2017 (Theory): Keegan and Hofman challenge the traditional view that Chicoid pottery simply replaced Meillacoid traditions through a new wave of population e…

2017 (Theory): Keegan and Hofman challenge the traditional view that Chicoid pottery simply replaced Meillacoid traditions through a new wave of population expansion. Instead, they propose that the two styles often coexisted and interacted, leading to a selective adoption of motifs and techniques between different communities. This interaction is visible in “paired” settlements where both styles are present, reflecting fluid social boundaries rather than rigid ethnic divisions. The authors emphasize that the transition to the Late Ceramic Age was a process of internal social reconfiguration and regional integration. This perspective highlights the complexity of indigenous cultural development in the centuries preceding the arrival of Europeans.