Peter KROEFGES - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Peter KROEFGES

Research paper thumbnail of Estudio petrográfico de materiales pétreos naturales y artificiales de estructuras arqueológicas del sitio de Tanute (Valle de Oxitipa, S.L.P., México)

Se agradece al Ing. Erasmo Mata del Instituto de Geologia de la Universidad Autonoma de San Luis ... more Se agradece al Ing. Erasmo Mata del Instituto de Geologia de la Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi por la elaboracion de las laminas delgadas. Se agradece tambien, al Dr. Marco Rojas, por su asesoria y accesibilidad para el uso del aula de microscopia en Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

Research paper thumbnail of El problema del tiempo en los estudios huaxtequistas

The northeastern corner of Mesoamerica is historically known as the Huastec region. In Prehispani... more The northeastern corner of Mesoamerica is historically known as the Huastec region. In Prehispanic times, a distinctive set of artistic expressions characterized this area; most prominent are stone sculptures and ceramic vessels that define the region archaeologically. However, most of these objects come from century-old looting activities and uncontrolled excavations. The region received its name from the once dominant indigenous group – speakers of a Maya-related language, Teenek. The Aztecs called them Cuexteca, today Huastecs. This article discusses how notions of time have constituted a problematic issue for the study of Huastec culture history. There are etic and emic problems. From an etic perspective, we are interested in how historically inclined disciplines identify Huastec presence in the region through their material remains and language patterns. From an emic point of view, we discuss the evidence for time conceptions developed and used by the ancient society, such as a...

Research paper thumbnail of El ‘tiempo’ en Latinoamérica colonial. Aproximaciones interdisciplinarias a la historia de un concepto (trans-)cultural

This dossier pursues an interdisciplinary framework to study the notion of "time" in th... more This dossier pursues an interdisciplinary framework to study the notion of "time" in the Latin American colonial contact zone from the 15 th to the 18 th century, from etic and emic perspectives.

Research paper thumbnail of Ensayo introductorio: El tiempo en los estudios americanistas. Enfoques temáticos, conceptos y metodologiás de análisis desde la perspectiva de la arqueología

Archaeologists observe the development of humanity through changes in material culture in the arc... more Archaeologists observe the development of humanity through changes in material culture in the archaeological context. The passage of time is measured, for example, based on changes in raw materials used (three-age system), on transformations in the shape of artifacts (type), on the relative position of objects in excavations (stratigraphy) or on physico-chemical changes in the materials themselves (e.g., carbon 14, thermoluminescence). The dates and chronologies generated in this way are, almost entirely, expressions of a linear conception of time that is unidirectional and static, while not necessarily adequately representing the cultural processes under investigation, and even less the perspective of people living in the past. The objective of this paper is to highlight some of the conceptual problems encountered and provide theoretical references for a discussion of time management and periodization in archaeology, using the example of Prehispanic Mesoamerican chronology.

Research paper thumbnail of Archaeological Investigations in the Río Huamelula Valley: Settlement History and Material Culture in Southeastern Oaxaca Mexico

In contrast to traditional stereotypes of the prehispanic culture of the Chontals of Oaxaca, arch... more In contrast to traditional stereotypes of the prehispanic culture of the Chontals of Oaxaca, architectural sites and artifacts along the Pacific coast indicate that there were more complex societies, well integrated into southeastern Mesoamerican networks of socio-cultural, economic and political interaction. This research presents the results of surface surveys and test excavations at the Rio Huamelula, District of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca (southeastern Mexico), conducted by the author in 2001. The pottery classification aims at reconstructing the settlement chronology of the area from the Classic to the early Colonial periods, c. A.D. 300-1600. Stylistic traits of ball-game-related artifacts, sculptural art, pottery, and architecture, as well as obsidian composition analysis all point to an intensive socio-cultural and economic exchange between the prehispanic communities along the southeastern Oaxaca coast and other Mesoamerican societies. The ethno-linguistic identity of the Classic-period occupants of the Rio Huamelula valley remains enigmatic. The archaeological remains of two Postclassic Chontal villages, Huamelula and Astata, however, exhibit a socio-economic complexity contradicting the colonial characterization of Chontal culture. They further demonstrate a settlement continuity that, overall, reaches back into the Classic period and has lasted up to the present day.

Research paper thumbnail of Ensayo introductoria: El tiempo en los estudios americanistas. enfoques temáticos, conceptos y metodologías de análisis desde la perspectiva de la arqueología

Research paper thumbnail of Prehispanic and Colonial Chontal Communities on the Eastern Oaxaca Coast on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest

Bridging the Gaps: Integrating Archaeology and History in Oaxaca, Mexico; A Volume in Memory of Bruce E. Byland, 2015

A major problem has been to bridge the gap between the peoples who are identified by Spanish and ... more A major problem has been to bridge the gap between the peoples who are identified by Spanish and Indian documentary records and those who are known to us only through the ruins of their buildings and the broken elements of their material culture which have survived.-Vaillant 1937:324 The would-be correlator faces the problem of a genuine "gap" between the emphasis in the native traditions on political and dynastic history and the sequent modifications in artifact form which are the chief concern of the excavator. .. The problem is to bridge this gap, to tie the two kinds of history together at key points, to integrate the two sets of data in a meaningful synthesis.-Nicholson 1955:596 Los avances que se han hecho y los que están por hacerse, descansan en la confluencia conciente y coordinadora de dos disciplinas. .. esta recreación del acercamiento antropológico unificado, que llena la brecha entre disciplinas, es la ola del futuro. En la medida en que nuestras tareas estén coordinadas, en esa medida podremos aprender.-Byland and Pohl 1990:385-386 sCoPe and definitions

Research paper thumbnail of Bridging the Gaps: Integrating Archaeology and History in Oaxaca, Mexico; A Volume in Memory of Bruce E. Byland

A major problem has been to bridge the gap between the peoples who are identified by Spanish and ... more A major problem has been to bridge the gap between the peoples who are identified by Spanish and Indian documentary records and those who are known to us only through the ruins of their buildings and the broken elements of their material culture which have survived.-Vaillant 1937:324 The would-be correlator faces the problem of a genuine "gap" between the emphasis in the native traditions on political and dynastic history and the sequent modifications in artifact form which are the chief concern of the excavator. .. The problem is to bridge this gap, to tie the two kinds of history together at key points, to integrate the two sets of data in a meaningful synthesis.-Nicholson 1955:596 Los avances que se han hecho y los que están por hacerse, descansan en la confluencia conciente y coordinadora de dos disciplinas. .. esta recreación del acercamiento antropológico unificado, que llena la brecha entre disciplinas, es la ola del futuro. En la medida en que nuestras tareas estén coordinadas, en esa medida podremos aprender.-Byland and Pohl 1990:385-386 sCoPe and definitions

Research paper thumbnail of The land remembers: landscape terms and place names in Lowland Chontal of Oaxaca, Mexico

Language Sciences, 2008

This paper examines landscape terminology and place names of the Chontal region in the state of O... more This paper examines landscape terminology and place names of the Chontal region in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, with a focus on terms from Lowland Chontal, a highly endangered language spoken near the Pacific coast. In addition to the linguistic analysis, the paper presents a general description of the physical geography of the area and how it relates to settlement patterns and subsistence activities, with specific detail of the territorial organization of Huamelula as a sociopolitical unit and of the importance of sacred sites. The analysis serves both to anchor the Chontal speakers as long-time residents deeply engaged with the elements of their landscape and to document in part the dynamics of the multilinguistic and multiethnic history of the region.

Research paper thumbnail of Sociopolitical Organization in the Prehispanic Chontalpa de Oaxaca, Mexico

Publikationsansicht. 30716657. Sociopolitical organization in the prehispanic Chontalpa de Oaxaca... more Publikationsansicht. 30716657. Sociopolitical organization in the prehispanic Chontalpa de Oaxaca, Mexico. (2004). Kroefges, Peter Conrad. Abstract. Photocopy.. Thesis (Ph.D.)--State University of New York, Albany, 2004.. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 473-497). ...

Research paper thumbnail of El Lienzo de Tecciztlan y Tequatepec. Un documento histórico-cartográfico de la Chontalpa de Oaxaca

The Shadow of Monte Alban: Politics and …, 1998

Research paper thumbnail of Lord 8 Deer “Jaguar Claw” and the Land of the Sky: The Archaeology and History of Tututepec

Latin American Antiquity, 2004

This article balances current understandings of the political landscape of Postclassic Mesoameric... more This article balances current understandings of the political landscape of Postclassic Mesoamerica through a conjunctive analysis of the archaeology and ethnohistory of the Mixtec Empire of Tututepec in the lower Río Verde region of Oaxaca. Tututepec has long been known from ethnohistoric sources as a powerful Late Postclassic imperial center. Until recently, however, little has been known of the archaeology of the site. We discuss the founding, extent, chronology, and aspects of the internal organization and external relations of Tututepec based on the results of a regional survey, excavations, and a reanalysis of ethnohistoric documents. Tututepec was founded early in the Late Postclassic period when the region was vulnerable to conquest due to political fragmentation and unrest. Indigenous historical data from three Mixtec codices narrate the founding of Tututepec as part of the heroic history of Lord 8 Deer “Jaguar Claw.” According to these texts, Lord 8 Deer founded Tututepec t...

Research paper thumbnail of A new map of the Aztec-period city of Calixtlahuaca in Central Mexico

Antiquity, Mar 1, 2007

In summer 2006 the Calixtlahuaca Archaeological Project carried out an intensive surface survey o... more In summer 2006 the Calixtlahuaca Archaeological Project carried out an intensive surface survey of the Aztec-period (AD 1100-1520) urban centre of Calixtlahuaca. Located in the Toluca Valley of highland central Mexico (Figure 1), Calixtlahuaca is a particularly important site for studying Postclassic-period Mesoamerican urbanism. It is one of the very few Aztec-period urban sites where both monumental architecture and extensive residential districts are preserved today. Although the site's public architecture and stone sculpture are ...

Research paper thumbnail of From Points to Areas: Constructing Territories from Archaeological Site Patterns Using an Enhanced Xtent Model

Territorial reasoning is a basic topic of spatial archaeology. The ability to establish territori... more Territorial reasoning is a basic topic of spatial archaeology. The ability to establish territorial extents of political, religious or economic zones allows us to move from point to area-based observations and hypotheses. We present a substantially enhanced, GIS-based version of Renfrew and Level's classic Xtent algorithm. Our version offers various advantages over the original. It respects terrain properties, a priori physical movement constraints and hierarchical relations between sites, maximum territory sizes are easy to control and a measure of uncertainty is provided. The software implementation used in this paper was done within the framework of the open source GRASS geographic information system.

Research paper thumbnail of Oxitipa y el sitio arqueológico de Tanute, Huasteca potosina

Arqueología, 2024

Resumen: Este artículo presenta las investigaciones arqueológicas sobre la ocupación postclásica ... more Resumen: Este artículo presenta las investigaciones arqueológicas sobre la ocupación postclásica y colonial en el sitio de Tanute en la Huasteca de San Luis Potosí, México. Las publicaciones tempranas sugirieron que el sitio correspondiese a la cabecera de Oxitipan, la provincia tributaria más septentrional del Imperio azteca. Sin embargo, los vestigios materiales y su evaluación histórico-cultural carecían de una documentación detallada. El Proyecto Arqueológico Valle Oxitipan (2010-2017) registró la evidencia arquitectónica y cerámica que indica que se trataba de un asentamiento de larga duración, que alcanzó su máxima extensión a inicios del siglo XVI. Aunque era más pequeño (20 hectáreas) que Tamtok y Tamohi al norte, Tanute participaba en las redes de intercambio de la Huasteca. Fechamientos radiocarbónicos y vasijas de estilo Azteca importadas proponen que el Imperio azteca apenas había establecido esta provincia tributaria cuando los españoles la conquistaron en 1522. Revisamos las fuentes etnohistó- ricas y las contrastamos con datos arqueológicos en la Huasteca potosina; usando criterios geográficos, cronológicos y descriptivos ofrecemos una idea más diferenciada del papel que jugaba este sitio en la historia de la región de Oxitipa.
Palabras clave: San Luis Potosí, arqueología huasteca, etnohistoria, Imperio azteca.
Abstract: This article presents the archaeological investigations on the Postclassic-period and Colonial occupation of Tanute in the Huastec region of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Early publications suggested that it corresponded to the head town of Oxitipan, the Aztec empire’s northern-most tribute province; however, its material remains and culture historical assessment within the Huastec cultural area have lacked detailed documentation. The Proyecto Arqueológico Valle Oxitipan (2010/2017) recorded architectural and ceramic evidence for a long-term occupation that reached its peak in the early 16th century. Although a much smaller settlement (20 ha) than Tamtok and Tamohi to the north, Tanute participated in the exchange networks of the Huastec region and beyond. Radiocarbon dates and imported Aztec-style vessels suggest that the Aztec empire had just established this tribute province, when the Spaniards conquered the area in 1522. We revise the ethnohistorical sources and contrast them with the archaeo- logical record and use geographical, chronological, and descriptive criteria to offer a more detailed idea of the role that Tanute may have played in the history of the Oxitipan region.
Keywords: San Luis Potosi, Huastec archaeology, ethnohistory, Aztec empire.

Research paper thumbnail of Estudio petrográfico de materiales pétreos naturales y artificiales de estructuras arqueológicas del sitio de Tanute (Valle de Oxitipa, S.L.P., México)

Se agradece al Ing. Erasmo Mata del Instituto de Geologia de la Universidad Autonoma de San Luis ... more Se agradece al Ing. Erasmo Mata del Instituto de Geologia de la Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi por la elaboracion de las laminas delgadas. Se agradece tambien, al Dr. Marco Rojas, por su asesoria y accesibilidad para el uso del aula de microscopia en Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi.

Research paper thumbnail of El problema del tiempo en los estudios huaxtequistas

The northeastern corner of Mesoamerica is historically known as the Huastec region. In Prehispani... more The northeastern corner of Mesoamerica is historically known as the Huastec region. In Prehispanic times, a distinctive set of artistic expressions characterized this area; most prominent are stone sculptures and ceramic vessels that define the region archaeologically. However, most of these objects come from century-old looting activities and uncontrolled excavations. The region received its name from the once dominant indigenous group – speakers of a Maya-related language, Teenek. The Aztecs called them Cuexteca, today Huastecs. This article discusses how notions of time have constituted a problematic issue for the study of Huastec culture history. There are etic and emic problems. From an etic perspective, we are interested in how historically inclined disciplines identify Huastec presence in the region through their material remains and language patterns. From an emic point of view, we discuss the evidence for time conceptions developed and used by the ancient society, such as a...

Research paper thumbnail of El ‘tiempo’ en Latinoamérica colonial. Aproximaciones interdisciplinarias a la historia de un concepto (trans-)cultural

This dossier pursues an interdisciplinary framework to study the notion of "time" in th... more This dossier pursues an interdisciplinary framework to study the notion of "time" in the Latin American colonial contact zone from the 15 th to the 18 th century, from etic and emic perspectives.

Research paper thumbnail of Ensayo introductorio: El tiempo en los estudios americanistas. Enfoques temáticos, conceptos y metodologiás de análisis desde la perspectiva de la arqueología

Archaeologists observe the development of humanity through changes in material culture in the arc... more Archaeologists observe the development of humanity through changes in material culture in the archaeological context. The passage of time is measured, for example, based on changes in raw materials used (three-age system), on transformations in the shape of artifacts (type), on the relative position of objects in excavations (stratigraphy) or on physico-chemical changes in the materials themselves (e.g., carbon 14, thermoluminescence). The dates and chronologies generated in this way are, almost entirely, expressions of a linear conception of time that is unidirectional and static, while not necessarily adequately representing the cultural processes under investigation, and even less the perspective of people living in the past. The objective of this paper is to highlight some of the conceptual problems encountered and provide theoretical references for a discussion of time management and periodization in archaeology, using the example of Prehispanic Mesoamerican chronology.

Research paper thumbnail of Archaeological Investigations in the Río Huamelula Valley: Settlement History and Material Culture in Southeastern Oaxaca Mexico

In contrast to traditional stereotypes of the prehispanic culture of the Chontals of Oaxaca, arch... more In contrast to traditional stereotypes of the prehispanic culture of the Chontals of Oaxaca, architectural sites and artifacts along the Pacific coast indicate that there were more complex societies, well integrated into southeastern Mesoamerican networks of socio-cultural, economic and political interaction. This research presents the results of surface surveys and test excavations at the Rio Huamelula, District of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca (southeastern Mexico), conducted by the author in 2001. The pottery classification aims at reconstructing the settlement chronology of the area from the Classic to the early Colonial periods, c. A.D. 300-1600. Stylistic traits of ball-game-related artifacts, sculptural art, pottery, and architecture, as well as obsidian composition analysis all point to an intensive socio-cultural and economic exchange between the prehispanic communities along the southeastern Oaxaca coast and other Mesoamerican societies. The ethno-linguistic identity of the Classic-period occupants of the Rio Huamelula valley remains enigmatic. The archaeological remains of two Postclassic Chontal villages, Huamelula and Astata, however, exhibit a socio-economic complexity contradicting the colonial characterization of Chontal culture. They further demonstrate a settlement continuity that, overall, reaches back into the Classic period and has lasted up to the present day.

Research paper thumbnail of Ensayo introductoria: El tiempo en los estudios americanistas. enfoques temáticos, conceptos y metodologías de análisis desde la perspectiva de la arqueología

Research paper thumbnail of Prehispanic and Colonial Chontal Communities on the Eastern Oaxaca Coast on the Eve of the Spanish Conquest

Bridging the Gaps: Integrating Archaeology and History in Oaxaca, Mexico; A Volume in Memory of Bruce E. Byland, 2015

A major problem has been to bridge the gap between the peoples who are identified by Spanish and ... more A major problem has been to bridge the gap between the peoples who are identified by Spanish and Indian documentary records and those who are known to us only through the ruins of their buildings and the broken elements of their material culture which have survived.-Vaillant 1937:324 The would-be correlator faces the problem of a genuine "gap" between the emphasis in the native traditions on political and dynastic history and the sequent modifications in artifact form which are the chief concern of the excavator. .. The problem is to bridge this gap, to tie the two kinds of history together at key points, to integrate the two sets of data in a meaningful synthesis.-Nicholson 1955:596 Los avances que se han hecho y los que están por hacerse, descansan en la confluencia conciente y coordinadora de dos disciplinas. .. esta recreación del acercamiento antropológico unificado, que llena la brecha entre disciplinas, es la ola del futuro. En la medida en que nuestras tareas estén coordinadas, en esa medida podremos aprender.-Byland and Pohl 1990:385-386 sCoPe and definitions

Research paper thumbnail of Bridging the Gaps: Integrating Archaeology and History in Oaxaca, Mexico; A Volume in Memory of Bruce E. Byland

A major problem has been to bridge the gap between the peoples who are identified by Spanish and ... more A major problem has been to bridge the gap between the peoples who are identified by Spanish and Indian documentary records and those who are known to us only through the ruins of their buildings and the broken elements of their material culture which have survived.-Vaillant 1937:324 The would-be correlator faces the problem of a genuine "gap" between the emphasis in the native traditions on political and dynastic history and the sequent modifications in artifact form which are the chief concern of the excavator. .. The problem is to bridge this gap, to tie the two kinds of history together at key points, to integrate the two sets of data in a meaningful synthesis.-Nicholson 1955:596 Los avances que se han hecho y los que están por hacerse, descansan en la confluencia conciente y coordinadora de dos disciplinas. .. esta recreación del acercamiento antropológico unificado, que llena la brecha entre disciplinas, es la ola del futuro. En la medida en que nuestras tareas estén coordinadas, en esa medida podremos aprender.-Byland and Pohl 1990:385-386 sCoPe and definitions

Research paper thumbnail of The land remembers: landscape terms and place names in Lowland Chontal of Oaxaca, Mexico

Language Sciences, 2008

This paper examines landscape terminology and place names of the Chontal region in the state of O... more This paper examines landscape terminology and place names of the Chontal region in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, with a focus on terms from Lowland Chontal, a highly endangered language spoken near the Pacific coast. In addition to the linguistic analysis, the paper presents a general description of the physical geography of the area and how it relates to settlement patterns and subsistence activities, with specific detail of the territorial organization of Huamelula as a sociopolitical unit and of the importance of sacred sites. The analysis serves both to anchor the Chontal speakers as long-time residents deeply engaged with the elements of their landscape and to document in part the dynamics of the multilinguistic and multiethnic history of the region.

Research paper thumbnail of Sociopolitical Organization in the Prehispanic Chontalpa de Oaxaca, Mexico

Publikationsansicht. 30716657. Sociopolitical organization in the prehispanic Chontalpa de Oaxaca... more Publikationsansicht. 30716657. Sociopolitical organization in the prehispanic Chontalpa de Oaxaca, Mexico. (2004). Kroefges, Peter Conrad. Abstract. Photocopy.. Thesis (Ph.D.)--State University of New York, Albany, 2004.. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 473-497). ...

Research paper thumbnail of El Lienzo de Tecciztlan y Tequatepec. Un documento histórico-cartográfico de la Chontalpa de Oaxaca

The Shadow of Monte Alban: Politics and …, 1998

Research paper thumbnail of Lord 8 Deer “Jaguar Claw” and the Land of the Sky: The Archaeology and History of Tututepec

Latin American Antiquity, 2004

This article balances current understandings of the political landscape of Postclassic Mesoameric... more This article balances current understandings of the political landscape of Postclassic Mesoamerica through a conjunctive analysis of the archaeology and ethnohistory of the Mixtec Empire of Tututepec in the lower Río Verde region of Oaxaca. Tututepec has long been known from ethnohistoric sources as a powerful Late Postclassic imperial center. Until recently, however, little has been known of the archaeology of the site. We discuss the founding, extent, chronology, and aspects of the internal organization and external relations of Tututepec based on the results of a regional survey, excavations, and a reanalysis of ethnohistoric documents. Tututepec was founded early in the Late Postclassic period when the region was vulnerable to conquest due to political fragmentation and unrest. Indigenous historical data from three Mixtec codices narrate the founding of Tututepec as part of the heroic history of Lord 8 Deer “Jaguar Claw.” According to these texts, Lord 8 Deer founded Tututepec t...

Research paper thumbnail of A new map of the Aztec-period city of Calixtlahuaca in Central Mexico

Antiquity, Mar 1, 2007

In summer 2006 the Calixtlahuaca Archaeological Project carried out an intensive surface survey o... more In summer 2006 the Calixtlahuaca Archaeological Project carried out an intensive surface survey of the Aztec-period (AD 1100-1520) urban centre of Calixtlahuaca. Located in the Toluca Valley of highland central Mexico (Figure 1), Calixtlahuaca is a particularly important site for studying Postclassic-period Mesoamerican urbanism. It is one of the very few Aztec-period urban sites where both monumental architecture and extensive residential districts are preserved today. Although the site's public architecture and stone sculpture are ...

Research paper thumbnail of From Points to Areas: Constructing Territories from Archaeological Site Patterns Using an Enhanced Xtent Model

Territorial reasoning is a basic topic of spatial archaeology. The ability to establish territori... more Territorial reasoning is a basic topic of spatial archaeology. The ability to establish territorial extents of political, religious or economic zones allows us to move from point to area-based observations and hypotheses. We present a substantially enhanced, GIS-based version of Renfrew and Level's classic Xtent algorithm. Our version offers various advantages over the original. It respects terrain properties, a priori physical movement constraints and hierarchical relations between sites, maximum territory sizes are easy to control and a measure of uncertainty is provided. The software implementation used in this paper was done within the framework of the open source GRASS geographic information system.

Research paper thumbnail of Oxitipa y el sitio arqueológico de Tanute, Huasteca potosina

Arqueología, 2024

Resumen: Este artículo presenta las investigaciones arqueológicas sobre la ocupación postclásica ... more Resumen: Este artículo presenta las investigaciones arqueológicas sobre la ocupación postclásica y colonial en el sitio de Tanute en la Huasteca de San Luis Potosí, México. Las publicaciones tempranas sugirieron que el sitio correspondiese a la cabecera de Oxitipan, la provincia tributaria más septentrional del Imperio azteca. Sin embargo, los vestigios materiales y su evaluación histórico-cultural carecían de una documentación detallada. El Proyecto Arqueológico Valle Oxitipan (2010-2017) registró la evidencia arquitectónica y cerámica que indica que se trataba de un asentamiento de larga duración, que alcanzó su máxima extensión a inicios del siglo XVI. Aunque era más pequeño (20 hectáreas) que Tamtok y Tamohi al norte, Tanute participaba en las redes de intercambio de la Huasteca. Fechamientos radiocarbónicos y vasijas de estilo Azteca importadas proponen que el Imperio azteca apenas había establecido esta provincia tributaria cuando los españoles la conquistaron en 1522. Revisamos las fuentes etnohistó- ricas y las contrastamos con datos arqueológicos en la Huasteca potosina; usando criterios geográficos, cronológicos y descriptivos ofrecemos una idea más diferenciada del papel que jugaba este sitio en la historia de la región de Oxitipa.
Palabras clave: San Luis Potosí, arqueología huasteca, etnohistoria, Imperio azteca.
Abstract: This article presents the archaeological investigations on the Postclassic-period and Colonial occupation of Tanute in the Huastec region of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Early publications suggested that it corresponded to the head town of Oxitipan, the Aztec empire’s northern-most tribute province; however, its material remains and culture historical assessment within the Huastec cultural area have lacked detailed documentation. The Proyecto Arqueológico Valle Oxitipan (2010/2017) recorded architectural and ceramic evidence for a long-term occupation that reached its peak in the early 16th century. Although a much smaller settlement (20 ha) than Tamtok and Tamohi to the north, Tanute participated in the exchange networks of the Huastec region and beyond. Radiocarbon dates and imported Aztec-style vessels suggest that the Aztec empire had just established this tribute province, when the Spaniards conquered the area in 1522. We revise the ethnohistorical sources and contrast them with the archaeo- logical record and use geographical, chronological, and descriptive criteria to offer a more detailed idea of the role that Tanute may have played in the history of the Oxitipan region.
Keywords: San Luis Potosi, Huastec archaeology, ethnohistory, Aztec empire.