Ritual Deposits at El Marquesillo, Veracruz: Examples of Long-Term Collective Social Memory

Summary

The settlement of El Marquesillo in Southern Veracruz was inhabited during the Mesoamerican Early Formative period, emerged as an Olmec center during the Middle Formative period, and remained occupied throughout the remainder of the pre-Columbian period. During the late Middle to early Late Formative period an Olmec monumental tabletop throne was ritually terminated and deposited. This interment was accompanied by two substantial offerings suggestive of a feasting event. More than a millennium later, during the late Classic period, three more meticulously placed offerings were cached nearby. Based on various lines of evidence, these later offerings appear to have been expressions of long-term social memory designed to recall the Formative period Olmec activities. This paper reviews the details of these depositions and their potential relationships.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Incidencia, articulación e innovación del conocimiento arqueológico en la Costa del Golfo mesoamericano: Organización Ideológica, Política y Ritual.

Keywords

Spatial Coverage