Regional-level exchange in Postclassic Central Mexico

• Published in: Journal of anthropological archaeology 2018-06, Vol.50, p.40-53
• Main Author: Huster, Angela C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aztec; Ceramics; Exchange; Market systems; Postclassic Central Mexico
• ISSN: 0278-4165; 1090-2686
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2018.02.003

•Three hypotheses for Postclassic Central Mexican market systems are evaluated.•Ceramics from three regions are used to compare interregional trade.•Market systems developed independently from the Aztec Empire.•Market development involved both bottom-up demand and elite promotion. This article uses evidence of regional-scale ceramic exchange to evaluate three proposed causal factors (Aztec imperial expansion, bottom-up demand, and elite competition) for the development of the market-based economy of Postclassic Central Mexico. The factors used to evaluate these models may be applied more widely to other cases of market development. Using previously published datasets, I compare the quantities and diversities of non-local ceramics from sites in the Basin of Mexico, Morelos, and the Toluca Valley regions of central highland Mexico across the Middle (CE 1150–1350) and Late (CE 1350–1521) Postclassic periods. The results show that the highest proportion of trade occurs under Aztec rule, and is dominated by ceramics exported out of the Basin of Mexico. However, areas outside the Basin of Mexico have higher numbers of trading partners, and these ties are well developed during the Middle Postclassic. These results provide partial support for both bottom-up demand and elite competition as causal factors for market development. This article also demonstrates the continued utility of legacy data and emphasizes the need to make basic data sets available for new analyses.