Geoarchaeology of an Aztec dispersed village on the Texcoco piedmont of Central Mexico

Analysis of the microstratigraphy, geomorphology, and soils within an Aztec site in the piedmont of Texcoco provides information on the ecological context of the dispersed village during the Late Aztec phase (A.D. 1350–1520). Two erosional phases are identified, the first in the period between A.D. 500 and 1000, and the second in the 1600s. The two erosional events are correlated with the transition from dispersed settlements, with relatively high population density, to nucleated settlements marking a decline in population. Land reclamation by Aztec settlers is attested by the remains of the semiterracing system of metepantli and rock-faced terraces, which are features discussed in the context of anthropogenic soils identified within the site. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.