Temporal and Spatial Variability of Mortuary Assemblages at Los Guachimontones, Jalisco, Mexico

Summary

Mortuary offerings play an important role in understanding the social structure, status-building mechanisms, trade networks, and ideological symbols and beliefs of ancient cultures throughout Mesoamerica, particularly of less well-understood areas such as West Mexico. Changes in these structures, mechanisms, and networks may be recognized through analysis of mortuary assemblages and treatments. During the 2015 laboratory season, mortuary offerings from the site of Los Guachimontones in the Tequila Valley region of Jalisco, Mexico, were analyzed. In order to investigate changes in craft production of mortuary offerings, I collected data on the number, type, technologies used, and quality of offerings for each excavated burial at the site. Offerings include ceramic vessels, figurines, jewelry, and lithics that exhibit distinctly different styles and technologies between separate locations (e.g. ceremonial vs. habitational), as well as time periods represented. Initial analysis revealed changes in burial offerings and treatment of human remains from the site between the Tequila III (160 BC-50 BC) and Tequila IV (AD 200-500) phases through the El Grillo (AD 600-900), and Atemajac II (AD 1400-1600) phases that may represent changes in population composition, social structure, or trade networks. This analysis is an important addition to the understanding of pre-Columbian West Mexican cultures.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage