Contesting Social Memory in Tres Zapotes and Its Hinterland during the Epi-Olmec Period: Preliminary Results of the Proyecto Arqueologico Nestepe-Rancho Cobata

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper examines the results of the Proyecto Arqueologico Nestepe-Rancho Cobata conducted in the municipality of Santiago Tuxtla, Veracruz. The project explores the role of Olmec sculptures in the development and contestation of social memory in Tres Zapotes and its hinterland, during the Epi-Olmec period. Previous research carried out in the area show that the Hueyapan and Nestepe colossal heads were reset on Late Preclassic architectural complexes of Tres Zapotes. On the other hand, the report of the colossal head discovered at Rancho Cobata, on the slopes of El Vigia Hill, mentions that a Classic period offering was placed near the monument’s mouth. The contrast between the periods of reuse and the positionality in the regional landscape suggests that the colossal heads could have had multiple meanings, according to the material arrangements of the places they were set at and the sociocultural status of the individuals who claimed them. I discuss how Olmec sculptures shaped spaces into social arenas aimed at forging narratives of cultural identity and political authority in Tres Zapotes and its hinterland. The data presented comes from excavations done in Group 1 of Tres Zapotes and Rancho Cobata in the summer of 2022.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36020.0