essay

The food-gathering and incipient agriculture stage of prehistoric Middle America

University of Texas Press1 • Published In 1964 • Pages: 413-426

By: MacNeish, Richard S..

Abstract
In this review of the archaeological record to date for the entirety of the Mesoamerican Archaic, MacNeish divides the country into four culture regions, concentrating on the ”Mesoamerica“ area reaching from Chiapas northward through Tamaulipas for which there is the best chronological control. The only phases in that area pertaining to the Early Archaic are (south to north): Santa Marta, Ajuereado (the final two millennia only), Abejas, Chalco, Chicoloapan, Tepexpan and Infiernillo. Little distinction can be made between the two Archaic periods in other areas. The author reviews radiocarbon dates, lists diagnostic artifacts, summarizes artifacts found in each major excavation, and provides a short synopsis of the evidence within each artifact category, usually without the possibility of distinguishing Early from Late Archaic.
Subjects
Culture summary
Diagnostic material attributes
Chronologies and culture sequences
tradition
Early Mesoamerican Archaic
HRAF PubDate
2000
Region
Middle America and the Caribbean
Sub Region
General Middle America and the Caribbean
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Archaeologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
Analyst
Leon G. Doyon ; 2005
Field Date
no date
Coverage Date
9000-3500 BP (Early and Late Archaic)
Coverage Place
Mexico; from the border area of the United States Southwest through Chiapas
Notes
Richard S. MacNeish
Includes bibliographical references (p. 426)
LCCN
64010316
LCSH
Excavations (Archaeology)--Mexico/Mexico--Antiquities