Ceramics and social change. A method for studying the colonial Indian pottery from central Mexico

Abstract

The Spanish conquest had a profound impact on the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica and created new social systems in which both the indigenous and Spanish worlds coexisted and influenced each other over centuries. Ceramics have been used to explore the material expression of the interaction between different components of the colonial society. However, the focus of study has usually been the final appearance of objects, that is, their decoration and shape, and this has resulted in a somewhat limited understanding of the complex process of continuity and change after the conquest. When other aspects of the process of ceramics manufacture are included, such as methods of forming vessels or firing technology, a wider and more objective perspective of social and material change can be obtained. Thus, in this paper a brief study is presented of several stages of the process of manufacturing indigenous ceramics in the Valley of Mexico during the early colonial period (A.D. 1521–1650).