Comments on Drennan's "Long Distance Transport Costs in Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica"

Abstract

In addition to the goods brought in from the neighbouring villages there are some from considerable distances offered for sale by the Tarasco peddlers, the so-called huacaleros (crate-carriers). These men travel all over the country, carrying on their backs enormous crates (huacales) made of bamboosticks, resembling those used for loading mules, only very much larger and rectangular in shape. Into this light receptacle the merchant packs his wares, whatever they may be, chiefly pottery, and closes it with a netting of ixtle. Often he ties to the outside the baskets which he also has for sale, and on top of all he fastens his chino. These itinerant merchants forcibly demonstrate the commercial instinct of the Tarasco tribe. The peddlers, generally natives of the Sierra, travel on foot as far as to the city of Mexico in the east, to Guadalajara in the west, and to the coast towns of Acapulco, Colima, and Tepic .... In former times Tarasco merchants used to make their