From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past

Part of: Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The last major synthesis on the archaeology of the Tequila valleys in Central Jalisco took place over 15 years ago and was heavily focused on the Late Formative / Classic period public architecture. Research has since diversified with studies of residential areas, labor organization, art and visual culture, tools, cuisine, and human and animal remains. This session brings together established and emerging scholars to present results on recent excavation, survey, and laboratory studies that advance our understanding of the region beyond the Late Formative and Classic periods.

Other Keywords
Settlement patterns • Bioarchaeology/Skeletal Analysis • Mesoamerica: Western • Lithic Analysis

Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-15 of 15)

  • Documents (15)
Documents
  • An 8000-year record of lacustrine activity in the Magdalena Lake Basin, Jalisco, Mexico and implications for cultural changes (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Kirk Anderson.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. <html> <b>Abstract</b> The Magdalena Lake Basin of Jalisco, Mexico has a rich cultural history from the Early Archaic to Protohistoric Periods. A Late Formative/Early Classic cultural florescence witnessed the emergence of the Teuchitlán Culture which collapsed in the Epiclassic. We developed...

  • The “Baja Abajo” on Bajareque at Los Guachimontones (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Anthony DeLuca.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Small, hard, orange, and usually featureless. Bajareque, or fired daub, is part of the material culture recovered during excavations. Occasionally, a piece will stand out having impressions of cane or thatch and be regarded as a curiosity. Bajareque is often not found in any substantial quantities to...

  • El formativo medio en la región valles de Jalisco: Resultados preliminares del proyecto “El Campanillo” (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Gabriela García Ayala.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Durante dos años hemos realizado un proyecto arqueológico con la finalidad de conocer los orígenes de la sociedad compleja en Los Guachimontones. A partir de un recorrido sistemático, excavaciones en áreas determinadas y un análisis del paisaje hemos logrado obtener información variada sobre las...

  • Experiencia fenomenológica en la prospección arqueológica: En busca de los orígenes de la sociedad compleja en El Campanillo, Jalisco. (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Héctor Aguilar Aceves.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Este trabajo se desarrolla en un escenario paradójico en donde las transformaciones de la industria tequilera, al desmontar la cobertura vegetal, facilitan la observación e identificación de rasgos y estructuras. Por otra parte, alteran y destruyen las evidencias arqueológicas y los ecosistemas nativos y...

  • Grupos residenciales en un paisaje aterrazado: Implicaciones sobre los regímenes de propiedad durante el Formativo y Clásico en Los Guachimontones (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Verenice Heredia Espinoza.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Los regímenes de propiedad prehispánicos son un tema poco tratado en el Occidente Mesoamericano. Generalmente se asume que una élite controlaba la tierra mientras el resto de la población la trabajaba y tributaba sus frutos, o bien que las tierras eran comunales donde grupos corporativos tuvieron...

  • Household Production of Obsidian Artifacts and Everyday Practices at Los Guachimontones, Mexico (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Camilo Mireles Salcedo.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. In this presentation, I analyze the production and consumption of obsidian artifacts among groups of varying social statuses at Guachimontones, Jalisco, Mexico, from 350 BCE to 450 CE. I then discuss what these practices reveal about power negotiations and resource control in the region. My study is based...

  • More than a Meal: Intimacy in Artistic Renditions of Animals in Central Jalisco and Greater West Mexico (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Sydney Barofsky.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Representations of animals rendered in carefully molded clay and precious stone pervade the artistic record throughout pre-Classic and early Classic period sites in central Jalisco, Colima, and beyond. While recent scholarship in this region focused on depictions of human experiences, much can now be said...

  • New Methodological Approaches to Human-Animal Interactions within the Teuchitlán Culture (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Leonardo Valdez Ordoñez.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS) has revolutionized the study of Zooarchaeology within the last 15 years. This is especially true for faunal assemblages where traditional methods are not sufficient to identify the specimens to specific taxonomic classifications due to poor preservation...

  • Optimización metodológica en la prospección arqueológica: Desafíos y soluciones en Teuchitlán, Jalisco ante la expansión del Paisaje Agavero (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only América Santillán.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Los trabajos arqueológicos en la región nuclear de la cultura Teuchitlán, destacada por el sitio de Los Guachimontones, han seguido una perspectiva antropológica basada en la prospección sistemática desde el siglo XX. Esta metodología ha permitido identificar más de 1,000 sitios arqueológicos y ha sido...

  • Preliminary pXRF Analysis of a Previously Undescribed Obsidian Artifact from Los Guachimontones, Mexico (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Helen Olson.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. There is a previously undescribed artifact type, initially classified as a perforator, that I have recognized as distinct among the excavated collections from Los Guachimontones. The artifacts are long, thin, tapered pieces that appear to be heavily worked and come to a point at one end. They do not...

  • Representations of Resources in West Mexican Shaft Tomb Figures (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Kellie Roddy.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. West Mexican shaft tomb sculptures(300 BCE- 400 CE) have captivated scholars for their unique and intricate depictions, often analyzed through art historical lenses. While archaeological studies frequently touch upon the significance of these figures, the specific representations of food and resources...

  • Residential Excavations at Los Guachimontones, Jalisco: Household Activities and Population Estimates (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Christopher Beekman.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Research on the Teuchitlan Culture of central Jalisco has prioritized the monumental architecture, with less consideration of household activities and practices. We recently initiated a long-term project to excavate a sample of households from the center to the periphery of Los Guachimontones. We...

  • A Social Anatomy: Identity in the Burials at Los Guachimontones (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Sarah Loomis.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The shaft tomb burials of ancient Teuchitlán in Formative and Classic period West Mexico (c. 300 BCE - 500 CE) are known for their expressive burial figurines. These figurines depict a rich social and ceremonial life. The skeletal human remains that accompany these burial figures extend understandings of...

  • Symbolism of Obsidian Eccentrics from the Valleys of Tequila (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Cristian Ramirez.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. <html> Eccentrics have been found all throughout Mesoamerica. This paper develops the first focused examination of the obsidian eccentrics from the Valleys of Tequila and examines some potential interpretations of their morphology and meaning. I draw upon previous archaeological, ethnohistorical, and...

  • The Use and Function of Narrative Ceramics in West Mexican Visual Traditions during the Late Formative-Early Classic Periods (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Beth Wilson Norwood.

    This is an abstract from the "From the Underworld to the Heavens: Expanding the Study of Central Jalisco’s Past" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Evidence of visual communication in West Mexico during the Late Formative and Early Classic Periods (c. 300 BCE to 500 CE) is predominantly found in smaller solid figurines, larger semi-hollow or hollow figures, and multi-figure tableaus. My research shows that this ceramic tradition depicts a limited...