Petrographic analysis of decorated ceramics from La Quemada, Zacatecas, Mexico

The hilltop center of La Quemada in the Malpaso Valley of Zacatecas, Mexico, was the focal point of one of several polities that developed along the northern frontier of Mesoamerica during the Epiclassic period (A.D. 500-900). Northern frontier polities are known to have interacted due to their shared material culture (i.e., patio-banquette complexes, colonnaded halls, and the exchange of obsidian and shell products), but the mechanism(s) of this interaction are not fully understood. Ceramic wares, such as red-on-buff, incised-engraved, and resist, are widely distributed across the northern frontier and provide a means of analyzing past social networks. Were decorated ceramics recovered from La Quemada local variations of a shared regional ideology or were some or all produced in other polities and consumed by La Quemada residents? This poster begins to answer this question by reporting on a petrographic analysis of decorated ceramics recovered from La Quemada. The results of the analysis include the description of a series of paste groups of likely local or, in the case of the rare decorated types, possibly nonlocal origin. Ultimately, the proportion and distribution of nonlocal ceramics within La Quemada will help to establish one component of the northern frontier social network.