15. Economy Flashcards

Question

Great Western Trade Routes

Answer 1

Tikal elites controlled “Great Western Trade Route” in the Early Classic Obsidian imported as polyhedral cores and jade as raw material. Transformed these materials into commodities, and traded them elsewhere, making Tikal wealthy and powerful Tikal loses control after defeat by Kaanul and Caracol in 562 CE Jade then imported to lowlands as nearly finished objects Obsidian production is more widespread Terminal Classic competition for control and warfare saw a collapse of the “Great Western Trade Route”, and a shift to the eastern Caribbean Trade route

Answer 2

Multiple stages of production, involving all social classes Late Classic commoner households at Cancuen, Guatemala created preforms from jade boulders and cobbles Some basic items (axes, beads) are crafted and traded Some preforms are exported to recipient sites where they are then carved and incised by artisans, increasing symbolic and real value Some carved and incised jade objects become property of elites while others enter into exchange systems

Answer 3

Early Classic: final production and distribution controlled by Tikal in the Early Classic and thus important to their political economy Late Classic: less important to political economies (less control over production and distribution)

Answer 4

Elites financed their institutions through two primary mechanisms that operated simultaneously: Staple finance: obligatory payment of subsistence goods to the state Wealth finance: special items are used as payment Both staple and wealth finance were furnished through taxes and tribute payments: Taxes: regular, expected contributions from local populations to support the state. Most often subsistence goods but also included labour (corvée labour tax). Tribute: payment from subordinate or allied groups to acknowledge subordination. Could include subsistence goods but most often involving more prestigious or symbolic items

Answer 5

Reciprocity: Exchange based on mutual obligations; reinforced social bonds within communities Redistribution: Central authority collects and reallocates goods, often during ritual ceremonies; demonstrates elite power Market exchange: Goods traded in designated marketplaces; “price” set by perceived value, rather than social relationships alone

Answer 6

Idea that the Maya had market exchange has only recently been accepted and remains hotly debated Karl Polanyi’s theory of exchange: marketing behaviors are incompatible with premodern societies rooted in kinship and social solidarity. Maya also thought to have resource redundancy (low biodiversity) and low populations, thus never developed market exchange.

Answer 7

The Maya did have marketplaces. Identifying and understanding how markets emerged and functioned are important topics in Maya archaeology today. Archaeological identification of Maya market exchange hinges on three key approaches: Contextual approach Configurational approach Distributional approach

Answer 8

The contextual approach focuses on the identification of features (large cities, craft specialists) that benefit from the efficiency of marketplace exchange Contextual indicators for Maya markets: Large, densely populated cities Sprawling, interconnected, settlement systems. In these systems, people are not entirely self-sufficient and redistribution unlikely

Answer 9

The configurational approach prioritizes architectural features, spatial layout, and location. Configurational indicators for Maya markets: Most markets occur in formal plazas Spaces are that flat, can hold large groups of people, and are easily accessible (close to sacbes or within residential districts or neighborhoods) Some markets have formal architecture

Answer 10

The distributional approach examines the distribution of goods at the level of the site and the region Distributional indicators for Maya markets: Even distribution of sold goods across communities, with differences pertaining to purchasing power (E.g., everyone has access to “simple” polychromes and obsidian with wealthier households having access to greater quantities)

Answer 11

Central markets identified at many Maya cities, likely sponsored by royal elites Range in complexity from open plazas to formal architecture Degree of formality may indicate frequence or scale of operation More formal: Chiik Nahb at Calakmul

Answer 12

Markets also developed in residential districts and neighborhoods Some have formal architecture, suggesting daily operation Example: Yaxnohcah’s neighborhood marketplaces

Answer 13

Currency = a particular type of object that is commonly accepted as a medium of exchange and unit of account within a particular cultural contex In Postclassic Mesoamerica, known currencies included cacao beans, copper bells, salt, miniature axes, cotton mantles, jade and shell beads, other shell items (Essentially, items with known values can be traded for other items with perceived or agreed-upon values)