Surface Archaeology in the Chilapa-Zitlala Area of Guerrero, México, Season I

Preliminary Conclusions

A chronological sequence of local phases and a settlement pattern analysis are still two years away. Nevertheless it is now clear that the area has occupation ranging from the Lower Formative at Amoltepec (CZ-054) (Figure 13, shown above) and La Corona CZ-044. There is Late Formative at La Muralla (CZ-024) (Figure 14). A human stone relief figure known as La Tesaya (CZ-034) with a year sign headdress (Figure 15, shown below) may be an indication of either Aztec or Mixtec presence during the Late Postclassic. Cerro Quiotepec (CZ-002) has Middle Formative, Late Classic or Epiclassic, and Postclassic occupations. It appears almost certain that the site was both a ceremonial and habitational center at the time the murals of Oxtotitlán were painted, probably to be viewed, from among other places, its eastern summit which is only 400 meters distant with a clear view. The implications as to Olmec presence in the area, beyond that of the painters, must be seriously considered.

A settlement pattern cannot be defined until there is good control over the chronology. The division I make of types of sites is merely to give a rough idea of their nature. It is still difficult to say how they distributed chronologically. I would even consider that the proximity of the three large sites suggests that there may be an even larger site of a higher rank, perhaps in the area of the Tisquitzín mountain (Figure 16, shown above) which dominates the whole region. The three sites I report from here–CZ-034, CZ-035, and CZ-036–may well be parts of a larger site. This is also the area where I would expect to find the Aztec garrison because it straddles the divide between the Mezcala and Río Azul (Yope country) drainages. The size of the sites is not necessarily representative of their complexity. Several of the small sites have structures, and one especially, Xaxalla (CZ-055), a 2.0-hectare site (Figure 17, shown below), has twice as many sherds per hectare–438–than its closest runner up, Cerro Quiotepec (CZ-002). All the medium sites have plazas surrounded by structures; one, Cuauhlotepec (CZ-057), has the only ballcourt found so far (Figure 18, Figure 19, shown below).

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