Ancient Engineering: Selective Ceramic Processing in the Middle Balsas Region of Guerrero, Mexico Jennifer Meanwell Paris Monographs in American Archaeology 48 Access Archaeology Archaeopress Access Archaeology A
Archaeopress Publishing Ltd Gordon House 276 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7ED www.archaeopress.com ISBN 978 1 78491 650 3 ISBN 978 1 78491 651 0 (e-pdf) Archaeopress and J Meanwell 2017 Paris Monographs in American Archaeology 48 Series Editor: Eric Taladoire All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners.
Contents List of Tables...v List of Figures...vii Chapter 1: Introduction: Problem Statement, Theoretical Underpinnings, and the Ecology of the Middle Balsas Region...1 1.1 Problem Statement and Research Goals... 1 Problem Statement... 1 The Middle Balsas Region and Site Selection...3 Specific Research Goals... 3 Methods Overview... 5 1.2 Theoretical Underpinnings and Pottery Production Studies... 5 The Anthropology of Technology and the Materials Approach...5 Experimental Replication and Laboratory Analysis of Pottery...8 Ceramic Ecology and Ethnography of Pottery Production...9 Mesoamerican Pottery Production Studies...10 1.3 Description of the Middle Balsas and its Ecology... 10 1.4 Conquest-Era Documentary Evidence of the Middle Balsas and its Resources...13 1.5 Summary of Format... 16 Chapter 2: Previous Work and Contemporary Archaeological Projects in and Surrounding the Middle Balsas Region... 17 2.1 First Explorers... 17 2.2 Culture History... 19 2.3 Beyond Culture History in the Middle Balsas Region....21 2.4 Peripheral Zones... 24 Coast of Guerrero... 24 The Mezcala Region of Eastern Guerrero...26 Michoacán and the Lower Balsas Region...27 2.5 Conclusions... 28 Chapter 3: Methods... 29 3.1 Field Methods... 29 Mapping... 29 Surface Collection... 33 Excavation Methods... 35 Clay Collection Methods... 41 i
3.2 Ceramic Analysis Methods... 44 General Analysis and Data Recording... 44 Sample Selection Pottery for Thin Section Analysis...44 Sample Selection Radiocarbon Samples...45 3.3 Laboratory Methods... 46 Thin Section Preparation... 46 Test Brick Manufacture and Firing... 47 Point Counting and Fabric Description... 48 Mechanical Testing... 48 Chapter 4: Field Results from the Sites of La Quesería, Itzímbaro, and Mexiquito... 50 4.1 Field Investigations at La Quesería, Guerrero... 50 Description of La Quesería... 50 Surface Collection Results at La Quesería...54 Excavations at Pit 1, La Quesería... 60 Excavations at Pit 2, La Quesería... 60 Excavations at Pit 3, La Quesería... 65 Excavations at Pit 4, La Quesería... 65 4.2 Field Investigations at Itzímbaro, Guerrero....69 Description of Itzímbaro... 69 Surface Collection Results at Itzímbaro... 73 Excavations at Pit 1, Itzímbaro... 73 Excavations at Pit 2, Itzímbaro... 77 Excavations at Pit 3, Itzímbaro... 77 Excavations at Pit 4, Itzímbaro... 81 4.3 Field Investigations at Mexiquito, Guerrero... 85 Description of Mexiquito... 85 Surface Collection at Mexiquito... 89 Excavations at Pit 1, Mexiquito... 92 Excavations at Pit 2, Mexiquito... 92 Excavations at Pit 3, Mexiquito... 95 4.4 Architectural and Construction Details from the Middle Balsas Region...97 4.5 Summary of Radiocarbon Results... 104 ii
Chapter 5: Results from Laboratory Analyses and Replication Studies... 108 5.1 Formal Types... 108 Wares and Decorative Techniques... 119 Chronological Patterns in Forms and Wares...125 5.2 Petrographic Analysis Results... 134 Basic Middle Balsas Geology... 134 Temper and Other Considerations... 135 Regional Clay Fabric Descriptions from Petrographic Analysis...138 Results from the Petrographic Analyses of Sherds from La Quesería...140 Type A...141 Type B/C...141 Type E...145 Other Fabrics...145 Results from the Petrographic Analyses of Sherds from Itzímbaro...145 Type A...146 Types B/C and E...150 Other Fabrics...150 Results from the Petrographic Analyses of Sherds from Mexiquito...153 Type A...153 Type G...156 Type H...157 Other Fabrics...158 Imported Sherds...159 Summary of Petrographic Results... 159 5.3 Results of Test Briquette Analyses... 163 Possible Clay Sources for Fabrics... 163 Firing Temperature Correlations... 168 5.4 Mechanical Testing of Briquettes... 169 5.5 Results from Obsidian, Figurine, and Ground Stone Analyses....173 Figurine Data... 173 Obsidian Data... 182 Ground Stone Data... 186 iii
Chapter 6: Patterns in Middle Balsas Pottery Production and their Interpretation... 191 6.1 Links between Vessel Shape and Fabric....191 La Quesería... 197 Itzímbaro... 199 Mexiquito... 201 Chronologically Significant Production Choices in the Middle Balsas...202 6.2 Regional Patterns and Differences Noted between Sites... 205 6.3 Overview of Middle Balsas Pottery Production Techniques... 207 6.4 Theoretical Implications and Comparisons with Other Regions... 210 Chapter 7: Conclusions... 212 7.1 Discussion of Key Results from the Middle Balsas Project... 212 Temporal and Spatial Continuity of Manufacturing Choices...212 Craft Production and Social Organization...214 Materials Constraints on Pottery Production...216 7.2 Broader Implications for Mesoamerican Studies....217 7.3 Directions for Future Research... 219 7.4 Conclusions... 219 Bibliography... 221 Appendix 1: Registry of Bags from La Quesería, Itzímbaro, and Mexiquito....236 Appendix 2: Ceramic Analysis... 269 Appendix 3: Diameter and Thickness Measurements....291 Appendix 4: Obsidian Analysis... 331 Appendix 5: Figurine Analysis... 339 Appendix 6: Raw Point Count Data... 344 Appendix 7: Strength Test Data... 349 iv
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