PIN7, a diachronic study of a specialized production in Eastern Soconusco

Summary

Soconusco, a rich ecological environment in far-southern Chiapas, Mexico, has been occupied throughout Mesoamerican history. The Proyecto Arqueológico Costa del Soconusco (PACS) focused on settlements in the mangrove zone of Eastern Soconusco. A LiDAR survey identified a total of 203 features thought to be associated with human activities. This paper focuses on site Pin7, which is located in the mangrove zone about 1.5 km west of the Rio Cahuacan. Magnetometer and ground-penetrating radar surveys were conducted and anomalies were found. Excavations showed that most of the mound’s volume accumulated during the Late Formative period, when a series of overlapping firing features apparently used in salt production were built. There is very little domestic debris, suggesting that the mound was a specialized salt and ceramic production facility. Stratigraphic and ceramic analyses indicate that the site was abandoned during the Terminal Formative and not occupied again until the Terminal Classic. A burial in a circular pit covered mostly with Plumbate production debris may be a Plumbate potter.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Maya Highland and Pacific Coast Archaeology: New Data, Debates, and Directions Part 1

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15310