The Nature of Governance in Secondary Centers of the Classic Period, Mixteca Alta, México

Preliminary Conclusions

The objectives of this project were to map and intensively collect three secondary centers in the Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca in order to obtain information on the social and political organization of these centers. Five sites were mapped and collected during a period of nine months. The artifacts taken from each site were classified and tabulated for further analysis. Photographs of artifacts were taken, but none have been drawn to date. Currently, ceramic and lithic tabulations are being prepared for analysis, so only preliminary conclusions can be made. Cerro Encantado, El Peñasco and El Vergel differ from Cerro de la Cantera and Tidaa in their ceramics. The later two are located on the Nochixtlán Valley and the ceramics can be compared to those of the Valley of Oaxaca. Cerro Encantado, El Vergel and Peñasco are located on the west side of a large chain of mountains that forms a natural boundary (Figure 2). This boundary divides the Nochixtlán Valley (to the East) from a series of smaller valleys (to the West). Sites west of the divide seem to have weaker connections with the Nochixtlán Valley and Valley of Oaxaca as indicated by the pottery, and have more public architecture than those on the east, suggesting alternate forms of political organization. Most ceramics are imitations of Valley of Oaxaca pottery, which may suggest local production.

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