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

Early Formative (62 pieces), Middle Formative (323), Late Formative (525), Protoclassic
and Early Classic (167), Late Classic (153), and non-diagnostic wares (1040). The
temporal phase material, Early Formative through Late Classic, was highly mixed at
practically every level of the excavation. There was no indication of stratigraphic
separation. At this time, it is impossible to determine how this depositional pattern was
formed, but it may be possible that the areas were open trash middens, and the later
material was naturally transported down the inclined slope created by previously
discarded sherds.
Unit 2 was located 5 m west of Unit 1 and extended to a depth of 1.5 m. No
cultural material was encountered until the 0.4 m level, at which point a mixture of
ceramics from all temporal periods were encountered. The mixed material continued to
the culturally sterile levels at the bottom of the unit. The chronological segments included
Early Formative (127 pieces), Middle Formative (324), Late Formative (462),
Protoclassic and Early Classic (129), Late Classic (52), and non-diagnostic (1034).
Unit 3 was placed 31 m south of Structure 86 and 3.5 m from the edge of the river
cut bank. It extended down to a layer of hard packed gravel at a depth of 2.5 m. The
stratigraphy and contents matched those illustrated in Profile 1A. Nine stratigraphic
stages were identified. Little cultural material was encountered in Levels I and Ia (0-70
cm), but Levels II and III included quantities of ceramics. Level IV contained a denser
concentration of ceramics along with pieces of obsidian, ground stone, and burned clay.
Level IVa and b illustrate a drop in ceramic quantities and Levels IVc and V had no
cultural material but were composed of a highly compacted mixture of sand and gravel.
The ceramic content included the Early Formative (244 pieces), Middle Formative (671),
212