Isla Agaltepec: Postclassic Occupation in the Tuxtla Mountains, Veracruz, México

Evidence from Looters’ Trenches

Unfortunately, looting activities, first reported over 60 years ago by Valenzuela (1937, 1945) continue to impact Isla Agaltepec. Permission was obtained from INAH to shave back and map the profiles represented in a sample of looters’ trenches. One such trench was selected for each of the three survey areas; all involve illicit pits dug into mounded architecture. Radiocarbon samples were recovered from each of these profiling operations and are awaiting assay.

Our profiling activities in Area A focused on a pit dug into the base of Structure A-1, the single pyramid within the mound group. The looter’s pit was shaved back approximately 80 cm and a profile of 200 cm long was created (Figure 15, shown below).

The profile revealed three soil strata. Several concentrations of rock were encountered within the lower two stratigraphic deposits; explorations around the lower rock concentration also produced a piece of historic glass. Although originally thought to be an in situ alignment, the presence of glass suggests that looting has impacted the arrangement of these rocks.

Artifacts noted during our profiling activities included clear/gray obsidian blade fragments (with polished platforms) along with ceramics that were stylistically similar to those found during the surface survey. The material from the Structure A-1 profile suggests that Area A represents a single, probably brief, occupation of this portion of the island.

Our Area B profile was placed along the west side of the middle residential platform. Looting activity in this area was not as extensive as that documented elsewhere on the island; the hole we chose to clear was comparatively small and generated a profile that was 150 cm long.

The soil within this cut revealed two strata (Figure 16). Both layers consisted of earthen fill without the rubble material noted in the cross sections cleared in Areas A and C. In addition, we encountered a small pit feature in the northern corner of the profile. This feature contained a bowl fragment, as well as a piece of metate. Unfortunately, few additional diagnostic artifacts were recovered from this profile.

In Area C we selected a hole that was dug into the SW base of the large C-1 pyramid. After clearing and cleaning, the profile section measured 240 cm long and was cut back approximately 30 cm.

This profile revealed two distinct construction episodes (Figure 17). Remnants of an outer layer of dressed stone covered with stucco characterized the later construction. Cleaning this profile also exposed a human mandible fragment and molar, suggesting the presence of a burial. As noted above, Valenzuela (1937, 1945) reported finding human remains associated with mounded architecture in Area C.

A second, interior structure was identified during the C-1 profiling. This interior structure was also capped with dressed stone, in this case over an earthen fill. Artifacts from this fill represented a wide array of time periods, ranging from Formative Period white-rimmed blackware to what may be imitation plumbate (Postclassic). As we recovered no other evidence of Formative occupation on the site, it is possible that some of this fill was brought onto Isla Agaltepec from deposits around Catemaco.

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