Mixtecs, Zapotecs, and Chatinos Ancient Peoples of Southern Mexico [Paperback]

• Provides an up-to-date summary of the current state of research findings and archaeological evidence
• Uses contemporary social theory to address many key problems relating to archaeology of the Americas, including the dynamics of social life and the rise and fall of civilizations
• Adds clarity to ongoing debates over cultural change and interregional interactions in ancient Mesoamerican societies
• Supplemented with compelling illustrations, photographs, and line drawings of various archaeological sites and artifacts

Preface xiii

1 People, Culture, and History 1

Sources of Evidence 5

Theorizing Oaxaca's Ancient Past 17

2 Peoples and Landscapes on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest 35

The Physical Geography of Oaxaca 36

Mixtec and Zapotec Peoples at the Time of the Spanish Conquest 42

3 From Foragers to Village Life 64

First Peoples 65

The Archaic Period and the Origins of Agriculture 66

The Transition to Sedentism 70

Negotiating Initial Village Life 73

4 Negotiating Community and Complexity 84

Constructing Community and Identity in the Early Formative 85

Community and Identity in the Early Middle Formative 104

Structures of Authority in the Early to Middle Formative 110