In 1985 and 1986 with NSF support, Dr. Smith conducted an archaeological survey and excavation in the Morelos region of Mexico. After a first season of survey, his team excavated a sample of eight house remains at the site of Capilco and 21 at Cuexcomate. From these large samples of ceramics, lithics and other cultural remains were recovered. During the late Post classic period when these sites were occupied, the Morelos region was incorporated into the Aztec empire. The goal of the research was to understand social and economic organization at the household and community levels in a rural setting and to trace their changes through time, in response to both local and broader trans-regional factors such as the Aztec incorporation. Dr. Smith and his collaborators will now analyze the large corpus of materials collected. In an attempt to refine the chronology, they will characterize ceramic assemblages and incorporate surface material into the excavated sequence. They will also obtain radiocarbon dates as well as hydration dates from obsidian tools. Petrographic analyses on ceramic remains will permit sourcing and thus provide information on trade networks and extra-regional relationships. It will also permit determination of vessel function. Analysis of metallic objects will allow reconstruction of manufacturing techniques. Faunal and human skeletal remains, also recovered in the course of excavation, will also be studied. This research is important because it will increase our understanding of the interaction between elite urban centers and their rural hinterlands. In many developing nations (and in such first world countries such as Spain) similar situations exist today, and the urban-rural tensions are clear. Archaeology provides a valuable insight into such issues because of the long term data it provides.
