essay

The basin of Mexico: ecological processes in the evolution of a civilization

Academic Press • New York • Published In 1979 • Pages: xiv, 561

By: Sanders, William T., Parsons, Jeffrey R., Santley, Robert S..

Abstract

This monograph represents the results of field research conducted over a period of 15 years (1960-1975), in the Basin of Mexico. Although Sanders covers a wide range of archaeological periods from the Early Horizon to the Late Horizon (ca. 1500 BC to 1519 AD), the major focus of this document is on the period from 600 BC to 300 AD which he refers to in the text as the First Intermediate division, phases two to five. This study is divided into five major parts. Chapters 1-3 essentially deal with the methodology of the Basin of Mexico Survey Project. Chapters 4-7 are primarily data chapters, with a focus on geography, settlements, demography, and resource utilization, with a minimum of interpretation. Chapter 8 reconstructs the history of socioeconomic systems based on a combination of the data from survey and excavation. Chapter 9 discusses the implications of the Survey Project in terms of broad theoretical concepts in anthropology. Chapter 10 is mostly a plea for future research to expand the considerable data base produced by the Survey. A series of appendices conclude the work containing topics of a more specialized nature (pp. xiii-xiv).

HRAF PubDate

2010

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

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

John Beierle; 2008

Field Date

1960-1975

Coverage Date

2600-1700 BP (600 BC-AD 300)

Coverage Place

Basin of Mexico

Notes

William T. Sanders, Jeffrey R. Parsons, and Robert S. Santley

Includes bibliographical references (p. 533-549) and index

LCCN

79011697

LCSH

Indians of Mexico--Mexico--Mexico, Valley of--Antiquities/Land settlement patterns, Prehistoric--Mexico--Mexico, Valley of/Human ecology--Mexico--Mexico, Valley of/Mexico, Valley of (Mexico)--Antiquities/ Mexico--Antiquities