A two-year project of survey, surface collection, and excavation on the hill of Cerro Danush within the site of Dainzú-Macuilxóchitl in Oaxaca, Mexico, was focused on identifying and characterizing the Late Classic (A.D. 600—850/900) and Early Postclassic (A.D. 850/900—1300) components of the site, which coincide with the political fragmentation and reorganization of complex society within the Valley of Oaxaca. The transition in sociopolitical organization from the Classic to Postclassic has been the subject of several research projects, but few, if any, have clearly identified an Early Postclassic settlement. A radiocarbon analysis of charcoal samples collected during the excavation of a residential complex on Cerro Danush reveals its most recent period of occupation to be between A.D. 1000 and 1300, placing it firmly within the Early Postclassic. The excavation data are contextualized with data from the surface collection, illuminating patterns of Late Classic political fragmentation and Early Postclassic household resilience. Since Dainzú-Macuilxóchitl emerged in the Late Postclassic (A.D. 1300—1521) as a powerful city-state, exploring its Early Postclassic component contributes to the study of how societies reorganize on a local level after the collapse of centralized authority, such as the Classic period Monte Albán state. Un proyecto de dos años con periodos de trabajo en campo, enfocados unos en la recolección de superficie y otros en excavaciones en Cerro Danush, dentro del sitio de Dainzú-Macuilxóchitl en Oaxaca, México, tuvo como meta identificar y caracterizar los componentes del Clásico Tardío (600—900 d.C.) y del Postclásico Temprano (900—1300 d.C.) del sitio, los cuales coinciden con la fragmentación y reorganización política de la sociedad compleja dentro del valle de Oaxaca. La transición en la organización socio-política del Clásico al Postclásico ha sido el tema de varios proyectos de investigación, pero pocos, si es que alguno, han podido identificar y definir claramente un asentamiento del Postclásico Temprano. El análisis radiocarbónico de las muestras de carbón recogidas durante la excavación de un complejo residencial en Cerro Danush revela que su periodo de ocupación más reciente ocurrió entre 900 y 1300 d.C., ubicando claramente a esa ocupación durante el Postclásico Temprano. Los datos de excavación se contextualizan con datos de la recolección de superficie, arrojando luz sobre los patrones de fragmentación política en el Clásico Tardío y la resistencia doméstica en el Postclásico Temprano. Puesto que Dainzú-Macuilxóchitl emergió en el Postclásico Tardío (1300—1521 d.C.) como una poderosa ciudad-estado, explorar su componente del Postclásico Temprano contribuye al estudio de cómo las sociedades se reorganizan localmente después del colapso de la autoridad centralizada, como ocurrió con el estado de Monte Albán del periodo Clásico.
Latin American Antiquity is a quarterly journal devoted to special reports on archaeology, prehistory, and ethnohistory in Mesoamerica, Central America, South America, and culturally related areas.
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Latin American Antiquity
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