Keywords

figurine, Archaeology, Anthropology, Analysis, Figurine Analysis, Oaxaca, Mexico, Mexico Archaeology

Abstract

This thesis investigates 618 ceramic figurines from the Lower Río Verde Valley in Oaxaca, Mexico, to explore how figurine use varied across civic-ceremonial, domestic, and outlying contexts during the Terminal Formative and Late Classic periods. The central hypothesis proposes that figurines from the Río Viejo Acropolis, a civic-ceremonial center, would be larger and exhibit greater labor investment than those from residential and peripheral sites, reflecting more labor-intensive ideologies and ceremonial practices. Through typological, spatial, and material analysis, the study examines attributes such as size, surface treatment, production method, and the presence of musical elements. The dataset includes newly analyzed figurines from the Río Viejo Acropolis, offering a comprehensive view of figurine variation across the region. The hypothesis was partially supported. While figurines were overwhelmingly small, solid, and anthropomorphic across all contexts, the Acropolis assemblage shows slight evidence of increased labor investment, particularly in the use of greyware paste in the Terminal Formative period and enhanced surface treatments in the Late Classic period. In the Terminal Formative period, brownware predominates across the region, with greyware more common in the Acropolis. By the Late Classic, orangeware becomes the dominant paste type overall. Wind instruments were rare, especially in the later period, and mold-made figurines became more standardized over time, suggesting shifts in production techniques. Despite minor contextual differences, the dataset reveals a largely linear tradition of figurine production, with minimal variation across most analyzed categories. These results challenge rigid distinctions between civic ceremonial spaces and other contexts. Instead the results highlight shared cultural practices expressed through localized, context-sensitive figurine use.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Sarah Barber

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Anthropology

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029713

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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