Changing patterns of ceramic stylistic diversity in the Pre-Hispanic Maya lowlands

Ceramic stylistic diversity across the Maya lowlands area fluctuates from the Late Preclassic through Late Postclassic periods. During the Late Preclassic and Late Postclassic, assemblages within and between individual settlements are less diverse. In contrast, the Early, Late, and Terminal Classic periods exhibit far greater intersite variation in ceramic styles and greater diversity of wares within communities. This fragmentation of style zones during the Classic periods correlates with the periods of greatest hierarchical development and political centralization in Pre-Hispanic Maya history. This climate of interpolity competition affected ceramic production styles, configurations of economic interaction, and expressions of sub-group identity. This paper documents temporal trends in ceramic uniformity and diversity and explores the historical context of expanding and contracting style zones over time in the Maya area. In particular, the "standardization" of Postclassic Maya pottery across the lowlands is interpreted in light of expanded interpolity market interactions, decentralized political structure, and greater overall economic integration of the Yucatan peninsula compared to the preceding Classic period.