On the Argument From Ceramics to History: A Challenge Based on Evidence From Medieval Nubia [and Comments and Reply]

Adams, William Y.; Abel, Leland J.; Arnold, Douglas N.; Chittick, Neville; Davis, Whitney; Maret, Pierre de; Fattovich, Rodolfo; Franken, H. J.; Kolb, Charles C.; Myers, Thomas P.; Simmons, Michael P.; Syms, E. Leigh

doi:10.1086/202373

Cited by 30 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…On en arrive alors à une situation paradoxale, comme le souligne Balfet (1965, 169), où les détails de la production témoignent d'un formidable processus d'individualisation alors que les décors s'inscrivent dans un univers stylistique stable et largement répandu à travers le Maghreb. C'est dans cette perspective qu'il faudrait sans doute reconsidérer l'étude pessimiste qu' Adams (1979) a consacré à l'évolution des formes et des décors de la céramique médiévale de Nubie.…”

Section: Polyse´mieunclassified

Pourquoi le décorer? Quelques observations sur le décor céramique en Afrique

Gosselain

2011

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

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Section: Polyse´mieunclassified

Pourquoi le décorer? Quelques observations sur le décor céramique en Afrique

Gosselain

2011

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

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“…This is to be expected because the goal of Triple Alliance expansion was not to find export markets for Basin of Mexico products but rather to replace former trade relations with tributary relations. This finding has implications for the archaeological study of conquest and imperialism: simple changes in artifactual types or classes may not monitor this kind of sociopolitical change (Adams 1979). Indeed, Charlton has demonstrated that the single most important sociopolitical event in the Mesoamerican past-the Spanish conquest of 1519-1521-is not clearly signalled in rural ceramic assemblages until well over a century after its occurrence (1976,1979).…”

Section: Correlation Of Archaeology and Ethnohistorymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Expansion of the Aztec Empire: A Case Study in the Correlation of Diachronic Archaeological and Ethnohistorical Data

Smith

1987

American Antiquity

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I examine the problems and potentials of correlating diachronic archaeological and ethnohistorical data through the case of the Aztec (Triple Alliance) conquest of western Morelos, Mexico. To date, nearly all of our knowledge of the Triple Alliance empire is derived from ethnohistorical sources with little contribution from archaeological data. Two methodological problems account for this disparity. First, current archaeological chronologies for Postclassic central Mexico are not precise enough to document the structure and growth of this relatively short-lived empire. Second, the issue of diachronic correlation of archaeological data with the native historical record has not been approached with a consistent methodology. I address these problems, demonstrating that Postclassic chronologies can be refined when the appropriate methods (in this case, nontypological ceramic analysis and quantitative seriation) are applied. The resulting chronological sequence for western Morelos is correlated with the diachronic native historical record for the area. Because of these procedures, the archaeological record can for the first time make a significant contribution to the study of the Triple Alliance empire.

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“…Adams 1979;Rice 1984). The implication of this observation, when it comes to archaeological interpretation, is that the understanding of historical processes cannot directly be inferred from typological sequences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%