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Eduardo Williams

El Colegio de Michoacán, Centro de Estudios Arqueologicos, Faculty Member

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BA in Archaeology, Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara (1982). MA in Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, University College London (1984). PhD in Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology, University College London (1989). Visiting Scholar, University of California Los Angeles (Fulbright Exchange Program 1988); Tulane University, New Orleans (Fulbright Exchange Program, 1998-99 & Conacyt, 2011-2012).
I have written numerous books and articles focused on subsistence activities, ethnohistory, ethnographic analogy (ethnoarchaeology), the Protohistoric Tarascan state, Modern Purépecha cultural manifestations and materiality (i.e, crafts and artistic styles). My book La sal de la tierra was awarded the Alfonso Caso Prize in 2005. I am a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences since 2002.
Supervisors: Prof. Warwick M. Bray
Phone: (52-351)515-7100
Address: El Colegio de Michoacán
Martinez de Navarrete 505
Zamora, CP 59699
Michoacan, México

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Papers by Eduardo Williams

Pots, Pans, and People

Pots, Pans, and People explores material culture and human adaptations to nature over time. Mater... more Pots, Pans, and People explores material culture and human adaptations to nature over time. Material culture refers to the artifacts, tools, instruments, and other objects that people use to adapt to their environmentin this case, primarily ceramics. Cultural ecology studies the behaviors that allow people to live and thrive in a particular natural setting, as well as their knowledge (and use) of specifi c resources and landscapes. Williams also explores the role of ethnoarchaeology and ethnohistory as key elements of a broad research strategy that seeks to understand human interaction with nature over time.

Nature, Materiality, and Worldview in Modern Tarascan Ceramics

This article is about the decorations painted on ceramic vessels in Huáncito, a Tarascan or Purép... more This article is about the decorations painted on ceramic vessels in Huáncito, a Tarascan or Purépecha community in Michoacán, Mexico. The article includes an ethnographic account about the town of Huáncito and its ceramic tradition, as well as an ethnohistorical discussion of the study area, including the natural environment and the human ecological

INTRODUCCION al libro del Encuentro Sociedades y Entornos Lacustres: Pervivencia y cambios a través del tiempo

Sociedades y Entornos Lacustres: Pervivencia y cambios a través d, 2024

Esta es una versión preliminar a las memorias del encuentro sobre sociedades y entornos lacustres... more

Pots, Pans, and People, 2023

This book presents a systematic discussion of Mesoamerican pre-Hispanic ceramics following a holi... more This book presents a systematic discussion of Mesoamerican pre-Hispanic ceramics following a holistic perspective that includes archaeology, ethnography, and ethnohistory. The author explores the theoretical background for the study of material culture and human adaptations to nature. The book is focused on three main topics: (1) Material culture, e.g., ceramics and many other artifacts and tools used by people to adapt to their environment. Material culture is the main source of information used by archaeologists to infer the economy, technology, social organization, and ritual practices of ancient societies. The analysis of material culture is crucial to archaeological theory and methodology. (2) Cultural ecology, or the patterns of behavior that allow people to adapt to their environment, as well as their knowledge (and use) of specific natural environments and landscapes. Cultural ecology deals with many aspects of culture and the environment, including how humans can solve their subsistence problems, how groups of people understand their environment, and how they share with others their knowledge of the natural settings, resources, and landscapes. (3) The relationship between archaeology and anthropology, and the role of ethnoarchaeology as a possible bridge between these two disciplines. Both ethnoarchaeology and ethnohistory are indispensable for the interpretation of ceramics in the archaeological record, as the reader will see in this book.

Pots, Pans, & People-FINAL CHAPTER

Pots, Pans, and People: Material Culture and Nature in Mesoamerican Ceramics, 2023

FINAL CHAPTER...This book is about the Mesoamerican tradition of ceramic manufacture, about mater... more FINAL CHAPTER...This book is about the Mesoamerican tradition of ceramic manufacture, about material culture and human interaction with nature, from the earliest times to the present. Here I present a final reflection on the most salient aspects of the present study, including the major ideas, debates, and information from all areas and periods of Mesoamerica. I also refer to other areas of the ancient world, including South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Here we find much food for thought, information that is indispensable for crafting analogies that help us understand the cultural processes of the past.

Tarascan.Ceramics.Chapter.V

Pots, Pans, and People: Material Culture and Nature in Mesoamerican Ceramics, 2023

In this chapter I deal with the following topics: (1) The Tarascan Empire in the Protohistoric pe... more In this chapter I deal with the following topics: (1) The Tarascan Empire in the Protohistoric period (ca. AD 1450-1530), including ceramic production, trade, and use in the Tarascan core area (the Lake Pátzcuaro Basin). (2) Ceramic manufacture and use in the modern Tarascan area. (3) The worldview illustrated in the painted pots in the Tarascan community of Huáncito, Michoacán.

CERAMIC ETHNOARCHAEOLOGY IN HUÁNCITO, MICHOACÁN, MEXICO

Ancient Mesoamerica, 2018

This study deals with pottery production in Huáncito, a Tarascan or Purepecha community in Michoa... more This study deals with pottery production in Huáncito, a Tarascan or Purepecha community in Michoacán, Mexico. The information I have obtained by direct observation during a quarter-century of ethnoarchaeological fieldwork in this town allows me to generate hypotheses to aid in the interpretation of the archaeological record. The main goal of this study is to assist in the interpretation of the material record of ceramic production by means of ethnographic analogy. The observations conducted over a long period of time have given me an invaluable diachronic perspective for understanding many aspects of social change and cultural continuity, including patterns of ceramic manufacture, use, and discard, as well as the use of domestic space and the archaeological visibility of potting activities in the context of the households.

In this chapter I discuss the salient aspects of Aztec culture during the Late Postclassic period... more In this chapter I discuss the salient aspects of Aztec culture during the Late Postclassic period (ca. AD 1200-1521). In order to contextualize the discussion of ceramic manufacture, trade and use in the Aztec Empire presented here, I touch upon the following topics: (1) Aztec history and culture; (2) Residential life in the Basin of Mexico in the Late Postclassic period; (3) Trade, tribute, and transportation of ceramics and many other items of material culture; (4) Subsistence activities such as agriculture and the aquatic lifeway, followed by our main topic of interest: (5) Ceramic production and distribution in the Aztec domain; (6) The last section contains a discussion, amplification and clarification of the main topics addressed in this chapter.

The Mixteca Puebla Tradition

This is a summary discussion of the archaeological and art-historical phenomenon that has been ca... more This is a summary discussion of the archaeological and art-historical phenomenon that has been called ‘Mixteca-Puebla’. This discussion is important, since the tradition in question spread to the farthest confines of the Mesoamerican ecumene, reaching the far northwest, and influencing the art (and life) of many cultures in the process.

THE AZTATLÁN TRADITION OF WEST MEXICO

Pots, Pans, and People (Chapter III), 2023

Between the 9th and 14th centuries, West Mexico experienced a new cultural phenomenon we now call... more Between the 9th and 14th centuries, West Mexico experienced a new cultural phenomenon we now call the Aztatlán tradition. Aztatlán has been an enduring topic of research and debate, and has been addressed by many scholars in West Mexico and other areas of Mesoamerica and beyond. Aztatlán covered an extensive region form the Pacific coastal lowlands to the interior regions of northwest Mexico, reaching as far afield as the Southwestern United States. Cultural interaction during the Early and Middle Postclassic (ca. AD 850-1350) resulted in a cultural network linking many different peoples in this part of the Mesoamerican ecumene.

Pots,Pans,&People-CH.III.(B)

The Mesoamerican Classic period (ca. AD 250/300-900) was first defined as a time of cultural flor... more The Mesoamerican Classic period (ca. AD 250/300-900) was first defined as a time of cultural florescence, primarily in the Maya area. Dates on Maya monuments ranged from about AD 250 to AD 900, so this period was seen by most scholars as a ‘golden age’ with art, society and technology reaching a maturity comparable to that of ancient Greece. For many academics, the Classic period begins at AD 200, or even earlier, and many recognize a Protoclassic, the period immediately preceding the Classic (Evans 2004). The early scholars who designated AD 250-900 as the Classic period ‘marked out an era of flourishing cities and ceremonial centers, ruling over true states and vast territories. Some of Mesoamerica’s most important archaeological sites had their florescence during the Classic period: Teotihuacan, Cholula, El Tajín, Monte Albán, Palenque, Tikal, Copán’ (p. 263), among many others. These centers represent some of the great regional cultures that achieved a high level of complexity during the Classic, which in some cases persisted even into the Postclassic period.

POTS, PANS, AND PEOPLE. Chapter III-C: Early Postclassic Period

Pots, Pans, and People, 2023

After the downfall of Teotihuacan and other states of the Classic period, the political map of th... more After the downfall of Teotihuacan and other states of the Classic period, the political map of the Mesoamerican ecumene changed drastically, and the ‘climax area’ of Mesoamerican civilization moved to a different part of the ecumene. The city of Tula, in the present state of Hidalgo, saw an epoch of florescence during the Early Postclassic period (ca. AD 900-1200). The Toltec state became one of the dominant polities in the Mesoamerican scene; its influence was felt throughout the ecumene, from northwest Mexico to the Yucatán Peninsula.

Pots, Pans, & People CH.III.(A)

Pots, Pans, and People: Material Culture and Nature in Mesoamerican Ceramics, 2023

This is a draft version of Chapter III (section 1) of the book: Pots, Pans, and People: Material ... more This is a draft version of Chapter III (section 1) of the book: Pots, Pans, and People: Material Culture and Nature in Mesoamerican Ceramics. In this book I will present a discussion of ceramics in Mesoamerica, covering the development of pottery manufacture, use, and trade in many areas of the Mesoamerican ecumene, from the time of the earliest farmers to the last cultures before the Spanish invasion in the 16th century. The perspective I use is based on a holistic approach that includes archaeological data, ethnohistorical sources and ethnographic analogy. In the first section of this chapter, I discuss the gradual shift from hunter-gatherers of the Archaic period (ca. 8000-2000 BC) to the first farmers of the Formative period (ca. 2000-300 BC). The second section (forthcoming) deals with the Classic period (ca. AD 300-900) and the first complex societies and urbanism. In the next section, the reader will find a discussion of the first expansionist states in the Early Postclassic period (ca. AD 900- 1200). The chapter ends with a synthesis of Aztec culture and the Aztec Empire during the Late Postclassic (ca. AD 1200-1521). As stated above, the main focus of this book is the Mesoamerican ceramic tradition, but I have written extensively about many aspects of material culture in the Mesoamerican ecumene to contextualize the information and give a general cultural-historical background to the data presented here.
ERRATUM: In the bibliograpy, Diehl (1983) should be: Diehl (2004) The Olmecs: America’s First Civilization. Thames and Hudson, London.

Pots, Pans, and People: Chapter II

Pots, Pans, and People: Material Culture and Nature in Mesoamerican Ceramics, 2022

On the cover: Tarascan potters in Zipiajo, Michoacan, Mexico (Eduardo Williams 1995). ABSTRACT ... more On the cover: Tarascan potters in Zipiajo, Michoacan, Mexico (Eduardo Williams 1995).
ABSTRACT
In this chapter I explore the theoretical background for the study of material culture and human adaptations to nature. The chapter is divided in three parts: (1) Material culture, or the artifacts, tools, instruments, and all objects used by people to adapt to their environment. Material culture is the main source of information used by archaeologists to infer the economy, technology, social organization, and ritual practices of ancient societies. The analysis of material culture is crucial to archaeological theory and methodology. (2)
Cultural ecology, or the patterns of behavior that allow people to adapt to their environment, as well as their knowledge (and use) of specific natural environments and landscapes. Cultural ecology deals with many aspects of culture and the environment, including how humans can solve their subsistence problems, how groups of people understand their environment, and how they share with others their knowledge of the natural settings, resources, and landscapes. (3) In the last section, I explore the relationship between archaeology and anthropology over time, and the role of ethnoarchaeology as a possible bridge between these two disciplines, as well as an indispensable tool for archaeological interpretation. I also discuss the role of ethnohistory and other disciplines from the social sciences and humanities, which offer crucial perspectives for archaeological interpretation. Both ethnoarchaeology and ethnohistory are indispensable for the interpretation of the archaeological record, as the reader will see in this book.

Unpacking Cultural Ecology

This essay deals with cultural ecology, defined as ‘the study of the ways in which people adapt t... more This essay deals with cultural ecology, defined as ‘the study of the ways in which people adapt to their environment by means of behavior, as well as their knowledge of specific natural environments and processes’ (Sutton and Anderson 2004). Cultural ecology deals with numerous aspects of culture and the environment, including how people manage to solve their subsistence problems, how they understand their environment, and how they share with others their knowledge of the natural settings, resources, and landscapes. Cultural ecology seeks an explanation of human adaptation and cultural evolution in both contemporary and ancient societies throughout the world (French and Gonlin 2016).
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On the cover: figure of a deer painted on a pot in the Tarascan community of Huáncito, Michoacán, Mexico. Many of the designs on Tarascan pots show elements of the natural environment, both flora and fauna.

UNPACKING MATERIAL CULTURE

Unpacking Material Culture, 2022

This review essay, together with the former "Unpacking Ethnoarchaeology" (also in Academia) and t... more This review essay, together with the former "Unpacking Ethnoarchaeology" (also in Academia) and the forthcoming "Unpacking Cultural Ecology" will become part of the book "Material Culture and Nature in Mesoamerican Ceramics" (in preparation). .Here I explore a new way of thinking about material objects and their study from an anthropological perspective. The study of material culture has reached a new level of importance in social studies, not just in archaeology. In fact, in recent years a ‘material-culture turn’ has emerged in the social sciences, with archaeology and anthropology as major players in this process. We see in the he recent literature a dissatisfaction with purely ‘culturalist’ studies of material culture, which simply tried to reduce things to meanings, or else to social relations. Here we review these ideas with a critical perspective and analyze concepts such as ‘culture’ from an interdisciplinary and diachronic perspective.

Unpacking Ethnoarchaeology

Unpacking Ethnoarchaeology, 2022

Ethnoarchaeology is discussed here as an indispensable tool for archaeological interpretation. Th... more Ethnoarchaeology is discussed here as an indispensable tool for archaeological interpretation. The link between archaeology and socio-cultural anthropology is analyzed. The conclusion is that ethnoarchaeology is the ideal link between archaeology and socio-cultural anthropology.
+Erratum: Figure 3 Caption: should read "hunting", not "hinting".

Ancient Mesoamerica, 2020

This article deals with the cultural activities linked to subsistence in aquatic environments (fi... more This article deals with the cultural activities linked to subsistence in aquatic environments (fishing, hunting, gathering and manufacture) in Michoacán from ca. AD 1540 to the present. First I present an ethnohistorical account of aquatic landscapes and resources based on the major written sources from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Second, I discuss the extant ethnographic information about subsistence activities in the Lake Pátzcuaro Basin (Michoacán) during the 20th century. In the final section I discuss the archaeological implications of all the information presented here, through an ethnoarchaeological analysis of the subsistence strategies and the material culture associated with the aquatic lifeway in the study area. The main goal of this study is to provide bridging arguments for the reconstruction and interpretation (through analogy) of the archaeological assemblages associated with production and consumption activities in aquatic landscapes within the Tarascan region and elsewhere in Mesoamerica.

CERAMIC PRODUCTION IN HUÁNCITO, MICHOACÁN, MEXICO: AN ETHNOARCHAEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

City, Craft, and Residence in Mesoamerica, 2018

This paper deals with ceramic production in the Tarascan Indian community of Huáncito, Michoacán,... more This paper deals with ceramic production in the Tarascan Indian community of Huáncito, Michoacán, Mexico. The perspectives used in this research include ethnoarchaeology and ceramic ecology. The information we have obtained by means of direct observation during a twenty-year span in this town has allowed us to generate hypotheses for interpretation of the archaeological record.

Adaptaciones acuáticas en Mesoamérica

En este texto presento una síntesis de las conclusiones del libro titulado Aquatic Adaptations in... more En este texto presento una síntesis de las conclusiones del libro titulado Aquatic Adaptations in Mesoamerica: Subsistence Activities in Ethnoarchaeological Perspective, escrito por Eduardo Williams (2022), que actualmente está en prensa en la editorial Archaeopress de Oxford, Reino Unido. El término "adaptaciones acuáticas" se refiere a las estrategias de subsistencia que los antiguos mesoamericanos implementaron para sobrevivir en sus entornos naturales y sociales. Aquí discuto los escenarios naturales y sitios de producción, así como las técnicas, artefactos, paisajes culturales y otras características vinculadas a la subsistencia humana en ambientes acuáticos. En particular, presto atención a las siguientes actividades: pesca, caza, recolección y manufactura, incluida la producción de sal y la agricultura intensiva. En el libro Aquatic Adaptations examino los principales aspectos de la investigación en este campo, que está enfocada principalmente en el modo de vida lacustre mesoamericano, desde una perspectiva de estudio basada en la etnoarqueología y la etnohistoria.