Painting and Carving the Underworld: The Archaeology of Guerrero through Its Caves

Part of: Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Previous survey by Gutierrez in the area had revealed numerous sites, but the past field season (summer 2016) of the PIPOG (Proyecto Interdisciplinario de la Prehistoria del Oriente de Guerrero) was the first reconnaissance focused on caves and rock shelters in the municipalities of Tlapa and Copanatoyac. In eastern Guerrero, cave sites have been used by humans since Paleo-Indian times to the present-day rain-petition rituals centered on the feast of San Marcos. This session reviews the preliminary findings of the PIPOG in a series of caves, including photogrammetric studies, pXRF elemental analysis of murals, and excavation.