Evaluating settlement defensibility during the late classic: a geospatial approach to the study of conflict in ancient Aguascalientes, Mexico

ABSTRACT The study of conflict, warfare, and their impact on settlement patterns in the Northern Frontier of Mesoamerica during the Late Classic (500–900 CE) is hindered by colonial notions of warfare and fragmented archaeological records. This article proposes a new geospatial analytical framework to investigate conflict in ancient West Mexico. We present the results of our UAV-based aerial survey at Cerro de en medio, Aguascalientes, and using a GIS approach, this study investigates the relationship between defensiveness and conflict as a range from sporadic raids carried by small bands to Inter-polity/Interregional warfare. We found visual control was not an essential concern during this period and based on the site’s hiddenness and capacity to sustain small-scale conflict, we argue that Cerro de en medio was a refuge rather than a fortress. Thus, the evidence of sporadic or seasonal conflict in the region challenges previous interpretations and calls for renewed investigations.