Pre-Columbian Society of Washington DC

An educational organization dedicated to furthering knowledge and understanding of the peoples of the Americas before the time of Columbus.

The Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C. (PCSWDC), is an educational organization dedicated to furthering knowledge and understanding of the peoples of the Americas before the time of Columbus. Founded in 1993, the Society provides a forum for the exchange of information regarding these pre-Columbian cultures between academic professionals and interested members of the public.

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FEBRUARY MEMBERSHIP MEETING

New Discoveries at Monte Albán’s Main Plaza: Buried Buildings and Busted Myths

Marc N. Levine, PhD, (Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma)

The February 4, 2022, meeting of the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington, D.C. will be held virtually using the Zoom platform. This meeting is free and open to the public but you must be pre-registered to attend. To pre-registration click HERE.

Monte Albán was founded on a set of hilltops at the center of the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, around 500 BCE. Many consider it one of Mesoamerica’s first urban centers, and it has been the focus of archaeological research for more than a century. At Monte Albán’s center lies the Main Plaza, an open, rectangular area framed by stone platforms, temples, and palaces. This presentation highlights the results of multi-sensor geophysical prospection on the Main Plaza and the discovery of at least three previously unknown buried buildings, including what appears to be a temple. These and other discoveries provide the opportunity to “bust” a number of myths or misconceptions about the nature of the Main Plaza. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that there was a profound shift in political authority at the Zapotec capital during the Pe to Nisa phase transition (300-100 BCE).

Marc N. Levine is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma and Associate Curator of Archaeology at the Sam Noble Museum. He has carried out archaeological research in Oaxaca, Mexico for over twenty years and has directed fieldwork projects at two regional capitals: Monte Albán and Tututepec. His current research interests include household archaeology, political economy, urbanism, metallurgy, and digital archaeology. As a curator, Levine is deeply engaged in repatriation projects and works collaboratively with several Tribes in Oklahoma and beyond.

Earlier Event: January 7
JANUARY MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Later Event: March 4
MARCH MEMBERSHIP MEETING

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