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THE MANY FACES OF FIGURINES

Figurines as markers of ethnicity in Michoacan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2008

Erica Begun
Erica Begun*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Iowa, 114 Macbride Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
*
E-mail correspondence to:erica-begun@uiowa.edu
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Abstract

Figurines offer archaeologists intriguing insights into many aspects of prehistoric culture. Beyond their utility as chronological markers, figurines offer information regarding the social and cultural structures of a society. This paper will demonstrate how the figurines of Michoacan can be used as markers of ethnic identity and ethnic continuity in the Lake Patzcauro Basin. The high degree of continuity in decorative and production styles throughout much of the sequence serves as evidence for ethnic continuity and the identity of the people who made the artifacts. A preliminary typology for the Michoacan figurines is presented to support the idea that a distinctly Michoacan style of figurine exists. The application of this figurine typology reveals a high degree of continuity in the figurine record. This supports the hypothesis that the ethnic origins of the Michoacan people may reach back as far as the Late Preclassic/Early Classic period.

Type
Special Section: Recent Research on the Emergence of the Tarascan State
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , Fall 2008 , pp. 311 - 318
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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