Cave Art and Archaeology at Oxtotitlán, Guerrero
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)
Oxtotitlán Cave, renowned for a corpus of Formative polychrome murals, is the focus of recent NGS and NEH-funded collaborative research involving scholars from several US institutions, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and representatives of the archaeological committee from the modern community of Acatlán, Guerrero where the site is located. The cave, one element of a large Early to Late Formative settlement encompassing nearby terraced hillslopes and surrounding settlement zones, is a primary focal point of recent investigations. Research unites the high resolution photographic, computational, photogrammetric documentation, and technical drawings of the art with the archaeological study of the cave and larger site. Our current research builds on earlier work undertaken by David Grove, Paul Schmidt, Sandra Cruz Flores, and other UNAM and INAH-affiliated archaeologists and conservators. In this session, we discuss the on-going results of the mural documentation project, a program to date the art employing micro sample AMS radiocarbon dating, excavations both in association with the art and elsewhere at the site, and the drone-based photogrammetric survey of the entire complex within its geographical setting.
Other Keywords
Rock Art •
Cave archaeology •
Mesoamerica •
Radiocarbon •
Guerrero •
drones •
Olmec •
Formative •
Formative Period •
Mesoamerican Urbanism
Geographic Keywords
Mesoamerica
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-6 of 6)
- Documents (6)
-
Chemical and Radiocarbon Analyses of Paint Samples from Oxtotitlán (2016)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
The prehistoric rock paintings in the Oxtotitlán site are thought to be among the earliest of Mexico and represent the beginning of the highly influential Mexican muralism tradition. The proposed antiquity of the murals is based primarily on stylistic interpretation of the motifs represented in the paintings. Our objective was to use radiocarbon analyses of organic matter in the paint and biofilms covering paint layers to provide more direct evidence as to the ages of the artifacts. Small paint...
-
Contextualizing the Art: Excavations at Oxtotitlán Cave, Guerrero, Mexico (2016)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This paper presents findings from the 2014-2015 field seasons of the Urban Origins Project at Oxtotitlán cave in Guerrero, Mexico. Collaborative archaeological methods at the Quiotepec-Oxtotitlán site resulted in extensive survey, preliminary mapping, and excavations at the cave and in the surrounding area. Excavation units were placed in association with the murals, at the mouth of the rockshelter in the northern part of the cave complex, and in the botanical garden within the protected...
-
Radiocarbon dates from Baño Negro and Cerro Quiotepec, Chilapa, Guerrero (2016)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Recent dates from two sites in the Chilapa area of the Montaña Baja of Guerrero state, Baño Negro and Cerro Quiotepec-Oxtotitlan, throw light on the Formative horizon temporality in the area, including the Oxtotitlan rock shelter. Baño Negro ceramics indicate continuous Early through Late Formative occupation, and the radiocarbon dates confirm Early Formative occupation, perhaps earlier than previously thought.
-
Sketching in the Shadows: Re-illustration of the Olmec Paintings of Oxtotitlán, Mexico (2016)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Re-illustration of the well-known cave paintings at Oxtotitlán, Guerrero, Mexico has revealed important new iconographic details. The use of multispectral imaging, as well as direct observation following recent conservation work, contributed to re-visioning the artworks with increased clarity and accuracy to the originals. This paper will present new renderings of the Olmec-period paintings and summarize observations on artistic practice and iconographic significance that resulted from this...
-
The Urban Origins Project at Quiotepec-Oxtotitlán, Guerrero (2016)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
The large Early to Late Formative site of Quiotepec-Oxtotitlán, best known for Oxtotitlán Cave and its associated Middle to Late Formative polychrome murals, is the site of on-going archaeological research since 2012 by the Urban Origins Project. Our goal is twofold: to develop a richly detailed documentation of the art and its physical and chronological context at Quiotepec-Oxotitlán and to investigate the political economic underpinnings of the artistic production and possible elements of a...
-
What is Oxtotitlán Cave Communicating? (2016)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
Cave murals, painted in Olmec style with iconographic links to the major Gulf coast center of La Venta, appear to communicate the dynamism of interregional relationships in an era of rising urbanism. The paintings seem to evoke the evolution of hierarchical positioning among political and religious actors. They might reveal the tools for local and long-distance power building. Yet the work that has clarified the nature of Oxtotitlán Cave and its associated site of Quiotepec has extended the...