Ancient Civilizations of the Americas Lecture 7

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Ancient Civilizations of the AmericasLecture 7

• West Mexico

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West Mexican Geography Modern States Nayarit Jali
sco Colima, Michoacán
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Culture History of West Mexico West Mexican Shaft
Tombs Early Preclassic to Classic 1500 BC 300
AD
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• Best known and most elaborate shaft tombs date to
  0 200 AD.
• Shaft Tombs were constructed by a number of
  different ethnic groups, most probably being
  segmentary societies. The most hierarchical
  societies of these were located in the Tequila
  Valley of Michoacán.
• Shafts range in depth from 1-21 meters. Tombs
  contain shell and obsidian jewelry, and hollow
  figurines.
• The anthropologist Peter Furst thought that an
  understanding of the significance of the
  figurines might be gained by studying the local
  indigenous populations of the area that still
  made figurines, such as the Huichol.

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• West Mexican Chiefdoms
• First signs of the appearance of more complex
  societies in West Mexico Circular burial
  structures of Teuchitlán tradition appear during
  Early Tabachines phase of Michoacán 0-200 AD.
• Late Tabachines Phase (400AD 600 AD)
• Appearance of Guachimontón and Santa Quiteria.
• Tequila Valley population reaches 40,000
  50,000.
• Shaft tomb tradition declines.

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Guachimonton site in the Tequila Valley,
Mich. Excavations began in 1988 by Phil Weigand
and Efraín Cárdenas of the Colegio de
Michoacán Major period of building 0-150
AD. Evidence found that figurines were used to
furnish pyramids. Earliest copper objects
found. South American contact theory.