During the Epiclassic period (AD 600–900), the northern frontier of Mesoamerica consisted of a regional network of polities focused on large, hilltop centers, including the site of La Quemada in the Malpaso Valley of Zacatecas, Mexico. Although extensive archaeological research has been conducted at the site, the refinement of its chronology is essential for two reasons: (1) to establish the chronological control necessary to characterize social processes diachronically and (2) to ensure that the occupational history of La Quemada is accurately integrated into the regional chronology of the northern frontier. A combination of frequency seriation, correspondence analysis, and discriminant function analysis results in the recognition of three occupational phases across the areas excavated by the La Quemada-Malpaso Valley Archaeological Project (LQ-MVAP). Our three-phase chronology independently confirms both the intra-context ordering of analytic units and the previously proposed growth trajectory of the site: beginning in the monumental core, expanding into the western flank, and later retracting back into the core. The separation of the LQ-MVAP material record into chronological phases means it is now possible to track changes in the social processes that may have contributed to the formation, maintenance, and decline of La Quemada and other northern frontier polities.

中文翻译：

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使用陶瓷系列改进墨西哥萨卡特卡斯拉克马达的年表

在新古典时期（公元 600-900 年），中美洲北部边境由一个区域性的政体网络组成，主要集中在大型山顶中心，包括墨西哥萨卡特卡斯马尔帕索山谷的拉克马达遗址。尽管已经在该遗址进行了广泛的考古研究，但其年代学的完善是必不可少的，原因有两个：（1）建立对历时社会过程进行特征描述所必需的年代学控制；（2）确保拉克马达的职业历史是准确地融入了北方边疆的区域年表。频率序列、对应分析的组合，和判别函数分析可识别 La Quemada-Malpaso 谷考古项目 (LQ-MVAP) 挖掘的区域的三个职业阶段。我们的三阶段年表独立地证实了分析单元的上下文顺序和先前提出的站点增长轨迹：从不朽的核心开始，扩展到西侧，然后缩回核心。LQ-MVAP 材料记录按时间顺序的分离意味着现在可以跟踪可能导致拉克马达和其他北部边境政体的形成、维持和衰落的社会过程的变化。我们的三阶段年表独立地证实了分析单元的上下文顺序和先前提出的站点增长轨迹：从不朽的核心开始，扩展到西侧，然后缩回核心。LQ-MVAP 材料记录按时间顺序的分离意味着现在可以跟踪可能导致拉克马达和其他北部边境政体的形成、维持和衰落的社会过程的变化。我们的三阶段年表独立地证实了分析单元的上下文顺序和先前提出的站点增长轨迹：从不朽的核心开始，扩展到西侧，然后缩回核心。LQ-MVAP 材料记录按时间顺序的分离意味着现在可以跟踪可能导致拉克马达和其他北部边境政体的形成、维持和衰落的社会过程的变化。