Las Bocas, Puebla, Archaeological Project

Location and Setting

Location

The area delimited in 1997 is located between the UTM coordinates E:561487.40 and N:205841.10, and up to the UTM coordinates E:56498.90 and N:2056892.60, with a total surface of 18,616.91 square meters, and an elevation that ranges from 1280 to 1300 meters above sea level. These data were recorded in the Topographic Stereography of the Las Bocas Archaeological Site by Architect Oscar Reyes, during the same year (Paillés et al., 1997).

Physiography and Geology of the Region

The physiographic region of our study area is located in the Province of the Sierra Madre del Sur, considered the most complex and least known of the country. Within the state of Puebla, it is partially represented by seven sub-provinces. The town of Izúcar de Matamoros is located in the sub-province of Guerrero’s sierras and valleys; here, the main system of topomorphs consists of sierras with stretched-out slopes, formed by continental sedimentary materials whose maximum altitude climbs to 2,060 meters above sea level; there are also topomorphs denominated sloping sierras in some plateaus, valleys and hillocks.

Hydrographically, it belongs to the upper basin of the Balsas River, whose regional tributaries are the Atoyac and Nexapa rivers, the latter one enriched by the flow contribution of the Atotonilco River, which runs around the N and W slopes of the Teponaztle hill nearby the site of Las Bocas-Caballo Pintado.

The geology of the region is composed of Mesozoic sedimentary rocks, abundant in the Sierra Madre del Sur. The region includes a varied lithology of the Precambric era with traits of metamorphism, jointly forming the Acatlán Complex. Deposits of lead ores were exploited in the region (79 tons); silver (37 and 14 kg); copper (2 tons) and gold (2 to 1 kg); these figures represent the yearly production (INEGI, 1987).

Geology of the archaeological site

With INEGI’s Geological Chart for the State of Puebla we were able to establish that the region of Izúcar is formed by sedimentary and volcano-sedimentary rocks from the Quaternary (Q). The Grande hill, north of the archaeological zone of Las Bocas, is formed by rocks from the Lower Cretaceous (Ki), and is also of a sedimentary and volcano-sedimentary nature. The mountain known as El Teponaztle, at whose southwestern foothills Caballo Pintado is located, is formed with sedimentary and volcano-sedimentary rocks from the Lower Tertiary (Ti). Finally, the region of Epatlán is formed by sedimentary and volcano-sedimentary rocks from the Paleozoic (P).

Soils from the region

The valleys of Izúcar and Epatlán are physiographically located within the Mexican plateau at the southernmost region of the Neovolcanic Cordillera. In the basins of the Amacuzac and Nexapa rivers, there are extended and sloping plains, formed by large volcanic ash of alluvial fans dragged by the streams that descend from the Popocatépetl volcano. Due to the fertility of the volcanic alluvium, the deposits within the valleys of this area of more even terrain, have been major agricultural centers for growing tropical and subtropical crops, and represented a very important region for the domestication of corn and the practice of irrigation agriculture in pre-Hispanic times (West, 1964).

The soils correspond to the Vertisole groups (Vp+eHh+1) made of sandstone, limestone and basic igneous stones, which due to intemperization, have formed moderately fine materials which provide soils with a clayish texture and present a large amount of calcium, magnesium and potassium. The soils of the region abound in extrusive, acid, igneous rocks of the Ts type (Igea) integrated by acid tuff in pseudo-deposits of approximately 2 mm and some intercalated medium tuff with pumicitic lapilli. Basalts from the Upper Tertiary are also found on Ki limestones (c2) of the Lower and Upper Cretaceous.

Climate

The climate of the region corresponds to the Aw (w) type, a warm subhumid climate with annual rainfalls below the 800 mm.  Average temperatures range from 22° to 26° C, with droughts throughout the winter months (West, op. cit.).

Vegetation

The local flora is dominated by the type known as Low Jungle Caducifoliae, which does not grow beyond 10 m in height. The following secondary vegetation is also present: arboreal, shrub-like and herbaceous. The genres and species correspond mostly to those reported in INEGI (1987). The forest is used to serve domestic needs, while a number of species have a medicinal use.

Agriculture is temporal and is practiced manually, seasonally and mechanized through a continuous artificial watering system controlled from the lower parts of valleys.

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