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

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underworld, the abode of the ancestors. Among the Zinacantan Maya of Chiapas, caves, waterholes, or springs are considered entrances to the home of the “Earth Lord” (Yahval Balamil, literally, “Earth Owner”) (Vogt 1981:126), and ceremonies, prayers, and pilgrimages are conducted to these landscape markers. Also, Zinacantecos perform lineage ceremonies to honor, remember, and reinforce association with their ancestors at waterholes and springs, the portals to the world of ancestors. The significance of the symbolism and connotations on the Olmec throne, relating to ancestors and underworld portals, that was examined earlier may be further demonstrated through its termination rituals. The personage depicted may have been an ancestor or ruler or both. Lineages are dynamic entities that, because of their longevity, display varying cycles of growth dissolution, or coalescence with other ancestral groups (McAnany 1995:16). Whether or not the Formative and Classic period inhabitants of El Marquesillo were affiliated with one or more descent groups is unknown. What does appear relatively certain is that, over millennia, the later residents of the site were aware of their precursors and their activities. This idea is derived from evidence that suggests continual or steady occupation of the site and repeated reuse of established activity areas prior to the arrival of the Spanish. The exception to this operational continuum was that, following the Formative period (c. 300-100 BC), the original residential zone in Field 6 and 7 was not reoccupied. Nevertheless, at least six centuries after its final residential occupation the original structure was revisited, and a series of Late Classic offerings were, seemingly intentionally, placed along the central axis of the Formative period building. Ceramic deposition patterns derived from the surface collection suggests that the northern sector of the site, primarily Fields 1 and 2, was used for ceramic production 322
activities and that these activities are not present elsewhere in the site, at least at this scale. Various lines of evidence support this conclusion. The analytical results from the seven test excavations that were conducted in these northern fields, the observation and analysis of cultural deposits along the 1.5 km-long stratigraphic river cut that crosscuts the site, and the types and locations of magnetic anomalies possibly associated with firing, cumulatively imply that ceramic production activity was restricted to this specific area. Furthermore, this evidence suggests these activities occurred repeatedly in the same area for more than two millennia. Evidence from the Olmec Throne Complex, specifically Plazas I and II, demonstrates a parallel pattern of continual, long-term use and reuse as is illustrated in the northern area of the site. Analysis of the soil from these two plazas may imply regular, possibly repeated activities. When surface artifact deposition and excavation data recovered during the throne rescue project are considered, Plaza I appears to have been the site of residential or ceremonial feasting events. The location of the Olmec throne, with physical proximity to a possible water retention facility and associated stone drains, implies significant ideological symbolism. The analysis of ceramic evidence recovered in and around Plaza II suggests the area was used for different activities than was Plaza I. The implications of the size, restricted entry, and circumscription of the plaza’s boundaries, along with the multiple monumental buildings and their placement, imply a more public venue. Analysis of Plaza II soils supports the idea of spatially limited activity areas and that these areas were cleared and cleaned upon the conclusion of events. Results from the surface collection correlate with the assumption of cleaning, and is further supported by the repeated deposition of refuse in a specific and restricted 323
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An Unexplored Realm in the Heartlan
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“Note to Reader” The original o
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Confederacy Model 39 Feudalistic Mo
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Elemental Analysis of the Soils fro
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The Initial Occupation of El Marque
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List of Tables Table 5.1. Ceramic C
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Figure 3.14. Plan view of the Olmec
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Figure 5.7. Site map illustrating l
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Figure 5.53. El Marquesillo throne
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the resulting data do not fit many
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Furtherance of my academic career w
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Introduction Chapter 1. Archaeology
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esearch being conducted along the S
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its introduction to Mesoamerican ar
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participants. It is especially crit
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interpretations. Finally, I compare
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analogy (Diehl 1989:25; VanDerwarke
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change, fluctuates according to “
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embedded misconceptions about these
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The “Heartland” has been deline
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than a century after their occurren
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inference as opposed to evidence. T
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Sanders and Webster (1988:544) argu
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Park (1992:90) presents the Olmec a
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lowland subsistence economy until a
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Maya are lineal descendents of the
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continued to inhibit scientific inq
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describes this attempted conformanc
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The models used for evaluation of t
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number of archaeological correlates
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Confederacy Model Pool (2000:150;20
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Limitations and Cautions in the Use
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Lorenzo is considered the earliest
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Several lines of evidence suggest a
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turn, gave budding Olmec leaders co
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apid growth of settlements and thei
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techniques (Berger et al. 1967; Hei
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appear to characterize it as a “c
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iconographic detail, and appear to
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Formative period Southern Gulf Lowl
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Medellín-Zeníl (1960) found large
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de Agua, and the famous, iconograph
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egarding subsistence, settlement, p
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Introduction Chapter 3. El Marquesi
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300-900). Historical documentation
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The features of the San Juan are ch
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Figure 3.4. Aerial photograph of El
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At each of these three points of co
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El Marquesillo’s geographic locat
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of the location for more than 3,500
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The extensive Villa Alta architectu
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of constructions. This formal archi
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To achieve and maintain this elevat
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Figure 3.11. Map of the Southern Gu
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Teotihuacán and Aztec trade routes
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land was not in the form of gold an
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Huaspaltepec (Playa Vicente), betwe
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as listed in these records, include
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community members had to work the l
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The 1944 flood was a momentous even
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of ancient structures, including Ce
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to recover as much information as p
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Figure 3.17. Photograph of El Seño
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collection along the cut bank was a
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its termination line (Borstein 2001
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Figure 3.18. Illustration of San Lo
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is seated transitionally between th
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Introduction Chapter 4. El Marquesi
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Grove 1997; Tolstoy 1989). Landscap
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Determination of the Survey Area Th
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Surface Mapping and Terrain Modelin
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Global Positioning System (GPS) Map
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Figure 4.4. Map of El Marquesillo g
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have the potential to record points
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The topographic images and terrain
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Figure 4.8. Digital Terrain Model o
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Figure 4.11. View to the east of lo
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The western third of the platform h
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Figure 4.15. Elevated view of Field
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Figure 4.17. Topographic map of El
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Figure 4.19. Northwest view of spri
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Information Systems (GIS) approach
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Figure 4.21. Illustration of docume
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Magnetic Properties of Basalt The m
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Magnetic Data Collection, Condition
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The magnetometer was set to the bas
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Figure 4.23. Topographical base map
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of basalt, but instead, a body of s
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Figure 4.25. Topographic contour ma
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mercuric sulfide in the soil. There
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Coyote, Honduras (Terry et al. 2000
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intersection on the numbered rows a
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The results were reported in parts
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Figure 4.28b. Box plot summaries of
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Elemental Analysis of the Soils fro
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Summary of the Soil Analyses When t
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Figure 4.31a. Potassium distributio
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estriction prohibiting further exca
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The average depth of any observed a
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Figure 5.7. Site map illustrating l
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Figure 5.8. River cut profile 1A Le
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Figure 5.9. River cut profile 1B in
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Figure 5.10. River cut profile 2A L
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Figure 5.11. River cut profile 6B o
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Formative to Protoclassic ceramics
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fabrication methods, technologies,
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some of the Formative period wares
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The San Lorenzo Olmec Period (c. 11
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Figure 5.19. Examples of Middle For
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The Late Classic Period (c. AD 550-
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English annular ware (c. AD 1785-18
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Ceramic Collection Areas The identi
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Figure 5.26. Distribution of cerami
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Formative period accounted for 785
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The survey was conducted along the
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Figure 5.29. Diagram of Olmec thron
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Figure 5.30. Map illustrating the l
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Late Formative (263), Protoclassic
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demonstrates an analogous situation
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Offering I Figure 5.32. Locations o
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Figure 5.34. Offering I is at the c
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Figure 5.36. Two reconstructed plat
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crescent with its concave and conve
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The two figurine types are common t
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vessels that were deposited into a
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Figure 5.45. Two of three similar s
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Obsidian and Lithic Analyses The Ob
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Throne Units Test Units Offerings I
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inhabitants from other sites, or in
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Figure 5.50. Examples of stones tho
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Figure 5.51. El Marquesillo throne
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accomplished through violent blows
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Figure 5.56. Close-up of the figure
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Figure 5.58. Illustration of magnet
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Modifications to this pattern occur
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class occurred only in the presence
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appearance of ceramics occurred dur
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series of interrelated residential,
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The Early Formative period appearan
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Evidence of these constructions is
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and the excavated pit is not known,
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For the Gulf Olmec, monumental exhi
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precisely. This method would also m
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An earlier discussion suggested sty
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approximately 100 cm to 120 cm belo
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Nevertheless, the structural design
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Page 303 and 304: Also contributing to the ceramic pr
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Page 309 and 310: direction, a series of hills approx
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Page 315 and 316: plaza complex is also oriented to p
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Page 319 and 320: where new diagnostic ceramic types
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Page 327 and 328: Marquesillo, past and present. Fitt
Page 329 and 330: Through the integration of a sequen
Page 331 and 332: experienced an upward trend in popu
Page 333 and 334: prehispanic occupation would have b
Page 335 and 336: Assmann (2006) argues that prehisto
Page 337 and 338: 1997:288). These changes in residen
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Page 341 and 342: Analysis of these three components
Page 343: Early architectural units, specific
Page 347 and 348: political structure. Was it an inde
Page 349 and 350: subordinate to a nearby primary cen
Page 351 and 352: Explanation of Spatial Organization
Page 353 and 354: conjunction with other forms of arc
Page 355 and 356: Mesoamerican worldviews (Vogt 1981:
Page 357 and 358: Expanding the Boundaries and a Look
Page 359 and 360: to illustrate their power and wealt
Page 361 and 362: emains is striking. This disproport
Page 363 and 364: the earliest detectable occupation
Page 365 and 366: and Uxpanapa River Basins, I wonder
Page 367 and 368: Arnaiz-Villena, A., G. Vargas-Alarc
Page 369 and 370: Bassie, K. 2006 The Fire and Water
Page 371 and 372: Blake, M. and J. E. Clark 1999 The
Page 373 and 374: Butler, R. F. 1992 Paleomagnetism:
Page 375 and 376: 2001 Gulf Lowlands: South Region. I
Page 377 and 378: Coe, M. D., D. Snow and E. Benson 1
Page 379 and 380: 2003 Laguna de los Cerros: Una Capi
Page 381 and 382: 2003 Analysis of Formative Period O
Page 383 and 384: Elachi, C. 1987 Introduction to the
Page 385 and 386: Foster, G. M. 1940 Notes on the Pop
Page 387 and 388: 2001 La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico. In
Page 389 and 390: Halbwachs, M. 1992 On Collective Me
Page 391 and 392: Hester, T. R., H. J. Shafer and K.
Page 393 and 394: Johnston, K. J. and N. Gonlin 1998
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Kruger, R. P. 1996 An Archaeologica
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Madry, S. L. H. 1987 A Multiscalar
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Middleton, W. D. 2004 Identifying C
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Ortíz, P. 1975 La Ceramica de los
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Plog, S. 1990 Agriculture, Sedentis
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Rapoport, A. 1990 History and Prece
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Rueda, H. G. 1989 Nuevas Exploracio
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Santley, R. S., S. A. Nelson, B. K.
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1989 Olmec Studies: A Status Report
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Stark, B. L. and P. J. Arnold 1997
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Tarling, D. H. 1983 Geomagnetism. C
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Tykot, R. H. 2004 Stable Isotopes a
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Wallerstein, I. 1974 The Modern Wor
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2003 The Role of Kinship and Demogr
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Appendix 1a. Ceramic Analysis: Type
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Appendix 1b. Ceramic Analysis: Type
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Appendix 2. Ceramic Types and Count
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Appendix 2 Ceramic Types and Counts
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Appendix 3a. Obsidian from Test Uni
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Appendix 3b. Obsidian from Throne E
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Appendix 4a. Lithics from Surface C
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Appendix 4b. Lithics from River Cut
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Appendix 5a. Soil Survey I Element
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Appendix 5a. Soil Survey I Element
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Appendix 5b. Soil Survey II Element
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Appendix 5b. Soil Survey II Element
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About the Author Travis F. Doering
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An Unexplored Realm in the Heartland of the Southern Gulf ... - Famsi

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