Verenice Y. Heredia Espinoza is a Professor of Archaeology at El Colegio de Michoacán in Mexico. Her research focuses on the development of alternative paths to social complexity. She has directed and co-directed research projects in Oaxaca, Tlaxcala, and Jalisco. She is currently director at the Los Guachimontones in Jalisco where she has an active research agenda that includes survey, excavation, and laboratory work. She is a member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.Héctor J. Cardona Machado is an anthropologist and PhD in Social Sciences, with a background in archaeology, history and heritage management. His current research focuses on the relationship between archaeology and cultural heritage from critical perspectives, as well as cross-cultural studies on housing and socio-political organization. Throughout his career, he has combined teaching, research and socio-cultural analysis in various academic institutions and in public service.Joshua D. Englehardt is Research Professor of Archaeology at the Centro de Estudios Arqueológicos de El Colegio de Michoacán, Mexico, and a member of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores. His research focuses on the development of symbolic systems, particularly writing, as well as biocultural heritage and the relationships between humans and the natural world. He has directed or co-directed research projects in Mexico, the US, and Japan.