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An Introduction to Five Papers on the Archaic Stage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Douglas S. Byers*
Affiliation:
Robert S. Peabody Foundation, Andover, Mass.

Extract

The word “archaic” appears in the literature of New World archaeology with more than one usage. In 1910, the existence of three levels of human remains was demonstrated in the Valley of Mexico. The lowest level, in which well-developed ceramics were included, was characterized by hand-modeled human figurines in contrast to the mold made ones of Toltec and Aztec horizons. The civilization of the lowest level came to be called “the archaic type” (Boas 1915). Tozzer (1916: 466), in a paper presented at the Pan American Scientific Congress, Washington, 1915, noted that the terms “tipo de cerro” and “tipo de montaña” had also been used, and suggested that “Archaic” was a more fitting term.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1959

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