Arenas: 1
Adela Arenas
Anth: 410
Prof. Rebecca Robertson
Research Review
May 12, 2014
Ancient Mesoamerica: A Comparison of Change in Three Regions
The topic is in Mesoamerica by focusing towards the Valley of Oaxaca, the Valley of
Mexico and the Eastern (Maya) Lowlands from archeology and ethnography methods. The
purpose of the book is to contribute to a better understanding of human behavior and cultural
evolution by interpreting some aspect of thirty centuries of change and continuity in the preHispanic societies of Mesoamerica. The readership of the book is more towards people that show
interest in pre-Hispanic civilization in Mexico as an example of cultural evolution, therefore the
literature has been rewritten and is called Ancient Mesoamerica: A Comparison of Change in
Three Regions, 2nd revised edition, Cambridge University Press. Blanton, Richard, 1994.
One of the many American authors of the book is Richard E. Blanton is a professor of
anthropology; Courtesy Faculty of Political Science, he received his PhD. in anthropology from
the University of Michigan in 1970 and joined the faculty at Purdue University in 1976. He
specialized in archaeology, economic anthropology, regional analysis, political anthropology,
cross-cultural analysis, theory. Another individual is Stephen A. Kowalewski Ph.D.
Anthropology, University of Arizona 1976. His expertise and interests in archaeology and
history of Mesoamerica and North America (especially Southeast and Southwest), regional-scale
anthropology, human ecology, economic anthropology, demography and systematic
archaeological surveys in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Georgia, United States. Gary Feinman has
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conducted archaeological field research in Oaxaca, Mexico, for more than 30 years. He has led
regional settlement pattern surveys in the Valley of Oaxaca and several smaller neighboring
valleys and directed excavation of Classic period (A.D. 200-800) houses at two sites. In 2008,
Gary completed excavations of pre-Hispanic houses at El Palmillo, a large hilltop terrace site in
the eastern Valley of Oaxaca. And in 2009, he began excavations at the Mitla Fortress, another
key site in the valley. He is the principal ceramic analyst for the team. An examination of ancient
economies is one key theme of this research, as is the nature of past sociopolitical organizations
and how they vary and change over time. But last and not least is Jill Appell, theirs information
about her but not as extended as the other males authors, she is the only female listed for the
book.
The author’s mention a historian called Will Durant that argues the best way to
understand human the nature of man is to observe human behavior as it has manifested itself
over the sixty centuries of history. The theoretical assumption is to offer a full scholarly study
and interpretation of Mesoamerica rich record of cultural evolution from its nomadic bands to the
settled communities of chiefdoms to state and empires. Another is about the societal linkage in
regards to settlement pattern with in the region. The explicitly is of the book it looking at the
time period from the earliest agriculture villages to the Spanish Conquest, including thirty
century span were changes that are among the most significant in the evolution of human
societies, such as the growth of centralized governments (Chiefdoms and states) , the rise of
market system cities, and highly stratified social system . The topic covers the cultural and
archeological perspective in Anthropology, concentrating in the Mesoamerican region. As well
as, coming to terms of understanding my own heritage of being a Mixtec Indigenous descendant
an in the Oaxaca region of current era, as well as, other natives in the region of Mexico.
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One of the problems that I come across the Anthropological filed is that is not necessary,
cover every aspect of subfields, for example, they do not incorporate linguistic as part of
understating the evolution of the region or the origin of understating the region in a more
contextual spectrum, the reason that I point out is that language has been used to tract cultural
evolution in interaction, similarities even roots of people. The research that the authors present is
Ethnographic and Archeological data from stratigraphy excavation , seriation of pottery types ,
cross-dating, historical accounts on literature, observations, census data, ethnohistoric documents,
physical anthropology, and environmental science. The tone of the authors uses to describe the
findings and writes its outcomes for viewers that are not particularly related to this reason or
have heritage about certain ethnic group. It gives concrete information that gives legitimate
accounts for those individuals that already have understanding of Mesoamerica, but want more
specific data from an archeological and ethnographic source.
In regards to the scholar reviews of this book, other authors mention areas in which the
subject matter and information are general or questionable. For example, the title "Ancient
Mesoamerica" might be a misnomer, since the book actually examines processes of change and
adaptation in three regions: the Valley of Oaxaca, the Valley of Mexico, and the eastern lowlands. In terms of major cultures, special emphasis is on the Mixtec and Zapotec (Valley of
Oaxaca), the Teotihuacan, Toltec, and Aztec (Valley of Mexico), and the lowland Maya (eastern
lowlands). Despite the ex- pertise that the authors display in dealing with such a diverse topic,
one might also point out that their main professional interests (particularly associated with the
long-term field projects) are connected with the Valley of Oaxaca, and their firsthand experience
of other areas is somewhat limited (Boškovik 247). Another scholar points out that Blanton and
his colleagues offer partial answers to many important questions of evolutionary processes in
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Mesoamerica, but I disagree with their assertion that questions of cultural or ethnic identity are
irrelevant "because the answers tell us very little about why people and their social systems
behave the way they do", for example, the ethnic homogeneity of the Valley of Oaxaca, where
Blanton et al. conducted their primary archaeological fieldwork, could very well explain much of
the behavior of the dominant Zapotec nobility with regard to their control of economic and
political institutions (Browne 713). Among other reviews that concern with the literature
capability of illustrating information of Mesoamerica, which in any literature there is bound to be
critiques or argument of the research.
It’s interesting that these groups of authors decided to learn about a culture, region,
which does not pertain to their own, especially from a western background, especially from
American anthropologist and that most it comes from a white-male perspective . As a nonEuropean heritage anthropologist, I’m skeptical on people that do not relate in any way by
ethnicity, cultural or language connections. As a Mexican, Indigenous belonging to the Valley of
Oaxaca, but born in the northern parts in what is known as America, I come to learn about my
heritage from family oral stories to a certain extent, going to my parent homeland and practicing
cultural behaviors in religious, traditions and Mixtec language as a young individual to present.
Therefore, I’m biased on how much of an impact they had in being participants by collecting
information of Mesoamerica. But at least there is a more information of Mesoamerica, that there
was not in the beginning, due to the author’s time and effort in dedicating their lives towards this
region.
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Work Cited
Blanton, Richard E., Stephen A. Kowalewski, Gary Feinman, and Jill Appel. Ancient
Mesoamerica: A Comparison of Change in Three Regions. New York: Cambridge UP,
1981. Print.
Boškovik, Aleksandar . Ancient Mesoamerica. A Comparison of Change in Three Regions by
Richard E. Blanton. Anthropos Institute. Anthropos, Bd. 90, H. 1./3. (1995), 247-248.
Browne M. David. Ancient Mesoamerica. A Comparison of Change in Three Regions by Richard
E. Blanton; Stephen A. Kowalewski; Gary M. Feinman; Laura M. Finsten. Society for
Latin American Studies (SLAS). Bulletin of Latin American Research, Vol. 13, No. 3
(Sep., 1994), 358-360.
Gruenbaum, Ellen . "CLA site main navigation." Directory. Purdue University, 1 Jan. 2014. Web.
12 May 2014. <http://www.cla.purdue.edu/anthropology/directory/?personid=976>.
"Gary M. Feinman Ph.D.." Expeditions. The Field Museum, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 9 May 2014.
<http://expeditions.fieldmuseum.org/zapotec-archaeology/gary-m-feinman-phd>.
"University of Georgia Department of Anthropology / Ecological and Environmental."
Kowalewski, Stephen. The University of Georgia-Franklin College of Art and Sciences ,
1 Jan. 2014. Web. 8 May 2014.
<http://anthropology.uga.edu/people/faculty/kowalewski_stephen/>.