A History of Cacao in West Mexico: Implications for Mesoamerica and U.S. Southwest Connections

Mathiowetz, Michael

doi:10.1007/s10814-018-9125-7

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…For northern Mexico, a PSV master curve has yet to be constructed, although previous palaeomagnetic (e.g. Alva-Valdivia et al, 2019;Rodríguez-Trejo et al, 2019b) andarchaeological (Pails, 2017;Mathiowetz, 2019) studies showed the wealth of this region with volcanic and archaeological materials.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeomagnetic dating and magnetic characterization of ceramics from the Paquimé, Casas Grandes region, Chihuahua, Mexico

Alva‐Valdivia

Rodríguez-Trejo

Cruz-Antillón

et al. 2021

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeomagnetic dating and magnetic characterization of ceramics from the Paquimé, Casas Grandes region, Chihuahua, Mexico

Alva‐Valdivia

Rodríguez-Trejo

Cruz-Antillón

et al. 2021

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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“…Elsewhere, in the Mixteca region, similar symbiotic highland-lowland trade relationships are evident. There, coastal resources such as cotton, cacao, and macaws were frequently traded for highland resources such as obsidian and maguey (King 2008; Mathiowetz 2018b; Workinger 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Regional Assessment of Obsidian Use in the Postclassic Aztatlan Tradition

Pierce

2021

Ancient Mesoam

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Of the many items that were traded throughout the Postclassic (A.D. 850/900–1350) Aztatlan network, obsidian was perhaps the most prevalent. In this study, large assemblages of obsidian from five Aztatlan centers on the coastal plain are discussed: San Felipe Aztatan, Chacalilla, Amapa, Coamiles, and Peñitas. In total, over 12,000 obsidian artifacts were analyzed macroscopically and through handheld portable X-ray fluorescence. The results of these analyses illustrate regional patterns of obsidian use that appear consistent across the coastal plain. Generally, only three obsidian sources were used with frequency. The most proximal source was utilized for generalized reduction and probably acquired directly, while more distant obsidians from the Jalisco highlands are commonly found in the form of prismatic blades. These trends in obsidian use indicate an increase in source diversity concurrent with the development of the Aztatlan trade networks despite the local availability of quality obsidians. Finally, synchronic patterns of source distribution further indicate that sources were unevenly distributed as certain individuals likely had greater access to imported blades. In conclusion, this large study provides a regional perspective of obsidian use in Western Mexico on the coastal plain and showcases the pervasiveness of the obsidian trade during the Postclassic.

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“…An important question regarding SW/NW-Mesoamerican connections is with which part(s) of Mesoamerica did the SW/NW interact after 900? Instead of Central Mexico, where the Pachuca source is located, most objects from Mesoamerica that the SW/NW obtained came from West Mexico (Mathiowetz 2019; McGuire 2011; Nelson 2006; VanPool et al 2008; Vargas 1995). Archaeologists often consider West Mexico to be a peripheral region to Central Mexico, and more work needs to be conducted on the relationships between the SW/NW and West Mexico (Nelson et al 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pachuca Obsidian Blades from the U.S. Southwest: Implications for Mesoamerican Connections and Coronado's Mexican Indian Allies

Dolan¹,

Shackley

2021

Am. Antiq.

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The connection between people in the prehispanic U.S. Southwest / Northwest Mexico (SW/NW) and Mesoamerica is one of the most debated research topics in American archaeology. SW/NW groups used objects from Mesoamerica, but did they also trade for obsidian? Archaeologists have yet to find Mesoamerican obsidian from confirmed prehispanic SW/NW contexts, but here we discuss four green obsidian prismatic blades from New Mexico and Arizona. Using EDXRF spectrometry, we demonstrate that the blades are from the Pachuca source in Mesoamerica. The blades were found at four sites that the Spanish and their Mexican Indian allies used or potentially visited beginning in AD 1540. Using lithic technological organization and historical narratives, we assess the credibility of the different hypothesized models of prehispanic SW/NW-Mesoamerican interaction and obsidian use by the Mexican Indian allies. We suggest that green Pachuca blades would have been traded into the SW/NW if interaction with Mesoamerica had occurred more frequently. We also offer reasons why archaeologists have found so few Mesoamerican obsidian blades at post-1540 sites. This research is relevant because it expands our knowledge about SW/NW-Mesoamerican connections and the Mexican Indian allies of the Spanish, who are an underrepresented group in the archaeological and historical records.

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A History of Cacao in West Mexico: Implications for Mesoamerica and U.S. Southwest Connections

Cited by 10 publications

References 59 publications

Archaeomagnetic dating and magnetic characterization of ceramics from the Paquimé, Casas Grandes region, Chihuahua, Mexico

Archaeomagnetic dating and magnetic characterization of ceramics from the Paquimé, Casas Grandes region, Chihuahua, Mexico

A Regional Assessment of Obsidian Use in the Postclassic Aztatlan Tradition

Pachuca Obsidian Blades from the U.S. Southwest: Implications for Mesoamerican Connections and Coronado's Mexican Indian Allies

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