Where East Meets West: The Formative in Mexico’s Central Highlands

Abstract

Mexico's Central Highlands form one of Mesoamerica's fundamental cultural seams, a point of overlap between two traditions, one to the east and the other to the west. Although this area is usually included in the west, it can be more productively viewed as an interface, the physical space where people, goods, and ideas passed from one side to the other, and thus it holds many keys for our understanding of emerging social complexity in Mesoamerica. In reviewing the last two decades of Formative period (1500 BC-AD 100) research in this crucial territory, we focus on themes that reveal the variation and dynamism of interregional interaction, including the formation of regional traditions, exchange systems, and foreign ''influence,'' and others that help contextualize the events and processes of that time, like household studies and environmental degradation. We stress that this part of Mexico is undergoing relentless development so time is of the essence if we are to broaden our perspectives on social evolution in the Central Highlands. This issue cannot be resolved by rescue and salvage work because it requires long-term, interdisciplinary projects to unravel multifaceted problems.

Landscape genetics, adaptive diversity and population structure in Phaseolus vulgaris

“…However, such ‘selection hypothesis’ is hampered by the observation that this diversity ‘desert’ was more pronounced when only putatively neutral SNPs were used. Second, this area was subjected to agricultural intensification that started with the Formative period (1500 bc to 100 ad ) (Siebe, ; Plunket & Uruñuela, ), which might have caused the genetic assimilation of the wild population of this area (Papa & Gepts, ). However, our data do not indicate that MW4 had a genetic background that was similar to that of the domesticated gene pool, thus casting doubts on this hypothesis as well.…”

The emergence of Early–Middle Formative exchange patterns in Mesoamerica: A view from Altica in the Teotihuacan Valley

“…The latter possibility must be evaluated in the future. West Mexico, including Guerrero, was likely very influential in the Early and Middle Formative Basin of Mexico (Padilla, 2009;Plunket and Uruñuela, 2012). Stoner and Nichols have detected some evidence that supports a west Mexican connection at Altica (Michoacán obsidian, simple shaft tombs, and a polished-black tlacuache effigy bottle similar to west Mexican forms).…”

Teotihuacan

“…The well-known Oaxaca (Zapotec) Barrio and the Merchants' Barrio continue to be the subject of research (Croissier 2007;Gómez and Gazzola 2009;Rattray 2001, Spence 2002Spence et al 2004Spence et al , 2005White et al 2000bWhite et al , 2004a. We now have a much richer view of the city's ethnic complexity and immigration, including from western Mexico, Oaxaca, the Gulf Lowlands, and central Mexico (Gómez 2002;Manzanilla , 2015Michelet and Pereira 2009;Plunket and Uruñuela 2012;Price et al 2000;Spence 2005;Spence et al 2004Spence et al , 2013White et al 2002White et al , 2003White et al , 2007. Gómez (2002;Gazzola 2007, 2009) has identified a West Mexico barrio near the Zapotec barrio on the western periphery of Teotihuacan (White et al 2004a).…”