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Radiocarbon Chronology for the Late Archaic and Formative Periods on the Pacific Coast of Southeastern Mesoamerica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2010

Michael Blake ,
John E. Clark ,
Barbara Voorhies ,
George Michaels ,
Michael W. Love ,
Mary E. Pye ,
Arthur A. Demarest  and
Barbara Arroyo
Michael Blake
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Sociology, University of British Columbia, 6303 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
John E. Clark
Affiliation:
New World Archaeological Foundation, Department of Anthropology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
Barbara Voorhies
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 233, Boulder, CO 80309-0233, USA
George Michaels
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Campus Box 233, Boulder, CO 80309-0233, USA
Michael W. Love
Affiliation:
502 Rohde Lane, Petaluma, CA 94952, USA
Mary E. Pye
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
Arthur A. Demarest
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
Barbara Arroyo
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
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Abstract

Archaeological excavations carried out during the past five years along the Pacific coast of Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador have recovered 79 new 14C dates for the Late Archaic and Early to Middle Formative periods. We analyze these new dates along with 25 previously published dates to refine a sequence of 10 archaeological phases spanning almost three and a half millennia, from ca. 4000 to 650 B.C. The phases are summarized with a brief description of their most salient characteristics. We include illustrations of the Early Formative period ceramics and figurines from the Mazatan region. The sequence of phases reveals a trajectory of cultural evolution beginning in the Archaic period with the mobile hunting, fishing, and gathering Chantuto people. By 1550 B.C., the first ceramic-using sedentary communities appeared on the coast of Chiapas. They were hunter-fisher-gatherers who supplemented their food supply with cultivated plants, including maize and beans. We suggest that by the Locona phase (1400–1250 B.C.) in Chiapas, they began the transition from egalitarian sociopolitical organization to simple chiefdoms, leaving behind evidence of large-scale architectural constructions, long-distance imports such as obsidian and jade, and elaborately crafted prestige goods. Also in Chiapas, during the Cherla phase (1100–1000 B.C.), ceramic and figurine styles, nearly identical to those found at San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan on the Gulf Coast, made their first appearance. Many of the local artifact styles were gradually replaced by styles that became increasingly widespread in Mesoamerica. The chronology presented here shows that these changes were roughly contemporaneous with similar ones in neighboring regions of Mesoamerica.

Resume

Excavaciones arqueológicas conducidas durante los ùltimos cinco años a lo largo de la costa Pacifīca de México, Guatemala y El Salvador han producido 79 fechas radiocarbónicas para los períodos arcaico tardío y formativo temprano a medio. Analizamos estas nuevas fechas junto con otras 25 ya publicadas para definir una secuencia de 10 fases arqueológicas que cubren casi tres milenios y medio, desde ca. 4000 hasta 650 a.C. Se sumarizan las fases con una breve descripción de sus caracteristicas más salientes. Incluimos ilustraciones de cerámica del período formativo temprano,y figurillas de la región de Mazatan. La secuencia de fases revela una trayectoria de evolución cultural empezando en el periodo arcaico con los cazadores, Pescadores y recolectores móbiles chantuto. Para el año 1550 a.C. las primeras comunidades sedentarias aparecieron en la costa de Chiapas. Estas fueron de cazadores y recolectores que suplementaron su dieta con plantas cultivadas incluyendo maíz y frijoles. Sugerimos que, para la fase Locona (1400–1250 a.C.) en Chiapas, estas comunidades empezaron la transición de sociedades igualitarias a jefaturas simples, dejando evidencias de construccion arquitectónica a gran escala, objectos de intercambio a larga distancia como obsidiana y jade y bienes de prestigio elaborados. También en Chiapas, durante la fase Cherla (1100–1000 a.C.) aparecieron estilos de cerámica y figurillas casi idénticos a los encontrados en San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan en la costa del Golfo. Muchos de los estilos locales fueron gradualmente reemplazados con estilos de amplia distribución en Mesoamérica. La cronología presentada aquí muestra que estos cambios fueron aproximadamente contemporáneos como cambios similares en regiones vecinas de Mesoamérica.

Type
Articles
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 6 , Spring 1995 , pp. 161 - 183
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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