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MIDDLE PRECLASSIC
A. Olmecs
1. Language
a) Campbell and Kaufman believe they spoke Mixe-Zoquean
1) many words associated with Maya ritual have Mixe-Zoquean
derivation
a> "pom" for copal incense
2) Popoloca spoken along sloped of Tuxtla mountains
b) Huastec is spoken in northern Veracruz
1) isolated Maya language
2) suggests Olmec may have spoken Maya language
2. Gulf Coast sites
a) San Lorenzo
1) Nacaste phase (900-600 B.C.)
a> Olmec tradition at San Lorenzo comes to an end
2) Palangana phase (600-400 B.C.)
a> few continuities with previous phase
b) La Venta
1) history
a> also discovered by Stirling
b> later excavated by Heizer and Drucker
c> now largely demolished by petroleum exploration
2) geography
a> located on island in a coastal swamp near Tonala River
1> about 2 sq mi of dry land
b> approx. 18 mi inland
3) chronology
a> principal occupation dates between 900-400 BC
b> Phase I
1> earliest phase of construction
2> dates range from 1154 Ò 300 to 870 Ò 60 bc
3> levelling of site, beginnings of pyramid, and possibly the
large serpentine cache
c> Phase II
1> dates of 804 Ò 300 and 600 Ò 60 bc
2> construction
a: rectangular court or plaza, at one time surrounded by rows
of basalt columns
1: set on top of low wall made of adobe bricks
b: pyramid of clay
1: 34 m high
2: largest of its period in Mesoamerica
3: strong possibility that it holds a tomb
A. has never been explored
4: long, low mounds to either side of pyramid
c: buried offerings
1: rectangular pavements
A. three altogether
B. measure about 4.5 X 6 m
C. each consists of about 485 serpentine blocks
D. laid out in the form of an abstract jaguar mask
2: caches of jade or serpentine celts
A. group of six celts and 16 standing figurines of serpentine
and jade
3: special ornaments
A. jade ear flares and pendants
B. magnetite and ilmenite mirrors
d: architectural characteristics
1: different colored clays used for floors
2: sides of platforms painted in solid colors of red, yellow,
and purple
3> stone sculpture
a: four colossal heads
b: stelae
1: Stela 2
A. standing figure with elaborate headdress
2: Stela 3
A. "Uncle Sam" monument
3: Altar 4
A. 1.6 m tall, 3.2 m long, 1.9 m wide
B. niche with figure leaning slightly forward
C. arms hold coiled ropes extending to sides of monument
D. headdress is bird with beak broken off
E. additional figures on sides
F. jaguar pelt carved on top surface
4: Altar 5
A. central figure in niche with jaguar baby
B. reliefs on sides with jaguar babies
4) tomb
a> found in Mound A-2
b> surrounded and roofed with basalt columns
c> sandstone sarcophagus found outside of tomb
d> remains of two children found on floor of limestone slabs
1> covered with bright red paint
2> poorly preserved
3> found together with jade clam shell, stingray spine,
figurines, and jades
5) life at La Venta
a> population calculated at approximately 18,000
6) believed to have been deliberately destroyed
c) Tres Zapotes
1) history
a> identified by Stirling
2) geography
a> in swampy basin formed by Rio Papaloapan
3) stone sculpture
a> colossal heads
1> two noted
b> stelae
4) chronology
a> early occupation contemporaneous with La Venta
b> later occupation post-dates fall of La Venta
1> Stela C - Long Count date and hieroglyphs
a: discovered by Stirling
b: fragmentary basalt monument
1: abstract, derivative were-jaguar on one side
c: one of oldest dated monuments in the New World
1: inscriptions are among earliest examples of writing
d: first period missing, but reconstructed as seven
1: date reads September 3, 32 BC
2: top part of stela discovered in 1969
3. Central Mexico
a) Chalcatzingo
1) geography
a> located in highlands of Morelos
2) chronology
a> like La Venta, it was first occupied ca. 1500 BC
b> reached its height from 700-500 BC
1> coeval with florescence of La Venta
3) history
a> excavaed by David Grove and Jorge Angulo
4) major monuments
a> Monument 1
1> known as "El Rey"
2> discovered in 1932 when a torrential rainstorm washed earth
away from it
3> located on vertical face of stone next to gully that carries
rainwater runoff from the west side of the mountain
4> ruler in cave or monster mouth
5> raindrops from clouds
b> Monument 2
1> figure with headdress and "bird-serpent" mask
c> Monument 3
1> feline licking object
d> Monument 4
1> felines pouncing on humans
e> Monument 12
1> "flying Olmec"
f> Monument 9
1> free-standing slab with earth-monster face
2> symbol of cave
g> Monument 27
1> waking personage carrying animal or wearing animal skin
h> Monument 21
1> woman standing above monster face
2> earliest known carving of a female in Mesoamerica
i> Monument 28
1> person carrying bundle
5) burials
a> in crypts
b> accompanied with jade earspools, pendants, necklaces, and La
Venta-style figurines
6) life at Chalcatzingo
a> farming on artificial terraces
b> deer and rabbit hunted
c> dog was most prominent food animal
7) nature of Olmex presence
a> Olmec may have entered for long-distance trade
4. Guerrero
a) Sites
1) Juxtlahuaca Cave
a> revealed by Gillett Griffin
b> Olmec paintings almost a mile from the entrance
c> tall, bearded figure in long, red-and-yellow tunic
d> red, feathered serpent with green plumes on its head
2) Oxotitlan Cave
a> discovered by David Grove
b> paintings in a shallow rockshelter
1> on cliff face above one of two mouths of cave
2> polychrome representation of ruler
3> seated upon throne resembling Olmec altars
4> may be contemporary with La Venta
c> painting in cavern showing man copulating with a jaguar
B. Early Maya
1. Northern Lowlands
a) Dzibilchaltun
1) Nebanche phase
a> begins ca. 800 B.C.
b> some ceramics resemble Olmec figurines
c> no ceremonial architecture in Nebanche 1
d> temple-mound construction in Nebanche 2 (600-550 bc)
2) lack of Preclassic figurines
b) Cuello
2. Southern Lowlands
a) Xe and Real Xe
1) Seibal & Altar de Sacrificios
a> Xe and Real Xe ceramic complexes
1> identified in lowest levels at Seibal
2> dated to ca. 900-700 B.C.
3> dominated by white, red, and black monochromes
4> tecomates and flat, flaring-walled bowls
5> tentatively associated with the arrival of Mixe-Zoquean
peoples originating in the Isthmian region of Chiapas to the
southwest
b> Olmec-style cache at Seibal
1> cruciform pit similar to celt caches at La Venta
2> six jadeite celts
3> five vessels
a: single date of 660 Ò 75 bc from charcoal in Real Xe vessel
4> jadeite, icepick-shaped "bloodletter"
c> structures faced with river shells at Altar de Sacrificios
b) Mamom Complexes
1) Mamom first defined at Uaxact£n
a> dates to ca. 700-400 B.C.
2) apppears to be simple village culture, but it is difficult
to find early structures beneath later monumental
architecture
3) indicates widespread occupation of Maya lowlands
a> found wherever serious excavations have been undertaken
4) defined by ceramics
a> commonest wares are red and orange monochromes
b> solid figurines made with applied strips of clay
5) Tikal
a> Eb ceramic complex (700-500 B.C)
1> single date of 588 Ò 53 bc
2> found in lowest levels at Tikal
a: believed, with Swasey, to be associated with Maya speakers
deriving from Maya highlands to the south and southeast
3> hard to associate with significant architecture
b> Mamom ceramics discovered in sealed "chultun"
6) Nakbe
a> Penn expedition passed near site in 1930
b> El Mirador and Nakbe visited in 1962
1> mapped a large part of each site
2> named Nakbe for "stuck to the road" in Yucatec
c> Joyce Marcus dug several test pits in nearby sites in 1970
d> first systematic reconnaissance since Graham was organized
by Richard Hansen in 1987
e> more than 190 excavations undertaken at Nakbe and nearby
sites since 1989
f> Early Ox phase
1> first inhabitants arrived ca. 1200 B.C.
a: suggestions of early major settlements around bajos in
northern Peten
2> Early Ox dated to 1000 - 600 B.C.
a: 27 radiocarbon dates
b: pottery similar to Xe and Real Xe
c: whistles and ocarinas
d: similar to earliest Mamom pottery
e: social stratification probably linked with agricultural
production
1: evidence for dental incrustations and cranial mutilation
A. latter indicated by sherd with profile of a Maya face
2: evidence for long-distance trade
A. large quantities of conch shell and obsidian
3: Hansen suggests that limitations of the environment for
supporting growing populations required centralized
organization
A. necessity of constructing hydraulic systems and possibly
roads
B. administrative systems resulted in a social hierarchy
g> Late Ox phase (600 - 300 B.C.)
1> evidence for a great architectural boom
a: construction of massive basal platforms and a series of
terraced structures between 5 and 18 m tall
1: sealed earliest deposits under fill
2: largest may have been some 18 m tall
3: walls built with large stones 70-90 cm long and 40-50 cm
wide
4: "E" group architecture in Eastern Group
A. large structure on the east side of platform
B. other structure on west
C. probably related to celestial observations
2> overwhelming majority of pottery dates to Mamom complex
a: includes Mamom sherd with trefoil emblem
3> building of causeways facilitated access to farmlands
4> excavations have revealed evidence of canals for water
3. Southern Highlands
a) Kaminaljuyu
1) several sites known with basalt columns around KJ
2) Arevalo
a> tecomates and red-slipped bowls
3) Las Charcas (1000 - 500 B.C.)
a> marks a major occupation of Valley of Guatemala
b> bottle-shaped pits
1> carbonized avocado pits, maize cobs
2> textiles, basketry, mats, ropes
c> white ware figurines
d> sculpture
b) El Porton
1) monument with glyphs
2) dated to 400 B.C.
c) Chalchuapa
1) Colos complex
2) large earthen structure (E3-1-2nd)
a> dates of 571 Ò 60 and 507 Ò 63 bc
b> conical mound 22 m high
C. Pacific Coast
1. Suchitepequez "Shook Altar"
2. Abaj Takalik
a) Monuments
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