LISS.398A TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT and HUMAN ADAPTATION:
PART II PRE-EUROPEAN
MESOAMERICA
VALLEY OF OAXACA: MONTE ALBAN III; SOCIAL COMPLEXITY
VERTICAL COMPLEXITY
During Monte Albán III, the four level settlement hierarchy developed during
Monte Albán I
and persisting through
Monte Albán II
remains intact. Despite the population growth at second and third tier units during IIIA it appears that activities at
Monte Albán ,
the regional capital, may become even more differentiated from lower ranking units in the settlement hierarchy. Blanton
et. al. (
'93:90)
suggest that stylistic homogneity in carved stone monuments among IIIA occupations where these appear is evidence for
this.
The concentration of population near
Monte Albán
iduring IIIB probably resulted in a system that was no less vertically complex than IIIA with the full settlement hierarch simply
compressed into a smaller area. This contrasts with thhe Late I system in which the area around
Monte Albán
was apparently administered directly from there without intermediaries.
HORIZONTAL COMPLEXITY
Ceramic styles once again (as in Late I) become more standardized and less costly. There is ome evidence of increasing
specialization in the production of stone tools and other craft items.
Colorado School of Mines
Division of Liberal Arts and International Studies
Dr. Joseph D. Sneed
jsneed@mines.edu
