Ritual Cave Utilization Near Tenosique in Tabasco, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Preclassic Maya Social Transformations along the Usumacinta: Views from Ceibal and Aguada Fénix" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

As part of the Middle Usumacinta Archaeological Project, I conducted reconnaissance in three caves with archaeological remains, named Santo Tomás, San Marcos, and Corregidora. The three caves are located in the Tenosique municipality in Tabasco, Mexico near the border with Guatemala. A detailed examination of the rock art style and pottery found in the caves provides a tentative chronology of ritual cave use. Santo Tomás cave exhibits a group of three elements that were painted in red and black on the southern wall of the main chamber, yet the presence of pottery is scarce. In contrast, the San Marcos and Corregidora caves have concentrations of unslipped and decorated ceramics in most of their passages and chambers, but no rock paintings were found. Based on this preliminary analysis, the evidence suggests that ritual activities were mainly conducted during the Classic period (AD 250-950), and that there were notable differences in the performance of local practices inside these caves. Ritual significance of cave use in this region will shed light on the relationships between local cults and social complexity, and how these practices helped shape lowland Maya society.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Preclassic Maya Social Transformations along the Usumacinta: Views from Ceibal and Aguada Fénix

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23894