This project will assess the political and economic reorganization of states in Central Mexico following the collapse (ca. A.D. 650) of the Early Classic Teotihuacan regional system. Teotihuacan was a city of unusual size and influence and the capital of the first integrated regional state in Central Mexico. It established a pattern of urbanism and political authority that persisted into Aztec times. Modern Mexico City, one of the largest urban zones in the world, extends across part of the former Teotihuacan state and sits within the Basin of Mexico. Destiny Crider, under the supervision of Dr. George L. Cowgill and Dr. Arleyn W. Simon, will use pottery data to evaluate the patterns of exchange between prominent settlements in and near the eastern and northern Basin of Mexico during the Epiclassic (ca. A.D. 650-850) and Early Postclassic periods (ca. A.D. 850-1150). This time span represents an era of political fragmentation and subsequent reorganization as the emerging Central Mexican states of Tula and Cholula vied for influence over Basin settlements. This study uses compositional and stylistic analyses to identify diachronic regional interactions and shifting strategies for social and economic development. Differing intensities of social interaction will be assessed on the basis of localized participation in culturally delineated pottery complexes, evidence for direct exchange, and subtle differences in production techniques and styles. Decorated Epiclassic and Early Postclassic pottery from key sites will be analyzed with respect to style, form, and technical traits. Highly visible stylistic traits of form and design indicate cultural affiliations, while low visibility technical attributes indicate production techniques and subtle clues to differing learning communities. A large sample of pottery will be submitted to the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center (MURR) for chemical characterization to determine patterns of production and distribution reflective of regional economic, political and social interactions. This research facilitates comparison among several large Mexican and US archaeological projects in the region and promotes inter-institutional collaboration among researchers and students. In addition, the project will create the Digital Library of Central Mexican Pottery Types, hosted by the Archaeological Research Institute, Arizona State University, and developed and managed by Destiny Crider. Information generated from this project significantly enhances current compositional studies for the region and refines understanding of Central Mexican material culture. Both are required to propel studies of state development and reorganization in times of social and political catastrophe and upheaval across a broad region.
