essay

Defensible and fortified sites

Monte Albán's hinterland, part. 2: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, by Stephen A. Kowalewski ... [et al • (23) • Published In 1989 • Pages: 385-407

By: Elam, J. Michael.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document

Elam first defines what he considers to be a fortified site - he includes sites with potentially defensible features as well as sites such as the Mitla Fortress - and then describes each site. Elam finds 'one of their main functions seems to have been the defense and control of boundaries' (page 394) and many of them were positioned to enable them to monitor and control traffic flowing into the valley.

SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF

Settlement patterns

Military installations

Regulation of travel

traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)

Highland Mesoamerican Late Preclassic

HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document

2010

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

General Middle America and the Caribbean

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.

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection

Sarah Berry; 2008

Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document

1970-1974, 1977, 1980

Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to

2500-1700 BP (500 BC-AD 300)

Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)

Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico

NotesAdditional notes

by J. Michael Elam

LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number

90620264

LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings

Indians of Mexico--Mexico--Oaxaca Valley--Antiquities/Land settlement patterns--Mexico--Oaxaca Valley

Demographic archaeology--Mexico--Oaxaca Valley

Monte Albán Site (Mexico)/Oaxaca Valley (Mexico)--Antiquities