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

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discussion about <strong>the</strong> antiquity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se features (Cyphers 1993; Diehl 2004). Ultimately,<br />

it appears that <strong>the</strong> laguna orig<strong>in</strong>ated <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Formative period and may have been subjected<br />

to later modifications, a situation considered analogous to <strong>the</strong> one at El Marquesillo.<br />

Exam<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> magnetometer and GPS data shows a l<strong>in</strong>ear anomaly located<br />

<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>ast sector <strong>of</strong> Field 8. This anomaly beg<strong>in</strong>s 60 m west <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> depositional<br />

position <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Olmec throne and extends west-southwest for approximately 90 m where<br />

it apparently ends. Closer exam<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> surface <strong>in</strong>dicates that <strong>the</strong> spot where <strong>the</strong><br />

visualization <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> anomaly ends co<strong>in</strong>cides precisely with <strong>the</strong> eastern edge <strong>of</strong> Structure<br />

77a (see Figure 6.5). Therefore, it is possible that <strong>the</strong> anomaly actually cont<strong>in</strong>ues<br />

underneath <strong>the</strong> build<strong>in</strong>g, but that <strong>the</strong> strength <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> magnetic signal, captured by <strong>the</strong><br />

magnetometer, was significantly reduced as a result <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terference caused by up to<br />

several meters <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>terven<strong>in</strong>g fill that was used <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> construction.<br />

Figure 6.5. Topographic base map <strong>of</strong> Fields 7 and 8 with depictions <strong>of</strong> features and<br />

structures. Detected l<strong>in</strong>ear anomalies are illustrated by red dashed l<strong>in</strong>es, hypo<strong>the</strong>sized<br />

anomaly is illustrated as blue dashed l<strong>in</strong>es.<br />

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