[Aztlan] ON THE SUBJECT OF ANCIENT PACIFIC COAST TRADE

[David Hixson]

Kathrine,

You are basically correct...  Some of the best
evidence (in fact - SOLID evidence) for contact
between Mesoamerica and NW South America comes from
metalurgy.

A good starting point is:

Hosler, Dorothy
1988   Ancient West Mexican Metalurgy: South and
Central American origins and West Mexican
Transformations. American Anthropologist 90:832-855

There have been many other references since 1988,
building on this theme (including studies linking Maya
metalurgy to Central American metalurgy -- a stepping
stone to South American contacts).

And for a classic (yet now outdated) review of the
literature on Mesoamerican-South American contacts,
see:

Grove, David (ed.)
1977-1978   Journal of the Steward Anthropological
Society -- Special Volume: Prehistoric Contacts
Between Mesoamerica and South America: New Data and
Interpretations.  Vol. 9, nos. 1-2

-Dave


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