The Redención del Campesino Valley Archaeological Survey

Results of Fieldwork

During the 2003/04 field season 30 sites were surveyed (Figure 7), most of which had been previously recorded by the Proyecto Atlas Arqueológico. It was noted that the UTM coordinates for some of the sites recorded during the Atlas Arqueológico Project were off in some cases by over 100 m.  These sorts of errors are to be expected if we consider that GPS technology and accessibility to un-distorted satellite signals were limited. As mentioned above the survey transects were established on the basis of the predictive model results and proximity to tracks that may have been used in antiquity as routes of communication. Additionally surveys were conducted on an ejido by ejido basis, taking advantage with this of the local knowledge as well as the support of the communal authorities. Three of the visited sites lie in relative proximity of the high potential areas identified by the Dempster-Shafer. A brief description of a sample of these sites follows:

Ejido Santa Rosa

Agua Sucia: This site was originally recorded by the Atlas Arqueológico project. It lies close to the entrance to the valley, approximately 200 meters to the southeast of a location that was identified by the predictive model as having high potential area, and hence was targeted for a detailed survey. The site however is composed by a couple of non-masonry structures and no archaeological materials were observed on the surface.

Santa Rosa 1 is located at the natural pass of the Redención del Campesino Valley, opposite to Agua Sucia. This site was also first recorded by the Atlas Arqueológico project. No structures were recorded for the site, and our attempts to locate it were unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the site was included in the final analysis.

Santa Rosa 2: At this ejido an isolated mound about 50 × 40 m and 4 m high was found in the proximity of one of the high potential areas picked up by the model. The mound was constructed using amorphous limestone and packed dirt. Although most of the mound itself is within a milpa agriculture field, the area immediately to the south of it is covered by dense secondary acahual overgrowth, thus it is possible that other low platforms may be present (Plate 5, shown above). To the east the land turns into bajo swampland and a small perennial lagoon that reaches a depth of 5 m.

Click on image to enlarge

Santa Rosa 3: About 200 m to the west and south of the mound a series of steep sloped hills are found. The exposed escarpments suggested the presence of caves (Plate 6, shown above). In fact our guide informed us of the existence of a cave on the west hill. This is located about 40 meters above the mound’s ground level on the southeast-facing slope (Figure 8). The cave has a 7 meter wide entrance (Plate 7, shown above), and a big gallery of about 30 meters high (Plate 8, shown above). Unfortunately part of the ceiling has collapsed thus disturbing considerably the cave interior. Various pottery shards were seen scattered on the cave’s floor. Along with these, snail shells and a fragment bone shaft piece were observed (Plate 9, shown below), thus suggesting a strong funerary function.

It is reasonable to assume that the isolated mound (with the possibility that other low platforms lie beneath the secondary overgrowth) may be part of an architectural complex, where funerary rituals took place prior to the ascent to the cave where the individuals would be interred. Although seemingly this site did not constitute a site of secondary political importance, its location, at the entrance of a smaller longitudinal valley that leads to another natural access into the coastal plain, suggests that extra local communities may have used it.

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