Date of Award

Spring 1-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Anthropology

First Advisor

Chinchilla Mazariegos, Oswaldo

Abstract

Usulután is a pottery style featuring a bichromatic design in the form of parallel lines and blotches, often in yellow and orange colors. Although it is often associated with El Salvador, pottery in this style is commonly found across Southern Mesoamerica during the Formative period. During the Late and Terminal Formative periods (300 BCE – 200 CE) an intensive network of competitive city-states developed in the Southern Maya Region, including the Guatemalan Highlands, Pacific Slope, and Western El Salvador. Despite the abundance of Usulután pottery in the archaeological record of these cities, there has never been a study focused on Usulután production and exchange within the Southern Maya Region. This dissertation integrates compositional analysis with consideration of style and form to better understand Usulután production and exchange patterns. The patterned surfaces of Usulután vessels are approached from a theoretical perspective of enchantment and object itineraries. Over two hundred ceramics from archaeological sites across the Southern Maya Region were submitted for non-destructive portable x-ray fluorescence and destructive instrumental neutron activation analysis. The compositional data indicates that most Usulután vessels in the Southern Maya Region were produced and consumed within the same local area. However, there is evidence for the movement of some Usulután vessels through the landscape. People at Kaminaljuyu used Usulután vessels made in Western El Salvador for several centuries, and the occasional vessel made in the Guatemalan Highlands was used by people on the Pacific Slope. Compositionally distinct Usulután vessels, also likely produced in the Highlands, were used by people at Chalchuapa. This dissertation also asks whether people across the Southern Maya Region had access to the same sources of Usulután pottery, proposing open and restricted models. A restricted access model is supported for compositional groups consumed at only one or two sites, while an open access model is supported for groups consumed at many sites. Usulután vessels may have been incorporated into diverse networks of exchange and interaction, moving in open or restricted networks as necessary. A final topic this project investigates is the Usulután technique. The surfaces of over one hundred sherds were analyzed using portable x-ray fluorescence and a portable microscope. This data was used to theorize on the Usulután technique. The ultimate method for the Usulután technique remains unknown, and several techniques were probably used to produce Usulután vessels. The compositional data indicates that Usulután vessels were produced by potters at multiple sites across the Southern Maya Region for various social functions. Pots were primarily consumed locally, although some moved across large distances. These vessels existed along a spectrum of quality and access, facilitating interaction in a multicultural city-state environment.

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