Table Of ContentMuseum of Anthropology, University of Michigan
Memoirs, Number 45
Prehispanic Settlement Patterns in the
Northwestern Valley of Mexico
The Zumpango Region
Jeffrey R. Parsons
with contributions by Larry J. Gorenflo,
Mary H. Parsons, and David J. Wilson
Ann Arbor, Michigan
2008
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ISBN 978-1-951519-81-0 (ebook)
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'Dedicated to tfie memory of
Wi{fiam T. Sanders (1926-2oo8):
mentor, co{{eague, friend, and a source
of insyiration for near{y fifty years.
Contents
LIST OF TABLES, vii
LIST OF FIGURES, viii
LIST OF PLATES, Xi
PREFACE, xvii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, xviii
CHAPTER l. INTRODUCTION, ]
Overall Scope and Objectives, I
The First Valley of Mexico Conference, 1960, I
Working Out the Survey Methodology, 1960-1964,2
A Critique, 6
The Organization of this Monograph, 8
CHAPTER 2. THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, 9
The Zumpango Region in the Valley of Mexico, 9
Environmental Zones in the Zumpango Region, I 0
Modern and Historic Climate in the Zumpango Region, 14
Paleoclimatological Studies, 25
CHAPTER 3. THE HISTORICALLY DOCUMENTED OCCUPATION OF THE ZUMPANGO REGION:
SIXTEENTH THROUGH TWENTIETH CENTURIES, 29
Introduction, 29
The Twentieth Century, 29
The Zumpango Region on the Eve of Spanish Conquest, 33
The Colonial Period (1521-1810), 36
The Nineteenth Century, 44
Summary and Conclusions, 48
CHAPTER 4. FIELD AND LABORATORY METHODOLOGY, 51
Surface Conditions-Potentials and Problems for Regional Surface Survey in the Zumpango
Region, 51
Survey Methodology, 52
Laboratory Procedures in Mexico, 57
Laboratory Procedures in Ann Arbor, 58
Site Classification, 58
Chronology, 60
CHAPTER 5. THE PATTERNING OF SETTLEMENT, by J.R. Parsons and L.J. Gorenflo, 61
Trends in Numbers of Sites, Numbers of Occupied Hectares, and Population, 61
Occupation by Environmental Zone, 77
Occupation by Site Type, 83
The Spatial Configuration of Settlement, 84
Overall Summary and Conclusions, 96
v
CHAPTER 6. FuTURE RESEARCH NEEDS, 101
Chronology, 101
Stylistic Variability in Coeval Regional Ceramic Assemblages within and around the Valley
of Mexico, 101
Geoarchaeological Study, 101
Paleoclimatological Study, 102
Definition of Settlement Systems, 102
More Attention to Lithics, 102
Study of Lime Resources, 102
Study of Aquatic Resources, 102
Study of Water-Control Technology, 102
Investigation of Pre-Formative and Aceramic ("Off-Site") Occupation, 103
Extending Regional Surveys into the Pachuca Region, 103
Maintenance and Restudy of Curated Collections, 103
Can We Proceed in the Face of Massive Site Destruction and Landscape Transformation?, 104
CHA!YfER 7. RESUMEN EN EsPAJ\JOL DE LOS PRJNCIPALES CoNCLUSIONEs, translated by A.H. Parsons, 105
BIBLIOGRAPHY, 109
APPENDIX A. THE SITE DESCRIPTIONS, by J.R. Parsons, M.H. Parsons, and D.J. Wilson, 119
Late Formative Site, 120
Terminal Formative Sites, 120
Classic Sites, 131
Early Toltec Sites, 170
Late Toltec Sites, 189
Aztec Sites, 255
APPENDIX B. CERAMIC CHRONOLOGY, by J.R. Parsons, MH. Parsons, and D.J. Wilson, 349
The Late Formative, 349
Terminal Formative (Tzacualli Phase), 350
Classic, 356
Early Toltec, 371
Late Toltec, 378
Early and Late Aztec, 389
vi
Tables
2.1. Environmental zones in the Zumpango Region, 14
2.2. Environmental zones of meteorological stations, 18
2.3. Average monthly rainfall for Zumpango and Tula, 18
2.4. Average monthly rainfall for Pachuca, Tizayuca, and Teoloyucan, 18
2.5. Total annual rainfall for Teoloyucan, Pachuca, Tizayuca, Tula, Hueypoxtla, and Huehuetoca, 18
2.6. Monthly rainfall for Pachuca, 19
2.7. Monthly rainfall for Tizayuca, 20
2.8. Monthly rainfall for Tula, 21
2.9. Monthly rainfall for Apaxco, 21
2.10. Monthly rainfall for Cuautitlan, 21
2.11. Monthly rainfall for Huehuetoca, 22
2.12. Monthly rainfall for Hueypoxtla, 23
2.13. Monthly rainfall for Teoloyucan, 24
2. 14. Monthly rainfall for Tepotzotlan, 25
2.15. Monthly rainfall forTequixquiac, 26
2.16. Monthly rainfall for Zumpango, 26
2.17. Years with rainfall shortfalls during planting and growing season, 27
2.18. Reported frosts during April, May, June, and August, 27
3.1. Modern settlement populations in the Zumpango Region, 30
3.2. Modern (1960) settlements: environmental contexts and demography, 32
3.3. Modern and prehispanic population densities, 33
3.4. Comparison of modern and prehispanic settlement/site population densities, 34
3.5. Tribute paid to the Triple Alliance from the Hueypuchtla province, 35
3.6. Population of the Citlaltepec jurisdiction, 44
3.7. Number of Indian tributaries in the Citlaltepec jurisdiction, 44
3.8. Surface areas of lakes in the Valley of Mexico in the early nineteenth century, 45
3.9. Lake surface areas and water depths in 1861, 45
3.10. Lake measurements in 1866,46
3.11. Modern communities listed and not listed in sixteenth-century documents, 48
4.1. Zumpango Region surveyed area, 57
4.2. Prehispanic chronology in the Zumpango Region, 60
5 .1. Summary of number of sites, occupied hectares, and population, 62
5.2. Population densities at different periods in the Zumpango Region compared with overall
densities for other surveyed regions in the Valley of Mexico, 62
5.3. Expected and actual population, and population density, by environmental zone, 82
5.4. Number of sites by environmental zone in the Zumpango Region, 82
5.5. Number of occupied hectares by environmental zone in the Zumpango Region, 82
5.6. Numbers and percentages of sites in each site type in the Zumpango Region, 85
5.7. Percentages of numbers of hamlets, villages, and centers in the Zumpango Region, 85
5.8. Numbers and percentages of occupied hectares in each site type in the Zumpango Region, 85
5.9. Percentages of occupied hectares in hamlets, villages, and centers in the Zumpango Region, 86
5.10. Numbers and percentages of population in each site type in the Zumpango Region, 86
5 .11. Percentages of population in hamlets, villages, and centers in the Zumpango Region, 86
5.12. Comparison of percentages of site types in Zumpango Region and Valley of Mexico, 87
5.13. Comparison of percentages of populations in different site types, 87
AI. Summary of Zumpango Region site data, 335
vii
Figures
1.1. Mesoamerica, 2
1.2. The Valley of Mexico, showing principal towns, 3
1.3. The Valley of Mexico, showing the Zumpango Region and other surveyed regions, 4
1.4. The Zumpango Region, showing its position between greater Mexico City and the Tula
Region, 5
2.1. Internal drainage basins in the Mexican Mesa Central, 10
2.2. The Zumpango Region, showing survey borders and modern cultural features, 11
2.3. Environmental zones in the Zumpango Region, 12
2.4. Geomorphic elevated zones along the north shore of Lake Xaltoca.n-Zumpango, 13
2.5. Rainfall isohyets of average annual rainfall in the Valley of Mexico, 17
3.1. The Zumpango Region, showing modern settlements, 31
3.2. Enrico Martinez's map of the Valley of Mexico in 1628,37
4.1. Two members of a survey crew, 54
4.2. Recording information on the 1:5000 airphoto, 54
4.3. A conversation with local people, 55
4.4. Encounter with a territorial dog, 55
4.5. Surface collecting, 56
5.1. Prehispanic population profile in the Zumpango Region, 63
5.2. Early Formative occupation in the Valley of Mexico, 64
5.3. Middle Formative occupation in the Valley of Mexico, 65
5.4. Late Formative occupation in the Zumpango Region, 66
5.5. Late Formative occupation in the Valley of Mexico, 67
5.6. Terminal Formative occupation in the Zumpango Region, 68
5.7. Terminal Formative occupation in the Valley of Mexico, 69
5.8. Classic occupation in the Zumpango Region, 70
5.9. Classic occupation in the Valley of Mexico, 71
5.10. Early Toltec occupation in the Zumpango Region, 73
5.11. Early Toltec occupation in the Valley of Mexico, 74
5.12. Late Toltec occupation in the Zumpango Region, 75
5.13. Late Toltec occupation in the Valley of Mexico, 76
5.14. Late Aztec occupation in the Zumpango Region, 78
5.15. Late Aztec occupation in the Valley of Mexico, 79
5 .16. Prehispanic population densities in the Valley of Mexico over time, 80
5.17. Population density in 1 x 1 km cells in the Zumpango Region, 81
5.18. Histogram of Terminal Formative site area in the Zumpango Region, 87
5.19. Histogram of Classic site area in the Zumpango Region, 88
5.20. Histogram of Early Toltec site area in the Zumpango Region, 88
5.21. Histogram of Late Toltec site area in the Zumpango Region, 91
5.22. Distribution of Aztec II-III Black/Orange pottery in the Zumpango Region, 93
5.23. Histogram of Late Aztec site area in the Zumpango Region, 94
5.24. Histogram of Late Aztec site population in the Zumpango Region, 95
5.25. Distribution of Aztec IV Black/Orange pottery in the Zumpango Region, 97
5.26. Areas of population loss and gain from one period to another in the Zumpango Region, 98
viii
AI. Map of Late Formative sites in the Zumpango Region, 121
A2. Map of Terminal Formative sites in the Zumpango Region, 123
A3. Map of Classic sites in the Zumpango Region, 132
A4. Map of Early Toltec sites in the Zumpango Region, 171
A5a. Zu-ET-12, sketch plan of ceremonial-civic core of site, 176
ASb . Zu-ET-12, sketch plan of Feature CH plaza area, 177
A5c. Zu-ET-12, sketch plan of Feature BW complex, 178
A6a. Zu-ET-12, sketch plan and profile of Feature BK complex, 178
A6b. Zu-ET-12, sketch plan of Feature BU complex, 179
A 7. Map of Late Toltec sites in the Zumpango Region, 190
A8. Map of Aztec sites in the Zumpango Region, 256
A9. Zu-Az-36, sketch plan of base of structure at Feature AQ, 265
AIO. Zu-Az-47, sketch plan of site areas, 269
B 1. Late Formative Red and Plain ware shouldered bowls, 351
B2. Late Formative Plainware ollas with flaring necks, and bowl-basin, 352
B3. Terminal Formative Plainware simple bowls and Plainware shouldered bowls, 353
B4. Terminal Formative (Tzacualli phase) Plainware wedge-rim ollas, 354
BS. Terminal Formative Plainware wedge-rim and flaring-rim ollas, 355
B6. Classic Red/Buff hemispherical bowls, 356
B7. Classic Red/Buff flaring-rim bowls, 357
B8. Classic Red/Buff flaring-rim bowls, no rim sherds, 358
B9. Classic Red/Buff flaring-rim bowls, 359
B 10. Classic Monochrome hemispherical bowls, 360
B11. Classic Monochrome bowls with flaring rims, 361
B 12. Classic Monochrome ollas with slight-everted rims, 362
B 13. Classic Monochrome ollas with medium-everted rims, 363
B 14. Classic Monochrome ollas with wide-everted rims, 364
B 15. Classic Utilitarian Ware, Red/Buff olla/basins, 365
B 16. Classic Utilitarian Ware, Red/Buff olla/basins, 366
B 17. Classic Utilitarian Ware, Monochrome basins, 368
B 18. Classic Utilitarian Ware, comales and Rose-on-Granular, 369
Bl9. Classic Specialty Ware, Thin Orange, 369
B20. Classic Specialty Ware, censer flange and figurines, 370
B2l. Classic Specialty Ware, Monochrome Matte bowls, 370
B22. Early Toltec Service Ware, Monochrome bowls, 371
B23. Early Toltec Service Ware, Red/Buff bowls (Coyotlatelco), 373
B24. Early Toltec Service Ware, Red/Buff bowls (Coyotlatelco), 374
B25. Early Toltec Utilitarian Ware, beveled-rim basins with scraped exterior, 375
B26. Early Toltec Utilitarian Ware, wedge-rim ollas, 376
B27. Early Toltec Utilitarian everted-rim ollas, 377
B28. Early Toltec Utilitarian Ware, low-neck, rolled-rim ollas, 378
B29. Late Toltec Service Ware, Monochrome bowls, 380
B30. Late Toltec Service Ware, Red/Buff bowls, wide-band variant, 381
B31. Late Toltec Service Ware, Red/Buff bowls, wavy-line variant, 382
ix
