Contextualizing the Art: Excavations at Oxtotitlán Cave, Guerrero, Mexico

Summary

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 component of the archaeological site. Units in the rockshelter revealed cultural material that differed from that of the botanical garden, suggesting specialized use of space. Both lithic and ceramic analyses indicate intense activity during the Middle and Late Formative Periods, and exhibit ties to local cultural complexes as well as long distance interaction and trade. In particular, stylistic elements of the art and aspects of the Oxtotitlán ceramic assemblage resemble contemporaneous material culture from the greater Isthmian area, notably Chalcatzingo in the Morelos highlands. Future plans guided by these excavations include the placement of new units in unstudied areas to further document ritual behavior at the cave, and the continued support of the Acatalán communities’ preservation and education program at Oxtotitlán cave.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Cave Art and Archaeology at Oxtotitlán, Guerrero

Keywords

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