Tatsuya Murakami | Tulane University (original) (raw)

Papers by Tatsuya Murakami

Realizing Value in Mesoamerica: The Dynamics of Desire and Demand in Ancient Economies, edited by Scot Hutson and Charles Golden, pp. 397-424. Palgrave MacMillian., 2024

University Press of Colorado eBooks, Feb 15, 2022

Open Journal of Archaeometry, 2013

We compare the composition of turquoise source materials from Arizona to prehistoric blue-green s... more We compare the composition of turquoise source materials from Arizona to prehistoric blue-green stone artifacts recovered from Salado platform mounds (ca. AD 1275-1450) in the Tonto Basin of Central Arizona. Turquoise samples from known source areas in Arizona including Kingman, Castle Dome, in the Globe- Miami area are compare with others that may have been potential sources of turquoise artifacts recovered from the Salado platform mounds. The complementary techniques of proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) for chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for mineralogical signatures are used for nondestructive characterisation of both source area samples and archaeological artifacts. The results of the source area sample characterisations are compared quantitatively with the results of archaeological samples, which are evaluated in terms of their likelihood of being from each of the regional sources. The combination of mineralogical and chemical data to identify source materials ...

Identities, Experience, and Change in Early Mexican Villages, edited by Catharina Eleonora Santasilia, Guy David Hepp, and Richard A. Diehl, 2022

Teotihuacan and Early Classic Mesoamerica: Multiscalar Perspectives on Power, Identity, and Inter-Regional Relations, edited by Claudia García-Des Lauriers and Tatsuya Murakami, 2021

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2013

This study characterizes the degree of calcination of lime in lime plaster samples from Teotihuac... more This study characterizes the degree of calcination of lime in lime plaster samples from Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in prehispanic Central Mexico. Lime plaster production consists of multiple steps, from the firing of raw materials to the mixing of lime and aggregate and the final application. While previous studies have focused on the compositional variability, specifically the recipe of lime plasters and mortars, the characterization of lime itself has not been sufficiently addressed. In this study, cathodoluminescence analysis coupled with petrographic and image analyses were employed to examine the degree of calcination of lime. The results of cathodoluminescence petrography were further examined through stable carbon isotope and 14 C measurements. It appeared that the results of cathodoluminescence analysis are consistent with those of other analytical methods and that there are diachronic changes in the degree of calcination of lime among lime plaster samples. This implies changes in the organization of lime production, specifically the consistency in the control of firing temperature.

Teotihuacan and Early Classic Mesoamerica: Multiscalar Perspectives on Power, Identity, and Interregional Relations, 2021

Introductory chapter to the recent book "Teotihuacan and Early Classic Mesoamerica: Multiscalar P... more Introductory chapter to the recent book "Teotihuacan and Early Classic Mesoamerica: Multiscalar Perspectives on Power, Identity, and Interregional Relations" (2021) edited by Claudia Garcia-Des Lauriers & Tatsuya Murakami

Urban Commerce in Ancient Mesoamerica. Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association 32, 2021

Polanyi's categorical models of exchange systems (reciprocity, redistribution, and market exchang... more Polanyi's categorical models of exchange systems (reciprocity, redistribution, and market exchange) have provided a powerful tool for characterizing ancient (and modern) economies. While such models are useful in some respects, they obscure variations within each economic system and similarities between different systems. This chapter explores different dimensions of exchange, including market exchange, as a methodological framework for assessing the nature of exchange systems. Then, it examines the nexus of economy and social relations and provides a more nuanced understanding of the variations and commonalities of economic systems using a case study from Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in pre-Contact Mesoamerica (150-600 CE). [exchange, market economy, Polanyi, consumption approach]

Latin American Antiquity, 2019

Teotihuacan underwent an urban renewal during the Tlamimilolpa phase (AD 250-350) in which more t... more Teotihuacan underwent an urban renewal during the Tlamimilolpa phase (AD 250-350) in which more than 2,000 apartment compounds were constructed to accommodate its estimated 100,000 residents. Although the orderly layout and canonical orientation of the city imply top-down planning, growing evidence suggests a bottom-up process of urban transformation. This study combines architectural energetics with archaeometric analysis of nonlocal construction materials (lime plaster and andesitic cut stone blocks) to examine the labor organization behind the construction of the apartment compounds. The results of the energetic analysis suggest that residents relied on labor forces external to their compounds, whereas materials analysis indicates that the procurement, transportation, and production of building material were centrally organized and thus indicative of a state labor tax. Based on these results, I argue that compounds were assembled through corporate group labor exchange or communal (neighborhood-level) labor cooperation/obligation, with differing degrees of support from the state labor tax. Apartment compound construction was not uniform but rather a diverse process in which state labor mobilization , communal labor obligations, and corporate labor exchange were articulated in various ways. Durante la fase Tlamimilolpa (250-350 dC), Teotihuacan experimentó una renovación urbana en la cual se construyeron alre-dedor de 2.000 conjuntos departamentales, con la finalidad de albergar a un número aproximado de 100.000 residentes. Aun-que la traza original y la orientación canónica de la ciudad suponen un diseño coordinado por las elites gubernamentales (top-down), la creciente evidencia sugiere un proceso de transformación de abajo hacia arriba (bottom-up). El presente estu-dio combina el análisis de inversión energética en arquitectura con análisis arqueométricos de materiales constructivos fo-ráneos (estuco y bloques de andesita) para examinar la organización del trabajo en la construcción de los conjuntos departamentales. El resultado del estudio energético sugiere que los residentes dependían de fuerzas de trabajo externas a sus conjuntos; mientras que el análisis de los materiales revela que la adquisición, transporte y producción de materiales cons-tructivos estaba centralizada. Esto indica, por lo tanto, la existencia de un impuesto estatal de trabajo. Sobre la base de estos resultados, se propone que dichos conjuntos fueron construidos a través del intercambio de trabajo entre grupos corporativos y/o la cooperación u obligación comunal (a nivel del barrio), con diferentes grados de apoyo por parte del impuesto estatal de trabajo. La construcción de los conjuntos departamentales no fue uniforme, sino un proceso en el cual la movilización del trabajo por parte del Estado, las obligaciones laborales comunales y el intercambio de trabajo colectivo estaban articulados de diversas maneras. Palabras Clave: urbanismo, arquitectura, materiales constructivos, organización de trabajo, Altiplano central de México

Architectural Energetics in Archaeology: Analytical Expansions and Global Explorations, edited by Leah McCurdy and Elliot Abrams, pp. 265-288. Routledge, New York and London, 2019

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2018

While surface collection constitutes an important component of field research at the site and reg... more While surface collection constitutes an important component of field research at the site and regional levels, the association between surface and sub-surface materials needs to be examined through independent lines of evidence. This study employed manual bucket auger probing and soil geochemistry at the Formative site of Tlalancaleca, Central Mexico (800 B.C.–A.D. 250), to evaluate the results of surface collection and to understand the formation process of the anthropogenic landscape. The combined results at one of the largest architectural complexes at Tlalancaleca indicate that it was built during the Late Formative period (500–100 B.C.) and rebuilt during the subsequent Terminal Formative period (100 B.C.–A.D. 250), which is corroborated by radiocarbondates. Moreover, the results suggest segregated uses of space such as cooking/storage, waste disposal, and craft production areas within the complex. Overall results demonstrate the effectiveness of this multi-method approach for reconstructing occupational history and activity areas.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2019

This study presents preliminary results of petrographic and X-ray fluorescence analyses of cut st... more This study presents preliminary results of petrographic and X-ray fluorescence analyses of cut stone blocks used for urban construction at Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in Central Mexico (ca. AD 150–650). Cut stone blocks were concentrated in the civic-ceremonial core of the city and were probably prestigious architectural elements due to their higher costs of procurement and transportation compared to alternative materials (boulders and clay amalgam). This suggests that the organization of stone block procurement and distribution was likely embedded in power relations between commissioners and mining groups. By combining multiple analytical methods that complement one another, this study was able to discriminate local (within 10–15 km radius) from non-local materials. The results suggest that the majority (> 80%) of andesitic cut stone blocks were brought from non-local sources. This paper discusses procurement organization and suggests that most rocks were quarried by specialized groups and brought to the city through a tribute system and/or patron-client relations. This has implications for understanding the nature of the urban-hinterland relationship and expansion of the Teotihuacan state.

This study examines diachronic changes in power relations among different social segments, includ... more This study examines diachronic changes in power relations among different social segments, including ruling elites, intermediate elites, and commoners, at Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in Central Mexico (ca. A.D. 150-650). The exercise of power through the production and exchange of material culture is multidimensional at multiple scales, and this requires an analytical division of the sources of power. Among different kinds of material culture, architecture provides one of the critical resources in producing, reproducing, and transforming power relations in political spheres due to its visibility and durability. Focusing on labor and material resources employed for urban construction, this study provides a deeper understanding of the trajectory of sociopolitical changes at Teotihuacan and how different social segments were articulated with one another. Drawing on extensive data from excavated architectural complexes from both the central precinct and the surrounding apartment compounds, this study provides three sets of analyses: quantitative analysis of labor expenditure; distributional and sourcing analyses of cut stone blocks; and compositional analysis of lime plaster. These sets of analyses are combined to elucidate the differential distribution of resources and the labor organization that allowed such distribution. The results demonstrate that changes in power relations were highly dynamic, but can be grouped into three developmental processes. In the initial period (ca. A.D. 150-250), the power of ruling elites was highly centralized with possibly despotic rulers. In the following period (ca. A.D. 250-450), the power of ruling elites became less centralized, but they exercised a strong infrastructural power. In addition, the majority of apartment compounds across the city were constructed through the active intervention of Boulanger and Michael Glascock of the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Research Reactor conducted XRF analysis of rock samples. Matthew Boulanger deserves special acknowledgement for processing samples and writing a report in a timely manner. Destiny Crider, Alanna Ossa, and Steven Schmich, my colleagues at ARI, helped edit some of my chapters and also provided invaluable comments. I express my heartfelt gratitude to them for their continuous support, encouragement, and friendship. I am also grateful to a number of fellow graduate students and friends for their support and

Political economy has provided a broad framework for the study of power relations in early comple... more Political economy has provided a broad framework for the study of power relations in early complex societies , but its top-down approaches have limitations for understanding the simultaneous formation of unequal and equal social relations. Through the conception of power as heterogeneous, contradictory, and multidimensional, this study addresses how inequality and equality are constituted through production, exchange, and consumption of material objects. Recent material culture studies grounded in practice theories highlight material objects as both medium and consequence of social practice and negotiation. Such a conception of material culture leads us to explore consumption as a key theoretical and methodological concept to understand the relationship between material culture patterns and social reproduction and transformation. This study explores how consumer demand is created by examining the process of the creation and transformation of the regimes of value, which allows to address the entan-glement of material properties, multiple agencies, and the acts of production, exchange, and consumption. A case study from Teotihuacan documents archaeological evidence of changing distribution, direct evidence of production, and material characterization of lime plaster and demonstrates how changing social relations were embodied by production, exchange, and consumption of lime plaster.

Architectural conspicuous consumption provides an important basis for elucidating changing power ... more Architectural conspicuous consumption provides an important basis for elucidating changing power relations, and architectural energetics or labor analysis has been widely employed in the study of early complex societies. However, neither the duration of construction nor the number of laborers is specified in standard labor-time measurements and this needs to be addressed in order to providemeaningful and comparablemeasurements. This paper presents energetic data for construction derived from replicative experiments and discusses the duration and timing of monumental construction at Teotihuacan. The results suggest that the duration of construction computed using the estimated population in the Teotihuacan Valley is consistent with archaeological evidence. Based on the estimated duration, the phase assignment of monumental structures is revised, and changes in state power are discussed in light of two alternative models of the trajectory of labor expenditure: one based on published chronology and the other based on the revised chronology.

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2013

This study characterizes the degree of calcination of lime in lime plaster samples from Teotihuac... more This study characterizes the degree of calcination of lime in lime plaster samples from Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in prehispanic Central Mexico. Lime plaster production consists of multiple steps, from the firing of raw materials to the mixing of lime and aggregate and the final application. While previous studies have focused on the compositional variability, specifically the recipe of lime plasters and mortars, the characterization of lime itself has not been sufficiently addressed. In this study, cathodoluminescence analysis coupled with petrographic and image analyses were employed to examine the degree of calcination of lime. The results of cathodoluminescence petrography were further examined through stable carbon isotope and 14 C measurements. It appeared that the results of cathodoluminescence analysis are consistent with those of other analytical methods and that there are diachronic changes in the degree of calcination of lime among lime plaster samples. This implies changes in the organization of lime production, specifically the consistency in the control of firing temperature.

Realizing Value in Mesoamerica: The Dynamics of Desire and Demand in Ancient Economies, edited by Scot Hutson and Charles Golden, pp. 397-424. Palgrave MacMillian., 2024

University Press of Colorado eBooks, Feb 15, 2022

Open Journal of Archaeometry, 2013

We compare the composition of turquoise source materials from Arizona to prehistoric blue-green s... more We compare the composition of turquoise source materials from Arizona to prehistoric blue-green stone artifacts recovered from Salado platform mounds (ca. AD 1275-1450) in the Tonto Basin of Central Arizona. Turquoise samples from known source areas in Arizona including Kingman, Castle Dome, in the Globe- Miami area are compare with others that may have been potential sources of turquoise artifacts recovered from the Salado platform mounds. The complementary techniques of proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) for chemical analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD) for mineralogical signatures are used for nondestructive characterisation of both source area samples and archaeological artifacts. The results of the source area sample characterisations are compared quantitatively with the results of archaeological samples, which are evaluated in terms of their likelihood of being from each of the regional sources. The combination of mineralogical and chemical data to identify source materials ...

Identities, Experience, and Change in Early Mexican Villages, edited by Catharina Eleonora Santasilia, Guy David Hepp, and Richard A. Diehl, 2022

Teotihuacan and Early Classic Mesoamerica: Multiscalar Perspectives on Power, Identity, and Inter-Regional Relations, edited by Claudia García-Des Lauriers and Tatsuya Murakami, 2021

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2013

This study characterizes the degree of calcination of lime in lime plaster samples from Teotihuac... more This study characterizes the degree of calcination of lime in lime plaster samples from Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in prehispanic Central Mexico. Lime plaster production consists of multiple steps, from the firing of raw materials to the mixing of lime and aggregate and the final application. While previous studies have focused on the compositional variability, specifically the recipe of lime plasters and mortars, the characterization of lime itself has not been sufficiently addressed. In this study, cathodoluminescence analysis coupled with petrographic and image analyses were employed to examine the degree of calcination of lime. The results of cathodoluminescence petrography were further examined through stable carbon isotope and 14 C measurements. It appeared that the results of cathodoluminescence analysis are consistent with those of other analytical methods and that there are diachronic changes in the degree of calcination of lime among lime plaster samples. This implies changes in the organization of lime production, specifically the consistency in the control of firing temperature.

Teotihuacan and Early Classic Mesoamerica: Multiscalar Perspectives on Power, Identity, and Interregional Relations, 2021

Introductory chapter to the recent book "Teotihuacan and Early Classic Mesoamerica: Multiscalar P... more Introductory chapter to the recent book "Teotihuacan and Early Classic Mesoamerica: Multiscalar Perspectives on Power, Identity, and Interregional Relations" (2021) edited by Claudia Garcia-Des Lauriers & Tatsuya Murakami

Urban Commerce in Ancient Mesoamerica. Archaeological Papers of the American Anthropological Association 32, 2021

Polanyi's categorical models of exchange systems (reciprocity, redistribution, and market exchang... more Polanyi's categorical models of exchange systems (reciprocity, redistribution, and market exchange) have provided a powerful tool for characterizing ancient (and modern) economies. While such models are useful in some respects, they obscure variations within each economic system and similarities between different systems. This chapter explores different dimensions of exchange, including market exchange, as a methodological framework for assessing the nature of exchange systems. Then, it examines the nexus of economy and social relations and provides a more nuanced understanding of the variations and commonalities of economic systems using a case study from Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in pre-Contact Mesoamerica (150-600 CE). [exchange, market economy, Polanyi, consumption approach]

Latin American Antiquity, 2019

Teotihuacan underwent an urban renewal during the Tlamimilolpa phase (AD 250-350) in which more t... more Teotihuacan underwent an urban renewal during the Tlamimilolpa phase (AD 250-350) in which more than 2,000 apartment compounds were constructed to accommodate its estimated 100,000 residents. Although the orderly layout and canonical orientation of the city imply top-down planning, growing evidence suggests a bottom-up process of urban transformation. This study combines architectural energetics with archaeometric analysis of nonlocal construction materials (lime plaster and andesitic cut stone blocks) to examine the labor organization behind the construction of the apartment compounds. The results of the energetic analysis suggest that residents relied on labor forces external to their compounds, whereas materials analysis indicates that the procurement, transportation, and production of building material were centrally organized and thus indicative of a state labor tax. Based on these results, I argue that compounds were assembled through corporate group labor exchange or communal (neighborhood-level) labor cooperation/obligation, with differing degrees of support from the state labor tax. Apartment compound construction was not uniform but rather a diverse process in which state labor mobilization , communal labor obligations, and corporate labor exchange were articulated in various ways. Durante la fase Tlamimilolpa (250-350 dC), Teotihuacan experimentó una renovación urbana en la cual se construyeron alre-dedor de 2.000 conjuntos departamentales, con la finalidad de albergar a un número aproximado de 100.000 residentes. Aun-que la traza original y la orientación canónica de la ciudad suponen un diseño coordinado por las elites gubernamentales (top-down), la creciente evidencia sugiere un proceso de transformación de abajo hacia arriba (bottom-up). El presente estu-dio combina el análisis de inversión energética en arquitectura con análisis arqueométricos de materiales constructivos fo-ráneos (estuco y bloques de andesita) para examinar la organización del trabajo en la construcción de los conjuntos departamentales. El resultado del estudio energético sugiere que los residentes dependían de fuerzas de trabajo externas a sus conjuntos; mientras que el análisis de los materiales revela que la adquisición, transporte y producción de materiales cons-tructivos estaba centralizada. Esto indica, por lo tanto, la existencia de un impuesto estatal de trabajo. Sobre la base de estos resultados, se propone que dichos conjuntos fueron construidos a través del intercambio de trabajo entre grupos corporativos y/o la cooperación u obligación comunal (a nivel del barrio), con diferentes grados de apoyo por parte del impuesto estatal de trabajo. La construcción de los conjuntos departamentales no fue uniforme, sino un proceso en el cual la movilización del trabajo por parte del Estado, las obligaciones laborales comunales y el intercambio de trabajo colectivo estaban articulados de diversas maneras. Palabras Clave: urbanismo, arquitectura, materiales constructivos, organización de trabajo, Altiplano central de México

Architectural Energetics in Archaeology: Analytical Expansions and Global Explorations, edited by Leah McCurdy and Elliot Abrams, pp. 265-288. Routledge, New York and London, 2019

Journal of Field Archaeology, 2018

While surface collection constitutes an important component of field research at the site and reg... more While surface collection constitutes an important component of field research at the site and regional levels, the association between surface and sub-surface materials needs to be examined through independent lines of evidence. This study employed manual bucket auger probing and soil geochemistry at the Formative site of Tlalancaleca, Central Mexico (800 B.C.–A.D. 250), to evaluate the results of surface collection and to understand the formation process of the anthropogenic landscape. The combined results at one of the largest architectural complexes at Tlalancaleca indicate that it was built during the Late Formative period (500–100 B.C.) and rebuilt during the subsequent Terminal Formative period (100 B.C.–A.D. 250), which is corroborated by radiocarbondates. Moreover, the results suggest segregated uses of space such as cooking/storage, waste disposal, and craft production areas within the complex. Overall results demonstrate the effectiveness of this multi-method approach for reconstructing occupational history and activity areas.

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2019

This study presents preliminary results of petrographic and X-ray fluorescence analyses of cut st... more This study presents preliminary results of petrographic and X-ray fluorescence analyses of cut stone blocks used for urban construction at Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in Central Mexico (ca. AD 150–650). Cut stone blocks were concentrated in the civic-ceremonial core of the city and were probably prestigious architectural elements due to their higher costs of procurement and transportation compared to alternative materials (boulders and clay amalgam). This suggests that the organization of stone block procurement and distribution was likely embedded in power relations between commissioners and mining groups. By combining multiple analytical methods that complement one another, this study was able to discriminate local (within 10–15 km radius) from non-local materials. The results suggest that the majority (> 80%) of andesitic cut stone blocks were brought from non-local sources. This paper discusses procurement organization and suggests that most rocks were quarried by specialized groups and brought to the city through a tribute system and/or patron-client relations. This has implications for understanding the nature of the urban-hinterland relationship and expansion of the Teotihuacan state.

This study examines diachronic changes in power relations among different social segments, includ... more This study examines diachronic changes in power relations among different social segments, including ruling elites, intermediate elites, and commoners, at Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in Central Mexico (ca. A.D. 150-650). The exercise of power through the production and exchange of material culture is multidimensional at multiple scales, and this requires an analytical division of the sources of power. Among different kinds of material culture, architecture provides one of the critical resources in producing, reproducing, and transforming power relations in political spheres due to its visibility and durability. Focusing on labor and material resources employed for urban construction, this study provides a deeper understanding of the trajectory of sociopolitical changes at Teotihuacan and how different social segments were articulated with one another. Drawing on extensive data from excavated architectural complexes from both the central precinct and the surrounding apartment compounds, this study provides three sets of analyses: quantitative analysis of labor expenditure; distributional and sourcing analyses of cut stone blocks; and compositional analysis of lime plaster. These sets of analyses are combined to elucidate the differential distribution of resources and the labor organization that allowed such distribution. The results demonstrate that changes in power relations were highly dynamic, but can be grouped into three developmental processes. In the initial period (ca. A.D. 150-250), the power of ruling elites was highly centralized with possibly despotic rulers. In the following period (ca. A.D. 250-450), the power of ruling elites became less centralized, but they exercised a strong infrastructural power. In addition, the majority of apartment compounds across the city were constructed through the active intervention of Boulanger and Michael Glascock of the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Research Reactor conducted XRF analysis of rock samples. Matthew Boulanger deserves special acknowledgement for processing samples and writing a report in a timely manner. Destiny Crider, Alanna Ossa, and Steven Schmich, my colleagues at ARI, helped edit some of my chapters and also provided invaluable comments. I express my heartfelt gratitude to them for their continuous support, encouragement, and friendship. I am also grateful to a number of fellow graduate students and friends for their support and

Political economy has provided a broad framework for the study of power relations in early comple... more Political economy has provided a broad framework for the study of power relations in early complex societies , but its top-down approaches have limitations for understanding the simultaneous formation of unequal and equal social relations. Through the conception of power as heterogeneous, contradictory, and multidimensional, this study addresses how inequality and equality are constituted through production, exchange, and consumption of material objects. Recent material culture studies grounded in practice theories highlight material objects as both medium and consequence of social practice and negotiation. Such a conception of material culture leads us to explore consumption as a key theoretical and methodological concept to understand the relationship between material culture patterns and social reproduction and transformation. This study explores how consumer demand is created by examining the process of the creation and transformation of the regimes of value, which allows to address the entan-glement of material properties, multiple agencies, and the acts of production, exchange, and consumption. A case study from Teotihuacan documents archaeological evidence of changing distribution, direct evidence of production, and material characterization of lime plaster and demonstrates how changing social relations were embodied by production, exchange, and consumption of lime plaster.

Architectural conspicuous consumption provides an important basis for elucidating changing power ... more Architectural conspicuous consumption provides an important basis for elucidating changing power relations, and architectural energetics or labor analysis has been widely employed in the study of early complex societies. However, neither the duration of construction nor the number of laborers is specified in standard labor-time measurements and this needs to be addressed in order to providemeaningful and comparablemeasurements. This paper presents energetic data for construction derived from replicative experiments and discusses the duration and timing of monumental construction at Teotihuacan. The results suggest that the duration of construction computed using the estimated population in the Teotihuacan Valley is consistent with archaeological evidence. Based on the estimated duration, the phase assignment of monumental structures is revised, and changes in state power are discussed in light of two alternative models of the trajectory of labor expenditure: one based on published chronology and the other based on the revised chronology.

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2013

This study characterizes the degree of calcination of lime in lime plaster samples from Teotihuac... more This study characterizes the degree of calcination of lime in lime plaster samples from Teotihuacan, the capital of a regional state in prehispanic Central Mexico. Lime plaster production consists of multiple steps, from the firing of raw materials to the mixing of lime and aggregate and the final application. While previous studies have focused on the compositional variability, specifically the recipe of lime plasters and mortars, the characterization of lime itself has not been sufficiently addressed. In this study, cathodoluminescence analysis coupled with petrographic and image analyses were employed to examine the degree of calcination of lime. The results of cathodoluminescence petrography were further examined through stable carbon isotope and 14 C measurements. It appeared that the results of cathodoluminescence analysis are consistent with those of other analytical methods and that there are diachronic changes in the degree of calcination of lime among lime plaster samples. This implies changes in the organization of lime production, specifically the consistency in the control of firing temperature.

Sociological Inquiry, 2021

In Materializing Difference, P eter Berta explores identity politics and the consumption of antiq... more In Materializing Difference, P eter Berta explores identity politics and the consumption of antique silver beakers and roofed tankards among the Gabor Roma ethnic population in Romania. Consumption entails a complex entanglement of producers, distributors, and consumers, along with a suite of meanings, normalized needs, and discursive strategies surrounding the commodities themselves (236-239). Berta's analysis demonstrates that the consumption of these prestigious goods creates different types of identities and differentiates the Roma socially, economically, and politically. Various theoretical perspectives and interpretations span the 13 chapters of this monograph, meaning it contributes to and can be read from a range of perspectives, such as the study of material culture, prestige economies, kinship structure, authenticity and values, consumption and modernity; multi-sited ethnography, object biography; and most generally, a study of the Gabor Roma. I focus this review on the consumption perspective. Sociologists and anthropologists have discussed the exchange of prestige objects under the rubric of gifts and inalienable possessions (Weiner, 1992). The prestigious silver objects circulating among the Gabor Roma are heirlooms (inherited down patrilines) that illustrate many of the same principles at play in the Trobrianders' exchange of Kula shells in the Pacific (see Weiner, 1992). For example, silver objects, like Kula, are given specific names and valuated through their ownership history ("symbolic patina") and material properties ("material patina"). In both spheres, the Gabor Roma and Trobrianders try to retain these prestigious objects for as long as possible, but eventually release them back into circulation due to social pressures, losing fame and respect in the process. Interestingly, a successful Gabor leader is often called a "big man" (30), a title reminiscent of big man societies in the Pacific where leadership is not institutionalized, and aspiring leaders compete by accumulating wealth and distributing it through feasts and gift-giving. These parallels suggest that we can conceptualize a prestige economy of silver objects (prestige economies more generally) as a sphere of exchange distinct from market exchange. Berta, however, frames it as part of the consumer culture by adopting broader