The Isthmus and the Valley of Oaxaca: Questions about Zapotec Imperialism in Formative Period Mesoamerica

Recent archaeological and epigraphic research suggests the existence of what could be Mesoamerica's first conquest state, centered at Monte Albán, the major Late Formative period Zapotec site in the Valley of Oaxaca. This paper explores the idea of an early Zapotec empire by examining evidence...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American antiquity 1990-04, Vol.55 (2), p.250-261
Main Author: Zeitlin, Robert N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American civilisations
Americas
Antiquities
Archaeology
Art and archaeology
Aztec culture
Central Mexico
Civil-military relations
Economic models
Ethnology
Formative period
Highlands
Imperialism
Lowlands
Mexico
Mexico and Central America civilisations
Paleoanthropology
Political activity
Politics
Polities
Pottery
Valleys
Zapotec
Zapotecs
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Summary:Recent archaeological and epigraphic research suggests the existence of what could be Mesoamerica's first conquest state, centered at Monte Albán, the major Late Formative period Zapotec site in the Valley of Oaxaca. This paper explores the idea of an early Zapotec empire by examining evidence from one of Monte Albán's outlying regions, the southern Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The study is framed in terms of three hypothetical models of political and economic interaction, any one or combination of which could conceivably account for ancient Zapotec relationships with the southern Isthmus and its other hinterland regions.
ISSN:0002-7316
2325-5064
DOI:10.2307/281646