Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Clay Sources, Pottery Production, and Regional Economy in Chalchihuites, Mexico, A. D. 200-
900
Author(s): Nicola M. Strazicich
Source: Latin American Antiquity, Vol. 9, No. 3 (Sep., 1998), pp. 259-274
Published by: Society for American Archaeology
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/971731 .
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CLAYSOURCES,POTTERYPRODUCTION,AND REGIONALECONOMY
IN CHALCHlHtJITES,MEXICO,A.D. 20>900
NicolaM.Strazicich
Potteryand clays from the Chalchihuitesregion of northwesternZacatecas are characterized to examine ceramic production
and exchange among settlements between A.D. 400 and 900. Instrumentalneutron activation and petrographic analysis of
134 pottery and 26 clay samplesfrom three Chalchihuitesceremonial centers identifypottery madefrom local clays and dis-
tinguish potteryfound at each center that was not madefrom local clay deposits. Residents of Alta Vista, the region's main
center, acquired an elaborate painted warefrom a second center located 30 km away after A.D. 650. The ceramic composi-
tional data provide a basis for understandingthe distance and direction that pottery was exchanged in Chalchihuitesas eco-
nomic activities increased in the region.
La ceratmicay las muestras de arcilla de la regiotnde Chalchihuites del noroeste de Zacatecas son analizadas para docu-
mentar la produccion e intercambiode ceramica entre los asentamientosfechados entre 400 y 900 d.C. El ana'lisispor acti-
vaciotnneutronica y anatlisispetrografico de 134 tiestos y 26 muestras de arcilla procedentes de tres centros ceremoniales de
Chalchihuites indican una distincion entre las vajillas producidas en cada asentamiento y las vasijas adquiridas de otros
lugares. Despue'sde 650 d.C., los residentes de Alta Vista, el centro principal de la regiotn,fueron adquiriendo vasijas pin-
tadas de manera complicada de un segundo centro ubicado a 30 km de distancia. Los datos de composicion de la ceratmica
brindan una base pa ra comprenderla distancia y el rumbo del intercambio de la ceramica en Chalchihuites, a medida que
se incrementabanlas actividades econotmicasde la region.
A lta Vista and contemporaneousceremo- tance and direction that goods were moved from
nial centersin the Chalchihuitesregion of productionlocations, the presence of centralized
northwestern Zacatecas are unique and symmetricalexchange, and the volume and
among northern Mesoamerican settlements for type of goods involved key dimensions in
their social and economic expansion between ancient exchange systems (Baugh and Ericson
A.D. 650 and 850 (Figure 1). During this period 1993; Plog 1977) have not been identiEledfor
the people who built and occupied Alta Vista prehispanicChalchihuites.
practiced astronomy, controlled and expanded Here, I characterizethe chemical and miner-
local mining operations, imported turquoise to alogical composition in pottery and clays from
fashion objects for export, and used elaborate Alta Vista and two additionalChalchihuitescen-
engraved and painted pottery (Aveni et al. 1982; ters to determinewhetherpottery was exchanged
Kelley 1976, 1985; Weigand 1982). Several between sites during the initial Mesoamerican
scholarshave suggested that social and economic occupationin Chalchihuitesand duringthe period
expansion in Mesoamerica's northern polities, of economic growththat occurredafterA.D. 650.
like Alta Vista, occurredas Teotihuacandeclined The goals of the study are to determinewhether
(Millon 1988; Nelson 1990, 1993, 1997). Little is pottery was produced and used locally at
known, however, about the scale at which Chalchihuitescenters before and after A.D. 650,
exchange systems existed in Mesoamerica's to identify pottery types that were exchanged
northernperipheryin the periods preceding and between sites, and to gain a better understanding
correspondingto Teotihuacan'scollapse. The dis- of Alta Vista's relationships with other regional
259
, ?, :3>
F _ } 7r_ 0. _ . Mine
_ . _ . _ . Group
_ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _ . _
l t'-\ sti--
t)0 ) j \ WA
'1 ' ! r Tropicof Cancer A
2 f/ KEY:
./ , . f ... . . .
. / , . .......... . . . . . . . .
t_ i2./ . * CeremonialCenter
* z A * * * * . * . * .
* * \ \ . . . . . * .
. .\ , * . . . . .
* * * \ ( * * -
-X l' '
. C'ScMuiu k . _nrninsc^P.
*'?P: \
Qu l , :/,
Tl
t 0 102771 2 Sedimentary
, SCXIE [21Igneous(rhyolite)
:: . .
MEXICO
Figure 1. Map of the Chalchihuites area showing the location of sites mentioned in the text.
centers. The results indicate that, while residents tant peak in the landscape marks the spring and
of Alta Vista used pottery made from local clays autumnal equinoxes (Aveni et al. 1982; Kelley
between A.D. 650 and 850, they also acquiredan 1971, 1976, 1985; Kelley and Kelley 1996). A
elaborate painted ware from a second center prehispanicroad connects Alta Vista to a nearby
located 30 km away. This finding provides the mine group where miners extracted hematite,
first evidence for regional ceramic exchange in cinnabar, limonite, malachite, and weathered
Chalchihuitesand suggests that Alta Vista main- chert from sedimentary conglomerate deposits
tained economic relations with the other regional (Weigand 1968, 1977, 1982; Weigand and
centers. Harbottle1993). Pottersin the Chalchihuitesarea
presumably used hematite to fill designs on
Background: Chalchihuites Regional engravedpottery,and lapidariescarvedweathered
Economy, A.D. 400-900 chert into ornamentalobjects.
Alta Vista, the main ceremonial center in Alta Vista's relationshipto CerroMoctezuma,
Chalchihuites,was established aroundA.D. 450 about 15 km to the northeast,a contemporarycen-
in a piedmontareaof the Rio Colorado,2°3' north ter situatedon a steep rhyolite outcropoverlook-
of the Tropic of Cancer (Figure 1). The site's ing the middle Rio San Antonio has not been
main architecturalcomplex extends over 8 ha and established. Cerro Moctezuma is approximately
comprises sunken plazas, temples, and pyramids the same size as Alta Vista and comprises40 to 50
oriented to the cardinal directions. A masonry contiguous patio banquette and patio platform
extension to the main site that aligns with a dis- complexes, pyramids, altars, and ball courts
Strazicich] CLAYSOURCES, POTTERYPRODUCTIONIN CHALCHIHUITES,MEXICO 261
1000
950
-
--
l
\o s - T r
t L f w 6 S/ w
850 t 1f111 X
750 O
_
S cm
e5cm
650
550
450
..m'-!'
1
7,, >)
350
250
CanutilloRed-filled-engraved GualterioRed-on-cream
Figure 2. Chalchihuites pottery. Whole vessels redrawn with permission from Kelley and Kelley (1971).
pod-legged bowls. Potters removed large back- ollas exhibit Suchil Red-on-brown decoration.
ground areas to create the designs in negative Design layouts and stylistic elements on Suchil
relief, then filled the excised areas with red pig- vessels are more complicated than the earlier
ment that may be either hematite or cinnabar Gualterio painted wares (Figure 2). Interiorsof
(Figure 2). The designs depict life forms includ- Suchil bowls are divided into four parts, and life
ing serpents, human heads, birds, deer, rabbits, forms such as birds, reptiles, and human figures
and coyotes, as well as geometric motifs (Kelley in ceremonial regalia are portrayedin opposing
and Kelley 1971:30). Shallow bowls, plates, and quadrants(Kelley and Kelley 1971:59). Michilia
StrazEcich] CLAY SOURCES, POTTERYPRODUCTIONIN CHALCHIHUITES,MEXICO 263
and Suchil vessels are widely distributed and briquettes formed from the clay samplesl were
occurredtogether in hamlets, villages, and cere- determinedat the Missouri University Research
monial centers in the Colorado and San Antonio Reactor facility (MURR) following procedures
drainagesbetween A.D. 650 and 900 (Kelley and describedby Glascock (1992).
Kelley 1971:62).
Petrographic Characteristics of
Sample Selection and Analytical Procedure Pottery and Clays
To determine whether pottery in the The petrographiccharacterizationsuggests that
Chalchihuitescenters was made from local clays, Chalchihuites potters added different mineral
I identified mineralconstituentsand analyzedthe suites to plain, engraved,and paintedpottery.The
chemical composition of Canutillo and Gualterio dominant minerals in the pottery and fired clay
vessels (A.D. 200-650) from Cerro Moctezuma, briquettes analyzed from the Rio Colorado and
and Michilia and Suchil vessels (A.D. 650-900) the Rio San Antonio drainagesare quartz,plagio-
from Cerro de los Bueyes and Alta Vista (Table clase feldspar, limonite, and volcanic rock.
1). The samples were selected from surface con- Biotite, volcanic glass, and zircon occur in small
texts thatrepresentresidentialpatios and middens proportions.The Rio Colorado engraved vessels
associated with central residential areas. I also exhibit smaller mineral constituents than
analyzed 45 plain bowl fragments, 15 from the engraved vessels from the Rio San Antonio and
same contexts at each site, to establish a compo- suggest thatthe Coloradopotteryand clays derive
sitional baseline for local production, because from sedimentary parent materials. Plain and
utilitarianvessels are less likely to be tradedthan painted vessels from Rio Colorado and Rio San
elaborately decorated labor-intensive goods Antonio sites exhibit larger mineral inclusions
(Earle 1982; Helms 1993; Renfrew 1975, 1977). than the clays collected from these drainagesand
Petrographicanalysis identifies the type, size, suggest that potters added quartz sand to their
and frequency of aplastic inclusions in pottery clays prior to manufacturingplain and painted
and clays. This informationcan be used to iden- wares. These distinctions are discussed in more
tify the pottery's geological origin, provided that detail below.
geologically restrictedmaterialsoccur in the pot-
tery, and to make inferences about the manufac- Chalchihuites Pottery Chemical Groups
turingprocess (Pool 1992; Stoltman 1989, 1991). I identified four pottery groups with distinct
Minerals,grog, clay pellets, matrix(materialless chemical compositions througha cluster analysis
than .1 micron diameter), and voids were and a principal components analysis2conducted
recordedby point counting potteryand clay sam- on the 32 element concentrations identified in
ples at 200X magnification with a Swift each potsherd.The hierarchicalcluster analysis,
Automatic point counter. For each section, 300 based on mean Euclidean distances, allowed me
mineral points were recorded in .3 mm incre- to separatethe samples into four groups with dis-
ments on linear transects spaced .6 mm apart. tinct chemical compositions. The groups were
Comparison of petrographicprofiles in pottery further refined with principal components and
and clay samples can indicate whether potters Mahalanobisdistance calculations (Baxter 1994;
added minerals and grog (crushedpottery) to the Glascock 1992; Leese and Main 1994). The first
clay matrix,and whetherminerals were added in five principalcomponentsaccount for 80 percent
different proportions to particular wares. The of the sample variance. The groups are labeled
chemical analysis, by neutron activation, gener- Colorado, San Antonio A, San Antonio B, and
ates a bulk chemical profile for the clay matrix San Antonio C because they representpotterycol-
and mineral inclusions in the pottery and clay lected in the Coloradoand San Antonio drainages
samples (Bishop et al. 1982; Neff 1993). Pottery and because they also group on the basis of com-
groups with distinct chemical composition can, position (Table 1). Bivariateplots of the first and
but do not always, representseparateclay sources third principal components for the artifact
used by prehistoricpotters.Concentrationsfor 32 chemistries illustrate the compositional differ-
elements in the Chalchihuites pottery and fired ences thatcreatethese groups(Figure3). The first
LATINAMERICANANTIQUITY [Vol. 9, No.3, 1998
264
Table 1. Summaryof Chemical CompositionalGroupAssignments for ChalchihuitesPottery.
Colorado
Plain 10 31.5
Gualterio 6.2
2
Canutillo 9.3
3
Suchil
Michilia 5 15.6 12 37.5
Total
15.6
5 15.6 22 68.8
5
San Antonio A
Plain
31.7
8 12.2 5 12.2
13
Gualterio
5 12.2
Canutillo
10 24.4
Total 8 12.2 5 12.2
28 68.3
San Antonio B
Plain 16.6
Gualterio 16.6
Canutillo 66.6
4
Total 100.0
6
San Antonio C
Plain 2 4.7
Gualterio 9.5
4
Canutillo 2.3
I
Suchil 15 35.7 14 33.3
Michilia 6 14.5
Total 23 54.7 14 33.3
5 10.4
Unassigned
Plain 38.4
Painted 7.6
7.6
2 5.3
Engraved 15.3
1 7.6 2
Total 53.8 15.3
4 30.7 7
2
Total
48 43
43
and third principal components are plotted mony (Sb) counts. GroupC is distinguishedfrom
because the San Antonio referencegroupsoverlap the A, B, and Colorado groups by high barium
on the second component. The third component (Ba) concentrations. The identification of four
betterillustratesthe separation.The high concen- chemical groups in the Chalchihuites pottery
trations of manganese (Mn), calcium (Ca), and sample suggests that potters acquiredtheir clays
cobalt (Co) and the low concentrationsof the rare from at least four distinct clay deposits.
earth element dysprosium (Dy), lutetium (Lu),
ytterbium(Yb), samarium(Sm), and Neodymium Relating Clay Sources to
(Nd), distinguish pottery in the Colorado group Pottery Reference Groups
from all other groups. Potteryin the San Antonio Chemical analytical data on briquettes formed
A, B, and C groups exhibits lower Mn, Ca, and from 10 Rio Colorado and 16 Rio San Antonio
Co and higher rare earth element (REE) concen- clay samples indicatethat the analyzed clay from
trationsthan the Coloradogroup.Among the San each drainage is compositionally distinct. The
Antonio groups, Group B is differentiatedfrom clays were collected from exposed alluvial
groups A and C by high arsenic (As) and anti- deposits within a 7-km radiusof each site. These
Strazicich] CLAYSOURCES, POTTERYPRODUCTIONIN CHALCHIHUITES,MEXICO 265
o
| T l l l T l l l
, } l
w
w
Ose -, w w
|
W
o
o San Antonio A O AS
\ O cs San Antonio B
o
o
o o ' W; Colorado
o
o
o
L
o
o
I o su36WD o rB O cr _
/ o FE
0 oV
o
o - San Antonio C
O CA
, , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , .
o
Figure 3. Bivariate plot of principal components #1 and #3 showing chemical compositional groups for Chalchihuites
pottery data. RQ-mode plot calculated on principal components 1-9 displays archaeological specimens and element
concentrations. Ellipses represent 90% confidence interval.
samples do not representall clay deposits within have low REE and high Ca and Co concentrations
the area.The higherproportionsof REE elements and would seem to derive from sedimentarypar-
found in clays along the Rio San Antonio reflect ent materials.3The Rio San Antonio clays and
igneous formations present in that drainage pottery in the San Antonio A, B, and C pottery
(Figure4). Acidic igneous rocks, such as rhyolite groups exhibit higher REE and lower Ca and Co
and andesite, have high REE, tantalum(Ta), and concentrationsthan the Rio Colorado material.
thorium(Th) concentrations(Condie et al. 1995). The higher REE concentrationssuggest that Rio
Clay weathered from igneous parent rocks con- San Antonio clays and pottery originate from
tains these elements in higherconcentrationsthan igneous parent materials. The Rio San Antonio
clays with a sedimentaryorigin. The San Antonio subgroupscan be furtherdifferentiatedfrom one
clays occur in rhyolitic formationsaroundCerro another based on the As and Sb concentrations
Moctezuma and Cerro de los Bueyes. The Rio presentin the pottery(Figure 4). High As and Sb
Colorado drainage,in contrast,is predominantly concentrations distinguish the middle Rio San
sedimentary. Clay samples from Alta Vista Antonio potteryand clays collected aroundCerro
exhibit lower REE concentrationsthat reflect a Moctezuma (San Antonio A and B) from upper
probablesedimentaryorigin. Rio San Antonio (San Antonio C) pottery and
The chemical differences among the clays clays collected aroundCerro de los Bueyes. The
allow them to be linked to the pottery groups upper Rio San Antonio clays are highly variable
(Colorado, and San Antonio A, B, and C). Rio and exhibit similarchemical compositions to that
Colorado clays and the Colorado pottery group of Cerro de los Bueyes and Cerro Moctezuma
- D E ^ a a . E s E ^ a a ^ - - -
266 LATINAMERICANANTIQUITY
[Vol. 9, No.3, 1998
o
' ' . ' ' * l ' ' ' ' o ss
o
o San Antonio A o
oAS
San Antonio B
o
o
o
o o TH
rr o Colorado
o
o
o oY6 °
I
O S1X38^D o TB
o
o
oco
I
o CA
San Antonio C
o o BA
I
* Alta Vista clay sample
+ Cerro Moctezumaclay sample
D
o SR ° Cerro de los Bueyes clay sal ple
, . , . , , ,
o , , , , . I * ,
I -0.12 -0.08 -0.04 0.00 0.04
s
100% Medium(0.2-O.Smm)
/ \ * Canutillo
/ \ , O Gualterio
00 s
o o o*o
*o o o *v-)
.oo
.d-E *F
sels. The minerals were not added in sufficient to 650. Among ethnographically documented
proportionsto change the chemical signaturefor subsistenceagriculturists,pottersgenerallydo not
the clay source. As Table 1 shows, Cerro transport raw clays more than 1 km (Arnold
Moctezuma pottery comes from two Rio San 1985:57).
Antonio clay sources (San Antonio A and San The people of CerroMoctezumaalso acquired
Antonio B) based on the chemical characteriza- vessels from the Rio Coloradobetween A.D. 200
tion. These deposits, located 2 to 3 km from Cerro and 650. Five decoratedbowls-three Canutillo
Moctezuma, are chemically similar to Cerro and two Gualterio recovered from Cerro
Moctezuma pottery and were probably used to Moctezuma appearto have been made from Rio
make plain, Canutillo, and Gualteriovessels that Colorado clays (Colorado group, Table 1). Rio
were discardedat the site. Colorado clay sources are at least 10 km from
In addition to manufacturing pottery from Cerro Moctezuma, and it is unlikely that Cerro
middle Rio San Antonio clays, CerroMoctezuma Moctezuma potters collected clay along the Rio
peoples acquiredfinished vessels from the upper Coloradobecause clay deposits adjacentto Cerro
Rio San Antonio around Cerro de los Bueyes. Moctezuma were suitable for potting. These five
One Canutillo and four Gualterio bowls recov- bowls were probably made by potters along the
ered from CerroMoctezumahave the same chem- Rio Coloradoand discardedat CerroMoctezuma
ical composition as upper Rio San Antonio along the Rio San Antonio.
pottery and clays located 15 km east at Cerrode
Pottery Production and Distribution,
los Bueyes (San Antonio C). It is likely thatCerro
A.D. 650-900
Moctezuma peoples acquired decorated vessels
from CerroMoctezumaor its vicinity, ratherthan Between A.D. 650 and 900, the petrographicand
transportedclay, duringthe period fromA.D. 200 chemical data indicate that Alta Vista peoples
AMERICANANTIQUITY 9, No.3, 1998
[Vol.
268 LATIN
100%Medium(0.2-O.5mm)
A . AVPlain
# \ X O AVMichilia
; s
oso -
y
W
o o o o
/ o
*oo 968 .S
acquiredSuchil bowls manufacturedfrom clays ing techniques differed at each site The Suchil
in the upper Rio San Antonio near Cerro de los bowls analyzed from Alta Vista and Cerrode los
Bueyes. Residents of Cerro de los Bueyes Bueyes exhibit identical inclusion sizes and min-
acquiredMichilia bowls made from Rio Colorado eral constituents. Predominant minerals in the
clays. The petrographiccharacterizationindicates Suchil vessels include large (.4 to .9 mm) angular
that minerals added to the plain and engraved quartz,plagioclase, limonite, and volcanic glass.
wares from Alta Vista and Cerro de los Bueyes The mineralogical homogeneity in the samples
differedfrom the Suchil paintedwares afterA.D. fromAlta Vista and Cerrode los Bueyes suggests
650. The plain and Suchil painted bowls from that Suchil bowls were manufacturedfrom the
Alta Vista and Cerro de los Bueyes have larger same parentclays.
mineral inclusions (averaging .4 to .9 mm) than The chemical and mineralogicalcharacteriza-
the Michilia engravedbowls (averaging .01 to .1 tions suggest that the residentsof Alta Vista used
mm) from each site (Figures6, 7). Michilia bowls plain and Michilia pottery made from locally
fromAlta Vista exhibit smallermineralinclusions availableclay along the Rio Colorado.As Table 1
and higher proportionsof plagioclase and grog shows, most plain and Michilia engravedpottery
temper than their Cerro de los Bueyes counter- analyzed from Alta Vista was made from clays
parts(Figures 8, 9). The smaller inclusions in the with composition similar to clay sources in the
Alta Vista vessels and the difference in mineral Rio Colorado (Colorado group). These vessels
composition suggest that different clays were were probably made at Alta Vista. Alta Vista's
used to make Michilia vessels at Alta Vista and at residentsalso acquiredplain vessels from the Rio
Cerrode los Bueyes. Clay treatmentand temper- San Antonio. Five plain bowls recovered from
Strazicich] CLAY SOURCES, POTTERYPRODUCTIONIN CHALCHIHUITES,MEXICO
269
100% Medium(0.2-O.5mm)
* Suchil
O Plain
* Michilia
-
na
olo
- - v v
)0\\so9
v ^
o o o*,it o o*o
*o .d-E
*v-)
.oo
Alta Vista match middle Rio San Antonio pottery tery.The compositionaldata stronglysuggest that
and clay chemical profiles (San Antonio A, Table all of the Suchil samples analyzedwere manufac-
1). Because Alta Vista is located 10 km from the tured from the same clay and temper that origi-
Rio San Antonio, these vessels were probably natedin the Cerrode los Bueyes area.Alta Vista's
made along the Rio San Antonio and subse- residents almost certainly imported these elabo-
quently moved to Alta Vista. The inhabitantsof rately decorated wares from the upper Rio San
Alta Vista also used Suchil decoratedbowls made Antonio, around Cerro de los Bueyes, between
from upperRio San Antonio clays located around A.D. 650 and 900.
Cerrode los Bueyes. Every Suchil bowl analyzed The residents of Cerro de los Bueyes on the
from Alta Vista matchesthe chemical profiles for upper Rio San Antonio, the second major cere-
upper Rio San Antonio pottery clays collected monial center in Chalchihuitesbetween A.D. 650
around Cerro de los Bueyes (San Antonio C, and 900, also used pottery made from local clay
Figure 10). Alta Vista potterscould have collected deposits. Plain, Suchil, and Michilia vessels
clay in the Cerro de los Bueyes area to make recovered from Cerro de los Bueyes were made
Suchil bowls, but Alta Vista and Cerro de los from clay sources in the upper Rio San Antonio
Bueyes are situated 30 km apart, and workable (San Antonio C, Table 1). Cerro de los Bueyes
clays were available aroundAlta Vista along the residents also acquiredplain vessels made from
Rio Colorado. Suchil bowls recovered from Alta middle Rio San Antonio clays. Eight Cerrode los
Vista and Cerrode los Bueyes are chemically and Bueyes plain bowls have the same chemical pro-
mineralogically homogeneous and exhibit the file as CerroMoctezumapottery and clays (mid-
same chemical profile as Cerrode los Bueyes pot- dle Rio San Antonio clays, San Antonio A).
270 LATINAMERICANANTIQUITY [Vol. 9, No.3, 1998
ooNo / o o o o o
Figure 8. Ternary diagram illustrating proportions of silt, fine, and medium-sized particles in Suchil Red-on-brown
and Michilia Red-filled-engraved pottery from Cerro de los Bueyes and Alta Vista (Colorado and San Antonio C).
100% Limonite
o
* Alta vista
olo
o o
Zoo
o
-
o
-
o o
o *d' .H o
Figure 9. Ternary diagram showing percentage of quartz, plagioclase, and grog temper in Michilia Red-filled-engraved
pottery from Alta Vista and Cerro de los Bueyes
from the Cerro de los Bueyes vicinity may have Bueyes or surroundingsites.
been structuredby a difference in social and eco- Alta Vista's residents acquired Suchil vessels
nomic organization at the two sites. Alta Vista from Cerrode los Bueyes as they increasedmin-
was centrallyplanned, and its residentspracticed ing and turquoise-processingefforts at the site. It
astronomy, controlled mining operations, and is possible that labor available for production
imported turquoise. In contrast, Cerro de los tasks like mining, turquoise,and pottery produc-
Bueyes is 6 ha largerthan Alta Vista and lacked tion was finite at Alta Vista, and increasedpartic-
central planning, a turquoisetrade, astronomical ipation in mining and lapidary crafts reduced
features, and mines. It is also situated on better labor available for pottery manufacture.Because
quality agricultural land. Mines in the pottery manufacturein nonindustrialsocieties is
Chalchihuitesarea cluster aroundAlta Vista and scheduled with numerous production tasks
Cerro Moctezuma. Perhaps communities like (Arnold 1985:226; Arnold 1991), potteryproduc-
Cerrode los Bueyes that lacked access or control tion could have been scheduled for periods when
over mines may have supplied Alta Vista with mining or agriculturalactivities were at a mini-
Suchil pottery or other commodities in exchange mum. Alternatively, pottery manufacture may
for mine products (Strazicich 1995:386). have been delegated to individualsuninvolved in
Exchange systems often develop to ensure access mining. The compositionaldata supportthe latter
to spatially restricted resources in preindustrial alternativeand suggest thatAlta Vista's residents
societies (Hirth 1984). The compositional data solicited decoratedpotteryfrom settlementsin the
provide support for ceramic exchange, although Rio San Antonio, including Cerrode los Bueyes,
minerals from the Colorado and San Antonio that were not involved in mining.
mines have not yet been identified at Cerrode los Pottery exchange among Chalchihuites sites
AMERICANANTIQUITY
LATIN [Vol.9, No.3, 1998
272
0
G
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
CL
O g _
o \
\
I -0.06 0.08
SanAntonioC pco l
(SuchilRed-on-brown)
for Alta Vista pottery. RQ-
Figure 10. Plot of principal components #1 and #3 showing chemical group assignments
1-9. Ellipses represent 90% confidence interval.
mode plot calculated on principal components
occurred as social and political relationships region's initial occupation and suggests that
amongMesoamerica'snorthernpolities were dis- regional pottery exchange networks intensified
rupted by Teotihuacan's decline. Teotihuacan during the social and economic expansion that
apparentlycontrolledtraderoutes in northernand occurredafterA.D. 650.
western Mexico that obtained cinnabarfrom the
Acknowledgments.Financial supportfor this study was pro-
Sierra de Queretaroand possibly minerals from vided by an NSF Dissertation Improvement award (Grant
Chalchihuites (Millon 1988; Weigand 1982; SBR-9420704), the Missouri University Research Reactor
Weigand and Harbottle 1993). These trade net- Fellowships in Archaeometry program, and the Mark
works were curtailedafterA.D. 650 and perhaps Diamond Grants in Aid of Research program at SUNY
created new and larger local markets for Buffalo. I thank Drs. Hector Neff and Michael Glascock for
their support and for the opportunity to work at MURR.
Chalchihuitesmineralsand worked turquoise.As Permissionto carryout fieldwork in Zacatecas and to export
Alta Vista's residents expanded mining and samples was granted by the Instituto Nacional de
turquoise-processing industries, practices for Antropologia e Historia. I thank Baudelina Garcia Uranga,
making and acquiring pottery changed and fos- Peter Jimenez Betts, Raul Toledo Farias, Francisco Roman
tered new exchange relations. This first ceramic Gutierrez,AlejandroMartinezMuriel, and LorenaMirambell
Silva for their assistance. I am grateful to Ben Nelson, J.
compositional study for northern Mesoamerica
Charles Kelley, Hector Neff, Heather Lechtman, Thomas
provides evidence for economic relationships Tartaron,Maria Masucci, Vincent Schiavitti, Paula Turkon,
among Chalchihuites settlements during the
Strazicich] CLAYSOURCES, POTTERYPRODUCTIONIN CHALCHIHUITES,MEXICO 273
Ericson, pp. 127-140. Academic Press, New York. pp. 87-134. Special issue of Anthropology, Volume 6.
Pool, C. A. American Anthropological Association, Washington,
1992 Integrating Production and Distribution. In D.C.
Ceramic Production and Distribution: An Integrated Weigand,P. C., and G. Harbottle
Approach, edited by C. Pool and G. Bey, pp. 275-313. 1993 The Role of Turquoises in the Ancient
Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado. Mesoamerican Trade Structure. In The American
Renfrew,C. Southwest and Mesoamerica: Systems of Prehistoric
1975 Trade as Action at a Distance: Questions of Exchange, edited by J. E. Ericson and T. G. Baugh, pp.
Integrationand Communication.In Ancient Civilization 15-34. Academic Press, New York.
and Trade, edited by J. Sabloff and C. C. Lamberg- Weigand,P. C., G. Harbottle,and E. V. Sayre
Karlovsky, pp. 3-60. School of American Research 1977 Turquoise Sources and Source Analysis:
Press, Santa Fe. Mesoamerica and the Southwest USA. In Exchange
1977 Alternative Models for Exchange and Spatial Systems in Prehistory, edited by T. K. Earle and J. E.
Distribution.In Exchange Systems in Prehistory, edited Ericson, pp. 15-34. Academic Press, New York.
by T. K. Earle and J. E. Ericson, pp. 71-90. Academic
Press, New York. Notes
Schiavitti,V. W.
1996 Organization of the Prehispanic Suchil Mining 1. The clay samples were rehydratedwith deionized water,
District of Chalchihuites,Mexico, A.D. 400-950. Ph.D. formed into briquettes, and fired in a reducing atmosphere
dissertation, State University of New York at Buffalo. for one hour at 750°C prior to irradiationand thin-section
University Microfilms, Ann Arbor. preparation.
Stoltman,J. B.
1989 A Quantitative Approach to the Petrographic 2. Element concentrationswere recordedin partsper million,
Analysis of CeramicThin Sections. AmericanAntiquity then converted to log base lO values to compensate for dif-
54: 157-160. ferences in magnitudebetween the majorand trace elements.
1991 Ceramic Petrography as a Technique for Eigenvectors of the variance-covariance matrix for the
Documenting Cultural Interaction:An Example from logged elemental concentrations generated from the princi-
the Upper Mississippi Valley. American Antiquity pal components analysis are used as reference axes that
56: 103-120. describe the distribution of elements in the Chalchihuites
Strazicich,Nicola M. pottery and clay element data.
1995 Prehispanic Pottery Production in the
Chalchihuites and La Quemada Regions of Zacatecas, 3. The Alta Vista area clay samples do not exhibit good prob-
Mexico. Ph.D. dissertation, State University of New ability for inclusion in the Rio Colorado reference group
York at Buffalo. University Microfilms, Ann Arbor. based on Mahalanobisdistance estimates. Two Rio Colorado
Weigand,P. C. samples showed good probability for inclusion in the San
1968 The Mines and Mining Techniques of the Antonio A pottery reference group. The match is created by
ChalchihuitesCulture.American Antiquity33 :35-61.
1977 The Prehistory of the State of Zacatecas: An the higher dispersion in the San Antonio A group pottery
Interpretation. In Anuario de historia zacatecana, than in the Colorado and San Antonio C groups. The unas-
edited by C. E. Sanchez, pp. 2-41. Universidad signed clay samples are attributedto the group with the high-
Autonoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Mexico. est dispersion.
1982 Mining and Mineral Trade in Prehispanic
Zacatecas. In Mining and Mining Techniquesin Ancient Received May 17, 1996; accepted May 22, 1997; revisedJuly
Mesoamerica, edited by P. C. Weigand and G. Gwynne, 2, 1997.