Aguada Fénix and the Middle Usumacinta Region: An Introduction

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Aguada Fénix and the Middle Usumacinta Region: Interregional Interactions and Social Transformations in the Middle Preclassic Period" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Among the many Middle Preclassic sites in the Middle Usumacinta region, Aguada Fénix is, by far, the largest and possibly one of the oldest. A large, rectangular platform was built at its center, measuring 1,400 × 400 m. The construction of this artificial plateau follows the tradition of horizontal monumentality established at the Olmec site of San Lorenzo and contrasts with later forms of monumentality, which are characterized by elevated pyramidal structures. Social inequality at Aguada Fénix appears to have been less pronounced than at other major sites to the west, such as San Lorenzo and La Venta. Unlike those Olmec centers, Aguada Fénix does not exhibit clear indicators of marked social inequality, such as sculptures representing high-status individuals. If these interpretations are correct, they imply that the Gulf Coast Olmec region was not the only center of cultural development and that innovations did not always emanate from the most hierarchical polities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Aguada Fénix and the Middle Usumacinta Region: Interregional Interactions and Social Transformations in the Middle Preclassic Period   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39747.0