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

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hurricanes, and El Niño enhanced floods were as much a part of ancient life and impacted it as severely as these environmental hazards have affected the historic and contemporary inhabitants. Observation and consideration of the landscape are especially significant in the discussion of El Marquesillo, because the entire region southwest of the middle San Juan River has not been taken into account in the discussions of sociopolitical development in the Formative period. Portions of the information derived from the current investigation of El Marquesillo are, by necessity, preliminary in nature, and numerous details of the site’s occupants remain out of reach at this point. Nevertheless, the data have revealed insights into the sociopolitical structure and cultural continuity of the Southern Gulf Lowlands. As the research design originally intended, the detection and recognition of both the similarities to, and variability or divergence from, the Southern Gulf Lowland Olmec paradigm were central issues. The collections of artifact, ethnohistoric, and historic evidence from El Marquesillo infer that people occupied the site for 3,500 years. Investigation into the site’s Formative period phases (c. 1500-100 BC) demonstrated that residents participated to some extent in the sociopolitical and ideological aspects of the Olmec paradigm. The throne, including its style, medium, and symbolism, illustrate an accord with pan-Southern Gulf Coast symbolic representation of ancestor or ruler veneration. The water imagery, hydraulic modification, and adjacent architecture also conform to expected patterns. Based on the interpretation of the magnetic anomalies, the proposed drain system as well as linear and massive basalt deposits are further support for involvement by the elite in major work projects designed 336
to illustrate their power and wealth. The spatial and symbolic disposition of these features further demonstrates an adherence to recognized Olmec tenets. There are also significant correspondences between geographic locations of Early Formative sites that evolved into various types of centers. This correlation may or may not be cultural in nature. Occupation of naturally elevated areas near principal rivers and tributary systems is commonplace, as is direct access to river levees and alluvial floodplains. Furthermore, these environmental conformities would promote and facilitate similarities in food procurement. This type of geographic location may be more a factor of human survival – security, subsistence systems, and the availability of desired resources – than a culturally induced phenomenon, however. At the same time, residents of El Marquesillo exhibit behaviors that are not in accord with prevailing hypothesized models of the Olmec. In some cases the evidence suggests subtle variations to the expected Olmec norm, while in others, new or unanticipated factors are present. For example, the enduring cultural continuity at the site spans the pre-Olmec, San Lorenzo, and La Venta periods (c. 1500-400 BC) and, at this point in the investigation, does not seem to have suffered to any great extent from the rise, florescence, and decline of either one of these dominant sites. As well, the communal longevity, or persistence through time, facilitated the process for the development of a social or collective memory. Ancestor veneration, including the remembrance of leaders or founders, and a particular regard for the landscape are all suggested at El Marquesillo and imply a community’s identity and place. This supposition is reinforced by analysis of the structural grammar indicated by the architectural division of space at the site, public 337
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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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discussion about the antiquity of t
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6.3). At La Venta equivalent basalt
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shamanistic ritual and rulership (F
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elevation provides an excellent ove
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further support to the idea that El
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Also contributing to the ceramic pr
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Another possible basalt deposition
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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
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Page 341 and 342: Analysis of these three components
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Page 345 and 346: activities and that these activitie
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: Expanding the Boundaries and a Look
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
Page 395 and 396: Kruger, R. P. 1996 An Archaeologica
Page 397 and 398: Madry, S. L. H. 1987 A Multiscalar
Page 399 and 400: Middleton, W. D. 2004 Identifying C
Page 401 and 402: Ortíz, P. 1975 La Ceramica de los
Page 403 and 404: Plog, S. 1990 Agriculture, Sedentis
Page 405 and 406: Rapoport, A. 1990 History and Prece
Page 407 and 408: 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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