Search

The site of Izapa, though famous for its unique "Izapan" style monuments, has lagged behind many other Mesoamerican centers in archaeological research. As revisions of important Mesoamerican chronologies are underway, Inomata and colleagues (2014) have questioned whether monument production at Izapa has been misplaced chronologically. This article applies new data from the Izapa Household Archaeology Project to assess Inomata and colleagues' (2014) proposal for a shift in the chronology at Izapa. It specifically assesses the chronology for the Formative to Classic period transition at Izapa, from 100 BC to AD 400, with new excavation data, ceramic cross-dating, and Bayesian modeling of AMS dates from the southern periphery of the site. These data generally support the chronology developed by Gareth Lowe following the 1960s excavations at the site, though a temporal overlap appears possible for the Terminal Formative Hato and Itstapa ceramic complexes. Although results do not support Inomata and colleagues' proposal for a shift in the Izapa chronology, ceramic cross-ties proposed between the Hato phase at Izapa and the Verbena phase at Kaminaljuyu support Inomata and colleagues' (2014) revision for the chronology of Kaminaljuyu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses archaeological research studying ordinary households to uncover the daily rhythms of ancient cities. Topics include research by archaeology graduate student Rebecca Mendelsohn from the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY) at the Mesoamerican Izapa site in Tapachula, Mexico, how mapping lost neighborhoods helps archaeologists see an ancient city through the eyes of its residents rather than its rulers, and the rarity of cities in ancient Mesoamerica.

I thank my colleagues for their comments, but I disagree with their conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rosenswig's discussion of the sculptural chronology of Izapa contains some inaccuracies that require correction. The dates of the monuments at Izapa also require further evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]