essay

Middle formative lithic industries at Chalcatzingo

ancient chalcatzingoAustinPublished In 1987 • Pages: 305-320

By: Burton, Susan Sassé.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
Utilizing the data presented in Document 38, Burton attempts to analyze intrasite variability in the chipped stone tool assemblage at the Olmec-influenced highland site of Chalcatzingo, despite difficulties presented by stratigraphic mixing and a rather simple, standardized toolkit for the Middle Formative period. Contexts analyzed include: domestic terraces and structures including associated activity areas, some with specific uses; the area of an 'altar' on a public terrace; and an obsidian workshop (see Burton, Document 22). All contexts are Middle Formative period Cantera phase in date, with the exception of a domestic structure from the preceding, initial Middle Formative period Barranca phase. No change is detected in the basic toolkit over time, and statistically discovered groupings do not conform to initial hypotheses of functional variability according to context. Ceremonial space appears ordinarily domestic, and a high-status household is more average than some common domestic contexts. A few of the domestic and special purpose areas do stand out in particular aspects of their assemblages, perhaps reflecting the relative integrity of the deposits more than any tendency toward craft specialization at the household level.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Lithic industries
Typologies and classifications
General tools
Functional and adaptational interpretations
traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Olmec
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2000
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Middle America and the Caribbean
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Central Mexico
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
essay
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Archaeologist
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Leon G. Doyon ; 2007
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
1972-1976
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
3100 BP-2500 BP
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Chalcatzingo, Morelos State, Mexico
NotesAdditional notes
Susan S. Burton
For bibliographical references see Grove: 1987 (Document 3)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
85022673
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Olmecs