This study combines ethnohistorical and archaeological evidence to investigate the social and political development of the region of Chacalapan during the Classic and Post-Classic periods (AD300-1520). The ethnohistorical evidence is taken from both Mexico and Spain and reveals the extent of imperial control in the Post-Classic period. The archaeological evidence which consists of data from excavations and artefactual analysis traces the integration of the area into a hierarchical settlement system during the Classic period.