Palenque and Selected Survey Sites in Chiapas and Tabasco: The Preclassic

Introduction

This report was made possible by a grant from The Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc. (FAMSI).

Line drawings of Preclassic ceramics form the framework around which the report is organized. A small subset of pottery is considered from Palenque and four survey sites in northeastern Chiapas and adjacent Tabasco, México. Fieldwork, carried out between the 1950s and 1970s, was oriented toward Palenque, dealing with centralization as inferred from ceramic production and exchange. Inasmuch as Palenque gained special prominence among Lowland Maya sites in the Late Classic period, research has focused on materials later in time than those presented here.

Preclassic pottery was obtained in small quantities at a number of locations, the present coverage being somewhat selective. To the north of Palenque, lying on or near the Usumacinta River, are Trinidad and Zapatillo (the latter also referred to as Nueva Esperanza). To the south and east are Chinikiha and Paso Nuevo. Distances from Palenque are generally in the 40 to 45 km range, although Paso Nuevo is closer, approximately 10 km away (Figure 1).

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