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HONDURAS IN EARLY POSTCLASSIC MESOAMERICA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2018

Rosemary A. Joyce Open the ORCID record for Rosemary A. Joyce [Opens in a new window]
Rosemary A. Joyce*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, Kroeber Hall #3710, Berkeley, California 94720-3710
*
E-mail correspondence to: rajoyce@berkeley.edu
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Abstract

Social groups in Honduras played a key role in regional developments between a.d. 800 and 1100, acting as the pivot in long-distance networks extending west as far as Tula, north to Chichen Itza, and south to Costa Rica. Understanding the role of Honduran settlements at this time has been obstructed by the lack of well-dated contexts from this period and the associated uncertainty about the development of the key Honduran ceramic type, Las Vegas Polychrome. This paper offers a definition of the distinctive features that characterize Las Vegas Polychrome, reviewing evidence supporting earlier dates than traditionally suggested for this type, as early as the emergence of any white-slipped polychrome in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. It summarizes evidence for a suite of luxuries consumed in conjunction with Las Vegas Polychrome, and points to the products most likely produced in Honduras for exchange with partners who provided these. Finally, the article considers the ideological, social, and political implications of changes in Honduran settlements where the new pottery was used.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , Spring 2019 , pp. 45 - 58
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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