Home Region:  Mexico (North America)

Early Formative Basin of Mexico

1200 BCE 801 BCE
EQ 2020  mx_basin_of_mexico_3 / MxFormE
Preceding Entity: Add one more here.
2000 BCE 1201 BCE Initial Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_2)    [population replacement]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.
800 BCE 401 BCE Middle Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_4)    [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 Early Formative period (c. 1200-801 BCE). During this period, sociopolitical hierarchies emerged and expanded throughout much of Mesoamerica more broadly, including the southern Valley of Mexico. This is evident, for example, in the establishment of a two-tiered settlement system, [1] as well in the emergence of craft specialisation, specifically with regards to the manufacture of obsidian blades at sites such as Coapexco. [2] Moreover, the Early Formative saw the earliest shared style in Mesoamerica, characterised by a standardized set of symbols, typically carved or incised on black, black-and-white, and white or white-slipped ceramics. [3]
Sanders et al. (1979) tentatively estimated that there were approximately 5,000 people in the Basin of Mexico around 1150 BC. [4] However, no estimates could be found for the population of the average autonomous political unit. The largest known settlement, Tlatilco, may have had a population of as little as 1,000 inhabitants over 40 hectares, [5] or between 2,000 and 4,000. [6]

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

[2]: Paul Tolstoy. (1989) "Coapexco and Tlatilco: sites with Olmec material in the Basin of Mexico", In Regional Perspectives on the Olmec, Robert J. Sharer & David C. Grove (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 96.

[3]: (Pool 2012: 176) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/KISGMGK6.

[4]: Sanders, William T., Jeffrey R. Parsons, and Robert S. Santley. (1979) The Basin of Mexico: Ecological Processes in the Evolution of a Civilization. Academic Press, New York, pg. 183.

[5]: Paul Tolstoy. (1989) "Coapexco and Tlatilco: sites with Olmec material in the Basin of Mexico", In Regional Perspectives on the Olmec, Robert J. Sharer & David C. Grove (eds.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pg. 87-121.

[6]: (Carballo 2019: pers. comm. to G. Nazzaro and E. Cioni)

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 Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3) was in:
 (1200 BCE 801 BCE) Basin of Mexico
Home NGA: Basin of Mexico

General Variables
Identity and Location Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 14 Q Expert 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Original Name Early Formative Basin of Mexico Expert 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Alternative Name 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Alternative Name 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Alternative Name 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Alternative Name 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Alternative Name 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
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Duration
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Political and Cultural Relations Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Suprapolity Relations 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Succeeding Entity MxFormM Expert 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Succeeding Entity
800 BCE 401 BCE
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Preceding Entity
2000 BCE 1201 BCE
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Degree of Centralization 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Language Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Linguistic Family Proto-Otomanguean Expert 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Language Genus uncoded Undecided Expert 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Religion Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Polity Territory 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Polity Population 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Settlement Hierarchy 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Religious Level 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Administrative Level 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Professions Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Soldier 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Professional Priesthood 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Professional Military Officer 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Government Building 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Merit Promotion 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Examination System 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Law Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professional Lawyer 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Judge 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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1200 BCE  801 BCE
Court 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Market 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Irrigation System 1200 BCE 901 BCE
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Irrigation System 900 BCE 801 BCE
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Food Storage Site 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Road 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Port 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Canal 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Bridge 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Mines or Quarry 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Other Special Purpose Site 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Information / Writing System Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Written Record 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Script 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Nonwritten Record 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Mnemonic Device 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
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Scientific Literature 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Sacred Text 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Religious Literature 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Practical Literature 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Philosophy 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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History 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Fiction 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Calendar 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Information / Money Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Precious Metal 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Paper Currency 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Indigenous Coin 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Foreign Coin 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Article 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Information / Postal System Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Postal Station 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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General Postal Service 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Courier 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Fastest Individual Communication 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Settlements in a Defensive Position 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Military use of Metals Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Steel 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Iron 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Copper 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Bronze 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Projectiles Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Sling 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Self Bow 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Javelin 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Atlatl 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Handheld weapons Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
War Club 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Sword 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Spear 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Polearm 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Dagger 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Battle Axe 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Horse 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Elephant 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Donkey 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Dog 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Camel 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Armor Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wood Bark Etc 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Shield 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Limb Protection 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Leather Cloth 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Helmet 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Breastplate 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Naval technology Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Small Vessels Canoes Etc 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 1200 BCE  801 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Early Formative Basin of Mexico (mx_basin_of_mexico_3)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Instability Data
Power Transitions