Tracing Mobility in Pacific Coast and Highlands of Southern Mexico during the Classic Period

Summary

This study presents the strontium isotopic analysis of enamel, dentine and bones of four individuals recovered from two sites (Miguel Aleman and PIN7), dating respectively from the Early and Late Classic period, both located the Pacific coast of Chiapas. The enamel samples of the four individuals have a Sr isotopic composition that varies between 0.70540 and 0.70631 for the 87Sr/86Sr ratio. The results were compared to data available for human bones and teeth, as well as rock, plant, water, and clay sources from Mexico and Guatemala. The enamel samples have a Sr isotopic signature that differs from that of the local rocks, plants, water and human remains. They have a Sr isotopic signature compatible with the metamorphic province developed in the valley of Motagua and the Copan area as well as farther northwest of the sites in the upper edge of the piedmont. They are also compatible with samples from sites in the Basin of Mexico and along the Gulf Coast in the northern part of the Veracruz Province. The different hypotheses on the origin of the four individuals are discussed in the context of regional interactions and demographic changes in southern Mexico during the Early and Late Classic period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20586