Abstract
Assumptions concerning the late dating of Middle Formative ceramics in
the northern Maya lowlands and similarities between this region and areas
to the south underlie mainstream interpretations that the northern Maya
lowlands was slower to develop cultural complexity. This paper is a
re-evaluation of these assumptions and their impact on interpretations of
Formative interaction. Recent research at Yaxuna, Yucatan, Mexico is
discussed in light of alternative approaches to the study of
sociopolitical interaction among early complex societies.