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

Unit 7 was located in Field 2, 35 m northeast of Structure 83, and extended to a
depth of 2.1 m. Cultural material appears with increasing frequency at the 30 cm level
and continues in this manner to 120 cm. Immediately below the 120 cm level, a
significant change occurs; the quantity of ceramic artifacts doubles. This rate then begins
to decline with depth until the 170 cm level at which point there is relative doubling of
material again. At 180 cm, the cultural material basically ends. Again, as in the other test
units, Formative period ceramics are mixed with those of the Classic period, even at
maximum depths. The quantities of chronologically diagnostic ceramics from this unit
differ from all other units, however. Whereas in all other units Formative period artifacts
accounted for the majority, here the Protoclassic to Early Classic transitional material
dominated. The Early Formative consisted of 15 pieces, the Middle Formative, 311; the
Late Formative, 137; the Protoclassic and Early Classic, 1,965; the Late Classic 75; and
non-diagnostic wares, 614.
The analysis of excavated material from the seven test units confirms the
observations made of in situ ceramics along the upper 2 m of the river cut bank. These
potsherds were not deposited in isolated dug-out middens, but strewn along natural
depressions in what are considered sheet middens or broadcast scatters (Johnston and
Gonlin 1998). The density and thickness of these scatters is exceptional. The quantities
and depositional consistency of ceramic artifacts across all time periods also support the
idea of a continuous use of the northern portion of the site. These ceramic deposits line
the upper 2 m of the northern and eastern river cut banks of Field 1, and continue rather
consistently along Fields 2 and 3. Their frequency decreases in Field 4 and 5, and
increases again in Fields 6 and 7, but not to the degree of the northern fields. Figure 5.31
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