Abstract
La Quemada (A.C. 500–900) is a key site for understanding the processes involved in fluctuations of the northern frontier of Mesoamerica. Archaeologists have constructed scenarios about its founders and political relationships in the absence of adequate information about dating. This paper summarizes the historical and theoretical issues that hinge on the dating of La Quemada, reports the stratigraphic contexts of 39 radiocarbon samples obtained in recent excavation, and provides quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the available chronometric data from the site and its satellites. These data allow the testing of growth models at several scales. La Quemada's growth occurred during the Epiclassic period, which was one of decline in the core area of central Mexico. This chronological information clarifies the challenge to archaeologists who might wish to explain the pattern of a growing periphery and declining core, and it also underscores the need for more data from satellite sites to understand the organization and development of the local system.
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