ABSTRACT
Prestige goods theory (PGT) is a Marxist-inspired framework that was originally developed to understand political relations among people living in current and historically known West African cultures. Like most Marxian thought, PGT focuses on how the mode of production serves to promote the interests of a few over the desires of the many. Evaluating the hypothesis derived from PGT occurred during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. Craft production is the fabrication of items by a segment of the total population with the intent of generating surpluses destined for exchange with those outside the producing group. Variations in mold frequencies among patio groups at La Sierra were noted, suggesting, once again, that households were differentially involved in this craft. Evidence for cloth decoration and the fashioning of fired clay figurines and musical instruments came to light in excavated La Sierra compounds. The biggest surprise was the identification of large-scale facilities for making ceramic vessels on La Sierra’s northern outskirts.
