Economies and Postclassic Transitions .. 50 Explanations for Postclassic Central Mexican Transitions ............ 55 Lowland Mesoamerican Economic Organization and Postclassic Transitions ....................................................................................................................... 58 Late Classic Changes in South-central Veracruz ........................... 66 Postclassic Veracruz ....................................................................... 68 CHAPTER 2 NOTES