Prehispanic adaptation in the ixtapalapa region, Mexico

Area of Science:

• Archaeology and Anthropology
• Prehispanic Sociocultural Dynamics
• Settlement Pattern Analysis

Background:

• The Ixtapalapa Peninsula region exhibits significant changes in Prehispanic settlement patterns and societal structures.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for reconstructing the broader history of the Valley of Mexico.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate hypotheses on sociocultural change and adaptation in the Ixtapalapa Peninsula during the Prehispanic era.
• To analyze the impact of agricultural developments and urban centers on settlement and social differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Intensive survey of Prehispanic settlements in the Ixtapalapa Peninsula.
• Formulation of hypotheses based on accumulated survey data.
• Analysis of settlement patterns in relation to environmental zones and periods (Formative, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Aztec).

Main Results:

• Early/Middle Formative: Low population, settlements near lakeshore plain.
• Later periods: Population increase, colonization of piedmont zone, enhanced status differentiation due to land access and exchange networks.
• Terminal Formative: Rise of large-scale irrigation systems (e.g., Teotihuacan); Teotihuacan and Tula dominated peripheries extractively, leading to rural population decline.
• Aztec period: Widespread urban centers, intensive symbiosis, chinampas, leading to peak population density.

Conclusions:

• Sociocultural change was driven by agricultural innovation, environmental exploitation, and the rise and fall of dominant urban centers.
• Centralized powers like Teotihuacan and Tula exerted extractive control, impacting rural populations and exchange networks.
• The Aztec period represents a culmination of adaptive strategies, achieving the highest Prehispanic population density through integrated urbanism and agriculture.