With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Robert Zeitlin and a student assistant will conduct archaeological research at the site of Laguna Zope, located on the west coast of Mexico about 200 km from the valley of Oaxaca. Extensive work in Oaxaca has demonstrated the rise, subsequent expansion, and final decline of a powerful Zapotec civilization, and Dr. Zeitlin's research in a adjacent area will provide insight into the extent and nature of Zapotec expansion. Laguna Zope consists of a large site with dense, stratified cultural deposits which originally covered approximately 85 hectares. These result from hundreds of years of continuous occupation. A road which runs through the site truncates these deposits, and Dr. Zeitlin, working from the cut face, will excavate into these strata in a mound area, indicative of high status occupation. The ceramics and other materials collected will permit examination of Zapotec interaction. Faunal and floral materials will allow reconstruction of subsistence techniques. Kingdoms and empires appear to have arisen independently in many areas of both the Old and New World. Archaeologists wish to understand the processes which lead to the growth of such complex societies and which can eventually incorporate millions of individuals. In particular, it is unclear how outlying regions are brought under the domination of the core area and several mechanisms, from direct conquest to the fostering of economic dependence, have been proposed. Laguna Zope, because of its peripheral position and rich readily accessible cultural deposits, provides an excellent situation to address this question. This research is important for several reasons. It will contribute to our understanding of how complex societies, including our own, arise. Because development is rapidly destroying the site, these data would otherwise soon be lost. Finally, the project will assist in the training a graduate student.
