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Chronological Research at Copan: Methods and implications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 October 2010

AnnCorinne Freter
AnnCorinne Freter
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
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Abstract

As a consequence of long-term archaeological research at Copan, 1,425 archaeological sites containing 4,507 structures have been located and mapped over an area of 135 km2. As part of the PAC II research, 200 archaeological sites representing a 15% stratified random sample of all valley sites were test excavated from 1983–1989. From these excavations, 2,150 obsidian hydration dates were processed, representing the largest number of chronometric dates from controlled contexts currently available from any southern Lowland Maya site. Based on this chronological research, there appears to be an excellent fit with various other available chronological techniques for all time phases except the ending date of the important Coner ceramic phase, which now appears to have extended to A.D. 1250. This more detailed Copan chronology suggests that the political collapse of the Main Group and immediate vicinity was quite sudden, taking place c. A.D. 800–830. Beyond that, however, the chronometric data provide evidence that some of the secondary elite, or lineage heads, and large numbers of rural commoners continued to reside within the valley in reduced courtyard groups or small rural hamlets for about 400 years following the decentralization of the Copan polity.

Resumen

La segunda fase del Proyecto Arqueológico Copan (PAC II) incluyó un reconocimiento de asentamientos en el valle de Copan en el cual se localizaron y cartografiaron 1,425 lugares arqueológicos que contenían 4,507 estructuras en un área de 135 km2. Como parte de esta investigación, se hicieron excavaciones de prueba en 200 lugares que representaban una muestra al azar estratificada de todos los lugares ee el valle. De estas excavaciones se procesaron 2,150 fechas de hidratación de obsidiana. Estos esfuerzos combinados ban creado uno de los conjuntos de datos sobre asentamientos más detallados cronológicamente dentro de la región maya de las tierras bajas y con una sola excepción apoyan las reconstrucciones cronológicas previas.

Al inicio de esta investigatión uno de los problemas cronológicos primaries en Copan era la fase cerámica Coner del período clásico tardío, que no había sido subdividido en fases, y 99% de los lugares arqueológicos dentro del área reconocida en el valle de Copan se asocian con esa fase cerámica. Por lo tanto, el momento cumbre del control político de la unidad política de Copan no se podía distinguir de su declive. Enfrentados a este problema cronológico, el fechamiento mediante la hidratación de obsidiana fue seleccionada como alternativa ya que los artefactos de obsidiana eran comunes en los asentamientos del valle de Copan y la fijación de fechas mediante hidratación es relativamente barata, permitiendo procesar un gran numero de fechas requeridas para la reconstrucción de las dinámicas del asentamiento maya en el valle al menor costo.

A diferencia de otras técnicas cronométricas de fechamiento, la hidratación es dependiente del contexto. Las condiciones del ambiente de los suelos, especialmente la temperatura y la humedad relativa a que es sometido un objeto de obsidiana, afectan el ritmo de hidratación y por lo tanto afectan la fecha cronométrica generada. Una complicatión adicional es que este contexto ambiental enterrado es dinámico, ya que las variantes climatológicas del mundo, la vegetación, y las características del suelo afectan y cambian la temperatura y la humedad relativa del suelo en un lugar dado, en el tiempo entre 1000 y 2000 años. Conscientes de estos problemas, las fechas por hidratación generadas del valle de Copan se verificaron usando otras fuentes disponibles de informatión cronológica–fechas C-14, fechas arqueomagnéticas, la seriación de cerámica, la estratigrafía, y las secuencias arquitectónicas internas. Además, todas las suposiciones sobre la temperatura ambiental fueron verificados mediante el uso de informatión de una estación meteorológica durante un período de 30 años combinada con varias mediciones de temperatura de celdas termales anuales específicas en el valle de Copan. Estas bases de datos cuidadosamente controladas y verificadas han logrado producir una reconstructión mas exacta de la cronología del asentamiento de Copan que lo que había sido posible hasta ahora.

Las dos implicaciones primarias de esta investigatión cronológica conducen a refinamientos en la metodología y en las reconstrucciones de la historia cultural de Copan. Primero, esta investigación indica que la fijación de fechas mediante la hidratación de obsidiana, cuando se conduce bajo condiciones estrictamente controladas, puede producir fechas cronométricas útiles, efectiva y económicamente, en gran escala. Segundo, parece haber una adecuación excelente con todo tipo de datos cronológicos para todas las fases de tiempo, excepto para la fecha final de la importante fase Coner, que ahora parece haberse extendido hasta 1250 d.C. Los resultados de esta cronología detallada sugieren que el colapso político en el Grupo Principal fue muy súbito, como se había recoestruido anteriormente, y que la polis de Copan colapsó y la población del valle descentralizó entre el 800 y 830 d.C. Sin embargo, gracias al trabajo realizado en asentamientos rurales combinado con esta cronología refinada, se hace claro ahora que luego del colapso de la élite de gobereantes dinásticos de Copan dentro del Grupo Principal, parte de la élite secundaria junto a las cabezas dinásticas y comuneros rurales continuaron habitanto el valle en grupos comunes reducidos o pequeñas aldeas rurales por aproximadamente 400 años, hasta que también abandonaron el área gradualmente para el año 1250 d.C. Estos datos, juntos a los estudios palinológicos, las simulaciones agrícolas, y los análisis energéticos indican, por lo menos, que la urbanización contribuyó a la deforestación del piamonte, lo que a su vez causó erosión horizontal a gran escala en y alrededor del Grupo Principal–un proceso de deterioro ambiental que contribuyó al colapso de la unidad política de Copan y que explica la subsiguiente migratión externa de la población.

Type
Special Section: The Archaeology of Ancient Copan
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , Spring 1992 , pp. 117 - 133
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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