Toward a Typology of Late Postclassic Period Figurines from Tututepec, Oaxaca, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Checking the Pulse: Current Research in Oaxaca Part I" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In this paper, we present a preliminary typology, description, and discussion of ceramic figurines from Late Postclassic period (CE 1100–1522) Tututepec, a regional capital located on the coast of Oaxaca. The figurine sample is primarily drawn from household excavations carried out in 2005 and 2022 but also includes material curated in the local community museum (Museo Yucu Saa). These objects permit the preliminary identification of local and regional patterns in small-scale ceramic representation during the last few centuries before the Spanish incursion. We propose a few general figurine types, including tubular and flattened anthropomorphs, some of which were likely also pendants or musical instruments. We also discuss production techniques, including the use of molds, hand modeling, and polychrome paint. We then discuss the possible uses and meaning of these objects in cultural practices based on their archaeological context, as well as ethnohistoric records. We conclude by comparing figurines from Tututepec with contemporaneous artifacts from elsewhere in Mesoamerica, including Cerro de las Mesas and Isla de Sacrificios, Veracruz. We close by highlighting pending research questions and paths toward the future study of the Tututepec materials.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Checking the Pulse: Current Research in Oaxaca Part I   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35874.0