Home Region:  Mexico (North America)

Initial Formative Basin of Mexico

2000 BCE 1201 BCE
D G SC WF R
EQ 2020  mx_basin_of_mexico_2 / MxInitl
Preceding Entity: Add one more here.
6000 BCE 2001 BCE Archaic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_1)    [None]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.
1200 BCE 801 BCE Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)    [population replacement]


  General Description  
The Basin or Valley of Mexico is a highlands plateau in central Mexico roughly corresponding to modern-day Mexico City. Here, we are interested in the phase of its prehistory known as the Initial Formative period (c. 2000-1201 BCE). At the start of this period, maize, squash, and other food crops had been domesticated; however, the earliest known pottery and the earliest known settled villages in the region date to a few centuries later, between 1600 and 1400 BCE. [1]
No population estimates could be found in the consulted literature; however, knowing that the site of Tlatilco (which was rather large for its time, and which was settled toward the end of this period) covered about 65 hectares (i.e. 160 acres), [2] we may estimate that it had a population of between 3,000 and 13,000 people, assuming between 50 and 200 per hectare. No information could be found on the political organisation of settlements at the time, though it is worth noting that, beginning in 1500 BCE, the Basin developed a two-tiered settlement system, [3] suggesting perhaps a hierarchical relationship between larger settlements and smaller ones. Moreover, the ability of certain segments of the population to intensify and control access to staples and ceremonial foods likely led to the earliest emergence of social inequalities and political hierarchies. [1]

[1]: (Pool 2012: 171) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/KISGMGK6.

[2]: (Coe 1994: 46) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/5DJ2S5IF.

[3]: (Evans 2004: 124) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/EWW3Q2TA.

General Variables
Identity and Location
Temporal Bounds
Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Religion
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology
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 Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2) was in:
 (2000 BCE 1201 BCE) Basin of Mexico
Home NGA: Basin of Mexico
General Variables
Identity and Location Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Original Name Initial Formative Basin of Mexico Expert 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Duration [2000 BCE ➜ 1201 BCE] Expert
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Political and Cultural Relations Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Succeeding Entity MxFormE Expert 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Preceding Entity
6000 BCE 2001 BCE
Archaic Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_1)   [None]  Expert
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Succeeding Entity
1200 BCE 801 BCE
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Language Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Language Genus uncoded Undecided Expert 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Religion Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Polity Territory 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Polity Population 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy 2000 BCE 1500 BCE
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Settlement Hierarchy 1500 BCE 1201 BCE
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Military Level 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Administrative Level 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Professions Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Professional Priesthood 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Professional Military Officer 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Merit Promotion 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Examination System 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Law Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Lawyer 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Judge 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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2000 BCE  1201 BCE
Court 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Market 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Irrigation System 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Food Storage Site 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Special-purpose Sites Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Writing System Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Script 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Nonwritten Record 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Mnemonic Device 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Scientific Literature 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Sacred Text 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Religious Literature 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Practical Literature 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Philosophy 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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History 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Fiction 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Calendar 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Information / Money Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Postal System Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Measurement System Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wooden Palisade 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moat 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Fortified Camp 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Earth Rampart 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Ditch 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Complex Fortification 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Long Wall absent 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Military use of Metals Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Steel 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Iron 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Copper 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Bronze 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Projectiles Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Sling 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Self Bow 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Javelin 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Composite Bow 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Atlatl 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Handheld weapons Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
War Club 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Sword 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Spear 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Polearm 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Dagger 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Battle Axe 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Horse 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Elephant 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Donkey 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Dog 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Camel 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Armor Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Shield 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Limb Protection 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Helmet 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Breastplate 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Naval technology Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 2000 BCE  1201 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Crisis Cases
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Instability Data
Power Transitions
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