Analysis is moving fast. With Universidad Veracruzana’s students help, Rodolfo Parra has already analyzed 40% of the ground stone artifacts collected during the survey. Among the collection we have manos and metates, dishes, and hammers. Meanwhile, in the camp-lab Eli, Ramiro & Natalia continue the ceramic analysis. So far, materials indicates an occupation dating from Middle-Preclassic (800-400 B.C) to Late-Postclassic (A.D. 1200-1521). However, we still don’t know if this occupation was maintained over this long time lapse or had gaps.

Rodolfo Parra analyzing with students

Laboratory with classified materials

Our team has already identified some foreign ceramic types such as differential firing from Tres Zapotes, Tres Zapotes Fine Grey, and Fine Buff from Los Tuxtlas. This has important implications since it might reflect the possible commercial relationships between El Carrizal and archaeological sites south of Veracruz.

Location of Carrizal, Trez Zapotes and Los Tuxtlas

Flakes stone artifacts are also being classified and the great number of flint and basalt flakes is worth mentioning. The quantity of obsidian is extremely low, an example of this are the only two prismatic blades that have been registered so far. Although we haven’t identified the location of the material sources, we believe, according to the geology and the presence or absence of different types of raw materials and their use, that flint and basalt sources were local whereas obsidian was imported from Puebla and Pico de Orizaba (the highest mountain in Mexico). The majority of the instruments are scrappers and flakes, which were used for cutting and scratching. This might imply that there wasn’t a specialized industry, but further research is needed.

This week we will continue with the analysis and we have been kindly invited by the Anthropology Deparment at the Universidad Veracruzana to give a couple of lectures. The first one is about El Carrizal’s architecture and the other one will be centered in surface survey methodologies. Maybe our next update will include information on these topics!

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