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Formal Architecture and Settlement Organization in Ancient West Mexico

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2008

Michael A. Ohnersorgen  and
Mark D. Varien
Michael A. Ohnersorgen
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
Mark D. Varien
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA, and Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, 23390 County Road K, Cortez, CO 81321, USA
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Abstract

Classic-period settlement in the Teuchitlan region of West Mexico is characterized by the presence of unique, formal circular structures surrounded by residential areas. Previous research in the area has suggested the presence of a four-tiered settlement hierarchy based on the size of these structures, although, to date, this judgment has been made on a largely impressionistic basis. Our research further examines Weigand's Teuchitlan settlement data. We present a theoretical perspective for understanding the role of sites with formal architecture and evaluate the presence of a site-size hierarchy through volumetric estimations. Scenarios for site interaction are suggested by our use of a gravity model. Our primary goal is to propose models of Teuchitlan settlement organization, which can be tested by ongoing fieldwork in the region.

Type
Special Section: Recent Research in the Lake Basins of Highland Jalisco
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , Spring 1996 , pp. 103 - 120
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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