22.10.2013 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

Figure 6.7. Topographical base map with magnetic data overlaid. Red<br />

l<strong>in</strong>e highlights <strong>the</strong> path <strong>of</strong> L<strong>in</strong>ear <strong>An</strong>omaly 1 from Structure 109 to 84.<br />

<strong>the</strong> anomaly may be caused by a substantial body <strong>of</strong> basalt, possibly up to 15 m wide. A<br />

concentration <strong>of</strong> basalt this size is similar to <strong>the</strong> “Massive Offer<strong>in</strong>gs” at La Venta (see<br />

Drucker et al. 1959:127-133). The magnetic coherence <strong>of</strong> this anomaly would have<br />

required extraord<strong>in</strong>ary plann<strong>in</strong>g and assembly to align <strong>the</strong> magnetic direction <strong>of</strong> each<br />

component <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> buried material. The awareness <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> qualities <strong>of</strong> magnetism <strong>in</strong> basalt<br />

required to accomplish this type <strong>of</strong> project appears to have been present <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sou<strong>the</strong>rn<br />

<strong>Gulf</strong> Lowlands (Carlson 1975; Guimarães 2004). A Formative period date is attributed to<br />

this event based on <strong>the</strong> river cut pr<strong>of</strong>ile evidence and <strong>the</strong> supposition that <strong>the</strong> movement<br />

<strong>of</strong> monumental size stone with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sou<strong>the</strong>rn <strong>Gulf</strong> Lowland region apparently stopped<br />

prior to <strong>the</strong> Classic period, o<strong>the</strong>r than surface movements <strong>of</strong> some Formative period<br />

sculptures to later Villa Alta phase complexes (e.g., Laguna de los Cerros, San Lorenzo,<br />

and Las Limas).<br />

282

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!