Ceramics of Postclassic Cholula, Mexico

Typology and Seriation of Pottery from the UA-1 Domestic Compound

Bibliographic Data

ID7539660
AuthorsGeoffrey G Mccafferty (corresponding author)
Year2001
Publication date2001-12-31
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueCeramics of Postclassic Cholula, Mexico (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherCotsen Institute of Archaeology Press (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/j.ctvvh84vq
OpenAlexW4214922662
Open LibraryOL50701211M
ISBN9781950446018
LanguageEN
Citations received15

As the center for the religious cult of Quetzalcoatl, Cholula played a prominent role in shaping events of central Mexico’s Postclassic period. Yet confusion over historical events in Cholula itself have limited its place in recent archaeological considerations of Mesoamerica. Since ceramic sequences are the backbone of archaeological chronologies, this confusion ultimately relates to problems in previous attempts to order archaeological time with ceramics. This book provides an innovative new classification of Cholula ceramics, based on artifact assemblages from primary depositional contexts recovered from the UA-1 excavations. A detailed and well-illustrated description of ceramic types is provided to construct a new classification system. These types are then seriated using collections from house floors and trash middens to suggest a new sequence spanning the Tlachihualtepetl (700-1200 CE) and Cholollan (1200-1550 CE) periods. The polychrome ceramics of Cholula have been described as among the most beautiful of Mesoamerica, employing vibrant colors to represent complex religious iconography of the Mixteca-Puebla stylistic tradition. By defining type and subtype variations in the polychrome ceramics, a foundation is created for a refined chronology as well as for recognizing intra-societal variability

Geography · Latin American history and culture · Science

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Open DOIOpen Access