Economic growth is rarely examined for ancient states and empires despite its prominence
as a topic in modern economies. The concept is debated, and many measures of growth are�…

This article discusses the urban landscape of Angamuco, located in the Pur�pecha
(Tarascan) imperial heartland in western Mexico. Angamuco was occupied between the�…

Regime change is a critical social process that has occurred throughout human history and
yet much is still unknown about how political developments shape local communities. This�…

A core region is the first place for expected shifts in archaeological materials before, during,
and after political changes like state emergence and imperial consolidation. Yet, studies of�…

Research on the emergence of social complexity and state economies tends toward an
understanding of either political economies or market economies as the privileged economic�…

This study examines small projectile point technology of the Postclassic Lowland Maya (AD
1400-1697) using a technological systems framework, to evaluate production strategies and�…

Various studies in the past have utilized a costly signaling model to understand the
importance of foreign goods. With few exceptions, stone tools have been ignored in the�…

An important aspect of studying ancient empire formation is the role of local political
economies throughout imperial fluctuations. Such insight can help us understand how�…

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) is commonly used as a non-destructive method to
identify the geochemical source of obsidian artifacts. We examine in detail three decimeter�…

This study evaluates how prehispanic central Mexicans made stone tools—primarily from
obsidian—and used them in their homes over a period of 3,000 years. Mesoamerican�…