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THE ROOTS OF SOTUTA: DZITAS SLATE AS A YUCATECAN TRADITION

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2015

Scott A. J. Johnson
Scott A. J. Johnson*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Washington University, McMillan Hall, Room 112, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899
*
E-mail correspondence to: sajjohnson@gmail.com
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Abstract

The Sotuta pottery complex has been used in the archaeology of the northern Maya lowlands to identify the Terminal Classic period and cultural association with Chichen Itza. The Sotuta complex, however, is made up of many pottery types, the majority of which are inappropriate markers of elite sociopolitical history. It is argued here that Sotuta-complex slate wares developed out of previous local slate wares regardless of the elite sociopolitical changes taking place with the arrival of the Itza. The wares produced and distributed by commoners were independent of elites and have been artificially chained to questions of elite political expansion for which they are inappropriate correlates.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , Spring 2015 , pp. 113 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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References

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