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

Trinidad

The Preclassic at Trinidad has been reported on in greatest detail. Early to late, it is sequenced as the Chiuaan, Xot, and Chacibcan ceramic complexes, with a provisionally named Bacha floating somewhere between or overlapping Chiuaan and Xot (Rands, 1969; 1987). All fall within the broadly defined Middle Preclassic period. Except for Chacibcan, the Preclassic ceramics are mostly from mound fill, underlying Classic pottery, at a depth of approximately 3 to 6 meters. In this churned fill situation, crossties from outside the survey provide the major basis for chronological partition. Seriation also indicates developmental trends but tends to be specific to a given form class rather than integrating a number of these classes into sharply defined complexes.

Chiuaan. Chronologically, Chiuaan is early in the Middle Preclassic. In personal communications from a number of years ago, Jerry Sabloff saw Chiuaan ceramics as a Xe equivalent at Seibal and Mike Coe considered some of the same sherds as close to Nacaste at San Lorenzo. These observations illustrate, for what has traditionally become known as the "Northwestern Zone" of the southern Maya Lowlands (see Culbert, 1973:Fig. 1), that cultural correspondences at the beginning of the Middle Preclassic extended within the Maya area to the southeast and to the Olmec in the west.

For the most part, Figure 2 shows thick and thin tecomates and restricted bowls approaching tecomates. White slipped a-c may be earlier than most of the other sherds. For example, c corresponds closely to La Mina White convex-base miniatures identified as "paint dishes" from the San Lorenzo phase (Coe and Diehl, 1980:Fig. 159a-d); the thick, perforated white-slipped tecomate (a) may equate with Camalote White of the succeeding Nacaste phase, perforation of tecomates extending farther back in time. Horizontally ovoid, d  is subglobular with an essentially flat base.

Much of the material in Figure 2 can be placed early in the Middle Preclassic. Connecting arcs in e and the strong occurrence of black, including white-rimmed black (i) are common at this time (Green and Lowe, 1967:67). Fluting (f) is well represented in tecomates and near-tecomates at Trinidad.

In general, Figure 3 illustrates slightly flared dishes or bowls of simple silhouette. Black is important, including white-rim black (a, b). Otherwise, slipped surfaces are rare (e is non-waxy orange). The double-line break is present (d and potentially c), and a field of incised diagonal lines also occurs (e); both are important in the Middle Preclassic (e.g., the Nacaste phase at San Lorenzo, Coe and Diehl, 1980:Fig. 164). Incising includes motifs of great time range, including the sine curve (h; compare Lowe, 1989:Fig. 4.9) and, in a, a fragmentary design having probable relationship to that shown, e.g., by Ekholm (1969:Figs. 35i, 45h, 48h, 57g) at Izapa. Although unreliable for crossdating, these motifs are not at home in the Maya Lowlands, suggesting Greater Isthmian prototypes. A temporal position early in the Middle Preclassic again seems to fit. As sampled, the absence of features such as carving and red-banded or rocker-stamped tecomates precludes a substantial Early Preclassic occupation.

Angled or composite silhouette bowls are also present in Chiuaan ceramics (Figure 4a-e). Non-waxy red (exterior) and black (interior) are common, the single-line break (e), impressed half-circles (c), and a horizontal groove-incised field (b) also occurring. Sharply thinned toward the rim, d  recalls various Early Preclassic sherds, although these are mostly flat-based simple silhouettes. Angled sherds of this shape occur, however, in the Duende phase at Izapa (Ekholm, 1969:Fig. 62o, 63m).

Bacha. As noted, this attempt at temporal discrimination is provisional, lacking stratigraphic substantiation. Nevertheless, the flared bowl with rim molding and interior-beveled rim (Figure 4f-i) is highly distinctive. In this shape class, the incised arc of f  is an early Middle Preclassic treatment (pointing toward Chiuaan) and the cloudy resist in i, although differing in the absence of slipped surfaces, suggests Xot (later in the Middle Preclassic).

Jars (Figure 5). The mixed fill again poses problems for a temporal separation. A complete, unslipped jar from a Chacibcan level (d)  does, however, provide an anchor for seriation at the close of the sampled Preclassic occupation. Contrasting sharply in treatment and abundance are high-neck jars with interior-faceted rims, unobliterated coiling marks, and red daub exteriors (a, e). Due to similarities in surface treatment to Mamom Palma Daub, I was first inclined to place these on a Mamom level–i.e., a temporal equivalent of Xot. To do so, however, introduces complexity into what otherwise would be a smooth development (b-c-d).

Xot. Xot ceramics are well represented in the mound fill and elsewhere at Trinidad but show less variation than Chiuaan, the latter perhaps covering a wider span of time that is potentially subject to subdivision. Rounded shallow dishes, often with a very low height:diameter ratio, are a major characteristic of Xot (Figure 6a, c). These are usually red slipped (non-waxy), occasionally with one or two incised horizontal lines below the rim. Cloudy, blotchy resist occurs (c), generally on a well-smoothed but unslipped interior and a red-slipped exterior. Volcanic-bearing pastes continue, although a greater admixture of quartz sand is sometimes noted.

Chacibcan. Set apart stratigraphically from the earlier ceramics, Chacibcan is not well represented. Changes are marked. Appearances include a lustrous orange, waxy slip; comparatively thick dishes with flared, everted rims (Figure 6b) and carbonate temper (striking due to the inaccessibility of limestone in the alluvial floodplain environment of Trinidad). Perhaps the small amount of volcanic ash-tempered pottery bearing a waxy red slip (not illustrated) also is to be placed in Chacibcan. Cloudy resist, now slipped on both the interior and exterior (d), conforms to Tierra Mojada as described for Seibal in Escoba Mamom (Sabloff, 1975). The thickened everted-rim dish has close shape analogs in the Malecon Complex at Edzná (Forsyth, 1983:Figs. 3z, 6y). In the ceramic sample, Mayanization appears to have been underway at Trinidad during Chacibcan times but was cut short, a near-hiatus occurring from the Middle Preclassic until well into the Classic.

Previous Page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page