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

determine the lateral movement of these artifacts as they tumbled down the embankment.
The results from these experiments consistently showed that ceramic sherds of assorted
sizes, shapes, and weights landed no more than three to four meters to the left or right of
their original position at the top of the bank. Due to these findings a lateral range was
accorded to the recovery location of displaced ceramics that were not affected by
inundation or any other taphonomic movement processes.
These later collections focused on the recovery of chronologically diagnostic
materials. Analysis confirmed the presence of substantial quantities of Middle and Late
Formative period ceramics along with lesser amounts of Early Formative, Protoclassic,
and Early and Late Classic ceramics along the northern and eastern borders of Field 1.
These findings are in accord with those from the surface collection, and the river cut bank
in Fields 2 and 3 produced similar results. Greatly reduced quantities were recovered
along the embankment in Fields 4 and 5. The embankment at the north sector of Field 6
contained significant Early Formative pieces, both pre-Olmec and San Lorenzo Olmec
phase ceramics. The southern section of Field 6 and all of Field 7 produced Early,
Middle, and Late Formative period sherds, but quantities from the later Classic periods
were negligible.
Ceramics from the Olmec Throne Area Excavations
In January 2002, during the Olmec throne rescue operation, 30 contiguous 1.5 x
1.5 m units were staked out and excavated (see Hernández and Barrera 2002). Only six of
the excavated units contained diagnostic ceramics, however. Figure 5.29 illustrates a plan
view of the excavation units and the yellow shaded units indicate where these pieces were
208