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

originally sat on a patio-like structure on the northeast corner of the laguna (Cyphers
1993:163). If the presumption concerning the deposition of El Marquesillo’s throne made
by Hernández and myself is correct, then its original placement and location, relative to
the water retention area, duplicates that of Monument 14 and Laguna 8. Moreover,
excavations of the floor upon which Monument 14 sat at San Lorenzo contained offerings
that included numerous ceramic vessels, evidence of burning, and bird bones, all of
which were present in El Marquesillo Offerings I and II that are directly associated with
the throne.
At first glance, the extensive seasonal rains and annual river inundations of the
region under investigation would seem to eliminate water as a potential source of
ideological or material concern to the ancient inhabitants. Cyphers (1993:175), however,
makes it clear that, “the conventional assumption that, in the human Gulf Coast
environment, water is seldom, if ever, a limiting factor” is not correct. She adds that all
aspects of the Olmec environment are closely tied to water “in all of its manifestations”
(Cyphers 1993:165). The importance of potable water in the area identified as the Gulf
Coast Olmec heartland has been repeatedly demonstrated (Cyphers 1997b; Diehl 2004;
Reilly 1999; Rodríguez and Ortiz 2000), and its inclusion in symbolic as well as material
forms substantiate its significance on multiple social and political levels (Reilly 1994;
Scarborough 1998; Taube 1995).
The temporal depth of these sacred places and symbolic representations is
apparent at El Manatí, where initial offerings began around 1600 BC (Ortíz and
Rodríguez 1993; Rodríguez and Ortíz 1997). Places of pooled water were sacred portals
that are closely associated with Formative period architectural complexes and linked to
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