Jeffrey P. BlomsterEtlatongo: Social Complexity, Interaction, and Village Life in the Mixteca Alta of Oaxaca, Mexico (Case Studies in Archaeology Series)

As a volume of the series of Case Studies in Archaeology books that explore theory and recent methodologies in archaeology, Blomster’s work is a valuable inclusion. Intended as a learning tool for anthropology and archaeology students, it includes simplified and detailed explanations of archaeological theory and method in the context of an archaeological project, yet it is not too basic for the most experienced archaeologists to appreciate. Not only does it meticulously outline each step of the research and excavation process, it also provides the reader with fascinating subject material. The Etlatongo site, located in the Nochixtlán Valley within the Mixteca Alta of the contemporary Oaxaca state in Mexico, contains deposits spanning almost 3,000 years from the Early Cruz phase of the Formative period to the Natividad phase of the Postclassic period. As Blomster is primarily interested in the emergence of social complexity, he concentrates his efforts on the Formative period deposits at the site. Specifically, he aims to determine the site’s role within the broader Mesoamerican region and in particular to the Olmec of the Gulf Coast. Overall, this book is a well-thought-out and insightful glimpse into the Etlatongo site and the region as a whole. The primary flaw in Blomster’s research on intrasite social inequalities, which he readily admits, is the lack of data within the Nochixtlán Valley. While he asserts that something different is going on in this valley than in the Oaxaca Valley to the east, he repeatedly uses Oaxaca Valley data for comparative purposes. And while his conclusions, which seem perfectly logical, may indeed prove to be valid, this shortcoming reveals as baseless many of his conclusions concerning high-status households, as he has no “average” household data with which to compare them. However, what he did find was that during the Formative period, at which time social inequalities were emerging, there was much more interregional interaction between Etlatongo and Olmec sites than previously thought. Additionally, his research discounts the notion that most pottery vessels displaying Olmec symbols were manufactured in numerous locales throughout Mesoamerica and instead indicates that these were indeed often traded widely from the Olmec region. And despite his ill luck in not finding evidence of differential social status, Blomster put together an exemplary research design, he excavated in non-ideal depths and weather, and he wrote an overall excellent site report, and one that can serve as an example to future archaeologists.