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ORIGINS OF VILLAGE LIFE

 A. Late Archaic
    1. Chantuto, Chiapas
       a) dates to (3100-2000 BC)
       b) evidence for house floors
       c) difficult to demonstrate year-round occupation
       d) manos, metates, and obsidian chips
    2. Santa Luisa, Veracruz
       a) Palo Hueco phase (ca. 3000 BC)
 B. Early Formative
    1. Pox and Purron
       a) Pox
          1) may date to ca. 3000-2800 BC
       b) Purron
          1) probably dates from ca. 2900-1700 BC
    2. Chiapas
       a) Highlands
          1) Chiapa de Corzo
             a> may date to ca. 1600 BC
             b> evidence for maize farming
       b) Coast
          1) Altamira
             a> Barra phase
                1> earliest dates go to about 1550 BC
                2> thought that occupation began around 1800 BC
                3> sophisticated pottery
                4> obsidian not for manioc
             b> Locona phase (1400-1450 BC, uncalibrated)
                1> dates to around Cal 1650 BC
                2> John Clark suggests simple chiefdoms for this time
                   a: settlement patterns indicate discrete clusters of villages
                      1: separate polities with two-tiered hierarchy
                   b: obsidian distribution suggests regionally-oriented, redistributive 				economy centered on a major village
                      1: supported by evidence for food storage and public feasting
                   c: social differentiation evident
                      1: house size and construction
                      2: mortuary patterns
                      3: evidence for patronized craft specialization
                         A. forehead mirrors made of white mica
                            1. two found, one in association with the burial of a child
                            2. probably mounted on helmets
                               a) indicated on several male figurines
                      4: indications in figurines
                         A. all male figurines portray special individuals
                            1. obese, seated on a stool
          2. wear animal-skin chest aprons, chest mirror, and sometimes and animal mask
           3. may be origin of Gulf Coast tradition
                   d: Paso de la Amada
                      1: located on Pacific coastal plain in Chiapas
                      2: possible chiefdom center
                      3: Locona-phase chief's residence
             c> Ocos phase (1250-1150 BC)
                1> comes in at about 1500 BC
                2> iridescent painted pottery
                3> La Victoria
             d> Cherla (1150-1000 BC)
          2) Salinas La Blanca
             a> regional center during Middle Formative
             b> differential distribution of high-status goods
                1> small amounts of jade, fine-paste 	pottery, decorated ceramic
                   earspools, objects of polished mica schist
    3. Coastal Guatemala
       a) El Mesak
          1) occupation dates from Locona/Ocos 
			(ca. 1500-1350 BC) up to the Late Preclassic
          2) evidence for interaction with Olmec-related societies by 
			Middle Formative Jocotal times (950-800 BC)
          3) gradual, independent evolution of chiefdoms 
			rather than intrusion of Olmec elites
    4. Veracruz
       a) San Andr,s
          1) dates from 1750-1150 BC
          2) buried at more than 5 m below present ground level
          3) early pottery and mudflat-dwelling molluscs
          4) now located 13 km inland
    5. Oaxaca
       a) San Jose Mogote
          1) Espiridion
             a> ceramics associated with the remains of a small wattle-and-daub house
                1> may have been one of the first built there
             b> simple, undecorated pottery
             c> very similar to Purron
          2) Tierras Largas
             a> widespread ceramic phase
             b> houses built of pine posts, with cane walls daubed with clay
          3) San Jose Phase (1150-850 bc) - may go back to 1400 BC
             a> village of 80-120 households
                1> bell-shaped pits for storage
                2> dogs and turkeys
                3> rectangular houses with slightly sunken floors
                4> marked degree of social differentiation
                   a: magnetite mirrors
                   b: appearance of Olmec motifs
    6. Central Mexico
       a) Tlatilco
          1) dates back to ca. 1400 BC
             a> very large village
             b> not far from lakeshore
             c> pottery figurines
                1> representations of armadillo, opossum, wild turkey, bears, frogs, 
				rabbits, fish, ducks, and turtles
             d> elaborate pottery vessels
                1> include stirrup spout
                2> appearance of "Olmec" designs
             e> bell-shaped pits for storage of grain
             f> 340 burials recovered
    7. West Mexico
       a) possibility of spread of traits from Peru to Mexico
          1) stirrup-spout vessels at Capacha, Colima and El Ope¤o,
             Michoacan at ca. 1500 BC
          2) images of jaguar, cayman, and harpy eagle

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