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

active volcano whose repeated eruptions were witnessed by Formative residents. Two
other significant alignments at El Marquesillo (A and B) may be related to astronomical
events, possibly indicative of annual calendrical cycles.
The symbolic use of space can involve the built or natural environments or both.
Ashmore (1991:199) maintains that a people’s worldview is presented at various scales
from “ritual deposits, to entire communities and wider landscapes.” This interpretation
appears to be supported at El Marquesillo. The buildings, constructed features, and sacred
offerings at El Marquesillo are devices that illustrate the emic perspective of society’s
structure and ideological relationships to its environment. From the construction and use
of large architectural complexes and features (i.e., major, controlled work projects) it may
be possible to deduce that the sociopolitical leadership was at the forefront of the society,
and that these constructions demonstrated their power, authority, and right to rule
(Benson 1981a; Hodder 1987).
Based on implications of the data from El Marquesillo, the investigation of
alignments toward landscape features and the marking of celestial events needs to be
pursued or revisited at other contemporaneous sites to determine if correlations or
correspondences are present. This type of investigation has been simplified and made
significantly more accurate with the availability of applicable geomatic technologies.
Moreover, closer investigation and greater consideration needs to be placed on the
geomorphology of the region because of the impact that natural hazards, environments,
ecologies, and resources can have on demographic shifts, resource procurement, and
political economies.
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