An Unexplored Realm in the Heartland of the Southern Gulf ... - Famsi

to recover as much information as possible regarding the artifact and its deposition. Prior
to the arrival of INAH archaeologists, the local inhabitants had cleared the soil along with
a significant quantity of archaeological material away from the piece, depositing the fill
down the elevated slope.
A grid of 30 contiguous 1.5 m x 1.5 m excavation units surrounding the Olmec
Throne was laid out and excavations began. Figure 3.14 illustrates the location and
identification of the units relative to the throne. The placement of the units served a dual
purpose. First, they allowed a controlled excavation of the area adjacent to the throne that
provided significant information regarding the archaeological context (Figure 3.15).
Second, the removal of earth permitted the creation of an inclined ramp upon which the
throne was moved to secure ground (Figure 3.16).
The rescue of the Olmec throne was successful. The monolithic piece, estimated
to weigh in excess of 12 tons, was raised to higher firmer ground and turned upright with
the assistance of community members. On January 19, 2002, for the first time in about
2,500 years the personage depicted on the front of the throne was visible to the residents
of El Marquesillo (Figure 3.17). Eventually, it was placed in a concrete gazebo specially
Figure 3.14. Plan view of the Olmec throne excavation units.
Throne position is marked by dashed line.
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