Marine Shell Trade and Classic Teotihuacan, Mexico 9780860544722, 9781407346397

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Marine Shell Trade and Classic Teotihuacan, Mexico

Charles C. Kolb

BAR International Series 364 1987

B.A.R. 5, Centremead, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 ODQ, England.

GENERAL EDITORS A.R. Hands, B.Sc., M.A., D.Phil. D.R. Walker, M.A.

BAR-S364, 1987'Marine Shell Trade and Classic Teotihuacan,Mexico' @ Charles C. Kolb,1987 The author’s moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher. ISBN 9780860544722 paperback ISBN 9781407346397 e-book DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9780860544722 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library This book is available at www.barpublishing.com

T ABLE

O F

C ONTENTS

Page i ii

T able

o f C ontents

v i

L ist

o f F igures

i x

L ist

o f A ppendices

P reface 1 1 5

1 3 1 5 1 6

C hapter O ne: C lassic Period T eotihuacan I ntroduction t o t he R esearch T eotihuacan: C ity, " State," and " Empire" T he C ity a nd I ts C raft S pecializations M erchants: " Foreign" and D omestic T eotihuacan O bsidian and O ther R esources T he U rban S ocial S ystem T he R ural and P rovincial R egions T he " State" and " Empire"

1 9 1 9 2 0 2 3 2 5

C hapter T wo: Major M ollusks C lassifications a nd M arine S pondylidae S trombidae F asciolariidae

2 7

C hapter T hree: Marine M ollusks i n t he A rt a nd A rtifacts a t T eotihuacan M arine R epresentations i n M ural A rt M arine R epresentations i n L ithic S culptures M arine M ollusks a nd C eramic A rtifacts

5

1 0 1 2

2 7

3 3 3 9

4 5 4 5 4 5 4 7 4 7 4 9 4 9 4 9 4 9 5 0 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 3

5 3 5 3

F aunal P rovinces

C hapter F our: M ollusk Specimens a t T eotihuacan B urials a nd C aches a t U rban R esidences L inne's E xcavations T lamimilolpa Burial 1 T lamimilolpa Burial 2 T lamimilolpa Burial 4 T lamimilolpa Burial 5 T lamimilolpa Burial 1 3 T lamimilolpa C ache 1 T lajinga 3 3 Excavations T lajinga 3 3 Burial 6 T lajinga 3 3 Burial 1 0 T lajinga 3 3 Burial 1 4 T lajinga 3 3 Burial 1 5 T lajinga 3 3 Burial 1 7a T lajinga 3 3 Burial 2 5 T lajinga 3 3 Burial 44

5 3 5 3 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 5 5 6

5 7 5 7 60 6 3 6 5 6 5 6 5 6 7

6 8

6 9

7 8 78 78 8 1

8 2 8 3

8 4

9 0 9 0 90

9 3 9 5 9 9 9 9 9 9 1 00 1 01 1 02 1 05 1 05

1 06 1 07 1 09 11 1 11 1

1 16

T lajinga 3 3 Burials 50a through 50e T lajinga 3 3 Burial 56 T lajinga 3 3 Burial 5 7 T lajinga 3 3 Feature 1 1 T lajinga 3 3 Feature 52 N oguera a nd S ejourne's Excavations O ther M ollusks a t T eotihuacan C hapter F ive: S anta M aria M aquixco e l Bajo: T C-8 I ntroduction T he P rehistory o f M aquixco e l B ajo T he C olonial and R ecent H istory o f M aquixco e l Bajo X olalpan Phase T C-8 T he T emple Pyramid S tructure T C-8:1-2 S tructure T C-8: 3 S tructure T C -8 :4 Summary a nd I nterpretation o f X olalpan Phase T C-8 C hapter S ix: T he S hells o f M aquixco a nd O ther " Rural" S ites I ntroduction T C-8: 3 P latform A ltar O frendas T C-8: 3 R oom 2 Bodega T C -8 :3 "Foreign" C onnections P reliminary H ypothesis A Summary o f T eotihuacan V alley R ural S ite Mollusks C hapter S even: Major I ntroduction Spondylidae S trombidae F asciolariidae

M ollusk

D istributions

C hapter E ight: Mollusks a nd T heir N utrition U tilitarian a nd C onstruction S hellfish D yes S hell A rtifacts S hell T rumpets

U ses

C hapter N ine: T he S hell P rocurement N etwork I ntroduction S ome Exchange System P arameters P rofessional Merchants " Ports o f T rade" P otential T eotihuacan C ommercial R outes t he C oasts G ulf C oast R outes A - G Pacific C oast R outes A -G

-iv -

t o

1 22 1 22 1 22 1 25

C hapter T en: C lassic T eotihuacan C ommerce: T he R ole o f M ollusks I ntroduction T he S hell P rocurement S ystem -T he T eotihuacan C onnection T he S hell P rocurement S ystem -A C ommercial M odel

1 27

A ppendices

1 79

G lossary

o f

1 82

G lossary

o f S panish

1 84

B ibliography

25 2

P ersonal

26 2

A bout

t he

A rchitectural a nd

C ommunications A uthor

-v

-

T erms

N ahuatl

T erms

L IST OF

F igure

P age

F IGURES

T itle

1

2

T he

M esoamerican

C ulture

A rea

2

3

T he Basin

3

4

C hronological C oncordances Basin o f M exico

4

6

T he T eotihuacan V alley C lassic Period

5

7

U rban Phase

6

8

T he Basins o f M exico, T laxcala a nd P uebla: M ajor C ommercial R outes

7

2 1

M arine F aunal P rovinces o f M esoamerican C ulture A rea

8

2 8

P lan o f t he P alace 76:N4W 1) J aguars (

9

3 0

P lan

o f t he

A tetelco

1 0

3 2

P lan

o f t he

T etitla

1

3 4

P lan

o f t he

T epantitla

1 2

3 5

P lan

o f t he

Y ayahuala

1 3

3 6

P lan o f t he Z acuala ( 2: N2W2)

Patios

1 4

3 7

P lan o f t he Z acuala ( 3: N2W2)

Palacio

1 5

3 8

P lan o f t he ( 2:N4W1)

d e Q uetzalpapalotl

1 6

4 0

Examples

1 7

4 1

Example o f a C omposite C enser w ith A dornos ( Late T lamimilolpa t o E arly X olalpan P hases)

1 8

) 4 3

Example T rumpet P hase)

o f M exico

D uring

T eotihuacan D uring ( ca 6 00 A .D.)

P alacio

a nd

t he

S ite

t he

t he

X olalpan

t he

Patio

S ite

o f M old-made

f or

o f t he

( 1:N2W3) ( 1: N2W2)

S ite S ite

( 1:N4E2) ( 1:N3W2) S ite

S ite

C eramic

A dornos

o f a G ranular W are C eramic ( Reconstructed) ( Late X olalpan

-vi

-

1 9

4 6

P lan

o f t he X olalpan

S ite

( 2A:N4E2)

2 0

4 8

P lan

o f t he T lamimilolpa

2 1

5 1

P lan

o f t he T lajinga 3 3 S ite

2 2

5 8

P lan o f t he A rchaeological R emains a t t he S anta M aria M aquixco e l B ajo S ite ( TC-8)

2 3

5 9

P lan Bajo

S ite

( 1: N4E4) ( 33: S3W1)

o f t he S anta M aria M aquixco S ite E xcavations ( TC-8:1-2,

e l 3 ,

4 )

2 4

7 3

S anta M aria M aquixco e l Bajo S ite Excavations ( TC-8 :1-2, 3 , 4 ): Examples o f S pondylus c alcifer C arpenter, 1 857 ( Panamanian M arine F aunal P rovince)

2 5

7 4

S anta M aria M aquixco e l Bajo S ite E xcavations ( TC-8 :1-2, 3 , 4 ): V arious U nidentified, Worked M arine S hell Specimens

2 6

7 5

S anta M aria M aquixco e l Bajo S ite Excavations ( TC-8:1-2, 3 , 4 ): T wo I dentified, U nworked M arine S hell Specimens ( Panamanian M arine F aunal P rovince)

2 7

7 6

S anta M aria M aquixco e l B aja S ite Excavations ( TC-8 :1-2, 3 , 4 ): T hree I dentified, U nworked M arine S hell Specimens ( Panamanian M arine F aunal P rovince)

2 8

7 7

S anta M aria M aquixco e l Bajo S ite Excavations ( TC-8:1-2, 3 , 4 ): U nionidae ( Family), E lliptio ( Genus) " Freshwater C lam" Worked S pecimens

2 9

8 6

V enta d e C arpio S ite E xcavation ( TC-10: 2): T hree U nworked M arine Specimens

S hell

3 0

8 7

T eotihuacan V alley P roject C lassic Period S urface S urvey ( TC-2, 8 , 1 3, 4 0, 7 3, 9 1): V arious I dentified a nd U nidentified M arine S hell S pecimens

3 1

9 2

S pondilidae D istributions M esoamerica

3 2

9 4

S trombidae D istributions M esoamerica

i n

i n

3 3

9 6

F asciolariidae D istributions M esoamerica

3 4

1 12

G ulf C oast t o R outes d uring P eriod

H ighlands C ommercial t he C lassic T eotihuacan

3 5

1 17

P acific C oast R outes d uring P eriod

t o H ighlands C ommercial t he C lassic T eotihuacan

i n

L IST

OF

APPENDICES

Page 1 27

I ndex

t o

t he

Appendices

1 28

I .

Specific M ollusks R epresented i n C lassic Period T eotihuacan V alley R ural S ites: S ite, G enus and s pecies

1 30

I I.

Summary o f Specific M ollusks R epresented i n C lassic Period T eotihuacan V alley/Sites: C lasses and M arine F aunal P rovinces R ural

1 31

I II.

C omments o n S elected M ollusks i n C lassic Period T eotihuacan S ites

1 33

IV.

M ollusks R epresented i n Basin o f M exico S ites

1 41

V .

M arine S hell i n C lassic Period T eotihuacan V alley: T he S ites

1 42

T C-2

1 44

T C-8

1 54

T C-10

1 56

T C-13

1 59

T C-40

1 63

T C-46

1 68

T C-73

1 77

T C-91,

T C-92,

a nd

R epresented V alley R ural

C lassic

T C-93

Period

S ites

i n

t he

P REFACE

T he M esoamerican C ulture A rea w as o ne o f t he s ix a reas o f t he w orld w here " civilizations" i ndependently e volved. F our o f t hese w ere i n t he O ld W orld M esopotamia o r S outhwestern A sia, t he I ndus R iver V alley o r A sian S ubcontinent, N orthern C hina, a nd t he N ile R iver V alley o r N ortheastern N orth A frica. I n a ddition t o t he M esoamerican a rea, t he C entral A ndes o r P eruvian C ulture A rea o f S outh A merica a lso w as a l ocus o f t he e volution o f N ew W orld " civilization." T he t erm " civilization" i s u sed t o m ean a n a rea w hich h ad t he i ndependent e volution o f " cities" ( civitas f rom t he G reek) a nd a n a ccompanying s eries o f t raits. T he c oncept i ncludes t he p resence o f a h igh l evel o f f ood p roduction, t he d evelopment o f m anagerial s kills t o h andle d eveloping i nstitutions ( economic, s ocial, a nd m ilitary), c ontrol o f t he m eans o f p roduction b y " ruling" classes, p rofessional m erchant g roups w orking w ithin a h ighly d eveloped e xchange n etwork, a nd f ull-time c raft s pecialists f reed f rom m anual l abor. " Civilizations" are a lso m arked b y d ense p opulations, a rtistic s tyles e laborated b y a rtists-craftspersons, m onumental p ublic b uildings s ymbolic o f t he c oncentration o f s ocial s urpluses, a nd t ithe o r t ax i n t he f orm o f s urplus p roducts m ade b y c raft p roducers a nd c ultivators. Specialists w ere o ften r esponsible f or t he d evelopment o f s ystems o f r ecording and t he e xact o r p redictive s ciences ( arithmetic; g eometry; astronomy; n umerical n otations; s tandards o f t ime, s pace, a nd w eight; calendrics; and w riting s ystems). C raft s pecialization, e xploitation o f d iverse e cological zones, c ommerce, r esource c oncentrations, f ormal e xchange n etworks ( with t angible a nd i ntangible " goods," t he l atter i ncluding r eligious a nd p olitical i deologies), a nd d emographic g rowth a re p articularly s alient c riteria o f t he e volution o f a " civilization" ( Sanders a nd P rice 1 968). M esoamerica a s a d istinct C ulture A rea was i nitially d efined b y Paul K irchhoff ( 1943), a nd w as t he l ocus o f a n umber o f h igh c ultures o r " civilizations." T he M eseta C entral ( Central P lateau) s aw t he w axing a nd w aning o f t he C lassic Period T eotihuacan " state" and p robable " empire" ( ca 5 0-750 A .D.), f ollowed b y t he P ostclassic T oltec " state" ( ca 8 00-1150 A .D.) a nd t he P ostclassic A ztec " state" and a ssociated p an-Mesoamerican " Empire" ( ca 1 150 -1520 A .D.). The M aya r egion, c omprised o f t he Y ucatecan L owlands a nd G uatemalan H ighlands, s aw t he e volution o f t he C lassic ( ca 3 00 - 6 00 A .D.) a nd l ater t he P ost C lassic M aya ( ca 9 00 -1530 A .D.). The C lassic P eriod T eotihuacan " state" and p robable " empire" i s t he f ocus o f t his m onograph.

-x

-

F ollowing t he S econd W orld W ar, a rchaeology e merged a s a " modern" d iscipline w ith n ew t heoretical o rientations, e laborated f ield m ethodologies, a nd m ore a nalytical l aboratory t echniques. P aramount a s " new" m ethods w ere c hronometric d ating, e specially r adiocarbon d ating, a nd p aradigms o riented t o t he e cological a pproach. I n t he f ield, e cologically o riented s ettlement p attern s tudies w ere d eveloped. A rchaeological d ata a re, i n t he m ain, r ecovered t hrough s urface s urvey o r r econnaissance a nd s ite e xcavations, a nd a re s upplemented b y i nformation d erived t hrough a d etailed ( extensive a nd i ntensive) a nalysis o f t he i nterrelationships between t he n atural a nd b iological e nvironments, t he t echnical a nalysis o f a rtifactual a nd b iotic r emains, t he s tudies of h uman s ettlements, a nd t he u se o f m odels derived f rom e thnohistoric a nd e thnographic s tudies i n r elation t o p hysiographic a nd s ociocultural f actors. S ite s urvey o r s urface r econnaissance c an a nd d oes p rovide e xtensive d iachronic a nd s ynchronic d ata t hrough s ystematic i nspection, a s w itnessed b y t he r esults o f t he s urveys c onducted i n t he V iru V alley, Peru, b y G ordon R . W illey a nd t he I nstitute o f A ndean R esearch. T his p ioneering s ettlement p attern s tudy u ltimately l ed t o a c onference i n 1 960 d esigned t o c oordinate s ettlement pattern a nd o ther a nthropological projects i n t he Basin o f M exico, a k ey r egion w ithin M esoamerica. A s a r esult o f t he 1 960 c onference, s pecific a nd i ndependent r esearch p rojects w ere i nitiated b y W illiam T . S anders a nd R ene F . M illon i n t he T eotihuacan V alley, a n ortheastern s egment o f t he Basin o f M exico ( Kolb 1 979a:4, 5 0-55). Personnel of t he " Teotihuacan V alley P roject" ( TVP) o f T he P ennsylvania S tate U niversity, d irected b y S anders, c onducted a rchaeological s urveys a nd t est e xcavations i n t he r ural a reas o f t hat V alley f rom 1 960 - 1965, w hile t he " Teotihuacan M apping P roject" ( TMP) o f T he U niversity o f R ochester ( Rochester, N ew Y ork, U .S.A.), d irected b y M illon, s imultaneously b egan an i ntensive s urvey w ith l imited t est e xcavations i n t he u rban c enter, a t ask w hich c ontinues t o t he p resent. M illon a nd h is c olleagues p ublished a d etailed s eries o f m aps l ocating a ll a rchaeological r emains i n t he m etropolis a nd " established" t he u rban boundaries ( Millon 1 973). The s urvey o f t he u rban c enter n ecessitated a s pecialized m apping p rocedure t o d esignate a nd l ocate i ndividual " sites" ( dwellings, a partment c omplexes i t emples, e tc.), h ence, a g rid s ystem o f 5 00 x 5 00 m2 units w as developed u sing t he l argest a rchitectonic unit ( the C iudadela o r C itadel) a nd t he m ain n orth-south t horoughfare ( the M iccaotli o r s o-called " Street o f t he D ead") a s g rid o rientations. I ndividual " sites" w ithin e ach g rid w ere i ndividually n umbered; f or e xample, t he T lamimilolpa u rban r esidence c omplex e xcavated b y S igvald L inne ( 1942) r eceived t he d esignation o f 1 : N4E4, m eaning

s ite n umber " one" i n t he g rid S quare N orth 4 and E ast 4 . M illon's designations are u sed i n r eference t o i ndividual urban s ites d iscussed i n t his m onograph. F rom 1 963 1 964, " Proyecto T eotihuacan," a n e xcavation a nd r estoration project of M exico's I nstituto N acional d e A nthropologia e H istoria ( Acosta 1 964), w orked o n t he s tructures a long both s ides o f t he n orthern s ection of t he M iccaotli. S anders' " Teotihuacan V alley P roject" ( TVP) concentrated o n t he a rchaeological s ites i n t he r ural Valley, u ltimately d efining o ver t hree t housand archaeological components a t n early o ne t housand s ites ( Kolb 1 979a, 1 986:157-158). F our m ajor a rchaeological Periods a nd t wenty component p hases w ere defined, i n t he main, o n t he basis o f a rtifactural r emains. Personnel o f t he t hree p rojects ( "Teotihuacan M apping P roject," " Proyecto T eotihuacan," and " Teotihuacan V alley P roject") met t o r esolve problems o f c hronology a nd d eveloped a basic c eramic t ypology ( Kolb 1 965a). The P eriods a nd components designated b y t he " Teotihuacan V alley P roject" w ere: TF:

T eotihuacan ( Valley) F ormative components ( n = 6 ) C hiconautla Phase C uanalan P hase T ezoyuca-Patlachique P hase O xtotla Phase T eopan P hase A petlac Phase

( or

P reclassic)

T C:

T eotihuacan ( Valley) C lassic c omponents M iccaotli Phase E arly T lamimilolpa Phase L ate T lamimilolpa Phase E arly X olalpan Phase L ate X olalpan Phase Metepec Phase o r T erminal C lassic

T T:

T eotihuacan ( Valley) Toltec i nitial P ost C lassic X ometla-Oxtotipac Phase X ometla Phase M azapan Phase A tlatongo Phase

T A:

T eotihuacan ( Valley) Aztec f inal P ost C lassic A ztec I I or Zocango P hase A ztec I II or C himalpa Phase Aztec I V or T eacalco Phase

c omponents

c omponents

( n

7 . 6 )

( n

. 7 : 4 );

( n

= 3 );

( Aztec I , Tenayuca/Culhuacan i n t he T eotihuacan V alley) Modern:

c a

1 520

A .D.

t o

t he

Phase

present

( n

i s

n ot

f ound

= 1 )

" Teotihuacan V alley P roject" s ite d esignations u sed t he TF, TO, TT, a nd T A a bbreviations; f or e xample, t he S anta M aria M aquixco e l Bajo C lassic Period s ite i s T C-8, T eotihuacan C lassic ( Period) s ite n umber " eight." A t otal o f 1 34 T eotihuacan C lassic ( TO) Period s ites w ere r ecognized, a nd t hese h ad 5 85 o f 804 ( 72.76%) possible C lassic c omponent p hases r epresented; hence, n early a ll C lassic s ites w ere m ulticomponent. The v ast majority o f t he 1 34 C lassic s ites also h ad F ormative, Toltec, a nd/or Aztec c omponents r epresented a s w ell ( 2,278 p otential, b ut 1 ,213 a ctual component p hase m anifestations, o r 5 3.25%). One s ignificant p roblem w as t o d efine w here t he urban c enter ( TC-1) boundary " ended" and w here t he s uburban a nd r ural s ites " began." M y particular r esearch s ince 1 962 s ought t o e laborate t he C lassic T eotihuacan P eriod a rtifact t ypes and assemblages ( Kolb 1 965a, 1 965b, 1 970, 1 973a , 1 973b ), paleopathology ( Kolb 1 972a, K olb a nd B ilharz 1 972), s ettlement p atterns ( 1979a), a bsolute a nd r elative c hronologies ( 1979b), d emography ( 1985), a nd commercial r outes ( 1986). I especially have been c oncerned w ith t he T eotihuacan c eramic a ssemblages ( Kolb 1 965a , 1 965b), n otably " Thin O range" Ware ( 1973c, 1 977, 1 982, 1 98 ) 4a , 1 986), " Granular Wares" ( 1984b), a nd " Copoid W ares" ( 1987a, 1 987b). A p reliminary v ersion o f portions o f t his m onograph, e specially parts o f C hapters S ix a nd T en, w as presented as a paper, " The O ld S hell Game: A Mesoamerican T rade N etwork: ( Kolb 1 973a) at t he S ociety f or A merican A rchaeology A nnual Meeting held i n S an F rancisco, C alifornia i n 1 973. The o riginal paper h as been s ignificantly m odified a nd e laborated s ince, r esulting i n t he c urrent m onograph. D r. Anthony R . Hands, G eneral E ditor of t he B .A.R. ( British A rchaeological R eports), s uggested t o m e t hat my o riginal t itle " The O ld S hell Game" would p robably n ot b e understood b y s ome r eaders, s ince t he t erm " shell game" i s a p lay o n words. I n t his monograph, I detail t he r ole of Gulf C oast ( Caribbean Marine F aunal P rovince) a nd Pacific C oast ( Panamanian Marine F aunal P rovince) m arine s hell i mportation i nto t he T eotihuacan polity w hich, i n t urn, c ontrolled t he s ources of a nd e xportation o f o bsidian r esources, a nd a lso e xported f inished products a nd " religious i deology." S hell i mportation f rom t he c oasts i nto t he M eseta C entral and V alley o f O axaca h as o ccurred s ince t he E arly P reclassic a nd c ontinued i nto t he P ostclassic Periods as w ell.

T he " shell game," per s e, w as a g ambling g ame d erived f rom t he e arlier " th i mb l er ig" i n w hich a p erson b y " sle i ght-of-hand" m anipulates a pellet ( pea o r b ean) a nd t hree c up-lik e o bjects ( walnut s hells) s o t hat t he s pecta t ors c an s eldom know s urely u nder w hich " cup" t he p ellet r est s . T he m anipulator i nv i tes b ets o n t he l ocation o f t he p ellet, b ut t he " shell game" i s s o o ften p layed d ishonest l y t hat i ts n ame h as b ecome s ynonymous w ith c hicanery o r n egative r eciprocity, w hereby t he m anipulator n early a lways " wins." H ence, t he m anipulator ( the T eo tihuac a n p olity) w ould " get t he b etter o f t he d eal" f rom t he s pectator ( shell s upplier) , i n t his i nstance b y o bta i ni ng i deologically and e conomically i mportant m arine m ollusks i n " exchange" f or " religious i deology" and o bsidian b lanks a nd b lades. A s a n umber of i nvest i gators h ave n oted, t he c ontrol T eotihuacan w as a ble t o e xert i n M es oamerica because o f i ts m onopoly o n o bsidian s ources a nd p roduction, l ed t o t he emergence o f f ormal e xchange n etworks, i nter-regional c ommerce, a nd p rofessional m erchant g roups ( Charlton 1 978, 1 979, 1 98 ) 4; H i rt h 1 984; H ir th a nd V i l laset ior 1 981; K olb 1 979a, 1 986; M illon 1 981; S antley 1 977, 1 98 14 ; S antley e t al 1 984, 1 985). C hapter O ne o f t his m onograph h as background m aterial o n t he C lassic T eo tihuac a n c ity, " state," and " empire ," and b riefly r elates t he r oles o f m erchants a nd t he c ontrol of o bsidian s ources a nd p roduction f or e xport. I n C hapter T wo, I delineate t he M arine F aunal P rovinces and t hree b iotic f amilies o f m arine m ollusks S pond i lidae ( marine b ivalves o r c lams) , a nd S trombidae and F a .sc i olariidae ( both g astropods o r m arine s nails). G enera a nd s pecies a re a lso d eta i led. C hapter T hree r elates m arine m ollusk r epresentations a t T eot i huac a n u rban a nd r ural s it e s, e specially i n m ural art a nd l ithic s culpture, b ut a lso i n c eramic a rtifac t s. I n C hapter F our, m ollusk s pecimens are r eported f rom t he burials a nd caches a t urban c enter s it e s ( Tlamimilolpa, T lajinga 3 3, X olalpan , Zacuala Palace, T et i tl a, L a V ent i lla B , e tc.). T he S anta M aria M aquix c o e l B ajo ( TC-8) s ite e xcavations, p rehistory, C olonial a nd r ecent h istory a re d eta i led i n C hapter F ive, w hile C hapter S ix e laborates t he g enera a nd s pecies o f m arine s hell a nd c ultural a ssociations a t t hat s it e . I n C hapter S even, I r ecord t he d istributions o f major m ollusks S pondilidae, S tromb i dae , a nd F as c i olariidae - as r eported i n s ite e xcavations a nd s urveys t hroughout M esoamerica, w hile C hapter E ight amplifies t he i mportance o f m ollusks i n n utrition a nd i n construction, a nd a s a s ource o f d yes, a rtifact r aw m aterial (s uch a s j ewelry) , a nd t he s ignificance o f g astropod s hell " trumpets." C hapter N ine d eta i ls t he s hell procurement n etworks a nd T eotihuac a n c ontac t s w ith t he G ulf a nd Pacific c oast s . S even p otential commercial r outes f or t he procurement o f m arine s hell are d elineated

f or e ach c oast. The f inal c hapter p resents a n e valuation o f t he s hell procurement s ystem a nd s uggests a c ommercial m odel. F ive a ppendices p rovide d etails a nd quantification o f t he m arine s hell s pecimens a nd a ssociated T C s ites. T he t ext i s a ccompanied by a " Glossary o f A rchitectural T erms" and a " Glossary o f S panish a nd N ahuatl T erms." T he f ormer r elates s pecifically t o F igures 8 -15 a nd 1 9-23, w hich a re a rchitectural p lans o f v arious s ites a nd l ocations o f m arine s hells, a rt, e tc. w hile t he l atter g lossary i s e specially u seful i n d efining t erms u sed i n C hapters O ne a nd F ive, a nd i n A ppendix V . The m aps. p lans, a rtifact i llustrations, a nd p hotographs are a ll by t he a uthor. " North" arrows o n t he m aps a nd p lans c onsistently i ndicate M agnetic N orth. I would l ike t o a cknowledge t he a ssistance o f W illiam T . S anders a nd R ene F . M illon, w ho c ordially p ermitted m e a ccess t o a rtifact collections a nd f ield n otes, a nd I t hank t hem f or p roviding t he f ollowing m aterials: M y F igure 3 , " Chronological C oncordances f or t he Basin o f M exico," i s derived f rom S anders e t al ( 1979) a nd K olb , " Urban T eotihuacan D uring t he ( 1979a), w hile F igure 7 X olalpan P hase," i s r eproduced f rom a 1 970 u ncopyrighted v ersion o f M illon's ( 1973: Map 1 ) base m ap. I am i ndebted t o H arold S . F einberg, D epartment o f L iving I nvertebrates, A merican M useum o f N atural H istory f or h is a ssistance i n c lassifying t he T eotihuacan V alley s pecimens a nd f or s timulating d iscussion a bout marine m ollusks, t axonomic p roblems, a nd c larifications o f t he Spondilidae. P ortions o f t he m anuscript w ere r ead b y W illiam T . S anders, R obert S . S antley, J effrey R . Parsons, a nd G eorge C owgill. I am i ndebted t o t hem f or t heir comments, c orrections, a nd a dvice. D rafts a nd t he f inal version o f t his m onograph w ere word p rocedded b y W endy E idenmuller , J oy K olb, a nd M ary J eanne W eiser, a nd I am t hankful f or t heir s kills a nd c areful a ttention t o d etail. D r. Anthony R . Hands w as e specially helpful i n matters o f f ormat a nd i llustration r eproduction. I , o f c ourse, b ear f inal r esponsibility f or a ny e rrors i n j udgment a nd i nterpretation. C harles C . E rie, A ugust

K olb

Pennsylvania, 1 ,

1 987

U .S.A.

CHAPTER

C LASSIC

P ERIOD

I ntroduction

t o

O NE:

T EOTIHUACAN

t he

R esearch

F or o ver t wenty t housand y ears t he Basin o f M exico, a h ydrographic p rovince o f nearly e ight t housand s quare k ilometers, w as o ne o f t he m ajor a rchaeological r egions of t he M esoamerican C ulture A rea ( Sanders 1 981). ( See F igures 1 , 2 a nd 3 .) The Basin was t he l ocation o f t he waxing a nd waning o f t wo great p olities, C lassic Period T eotihuacan ( ca 5 0-750 A .D.) a nd, s ubsequently, t he l ate P ostclassic A ztec/Culhua M exica c entered a t T enochtitlan ( ca 1 250-1520 A .D.). B oth d eveloped c ity-states w hich bore t he basic c haracteristics o f " civilization," w ith a ssociated e laborations i n s ociopolitical, r eligious, a nd e conomic r ealms. I n t his m onograph I s hall c onsider a n e conomic a spect of C lassic T eotihuacan s ociety w hich a ffected a ll r ealms, n amely, e xchange n etworks i n " luxury" or " exotic" r aw materials a nd f inished p roducts. A mong a v ast a rray o f p erishable a nd n on-perishable material culture w ere o bsidian, c eramics, a nd m arine s hell, a s w ell a s t extiles, f eathers, a nd f oodstuffs. W hile emphasis w ill b e p laced o n t he i mportation o f m arine s hell i nto T eotihuacan s ociety, t he r oles o f o ther g oods a nd s ervices cannot b e i gnored. I s hall i nitially p resent a g eneral o verview o f t he T eotihuacan Supra-Regional C enter, a nd i ts associated " state" and i ncipient " empire" ( Kolb 1 986:171-172, 1 85-189). The p rocurement o f r aw materials, t he p roduction o f f inished p roducts, a nd g eneral m echanics o f d istribution w ill be detailed. The major m arine m ollusks o f i mportance t o T eotihuacan w ill b e c onsidered i n t erms of s ources, s pecies, a nd u ses. R epresentation o f m ollusks i n t he mural art, l ithic s culpture, and m inor a rts w ill be r eviewed, a nd t he o ccurrences o f s hells i n o frendas ( offerings) a nd a s m ortuary g oods i n t he u rban c enter w ill be e laborated. I n a m ore d etailed c onsideration of t he e conomics o f marine s hell procurement, I s hall s uggest t he r ole o f t he S anta M aria M aquixco e l Bajo C lassic s ite i n t he n etwork of i mportation o f Spondylus calcifer C arpenter, 1 857 i nto t he T eotihuacan p olity. These m ollusks w ere f ound i n e xtraordinary q uantity a t t his r ural T eotihuacan V alley s ite, o ne o f t he f irst e xcavated a s a part of W illiam S anders' " Teotihuacan V alley Project," t he i nitial s egment o f t he l ong-range " Basin of M exico Survey

F IGURE

1 :

T HE MESOAMERICAN

C ULTURE A REA

( after J . R . P arsons 1 971:3, M ap 1 ; S anders a nd P rice 1 968:8, F ig. 1 ; K olb 1 979a:3, M ap 1 )

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2 :

T HE

B ASIN

( after J . R . Parsons 1 971:4, M ap 1 986:161, F ig. 1 ; S anders e t a l

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P UEBLA B ASIN

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C erro P opocatepetl

5

1 0

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U V = U pper V alley N S = N orth S lope l ogical

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Z one

PR = P atlachique

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F IGURE

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P roject" ( Sanders, Parsons, a nd S antley 1 979). Lastly, w ith emphasis o n t he M eseta C entral, I s hall present a m odel f or s hell e xchange. The M esoamerican s hell p rocurement n etwork, w hich d eveloped i n E arly P reclassic t imes ( Pires-Ferreira 1 978: 83-8 ) 4 ), w as e nhanced d uring t he C lassic Period i n t he T eotihuacan-influenced M eseta C entral a nd i n t he C lassic M aya r egions o f t he Y ucatan L owlands a nd G uatemalan H ighlands. Peoples f ar r emoved f rom t he P acific a nd G ulf of M exico-Caribbean c oasts s ought m arine c onch a nd b ivalve s hells f or r itual, c eremonial, a nd o rnamental purposes. The T eotihuacan polity i ntensified a nd e laborated t he s hell procurement n etwork i nto a s ignificant a spect of t heir c ommercial network a nd " empire" expansion w hich t ouched b oth c oasts i n o rder t o s ecure s ufficient quantities o f m ollusk t o e nhance t he " elite" ( high s tatus) m embers o f T eotihuacan s ociety and, i n t urn, t he p robable t heocratic p olity i tself. T eotihuacan's a bility t o c ontrol o bsidian s ources, p roduction, a nd s ubsequent d istribution ( Charlton 1 978, 1 979, 1 98 ) 4; H irth 1 984a; S antley 1 977, 1 984; Spence 1 984) w ere a part of t he s hell p rocurement n etwork. Obsidian artifacts w ere a m ajor T eotihuacan e xport, w hile t he i mportation o f A lpha "Thin O range" W are ( Kolb 1 973c, 1 982, 1 984a, 1 986) a nd " Granular Ware(s)" ( Kolb 1 984b), a long w ith m arine s hells w ere possibly u nder " state" control ( Kolb 1 973a).

T eotihuacan:

The

C ity

a nd

C ity,

I ts

" State,"

C raft

and

" Empire"

Specializations

T he C lassic Period m etropolis of T eotihuacan was l ocated i n t he m iddle s egment of t he v alley of t he s ame n ame i n t he n ortheastern quadrant o f t he Basin of M exico ( Figures 2 , 3 , ) 4 a nd 5 ). The T eotihuacan V alley, a physiographic z one o f approximately s ix h undred s quare k ilometers ( including a djunct z ones s uch a s t he N orth T ributary Valley a nd C erro G ordo N orth S lope a reas), o pened i nto t he Basin proper t o t he s outhwest, w hile, t o t he e ast, i t w as s eparated b y a l ow r ange of f oothills f rom t he Basin of Puebla-Tlaxcala. The S ierra d e Patlachique, S ierra N evada w ith C erro T laloc, a nd C erros I xtaccihuatl a nd P opocatepetl w ere a n orth t o s outh barrier s eparating t he Basins o f M exico and Puebla-Tlaxcala. ( See F igure 6 .) U rban T eotihuacan was a s patially l arge a nd d ensely populated Supra-Regional C enter d uring t he C lassic a nd e ncompassed a m aximal area of 1 22.5 s quare k ilometers

5

F IGURE

4 :

T HE T EOTIHUACAN V ALLEY P ERIOD

( after S anders

1 965:Fig.

6 .,

6

K olb

D URING

1 979a:211,

T HE C LASSIC

M ap

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F IGURE

5 :

U RBAN

T EOTIHUAC A N DURING ( ca 6 00 A •D •

)

( after M illon 1 973:Map K EY T O I NSET M AP

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B ASINS OF MEXICO, T LAXCALA MAJOR C OMMERCIAL R OUTES

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P otential S ource A reas

3 1:

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F IGURE

0 N A 2 0 a ) N e . ( 1

' 1

X .

22 '2 .' 4 0 . 3 . -I 0 CJ

0 ) 0 . 0 3 0 2 0 ▪ 2 00 . 0 0 = a l .. . e 7.0 • . 1 . 1 . N . . u u • 4 . C C a ts a l c a 4 2 e 4 . a ) j a i V ) ( / ) W O. E • E . M › . E .

2 . 23 t .t '

3 ) . N o e xamples o f t he P anamanian 1 9 14 are known f rom M esoamerican s ites.

s pecies

S .

u rsipes

Spondylus americanus, t he C aribbean s pecies was e specially w ell-represented i n M aya s ites, i ncluding A ct un X kyc, Barton R amie, D z i bilchaltun, I sla de C ancun, M ayapan, T ik a l, U axac t un, a nd L ake A matitlan s ites ( Andrews 1 969: 3 9, 4 5, 4 7, 5 0, 5 7, 5 8; B oekelman 1 935: 2 62-26/ 4; B orhegyi 1 966a: 3 60; M oholy-Nagy 1 963: 6 7; 962: 3 21 -4 46; S mith e t al 1 961). The S . P roskouriakoff 1 americanus was r epresented a t C hiapa d e C orzo ( Chavez 1 969: 2 19) b ut, a pparently n o f urther n orth o r w est, e . g. n ot i n t he V alley o f O axaca, T ehuac a n V alley, o r W est M exico. I t i s p ossible t he s pecimens f rom T lamimilolpa, T eotihuacan w ere i ncorrectly i dentified b y L inne.

S trombidae

N o s pecific S trombidae were r eported at u rban T eotihuacan, b ut r eputed s pecimens o f t he Panamanian S trombus ( Tr i corn i s ) g aleatus were r eported a t t he M useo d e T eotihuacan ( Gamio 1 922a); b ut m ay h ave b een m isidentified. S trombus ( species unidentified) w ere n oted a t T ik a l ( Moholy-Nagy 1 963: 6 9). ( See F igure 3 2, S trombidae D istributions i n M esoamerica. ) The P anamanian S . ( Strombus) g racilior was known only f rom West M exico a t t he s ites o f Barra de N avidad a nd S an S ebast i an, J alisco, a nd two s ites i n M ichoacan: S an G regor i o a nd Y urecuaro ( Feldman 1 968b: 1 70 , 1 974 : 2 33 , 2 35). S . ( Lentigo) g ranulatus, a s econd Panamanian s pec ies, w as a lso c onfined t o W est M exico a t S an G regor i o and Y urecuaro, M ichoacan ( Feldman 1 968b: 1 70, 1 974 : 2 35 ) . Specimens o f t he P anamanian S . ( Tr i cornis) g aleatus were r eported f rom C uadros phase s ites on t he G uatemalan Pacific C oast ( Coe a nd F lannery 1 967: 7 8-80) a nd a t C hiapa de C orzo ( Chavez 1 969: 2 20). From t he P reclassic o r F ormative s ites o f S an J ose Mogote, T ierras L argas, a nd L aguna Zope i n O axaca, P ires-Ferreira ( 1978: 89) r eported S . ( T .) g aleatus. Feldman ( 197 14 : 2 36 ) n oted n o S . ( T .) galeatus specimens i n c oastal s ites o f W est M exico but d id document t he s pecies at t he S chroeder s ite i n D urango and a t P ot rero d el C al ichal, Zacatecas. S . ( T.) p eruvian us specimens w ere r ecovered f rom t he t ombs at L as C eboll as, Nayarit, a nd S an S ebastian, Jalisco ( Furst 1 966: 9 09 7 ; Feldman 1 968b: 1 70, 1 97 14 : 2 35). F ive C aribbean s pecies o f S trombus were e specially f ound i n t he M aya r egion, b ut s ome w ere t ransported t o West M exico. S . g igas, a c ommon s pecies, w as r ecorded a t Barton R amie, I sla de C ancun, U axac t un, a nd was probably

-93 -

F IGURE

3 2:

S trombidae D ISTRIBUTIONS I N

MESOAMERICA

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t he e ast a nd e ntered t he R io T ecolutla d ra i nage hence t o t he c oast s outh of C lassic E l T ajin.

b asin

T he i nit i al s egment of " Route C " was t he w estern p ortion o f t he " Teo t ihuac a n C orridor," w ith T epeapulco l ocated a t t he n orthern e dge o f t his passage a nd C a1 pulalpan s ituated a t t he s outhern i n t he T enanyecac R eg i on. t his " corridor" was i n u se s ince a t l east c a 2 00 B .C. , a nd a t l east o ne C lassic Period E l T a ji n s ettlement w as f ounded b y m igrants f rom t he P apantla R egion ( Garcia C ook a nd T rejo 1 977: 5 9, K olb 1 986: 1 79-181). O ver t wenty T eo t ihuac a n-a f fi l iated s ettlements h ave b een i dentified i n t he n orthern Basin o f T laxcala ( Garcia C ook a nd T rejo 1 977: 5 9; C harlton 1 978, 1 98 14 ). The c orridor c ontinued e ast t hrough t he n orthern Basin, t hen t urned s outheast, p assing e ast o f C erro L a M a .linche. " Gulf C oast R oute D " f ollowed t he " Teo t ihuac a n C orridor" t o t he a rea n ortheast o f L a M al inche w here t he p assage c ontinued o verland t o t he n ortheast i nto t he d rainage basin o f t he R io N autla hence t o t he c oast. A lternate " Route E " also u sed t he c orridor t o t he e ast o f L a M al inche t hen c ontinued n ortheast t hrough t he T epeyahualco r eg i on v ia m odern P erote, J alapa, a nd C oatepec i nto t he R io A ctopan d rainage t o t he V eracruz c oast n orth o f t he m odern c ity o f t he s ame n ame. P ortions o f R outes D and E were u sed b y C ortes i n 1 519 d uring h is march t o t he Basin o f M exico. " Gulf C oast R oute F " f ollowed t he c orridor, p assed s outheast of L a M al inche a nd b etween V ol ca n C italt e pet 1 and P ico d e O r i zaba i nto t he basin o f t he R io C ot ax t la a nd/or R io J amap a t o t he V eracruz c oast. Th i s r oute p ossibly i nvolved t he s ite o f L as R emo j adas l ocated n orth of t he R io J amapa. " Route G " l ikewise u sed t he c orridor t o t he e ast o f L a M alinche, b ut, i nstead of t urning e ast, c ontinued s outh t hrough t he T ehuac a n V alley t o t he v icinity o f m odern T ux t epec (t he A ztec / Culhua M exica T ochtepec ), t hen n ortheast i nto t he T uxtla R egion o f t he G ulf C oast. The r oles o f t he C lassic Period s ite o f C erro d e l as M esas n ear t he R io B lanco a nd t he L ate P rec l assie s ite o f T res Z apotes o n t he R io P apaloapan a re n ot known. H owever , t he C lassic s ite o f Ma t ac a pan, l ocated o n t he c oastal p lain b etween L ake C at emaco a nd t he s lopes o f V ol ca n S an M artin T uxtla, w as probably a f ocus o f T eotihuacan c ommerce ( M . C oe 1 965: 6 83, 7 0 14 ; D rennan 1 98 / 4a: 3 6 ) . M at acapan s howed T eo tihuac a n " influence" i n i ts a xial o ri entation s lightly e ast o f n or t h, i n i ts a rchitectural s tyle, a nd i n c eramics, w hich i ncluded A lpha " Thin O range" ( Kolb 1 986: 1 95 ) . P otentially, M at acapan w as a c ommercial c enter o r " port of t rade"

- 1 13 -

p erhaps s imilar i n f unc t ion t o K aminaljuyu i n t he G uatemalan H ighlands ( Sanders 1 978), b ut i t may h ave been a T eotihuacan P rovincial C enter o n t he G ulf C oast. I t i s l ocated i n t he r egion o f A nahuac-Xicalango a nd a ssociated l ate P ostclassic c ommunities w hich w ere a " port o f t rade" 957: 1 35-141, z one f or t he A ztec/Culhua M exica ( Chapman 1 Berdan 1 978: 1 91). T he M at acapan s ite, b ecause o f i ts T eotihuac a n " connections," was s elected f or e xtensive and l imited i ntensive archaeological e xamination b y R obert S . S antley a nd h is c olleagues ( Santley e t a l 1 98) 4 , 1 985 ; S antley 1 98 / 4: personal communication) : B ecause t heir d ata i s s till being a nalyzed, t he f ollowing s tatements s hould b e r egarded a s preliminary a ssessments o f t hree f ield s easons, 1 982, 1 983 a nd 1 98 14 . T he r esearches o f e arlier i nvest i gators a nd S antley's o wn i nitial a rchaeological r econnaissance a nd s urface c ollecting s uggested t hat t here w as a l ocalized T eotihuacan b arrio, A rea B , l ocated d irectly w est o f t he M ain P laza, a t t he M at acapan s ite ( 198 ) 4: 2 2). The e xtent of C lassic T eotihuacan (o r T eo tihuacanoid ) o ccupation w as b etween 2 .0 a nd 5 .0 k m2 and i ncluded a n umber o f m ounds w ith T eotihuacan architectural e lements, s uch a s t he t alud and t ablero. T he population w as e stimated a t a m inimum o f 3 ,600 t o a m aximum o f 7 ,200 ( 1984: 2 3). M ounds 1 a nd 2 w ere t emple p latforms i n t he T eotihuacan s tyle, w hile t wo e xtensive 2 m ounds, N umbers 2 a nd 2, s upported multi-roomed r esidences ( 1985: 1 -2). T he a rea o f T eotihuacan o ccupation c ontrasted m arkedly w ith t he K aminaljuyu s ite i n G uatemala, w here T eotihuacan o ccupation w as confined t o t he M ound A /Mound B c omplex. S antley's w orking hypothesis w as t hat t he T eotihuac a n b arrio " was o ccupied b y a n e nclave o f m erchants f rom t he Basin o f M exico m etropolis [urban T eotihuacan] a nd h ad c ontrol o ver t he l ong-distance e xchange o f o bsidian a nd o ther e xotics s uch a s c acao , s emi-precious s tone a nd t ropical f eathers w hich w as a primary i mpetus behind t he c ontact p rocess" ( 1984: 77). H is d ata s uggested t o h im t hat t here w as a " different process o f contact" i n c omparison t o K aminaljuyu. " Thus, r ather t han a s mall barrio of f oreigners t hat presumably h ad a commerc i al f unc t ion, M atacapan m ay have been physically conquered b y T eotihuacan" ( 198) 4: 7 8) 1 e mphasis m ine ] . O bsidian, c lay f igurine, a nd c eramic workshops w ere r eported ( 198 / 4: 1 9, 7 7 -7 9; 1 985 :3 - 24 , 2 8 -3 1, 5 1-52). M uch of t he o bsidian i n t he f orm o f b lanks a nd b lades came f rom t he P achuca s ource i n t he M eseta C entral, c ontrolled by T eotihuacan , w hile o nly s ome o bsidian c ame f rom El T ajin, V eracruz, a n a ffiliated T eotihuacan p olity ( 198 14 : 78). S antley believes t hat t he T eotihuacan barrio w as b uilt a s a s ingle c onstruction e vent a nd o ccupied b y

T eotihuacan p eoples d uring t he M iddle C lassic ( the E arly and L ate T lamimilolpa p hases a t T eotihuacan , c a 3 00-450 A .D.) b ut t hat t he " heaviest o ccupation w as d uring t he L ate C lassic" ( Early a nd L ate X olalpan phases a nd e arly M etepec p hase, c a 5 50-700 A .D. ) ( 1985 : 1 3-14 ) . Through ti me, t he b arrio o ccupants probably a dopted l ocal c ustoms, m aterial culture, a nd f oods ( 1985 : 5 ). D uring t he 1 98 14 f ield s eason, a r esidence a nd o ne o f t en c eramic workshops w ere e xcavated ( Santley 1 984: personal c ommunication) . S antley e arlier c ontended ( 1984: 1 9) t hat " most o f t he C ylindrical T r i pod Support V essels a t M at acapan a re i mitations o f T eotihuac a n v essels r endered i n l ocal paste, o ften i n T ux t las F ine O range o r F ine G ray. C andeleros a nd T eotihuacan f igurines w ere a lso m anu f actured u sing l ocal c lays." E xcavations confirmed t his s tatement, a nd r evealed t hat o nly t hree v essel f orms w ere b eing m anufactured. S antley r a i sed a n i nteresting h ypothesis r egard i ng C opaware (C opa W are) , w hich h e b elieves w as e ither made a t M at acapan a nd t raded t o T eotihuacan , w as a l ocal i mitation o f t he T eotihuacan C opoid W are, o r t hat t he C opaware a t T eotihuacan w as i nspired b y t he M at acapan product ( 1984: 7 9-80 , 1 985: 5 2). C opoid c eramics a t T eotihuacan , m ade f rom l ocal T eotihuacan V alley c lays, w ere p roduced d uring t he v ery l ate E arly T lamimilolpa phase t hrough t he e arly M etepec p hase, c a 14 25-700 A .D. ( Kolb 1 987a, 1 987b). N onetheless, t he T eotihuacan t o M at acapan " corridor" p ermitted t he i mportation o f t ropical l owland p roducts f rom t he G ulf C oast i nto t he M eseta C entral B asin o f M exico a nd t he d ominant p olity, T eotihuac a n . I n a ddition t o c acao (p robably d runk f rom c opoid c eramic v essels) , f ruit, f eathers, a nd s emi-precious s tones, I s uggest t hat M at acapan would h ave been a n i deal s ite i nvolved i n t he T eotihuac a n s hell procurement s ystem . M at acapan c ould have b een a m ajor c ollection c enter f or C aribbean M arine F aunal P rovince m ollusks, w hich would b e t ransported b y t umpline c arriers t o t he T eotihuacan c onsumers. Thus f ar, S antley h as n ot f ound a ny s ignificant m arine s hell r emains, b ut i f s uch r ema i ns a re f ound t hey c ould c onst i tute a c ollecting a nd t ransshipment s ite ( possibly a bodega o r w arehouse? ) , b ut, o n t he o ther h and, i f s uch r emains are n ot u ncovered d uring t he l imited e xcavations, i t m ight mean t hat t he m arine s hell w as a ll t ransshipped a nd t he " bodega was bare" by t he e nd o f C lassic t imes at M at acapan . C hronologically, t here would b e a c lose " fit" between t he S anta M aria M aquix c o e l B ajo T C-8 s ite a nd M at acapan, s ince t he s hell bodega at t he f ormer d ates t o X olalpan ti mes, t he p eriod of " heaviest" T eotihuacan i nfluence a nd o ccupation a t M atacapan. The i mportation o f P achuca g reen o bsidian f rom t he h ighland s ource i nto M at acapan f urther i llustrated t he c lose e conomic t ies b etween t he

T eotihuacan p olity a nd M at acapan. The o bsidian t ools would h ave been u se f ul i n p reparing c acao beans a nd t ropical b ird f eathers f or s hipment i nto t he Basin o f M exico. T he e ntire G ulf C oast f rom L aguna d e P uebla V iejo ( the l ocus o f m odern T ampico) i n t he n orth t o L aguna d e T erminos ( Ciudad d el C armen) i n t he s outh w as a s ource f or c acao , o ther t ropical products , a nd C aribbean m arine s hell v alued b y t he T eotihuacan p olity. A dditional a rchaeological s urvey a nd e xcavation w ill be n ecessary i n o rder t o d iscern w h i ch o f t he s ix " Gulf C oast R outes" w ere u sed i n t he i mportation o f c oastal products a nd s hell t o t he T eo t ihuacan S upra-Regional C enter i n t he Basin o f M exico. T he G ulf C oast H uast e c a nd C lassic L owland M aya c eramics f ound a t T eotihuac a n , t he E l T ajin s ettlement i n t he " Teotihuacan C orridor," and T eotihuacan " influence" at M at acapan s uggested t he v iability o f " Gulf C oast R outes" A , B , C , a nd G ; especially B ( to E l T ajin) and G (M at acapan) . D epend i ng o n t he r oute a nd v ariations b ecause o f " impassable" t opography, r oute d istances between t he G ulf C oast a nd T eotihuacan r anged f rom 2 35-585 k ilometers. Pacific

C oast

R outes

A -G

C ommercial r outes f rom T eotihuacan t o w est M exico a nd t he P ac i fic C oast a re m ore d ifficult t o i dentify b ecause of " gaps" i n t he a rchaeological s urveys. However, a t l east s even l oci on t he P ac i fic C oast could h ave prov i ded c acao , t ropical products, a nd m arine s hell t o t he Supra-Regional C enter d uring t he C lassic Period. ( See F igure 3 5.) I s hall d esignate t hese a s " Pacific C oast R outes" A t hrough G . P recise e v i dence f or s ome P ac i fic c onnections i s o ften l ack i ng ( Bell 1 971, 2 974; Bernal 1 965; B rand 1 971; C hadwick 1 971; L i s ter 1 947, 1 971; M e i ghan 1 971 ). " Pacific C oast R oute A " proceeded n orthwest f rom t he T eotihuacan V alley i nto t he d rainage o f t he R io T ula o f t he T ula R egion t hen w estward o verland t hrough t he p resent-day s tates o f Q ueretaro a nd G uanajuato i nto t he R io J uchipila a nd R io G rande d e S antiago t o t he S an B las c oast o f N ayarit. F eldman ( 197 ) 4: 2 32 ) r ecorded S pondylus a t S an B las S ite 8 , Nayarit. The E arly I xt lan phase ( ca 2 00 B .C . - 500 A. D. ) i n s outhern N ayarit, w est e rn J alisco , a nd C olima w as t he t ime o f s haft t omb c onstruction ( Furst 1 966: 9 ) 4-97, 1 53-170 ; M ount j oy 1 978 : 1 32 ) a nd t he i mportation o f C aribbean c onchs u sed a s s hell t rumpets. S trong i nterregional contacts w ere n oted d uring t he L os C ocos p hase (c a 5 00-700 A .D.) but l esser c ontact w ith t he Basin o f M exico ( Mountjoy 1 978: 1 33-134). D uring t he P ostclassic, t he S an B las r eg i on w as i mportant f or i ts c acao ( Feldman 1 978: 1 38).

- 1 16

-

F IGURE

3 5:

P ACIFIC C OAST T O H IGHLANDS COMMERCIAL R OUTES DURING T HE CLASSIC T EOTIHUACAN P ERIOD

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