essay

The Postclassic archaeology of the western Gulf Coast: some initial observations

lowland maya postclassicAustinPublished In 1985 • Pages: 235-244

By: Ball, Joseph W..

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
In this essay, Ball systematically reviews a portion of the rich but disparate data available on the Postclassic archaeology of the Campeche-Tabasco Gulf coastal plain, and suggests fruitful directions for future research in the area. One of these suggestions deals with establishing a well documented archaeological chronology for the region and clarifiying the position of the now traditional but unsubstantiated temporal values for 'key' ceramic markers, such as the Matillas, Silho, and Balancan-Altar groups of Fine Orange paste ware (p. 10). A second suggestion is that future research in the area should strive to find more convincing evidence for a Classic to Postcalssic developmental continum than now exists. In summary the author says that: '…the Postclassic archaeology of western Campeche comprises an important and fertile field for future research efforts. A regionally informed program of problem-oriented studies in the zone could contribute an almost inconceivable amount of new data toward our understanding of cultural history and process in the lowland Maya area from the preconquest Late Classic period into and through Spanish Colonial times' (p. 11).
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Ceramic technology
Chronologies and culture sequences
Typologies and classifications
traditionCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Postclassic Maya
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2001
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
Maya Area
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
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
John Beierle ; 2000
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
no date
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1100 BP-480 BP (900 A.D.-1520 A.D.)
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Campeche-Tabasco Gulf coastal plain, western Yucatan peninsula, Mexico
NotesAdditional notes
Joseph W. Ball
For bibliographical references see document number 2:Anonymous
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
84013168
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Mayas--Antiquities