Surface Archaeology in the Chilapa-Zitlala Area of Guerrero, México
Seasons 2 and 3 (2004–2005)

Preliminary Conclusions

During the 2004 season, detailed mapping of the three largest sites located, made it evident that my original calculation as to their sizes was quite below reality. Comango (CZ-038), the largest site, covers 135 ha, making it the most extensive site known from the Guerrero Mountain area so far; Cerro Quiotepec (CZ-002) (Figure 2) extends 79 ha; and Cuauhlotepec (CZ-057), at least 37 ha. The remaining sites range from 24 ha to less than 1 ha, most of them aligning along a continuum, between 5 and 0.5 ha. The site size variation would appear to suggest at least three hierarchies, perhaps more, depending on how one groups sites; this is quite a subjective exercise. However, since the ceramics are yet to be classified, and the settlement pattern defined by phases, it is impossible, at this time, to say much about site hierarchies at different times. Three sites with ballcourts have been located; besides Cuauhlotepec, mentioned in the previous report, two, much smaller (10 ha each), sites with one ballcourt each, have been located (Figure 10, shown above). All three ballcourts are oriented east-west. Preliminary impressions from one site, Cerro Quiotepec (CZ-002), suggest that its most extensive occupation was during the Middle Formative, perhaps with 300-500 inhabitants; it was occupied through the Postclassic.

Click on image to enlarge.

Miguel Covarrubias (1957) included the area of Chilapa in the sphere of what he defined as the Mezcala style. Recently, Rosa Reyna (1997) excluded it. However, both surface survey and excavation have turned up a large amount of a ceramic ware diagnostic of the Mezcala area: Granular White (Figure 11, shown above), consisting mostly of flat-bottom anforas, decorated with wide red bands (Schmidt 1990: 123-133). A fragment of a greenstone Mezcala figurine was found on the surface at Cerro Quiotepec (CZ-002). Another Mezcala-style characteristic, which occurs in the area, is an architectural feature consisting of stone pegs which decorate the tableros of buildings, such as at Xochipala (Reyna 1997). It is yet difficult to determine the chronological extent of the Mezcala tradition here; in Central Guerrero it appears to range from the Late Formative through the Late Postclassic.

Oxtotitlán, the cave with Olmec paintings (Grove, 1970a, 1970b), is located right next to Cerro Quiotepec. Since the presence of surface ceramics is continuous between the hill and the cave, I propose that the cave and the hill are actually part of the same site. Preliminary analysis of Cerro Quiotepec's surface material suggests it was inhabited for a long time, from the Middle Formative through Late Postclassic; visible from the easternmost ceremonial area of the hill, the cave was most likely in use as a sacred area during the extent of the site's occupation. Hence, it is likely that the paintings cover the whole sequence. Now that AMS dating can produce results from a milligram or two of organic materials embedded in rock paintings, we should be able to determine whether the cave has the earliest depiction of Tlaloc in Mesoamerica, or it spans a long period of use.

Previous Page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page