Andrews Under the direction of Dr. E. Wyllys Andrews, Ms. Kathryn Sampeck will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. She will conduct archaeological research in the Rio Ceniza Valley region in Western El Salvador. The zone is virtually unknown archaeologically, although its colonial economic importance resulted in a great deal of documentation. Ms. Sampeck will examine the late preconquest and early conquest history of the region. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the area was the center of one of the most powerful regional states in southeastern Mesoamerica. The power and prosperity of this "Izalco Pipil polity" was likely due to its prominence in the cacao trade, with cacao functioning as a kind of money in pre- Hispanic economy. The Pippil were probably producing not only for local use but for a broader market. With the incorporation of the region into the Spanish empire, Izalco was propelled into the global economy. The agricultural system was drastically altered as local inhabitants shifted to the cultivation of indigo for a world market. Ms. Sampeck wishes to examine the social changes which accompanied this shift. To accomplish this she will conduct an extensive survey of the region and collect surface material. This will be followed by selected excavations. The ceramic, lithic and other cultural materials collected will be analyzed to allow reconstruction of social organization and changes which occurred over time. Small scale societies respond to both local and global pressures and archaeologists have suggested several ways in which groups may respond to such often conflicting demands. The Izalco region provides an excellent situation within which to examine this issue because archaeological and ethnographic data document the transformation from a strictly local society and economy to one which is rapidly enmeshed in a much broader world. The research will provide data of interest to Middle Americanist archaeologists and assist in the trainin g of a promising young scientist.
