Home Region: Mexico (North America)

Oaxaca - San Jose

1150 BCE 700 BCE

D G SC WF

EQ 2020 mx_san_jose / MxSanGu

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

1400 BCE 1150 BCE Oaxaca - Tierras Largas (mx_tierras_largas) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

700 BCE 500 BCE Oaxaca - Rosario (mx_rosario) [continuity]

General Description

The San José phase (1150-850 BCE), named for a settlement located in the Etla subregion of the Valley of Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, and the Guadalupe phase (850-700 BCE), are combined here because of the difficulty of differentiating between the material culture of the two phases. ^[1] Both phases were characterized by substantial growth at the settlement of San José Mogote, both in terms of population and the construction of non-residential public buildings. ^[1] Other sites remained relatively small during this period and were located on more productive land in the low piedmont and alluvial zones. ^[1]
Population and political organization
The degree of social stratification during the San José and Guadalupe phases is a matter of scholarly debate. Archaeologists Joyce Marcus and Kent Flannery identify the emergence of a chiefdom, which would have directed the construction of ceremonial and public spaces. ^[2] However, Richard Blanton et al. ^[3] have argued for a more ’corporate form of governance’, in which ’members of prominent households’ collectively contributed to political decision-making and status distinctions were achieved rather than inherited. ^[4] While there is no evidence for distinct social classes, burial goods and a range of larger residences suggest that some individuals were more highly ranked within the community than others. ^[5] ^[6] Based on the cranial deformation of some individuals, it has also been argued that there may be evidence for hereditary social rank, although these individuals were not buried with rich goods and so cannot be directly linked with chiefly status within the community. It is possible that although status was mostly determined based on achievements during a person’s lifetime, higher status would be more likely for people with a certain parentage. ^[7] The remains of limestone and travertine building materials from a source 5 kilometres from San José Mogote suggest that the occupants of San José Mogote were beginning to extend their authority to surrounding settlements.
It has been estimated that there were over 1000 people living at San José Mogote during this period. ^[8] The entire valley had an estimated population of around 2000 people divided among 40 communities in the San José phase (1150-850 BCE) and 2000-2500 persons during the Guadalupe phase (850-700 BCE), but these were not integrated into a single polity at this time. ^[9]

[1]: (Feinman et al. 1985, 340) Gary M. Feinman, Stephen A. Kowalewski, Laura Finsten, Richard E. Blanton and Linda Nicholas. 1985. ’Long-term Demographic Change: A Perspective from the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico’. Journal of Field Archaeology 12 (3): 333-62.

[2]: (Marcus and Flannery 1996, 93-110) Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery. 1996. Zapotec Civilization: How Urban Society Evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. London: Thames and Hudson.

[3]: (Blanton et al. 1999, 36-42) Richard E. Blanton, Gary M. Feinman, Stephen A. Kowalewski and Linda M. Nicholas. 1999. Ancient Oaxaca. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[4]: (Joyce 2009, 111) Arthur A. Joyce. 2009. Mixtecs, Zapotecs, and Chatinos: Ancient Peoples of Southern Mexico. Malden, MA: Wiley‐Blackwell.

[5]: (Kowalewski, Fisch and Flannery 1983, 50-53) Stephen Kowalewski, Eva Fisch and Kent V. Flannery. 1983. ’San José and Guadalupe Settlement Patterns in the Valley of Oaxaca’, in The Cloud People: Divergent Evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec Civilizations, edited by Kent V. Flannery and Joyce Marcus, 50-53. New York: Academic Press.

[6]: (Flannery and Marcus 1983, 53-55) Kent V. Flannery and Joyce Marcus. 1983. ’The Growth of Site Hierarchies in the Valley of Oaxaca: Part I’, in The Cloud People: Divergent Evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec Civilizations, edited by Kent V. Flannery and Joyce Marcus, 53-64. New York: Academic Press.

[7]: (Marcus and Flannery 1996, 106) Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery. 1996. Zapotec Civilization: How Urban Society Evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. London: Thames and Hudson.

[8]: (Flannery and Marcus 2005, 11) Kent V. Flannery and Joyce Marcus. 2005. Excavations at San José Mogote 1: The Household Archaeology. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology.

[9]: (Marcus and Flannery 1996, 106, 112) Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery. 1996. Zapotec Civilization: How Urban Society Evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. London: Thames and Hudson.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

3 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose) was in:
(1150 BCE 701 BCE)	Valley of Oaxaca

Home NGA: Valley of Oaxaca

General Variables

Identity and Location Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	14 Q	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Original Name	Oaxaca-San Jose	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Capital	None (Absent Capital)	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Alternative Name	Early Prehistoric	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Alternative Name	Early Formative	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Alternative Name	Guadalupe phase	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1150 BCE ➜ 850 BCE]
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Duration	[1150 BCE ➜ 700 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Supracultural Entity	Early Formative	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	MxRosar	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Succeeding Entity 700 BCE 500 BCE	Oaxaca - Rosario (mx_rosario) [continuity]
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Preceding Entity 1400 BCE 1150 BCE	Oaxaca - Tierras Largas (mx_tierras_largas) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	quasi-polity	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Language Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Proto-Otomanguean	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Language	uncoded Undecided	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Religion Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[791 to 1,976] people	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Polity Territory	- Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Polity Population	- Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	2	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Religious Level	1	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Military Level	1	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Administrative Level	[1 to 2]	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Professions Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Merit Promotion	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Law Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Judge	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Court	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Irrigation System	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Port	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Canal	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Bridge	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Information / Writing System Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Script	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Uncoded Undecided	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Mnemonic Device	Uncoded Undecided	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Sacred Text	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Religious Literature	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Practical Literature	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Philosophy	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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History	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Fiction	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Calendar	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Information / Money Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Precious Metal	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Article	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Information / Postal System Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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General Postal Service	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Courier	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Absent Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Moat	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Long Wall	unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Military use of Metals Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Iron	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Copper	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Bronze	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Projectiles Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Sling	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Self Bow	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Javelin	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Composite Bow	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Atlatl	Present Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Handheld weapons Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Sword	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Spear	Present Inferred	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Polearm	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Dagger	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Battle Axe	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Elephant	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Donkey	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Dog	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Camel	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Armor Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Shield	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Helmet	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Naval technology Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent	1150 BCE 700 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Human Sacrifice Oaxaca - San Jose (mx_san_jose)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More