Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award: The Role Of Road Systems In Social Definition And Integration

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

The fundamental goal of this research is to explore the social implications in the development of the urban layout by studying the road network of the ancient city of Angamuco (250-1530 CE), located in the core-area of the Purépecha Empire (Lake Pátzcuaro Basin), Michoacán. It will provide insight into our general understanding of how a city emerges, develops, is inhabited and experienced by its residents, and the roles that roads play during these processes. Under the guidance of Dr. Marcos Llobera, Rodrigo Solinis-Casparius will integrate spatial and image analysis with archaeological survey and excavation to: (1) identify road segments, pathways, intersections and other associated movement technology; (2) determine the relative temporal sequencing and configuration of roads, and; (3) classify roads according to their morphology, construction, configuration, and experiential properties. This will permit rigorous evaluation of: a) changes in patterns of urbanization through thirteen centuries of habitation, and b) the influence of the State and commoners in the creation, establishment and use of the movement network of Angamuco. Ultimately, researchers will produce new insights that are relevant to a wide range of disciplines interested in community formation, material agency, and the emergence and transformation of urban spaces. This project will suggest a conceptual framework to explore different scales of social interaction and organization in western Mexico by incorporating approaches used in Mesoamerica, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean to assess intra-site mobility and urbanization processes. This research will directly contribute in two ways. Methodologically, this study will provide techniques to better identify ancient urban roads by their manufacture technology, morphology, connectivity and accessibility. It will also test and develop a methodology to better understand the chronological sequencing of roads implementing Network Analysis, ceramic seriation and absolute dating (C14). Analytically, this project will provide a detailed typology of urban roads, an interpretative ground to explore the social organization and the urbanization process of Angamuco, and the impact of Purépecha Empire's influence in the Lake Pátzcuaro Basin area. The results of this project will be used as a basis for continuing investigation of intra-site mobility, accessibility and interaction, as well as the relationship between humans and their landscape in Mesoamerica and elsewhere. More broadly, this project will contribute to increasing the ways in which archaeological heritage is valued for scientists and the importance of protecting it by developing educational and outreach activities in communities located near the archaeological site in Mexico and in the U.S. These actions will add to the conservation efforts of the heritage council community center in Tzintzuntzan and include: a) generating informative materials (including a community report in Spanish) discussing the history of the site and the archaeological practice, b) offering guided site tours for community members, and c) engaging in talks and presentations to educators and students in local schools and at local events. Finally, working with the Legacies of Resilience Project (LORE-LPB), this research will contribute to the training of young scholars from different backgrounds and nurture international relationships between Mexican and American institutions.