Ghost of a flea

Olmec

An "interaction sphere" is a term used by archaeologists to describe a cultural and economic influence of an ancient society extending beyond the immediate political sphere of influence of that society. Hmm. There must be a less clunky way of putting that but I am missing a chalk board to talk about this stuff on the blog... Ok, imagine I am holding a piece of chalk.

There was a Hopewell interaction sphere up and around the Ohio and Illinois rivers and a Shang Dynasty bronze interaction sphere. We spot this stuff when elites from distant locales have more in common with each than they do with the locals they are lording over. Clues include stylistic elements in the luxury goods that tend to travel further than basic commodities or the housewares of ordinary folk.

It looks like the Olmec interaction sphere extended further than had previously been thought...

Human bones believed to date from the ancient Olmec civilization have been found in southeastern Honduras, suggesting the influential culture extended farther than previously thought, Honduran authorities said on Tuesday. Carmen Fajardo, at the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History, said it appeared to be the first time Olmec remains have been found outside the so-called Mesoamerican corridor that stretches from Mexico to central Honduras.

Posted by Ghost of a flea at November 13, 2003 06:55 AM