Archaeological Investigations at Medias Aguas, Veracruz, México

The Excavation Program

Pit 1

Dimensions:  1×1 m.
The stratigraphy in this unit appeared as follows:
Layer I:  Humus. Munsell Color Chart:  7.5 YR  2.5/1 Black. Dark brown.
The soil was dark brown, with a compact consistency and a sandy texture.
Bottom line:  21 cm.
Layer II:  Brown clay. Munsell Color Chart:  10 YR  4/3 Brown.
Very compact consistency (with a great plasticity).
The excavation of Layer II was finished at 36 cm. The soil changed its color and its consistency was clayish and yellow.
Bottom line:  36 cm.
Layer III:  Orange clay with gray streaks. Munsell Color Chart:  2.5 Y 6/8 Olive Yellow.
The soil is an orange clay with gray streaks. Its consistency is clayish and/or sandy, and presents inclusions of large gray streaks within the orange clay, with occasional small inclusions of calcium carbonate, the possible ending of cultural depositions.
Excavation continued and at 44 cm the rim of another large vessel was found; therefore, an extension to the east of 1×1 m was undertaken. A drawing of the eastern wall was made. This layer included ceramics and gray obsidian.
End of excavation:  44 cm.
Findings: One decorated vessel, of which a plan view drawing was made.

Pit 1 - Eastern extension

Dimensions:  1×1.5 m.
Stratigraphy in this unit was as follows:
Layer I:  Humus. Munsell Color Chart:  7.5 YR  2.5/1 Black. Dark brown.
We went down initially on the eastern extension to find a large obsidian fragment and ceramic fragments.
Bottom line:  27.5 cm.
Layer II:  Brown clay. Munsell Color Chart:  10 YR  4/3 Brown.
On our way down, the border of the eastern extension produced large fragments of the second vessel, of which a plan view was drawn up; further down the soil changed to a clayish yellow, and at 38 cm additional fragments were found of which a drawing was made.
Bottom line:  38 cm.
Layer III:  Orange clay with gray streaks. Munsell Color Chart:  2.5 Y 6/8 Olive Yellow.
Furthering the excavation, the soil showed a yellowish gray color and a plastic texture. A N-S and E-W axis was established for the drawing of Vessel 2, and the excavation continued in quadrants of 44 cm; the northeastern quadrant was liberated and there, bone remains were found (Burial 1); the corresponding drawing was made, measures were taken, and the second vessel was covered with plastic.
Bottom line:  44 cm.
The second vessel was excavated on its E-W-S sides to a depth of 70 cm; then it was carefully packed with its entire matrix. The vessel was extracted on a double screen bed with sacks, the N-S axis was marked, and it was wrapped-up with self-adhesive plastic and aluminum paper.
The excavation continued and the profiles of Walls N, E, and W were drawn; the texture of the soil did not change, and we began to mark the northeastern direction with a thread to complete a new extension.
End of excavation:  90 cm.
Findings: One large vessel containing Burial 1 (Figure 10, below).

Pit 1 - Northern extension

Dimensions:  1.5×1.5 m.
The stratigraphy in this unit was as follows:
Layer I:  Humus. Munsell Color Chart:  7.5 YR  2.5/1 Black. Dark brown.
This layer included some ceramic fragments and gray obsidian.
Bottom line:  20 cm.
Layer II:  Brown clay. Munsell Color Chart:  10 YR  4/3 Brown.
In this layer a red polished stone was found, which was marked as special.
A topographic drawing of the unit's plan view was made.
Bottom line:  45 cm.
No material whatsoever was found as we proceeded with the excavation, with the exception of an oblong feature with characteristics similar to those of Layer I. Samples for flotation analysis were taken, and a number of ceramic fragments were obtained. A window was opened at the NE corner of the excavation unit.
Bottom line:  82 cm.
Layer III:  Orange clay with gray streaks. Munsell Color Chart:  2.5 Y 6/8 Olive Yellow.
We proceeded with the excavation and completed a drawing with the plan view of the unit.
End of excavation:  104 cm.
Within the excavation units Pit 1 and Pit 4, two human burials were found which will be described at the end of this section.
Findings: Burials 1 and 2, ceramics (sherds), lithics (obsidian) and polished lithics.

Click on image to enlarge.

Pit 2

Dimensions:  1.5×1 m.
The stratigraphy in this unit was as follows:
Layer I:  Humus. Munsell Table Chart:  7.5 YR  2.5/1 Black. Dark brown.
This layer contained ceramic fragments and fragments of green and black obsidian, as well as charred mud.
Bottom line:  21 cm.
Layer II:  Brown clay. Munsell Table Chart:  10 YR  4/3 Brown.
Further in the excavation the soil changed to a grayish color, and fragments of black obsidian were recovered.
Bottom line:  40 cm.
Layer III:  Orange clay with gray streaks. Munsell Table Chart:  2.5 Y 6/8 Olive Yellow.
This layer presented small white dots (calcium carbonate) and a clayish compact intense yellow patch, similar to the one found in Test Unit 2. This layer included organic materials and micro fauna. A drawing of the patch was made.
End of excavation:  44 cm.
Findings: charred mud, ceramics (sherds) and lithics (black and green obsidian).

Pit 3

Dimensions:  2×3 m.
In this unit the stratigraphy was as follows:
Layer I:  Humus. Munsell Color Chart:  7.5 YR  2.5/1 Black. Dark brown.
It contained root inclusions and a small amount of red pigment. A large amount of ceramics was found, as also a number of cut stone fragments (obsidian).
Depth level:  20 cm.
Layer II:  Brown clay. Munsell Color Chart:  10 YR  4/3 Brown.
It consisted of some sort of yellowish, clayish soil with a muddy texture.
End of excavation:  60 cm.
Findings: Ceramic material (sherds), lithics (obsidian), figurines, a grinding stone (metate), red pigment, charred mud, evidence of a midden, baking stains, two complete projectile heads (Tula Point) and whole vessels (Figure 11, below).

Click on image to enlarge.

Pit 4
(by Mitsuru Kurosaki)

Dimensions:  1×1 m.
In this unit the stratigraphy was as follows:
Layer I:  Humus. Munsell Color Chart:  7.5 YR  2.5/1 Black. Dark brown.
Depth level:  20 cm.
Layer II:  Brown clay. Munsell Color Chart:  10 YR  4/3 Brown.
Bone remains and a ceramic fragment were found at a short depth on the north wall of the pit, approximately 40 cm below the surface. We extended the pit 1 m north to observe the extension of Burial 2. While extending the surroundings of this burial, at a depth level of 60 cm, a gray-colored frame occurred. Digging deeper, we found a 1×1 m tomb in an approximate N-S and E-W direction, 40 cm thick. Inside the tomb, bone fragments were found, and one obsidian fragment; the burial was more clearly revealed, and the remains of the skull were exposed. The texture of the soil was clayish, of a greenish-gray color, and heavily compacted, with no natural inclusions. The texture of the soil was very thin and contained no artifacts.
The tomb's refill was square in shape, it consisted of very loose earth, and included materials such as ceramics and obsidian. Around this stain, an additional square-shaped mark was visible: the soil was very fine and sandy in texture, the texture was very tight and no materials were found.
A small trench was opened inside de tomb, on the south and west sides of Burial 2, and we proceeded down to check the depth of this layer. The layer began to be clearly seen at a depth of 68 cm, it included no ceramics, and its texture was sticky.
We began to descend to level IV (61-80 cm) where we observed a charcoal stain that proceeded to the bottom of the tomb.
In this section, we took five charcoal samples and recovered two ceramic sherds and obsidian. Apparently, Burial 2 was tossed from above in this interment tomb.
On the south side of the tomb we proceeded down to a depth of 80 cm, and found vessel fragments. Outside the tomb and beginning in level V (81-100 cm), there was a sandy layer that reached the level of a very sandy, brown layer.
Layer III:  Orange clay with gray streaks. Munsell Color Chart:  2.5 Y 6/8 Olive Yellow.
End of excavation:  100 cm.
Findings: ceramic (sherds), lithics (obsidian), Burial 2 and whole vessels.

Pit 5

Dimensions:  1×1 m.
In this unit the stratigraphy was as follows:
Layer I:  Humus. Munsell Color Chart:  7.5 YR  2.5/1 Black. Dark brown.
Within this layer, level 1 was completely excavated; we began with a topographic drawing of the surface, we recorded every point below level 0 and we placed them in the rod, northeast of the unit. At the time of concluding level 1, layer 1 still continued; in this level we found coarse and very damaged ceramic material, in small fragments and with no type uniformity. There was little lithic material, a concentration of charred mud with sherds, and superficial, very abundant charcoal. We proceeded to level 2, still within layer 1, but layer II began immediately, at a depth of 22 cm.
Layer II:  Brown clay. Munsell Color Chart:  10 YR  4/3 Brown.
Level 2 was completely excavated, with the finding of different types of pottery, two figurines, scarce lithic material, while the concentration of charred mud present in layer 1 was excavated. We made a plan view drawing at a 23 cm depth, and samples were taken for RC14.
Finally, drawings were made of the N and W walls, and the excavation unit was closed at the end of level 2.
Observations:  The amount of materials recovered was very poor for the proposed stratigraphic objectives: therefore, the decision was made to conclude the excavation at the end of level 2. The data obtained from Pit 5 confirm both the typology and the stratigraphy observed in the other units excavated during the season.

Pit 6

Dimensions:  1×1 m.
The stratigraphy resulted as follows:
Layer I:  Humus. Munsell Color Chart:  7.5 YR  2.5/1 Black. Dark brown.
The first layer ended at a depth of 20 cm, and it consisted of a compact soil with a sandy texture. It presented some inclusions of organic materials, such as roots. The collection of archaeological materials consisted basically of ceramics (sherds) and lithics (obsidian); as they begun to gradually decrease, the pit was closed.
End of excavation:  20 cm.
Observations: The amount of material obtained was very scarce for achieving the proposed stratigraphic goals; therefore, the decision was made to conclude the excavation.

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