Enrique Rodríguez-Alegría

Recent years have witnessed a remarkable expansion of scientific approaches in Mesoamerican archaeology. Techniques such as geochemical characterization, residue analysis, and isotopic studies are providing new insights into ancient production systems, exchange networks, mobility, identity, and everyday practices. Far from serving merely as tools, these methods are increasingly reshaping the questions archaeologists ask and the conclusions they draw. This webinar brings together authors of recent articles published in Ancient Mesoamerica that employ archaeological science to investigate diverse aspects of Mesoamerican societies. Through case studies ranging from ceramic production under Aztec domination and household activities among the Classic Maya to isotopic studies of mobility and geochemical analyses of valued materials, participants will explore how scientific data contribute to broader archaeological debates. The discussion will highlight both the opportunities and challenges of integrating laboratory-based analyses with archaeological interpretation and will consider future directions for interdisciplinary research in Mesoamerica. By examining the relationship between materials, technology, and human behavior, the webinar seeks to demonstrate how archaeological science continues to transform our understanding of the Mesoamerican past.

Studies of pottery production and exchange under the Mexica (Aztec) empire have emphasized the role of elites, the constraints created by the market system, or the effects of persistent regionalism in shaping economic patterns. We build on those studies by emphasizing the role of commoners and how their decisions and strategies shaped pottery production and exchange after the formation of the Mexica empire. We present a neutron activation analysis of 111 pottery samples from Xaltocan, including a variety of decorated and undecorated serving vessels and utilitarian pottery from contexts that date to the Mexica empire. The chemical composition of the pottery indicates production of different types at Xaltocan, Cuauhtitlan, Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, Otumba, Chalco, and the southern basin of Mexico. While some types were produced at a variety of locales, a few of the types sampled were produced only or mostly at Xaltocan, including Red Ware, Aztec Polychrome, and Fabric Marked pottery. The findings suggest that commoners were actively copying or producing different types without elite or Mexica control, and that perhaps they preferred to use some locally produced types instead of pottery made elsewhere. The findings show the power of commoners in shaping their economic lives even under imperial control.

LAQ volume 36 issue 2 Cover and Front matter - Volume 36 Issue 2

Elizabeth Brumfiel studied the local production and exchange of pottery in Xaltocan as part of her ongoing efforts to study the link between women's work and political change. We give continuity to Brumfiel's work by presenting a chemical characterization study of Plain Ware and lead-glazed earthenware in Xaltocan, Mexico. These wares were mostly used by women for cooking and storage. The pattern shows that the people of Postclassic Xaltocan increased their reliance on Plain Ware from nearby Cuauhtitlan through time, before and after they were conquered by the Aztecs. After the Spanish conquest, the people of Xaltocan relied more heavily on locally produced Plain Ware and began using lead-glazed earthenware. These two different empires affected the trade in cooking tools even though it was not part of their policies to affect the domestic economy directly.