[tel-01111936] L’organisation sociospatiale des agglomérations urbaines du Malpaís de Zacapu, Michoacán, Mexique (1250-1450 après J.-C.)

Since the Xth century, the Central-Northern region of Michoacán State, in Mexico, has demonstrated deep settlement pattern and sociopolitical transformations. During the XIVth century, asthe result of complex sociopolitical processes, a kingdom finally raised: the Tarascan kingdom, one of the most powerful and originalstate entity at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Ourstudy focuses on the Tarascan state emergence antecedents. We are looking, in particular, for a better understanding of one of the most importantsettlement pattern shift that hastaken place in the region, during the XIII th century. Around 1250 A.D., four extensive and densely occupied agglomerations,clearly related to the Tarascan materialculture, are implanted on an unwelcoming area, the Malpaís de Zacapu. Such population nucleation is an unprecedented phenomenon in the region, and hasrare equivalentsin other Mesoamerican contexts. The urban layout of these settlements, theirspatial and social organization, astheirshort period of occupation (two centuries approximately), stress numerous questions related to urban functions, society, and political system at the sites, at different observation scales (from local to macro-regional). The present research combines a systematic approach and survey of field remains, and apply variousspatial and geo-statistical analyses. It describes precisely these spatial units, but it also revealsthe spatial and socialstructures at these urban settlements. We finally show, among others observations, that the agglomerations settled on the Malpaís de Zacapu had already reached urban qualities and functions and were inhabited by complex societies.



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