Postclassic pre-hispanic population replacement in the Valley of México: a cranial shape geometric morphometric approach

MIQUEL HERNÁNDEZ,; MARTÍNEZ ABADÍAS, NEUS; GONZÁLEZ MARTÍN, ANTONIO; BAUTISTA MARTÍNEZ, JOSEFINA; GÓMEZ VALDÉS, JORGE; MIREIA ESPARZA,; MIRSHA QUINTO,; ROLANDO GONZALEZ-JOSÉ

Humanbiologia Budapestinensis

University of Budapest

Año: 2007 vol. 30 p. 55 - 62

0134-0034

This paper deals with the problem of the continuity or else the replacement in the Basin of Mexico population during the transition from the Classic to the Postclassic period in Mesoamerica (which took place around 900 AD). The aim of this work is to contrast the explanation of the Mexicas (or Aztecs) foreign origin with its subsequent population replacement, with the alternative hypothesis that expects a biological continuity of the Classic populations that inhabited the Central Valley at the time of the Mexica’s arrival. In order to test this temporal continuity, seven skull series belonging to the different cultural periods on the Valley of Mexico were studied. Moreover, five skull series from the North of Mexico were also analyzed to obtain a comparative reference context. The Teotihuacan series (Classic period) and the Tlatelolco Mexica series (Late Postclassic) were grouped into different clusters. The comparison between the Classic and Postclassic skulls was carried out by means of the EDMA-II geometric-morphometric method. The differences obtained between these periods have been interpreted as morphological skull changes that occurred in the Valley of Mexico population as a result of the different immigrations that took place previously to the formation of the Mexica Empire.