The Xolalpan-prado Transition

The Xolalpan to Prado-Corral Transition at the Upper Basin of Rio El Marques, Tula Region, Hidalgo1 Laura Rodríguez Cano (INAH/ENAH), Patricia Fournier (INAH/ENAH), and Alfonso Torres Rodriguez (ENAH) Abstract In this paper we present the results of surface surveys in settlements dating to the Classic period, located in the northwestern fringe of the Tula region. We briefly discuss the dynamics of Classic communities during Xhiti phase (1- 350-400 a. d), their relationship with the Teotihuacan sociopolitical system represented by the provincial center of Chingu, and focus on the regional sociopolitical developments and material correlates dating to the Atlan phase (350-400-600 a.d) and the transition to the Coyotlatelco Prado-Corral phase.

At the Tula region, based on our surveys and independent studies,

numerous

Classic

period

settlements

and

small

archaeological sites have been located, mostly concentrated in the southern portion of the Tula Valley and to the northeast, particularly in the area of the Upper Basin of the

El

Marqués

illustrate

River.

Classic

The

results

processes,

and

of

serve

these as

a

surveys basis

to

define a new occupational phase with ceramics of local tradition that are contemporaneous with the Late Xolalpan and Metepec phases.

Teotihuacan hegemony in the Tula region (1 AD to 350/400 AD) During the first part of the Classic period (1 AD to 350/400 AD) the populations that settled in the southern

1 Ponencia presentada el 22 de marzo en Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), Denver, E.U.

1

portion of the Tula region were tied closely to the statelevel

economic

and

socio-political

system

developed

by

Teotihuacan. During the Tzacualli to Tlamimilolpa Phases, a rapid growth in the number of sites with a high population density

can

be

observed

related

to

each

other

in

a

hierarchical network of settlements, possibly reflecting the

hierarchical

character

of

the

administrative

and

economic system of Teotihuacan. The presence of different local centers is particularly relevant, while in the Tula Valley Chingú, the largest center located in the south, may be

considered

materials

a

from

regional this

capital.

period,

as

Lithic

well

as

and

ceramic

architectural

features, construction materials, and the actual outline of the

principal

these

sites,

communities

socio-political

evidence

and

their

system

of

a

perfect

regional

integration

capitals

Teotihuacan;

into

although

of the

local

elements are present during this period, they appear in low frequencies. The integration of the southern portion of the Tula region into this system may represent the northern fringe of Teotihuacan´s direct administrative control in the arid lands of Mesoamerica. Numerous settlements dating to this period have been registered in the Tula region, located in the Tepetitlán, Chapantongo, and Amealco Valleys. These Early Classic sites are

strongly

linked

to

the

socioeconomic

reproduction

structures of the Teotihuacan system at least from the Early

Tlamimilolpa

to

the

Early

Xolalpan

phases,

our

regional Xithí Phase. The ceramic complex is similar to those coeval in the Basin of Mexico. At Xithí sites, the most abundant Tlamimilolpa types imported from Teotihuacan exhibit

service

vessels,

evidence

of

a

strong

domestic

component integrating the region into Teotihuacan’s ceramic sphere. Bowls and tripod vases with flaring and outcurved sides are abundant in our collections; some of the vessels 2

present nubbin supports. Polished Monochrome wares, mostly brown, and Bi-chrome Red on Natural wares with pattern polishing and occasionally with incising that outlines the painted designs dominate the assemblage. Monochrome black bowls with everted rim, flat base, and nubbin supports are also common; monochrome brown bowls with flaring sides, and high-neck globular ollas with pattern polishing are also part of the ceramic complex. Early Xolalpan Painted Wares include

vessels

with

flaring

sides

bathed

in

deep

red

specular hematite paint. Thin

Orange

settlements

has

been

although

in

identified different

in

most

of

proportions.

the

Central

centers such as El Huizachal, El Mogote San Bartolo, and Chingú, and some secondary sites such as PS15 and Loma Encinillas present high frequencies of this ware. Thick, regular

and

eggshell

Thin

Orange

are

part

of

the

assemblages. The most frequent form is the hemispherical bowl with ring base, incised on the exterior surface. The types of local manufacture, also abundant, include basically vessel forms for food storage and preparation, and for water transport and storage. At Chingú, Clara Luz Díaz (1980) reports that local manufactures account for slightly more than 20% of the collected surface materials; this

percentage

increases

significantly

during

the

following phase. The most common vessel forms dating to the Xithí Phase include red-slipped ollas, jars, and amphorae, the latter with tall neck and flat, convex or occasionally cone-shaped base (El Calvario Monochrome Red or Bruno Red at Chingú). These locally produced and consumed wares evidence that local developmental factors were already in process. In addition to ceramics, lithics characteristic of the distribution

and

exchange

networks 3

associated

with

Teotihuacan are abundant; most artifacts are made of green obsidian

from

Sierra

de

las

Navajas,

a

source

whose

exploitation apparently was controlled by Teotihuacan. Classic

period

materials

are

also

present

in

the

northern zone of the Tula region, although to a lesser degree

than

Apparently,

at

sites

the

located

settlement

in

the

pattern

southern

consisted

portion.

mostly

of

small, disperse and possibly late villages and hamlets, except for San José Atlán, which may have been a central center. This pattern contrasts with the relatively high population density, temporal depth and complex hierarchical system for the southern populations linked to Teotihuacan. The Atlán Phase in the Upper Basin of the El Marqués River (450 AD a 550 AD) Towards the end of the Classic period, coeval with the Late Xolalpan and Metepec phases (ca. 450-600 AD), ceramics and

lithics

evidence

a

general

trend

to

regional

developments. There is an emphasis on the production of local

materials,

which

contrasts

with

the

previous

integration into the Teotihuacan hegemony. This regional scenario,

motivated

perhaps

by

a

change

in

the

core-

periphery control strategies, or by a disruption of the hegemonic system on the eve of the demise of Teotihuacan, led to the development of local socio-political units that possibly

started

to

compete

with

Chingú,

the

former

provincial center. This phase, known as the Atlán phase in the regional sequence, is characterized by the development of a local settlement hierarchical system, and possibly local ruling lineages controlled the region. Nevertheless, motifs and symbols

of

the

new

power

structures

are

derived

from

Teotihuacan´s iconography and symbolism. Clay figurines, stone sculptures, and architectural styles at sites located 4

northeast of the Tula Valley (sub-basin of the El Marqués River), evidence this trend. Among

the

most

representative

local

materials

are

Monochrome Polished Wares, either in brown or red. Vessel forms include upright vases and bowls with flaring walls and

nubbin

scratch

or

rounded

incising

and

conical

supports;

occasionally

they

basal

exhibit

grooving

on

exterior walls (San Bartolo Brown Sgraffito and La Presa Red

Sgraffito).

Red

on

Natural

Wares

consist

of

hemispherical bowls with convex base or ring base, painted with

triangular

blotches

and

(Atlán

simple

line

Red/Brown

motifs,

equivalent

or to

with

red

Florentino

Red/Brown of the Metepec Phase in Chingú). Polished Wares also include craters, ollas and plates of the Apolonio Rugoso type, and hemispherical bowls with ring base,

decorated

with

zonal

burnishing,

similar

to

the

Metepec materials of Teotihuacan. In addition, there are monochrome brown or red ollas, amphorae, jars, and craters; these

vessel

Monochrome

forms

Red

also

type,

present

having

red

a

long

slip,

El

Calvario

sequence,

first

appearing during the Xithí Phase, and are equivalent to the type Bruno Red from Chingú. There are also richly adorned, mold-made figurines with rear supports that follow the iconographic and stylistic guidelines of Teotihuacan examples. Trends towards regional development are also reflected in lithic industries. Silex and fine-grained basalt were exploited

at

scrapers,

the

processing

of

local

sources

latter agave

to

manufacture

possibly

fibers

to

associated

manufacture

flakes

and

with

the

textiles.

At

Atlán phase sites, there is a decrease in the use of green obsidian, presumably distributed through Chingú, while gray obsidian

probably

from

Ucareo 5

forms

the

bulk

of

the

collections, consisting of prismatic blades and projectile points. At the Amealco-Sayula zone and at the Upper sub-basin of El Marqués River, survey results evidence the conformation of a

local settlement unit dating mainly to this phase,

centered in the San Bartolo Ozocalpan and Presa El Marqués settlements. These sites present monumental architecture, spatial

distribution

of

features

and

general

layout

reminiscent of those at Teotihuacan, also identified at Chingú.

At

Presa

El

Marqués

red

volcanic

tezontle

was

employed as construction material, while floors are similar to pavements from Teotihuacan. The central settlement is located

on

a

wide

strip

of

alluvial

lands,

and

is

surrounded by at least ten residential sites (Los Cuartos Ozocalpan,

El

Salto,

El

Marqués,

Norte

Arroyo

San

Sebastián, Rancho Nuevo, El Galván, Estación Encinillas, Ladera Sur Cerro Cinzhá, Loma Encinillas and Zimapantongo) mainly scattered in neighboring hillsides. Three categories of settlements have been located: 1) small agricultural communities that cover between 1 and 2

hectares,

with

one

or

more

residential

compounds

located on low hills close to streams. 2) Medium sized local capitals (El Mogote San Bartolo y Presa el Marqués), covering between 20 and 30 hectares (El Huizachal y El Calvario), and between 80 to 100 hectares (El

Mogote

y

Villagrán)

with

several

small

satellites.

These sites are located close to streams, basalt quarries and clay deposits. The Mogote San Bartolo covers 1 km2, which is approximately one third of the maximum size of Chingú, a change compared to the earlier 1:10 size proportion for central and dependent settlements of the previous phase. This relative increase in size of the political units possibly is related to local 6

economic

developments,

symbolic

and

although

stylistic

schemes

the

reproduction

shared

with

of

Teotihuacan

continues. 3) Regional centers, represented by Chingú, covering 254 hectares

during

Xolalpan

and

the

Xithí

Metepec

Phase.

phases

mark

Ceramics an

of

abrupt

the

Late

decline

of

Teotihuacan´s presence at the site, since imported wares form approximately 4% of the surface collections while the abundant local complex forms 20% (with the types Florentino Red on Brown, Apolonio Rugoso, and Bruno Red, part of the Atlán complex). During the Late Xolalpan Phase, Chingú is still the largest site in the region, covering almost two square kilometers. The settlement possibly competed with the

emerging

local

capitals

located

in

the

El

Marqués

Valley. In spite of the decrease of its population, Chingu continues

with

its

specialized

production

activities,

including the distribution of green obsidian blades and the manufacture

of

traditions. surface

domestic

However,

vessels

Metepec

assemblages,

while

inspired

ceramics the

form

sites

in

Oaxacan

about

located

1%

of

northeast

continue with a high population density and with local developments The Late Xolalpan/Metepec-Prado/Corral Transition Local dynamics leading to the regional development of political units are consolidated during the Atlán Phase, at the

expense

of

the

Teotihuacan’s

political

control

mechanisms. This trend eventually led to the rise of new socio-political units during the Epiclassic. At Late Xolalpan-Metepec sites, local manufactures and new imports replace artifacts and raw materials previously distributed by Teotihuacan. For example, local fine-grained basalt obsidian

is

exploited is

replaced

to by

produce gray 7

scrapers obsidian

while possibly

green from

Michoacan sources, as well as black volcanic glass. These materials

possibly

arrived

in

the

region

through

new

exchange networks. Concerning ceramics, service and domestic vessels were produced locally, while appear

in

low

imported wares such as Thin Orange

frequencies.

Thus,

most

service

vessels

previously distributed by Teotihuacan are replaced by local manufactures during the Atlán phase. Settlement founded,

pattern

several

also

change,

earlier

centers

since

new

sites

are

and

El

(Huizachal

Calvario) are abandoned, while some are still occupied and apparently their population increases. This pattern shows a regional demographic reorganization and the rise of a new control centers, particularly in The Upper Basin of El Marqués River Basin. At his zone, San Bartolo Ozocalpan, probably founded since Tzacualli times, may have rivaled Chingú. The size and hierarchical organization of the sites is transformed. There is an increase in the number and size of the new second-level population units. In

the

demographic

and

economic

realms,

local

developments substitute the Teotihuacan hierarchical and hegemonic

network,

although

symbolic

and

political

production still shows Teotihuacan´s imprint. Construction techniques,

spatial

patterning,

and

styles

continue,

as

well as the production of symbolic elements such as clay figurines and stone sculptures, which partially reproduce Teotihuacan´s hegemonic discourse, for example with

the

presence of the storm god, the Xolalpan style portrait-type figurines, and sculptures of the old god of fire. The populations of the Upper Basin of El Marqués River and

presumably

those

living

in

the

Tula

Valley,

were

trapped in a dichotomy between new political and economic 8

regional

developments

slowly

substituting

previous

ties

with Teotihuacan mediated by Chingú, and trends towards the reproduction justified

of

elite

the

symbolic

political

Teotihuacan

and

ritual

discourse

power.

that

Teotihuacan

looses power in the Tula region although elite symbolic and political reproduction material correlates show that local elites assimilate and reproduce the hegemonic discourse of a state in decline. Some of the symbolic elements derived from Teotihuacan, will prevail among Epiclassic populations of

the

Tula

region,

who

will

organize

new

sociopolitical units between 600 and 900 AD.

9

independent