You’re Not from Around Here, Are You? Ceramic Figurines and Interregional Interaction in the Tres Zapotes Region

Summary

The multi-year study of the ceramic figurines of Tres Zapotes recovered from archaeological explorations at the site center and the surrounding area indicate patterns of interactions throughout the development of the region. Supplemental museum specimens from past excavations at Tres Zapotes, residing in the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian Institution, were also incorporated into laboratory analysis. The data are examined for evidence of exchange with other communities, particularly in central and southern Veracruz, the Teotihuacan core area, and the Maya region. While the Drucker and Weiant classificatory descriptive systems are still useful, they fail to capture some technological and aesthetic features reflective of interregional interaction. The aggregation of figurine material permits new interpretations of how the ancient Tres Zapotes community related to others through time.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Charting the Evolution of the Tres Zapotes Polity: Results of the RRATZ 2014–2016 Field Seasons

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 16481