Stoner 2013

INTERPOLITY POTTERY EXCHANGE IN THE
TUXTLA MOUNTAINS, SOUTHERN VERACRUZ, MEXICO
Wesley D. Stoner
Neutron activation analysis (NAA) of Coarse Orange jars demonstrates economic exchange among the Classic period polit-
ical capitals of Totocapan, Matacapan, and Teotepec in the Tuxtla Mountains of southern Veracruz, Mexico. Matacapan,
in particular, displays evidence of intensive pottery production at large workshops at the southern margin of the site. Comoa-
Society for American Archaeology - Latin American Antiquity access (804-58-837)
pan (Area 411) and Area 199 present configurations of kilns, ceramic densities, and assemblage characteristics that sug-
gest production for exchange beyond the sites boundaries. Both of these production facilities specialized in the production
of Coarse Orange jars, a well-made and decorated utilitarian ceramic ware. While these products were traded to sites in
the Tepango Valley, different paste recipes of the Coarse Orange type were also produced locally. Of broader concern, I
examine the articulation of these regional exchange relationships with the interregional interactions previously documented
among Tuxtlas groups and others in central Mexico and the Gulf Coast.
El anlisis de activacin de neutrones (NAA) de ollas del tipo Naranja Burdo demuestra un intercambio entre las capitales
polticas de Matacapan, Totocapan, y Teotepec. Las tres se ubican en la Sierra de los Tuxtlas, en el sur de Veracruz, Mxico.
Matacapan ha presentado evidencias de una produccin alfarera en grandes talleres al lmite sur del sitio. Se presentan en el
M
Area 411 (Comoapan) y el Area 199 configuraciones de hornos, densidades de tiestos, y caractersticas de artefactos que
sugieren un intercambio ms all de los lmites del sitio. Ambos complejos de fabricacin se especializaban en la produccin
de ollas Naranja Burdo, un tipo utilitario bien hecho y con decoracin. Aunque estos productos fueron comercializados a los
Monday, September 16, 2013 11:14:02 AM
sitios del Valle de Tepango, tambin se identificaron diferentes pastas del tipo Naranja Burdo de produccin local. Analizo la
coyuntura entre estas relaciones regionales con las interacciones interregionales que se han documentado anteriormente entre
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los grupos de los Tuxtlas con los del centro de Mxico y la Costa del Golfo.
odels used to explain cultural evolution by a group displaying ties to central Mexico. These
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in the Classic period (A.D. 300800) events redefined the Tuxtlas cultural landscape.
Tuxtla Mountains have focused largely Contrasting the sudden emergence of foreign iden-
on foreign influence from the central Mexican city tities at Matacapan, neighboring polities headed
of Teotihuacan (Arnold and Santley 2008; Santley by Totocapan and Teotepec display Gulf Coast-
1989; Santley and Alexander 1996) (Figure 1). oriented adaptations and much deeper settlement
Santley (1994:262), at one point, suggested that histories. The foreign intrusion into the Catemaco
Teotihuacan set up and oversaw the Middle Clas- Valley created social distinctions on the regional
sic pottery production industry at Matacapan.1 landscape. On one hand, the disruption fractured
While his specific proposition about foreign con- the Tuxtlas into disjoint but overlapping interac-
trol over pottery production lacks supporting evi- tion networks (Stoner 2011). On the other hand, the
dence, Matacapans relationship with Teotihuacan diversification of regional economy, ritual, and
had a profound effect on the trajectory of cultural identity may have encouraged a greater level of
development in the Tuxtla region. interconnectivity among these groups. Research in
The land that became Matacapan was aban- the Tuxtla Mountains collectively demonstrates the
doned following a volcanic eruption towards the need for multiscalar perspectives on interaction
end of the Protoclassic period (A.D. 1300). It was networks to understand the complexity of ancient
then resettled in the Early Classic (A.D. 300450) states.
Wesley D. Stoner University of Missouri Research Reactor Center, Archaeometry Laboratory, 1513 Research Park
Drive, Columbia, MO 65211 (stoner.wesley@gmail.com)
Latin American Antiquity 24(3), 2013, pp. 262288

Copyright 2013 by the Society for American Archaeology
262
Stoner] INTERPOLITY POTTERY EXCHANGE IN THE TUXTLA MOUNTAINS 263

Figure 1. Map of the Tuxtla Mountains showing major political centers.

IP Address: 128.206.100.158
I detail here the results of compositional analy- tion of generalized models, such as core-periphery
ses that trace the distribution of Matacapan-pro- interaction, that have been popular in archaeology
duced Coarse Orange jars across a politically since the 80s. Most applications of core-periphery
divided region. More importantly, I am concerned analysis have assumed a direct correlation between
with how this industry articulated with the other culture and regional units of interaction (e.g.,
political, economic, symbolic, and ritual networks Chase-Dunn and Hall 1998; Frank and Gills 1993;
in the Tuxtlas. The network of exchanges among Hall and Chase-Dunn 1993; Wallerstein 1974),
Matacapan, Totocapan, and Teotepec suggests a while discarding individual variation in favor of
concern for maintaining cooperative interpolity broad scale processes (Frank 1999:278281). Mod-
relationships. I propose that these economic inter- els of interaction between cores and peripheries
actions developed because of the regional eco- have been extremely helpful for understanding the
nomic and cultural diversity that followed integration of groups over long distances, but they
Matacapans connections to central Mexico. ignore how groups within those broad territorial
units interrelate. This is not so much a criticism of
Multiscalar Interaction Networks world-systems theory, but a call to investigate how
in Ancient States world-systems processes layer on top of other
scales of interaction.
Biologist Douglas Whalen (2010) recently wrote, Santley and Alexander (1996; see also Santley
The most revolutionary idea in the past 150 years 1989, 1994) have sought to understand the devel-
may be Darwins having taken individual variation opment of Matacapan in the Tuxtlas through core-
as data, rather than having averaged over it. Aver- periphery analysis. They posited a dendritic model
aging over individual variation is a major limita- of Classic period interaction across Mesoamerica,
264 LATIN AMERICAN ANTIQUITY [Vol. 24, No. 3, 2013
in which raw materials and goods flowed from the Cultural divergences may either enhance or
periphery through a hierarchy of centers, ultimately inhibit interaction networks. At the core of this dis-
going to the top-ranked center in the system: Teoti- tinction is the degree to which groups compete over
huacan. In this model, all interaction is hierarchi- the same material or ideological resources. Ideo-
cal with little or no exchange among regional logical differences, for example, may lead to hos-
centers of equal rank. This model is at least par- tility between divergent groups. Polities competing
tially supported by the data for exchange, and I do for land and material resources may fall into per-
not dispute its utility for understanding macrore- petual warfare. However, not all interactions among
gional processes. However, it presents only part of diverse groups are contentious. Differentiated eco-
the picture. Previous research has demonstrated nomic specialization among groups in a region, for
diversity in how settlements on the Gulf Coast example, may actually facilitate regional coopera-
interacted with Teotihuacan and with each other tion and exchange. The diversification of network
(Arnold and Pool 2008; Pool 2006; Stark 1990). participation inevitably results in a greater diver-
The current study goes a step further to identify sity of goods, values, and ideas that circulate among
variability of the network connections among its settlements. Each group develops privileged
neighboring settlements within the Tuxtlas. access to certain commodities, materials, and
As Jennings (2006) argues, core-periphery mod- knowledge that others lack. This diversification
els emphasize direct links between the core and and specialization of regional networks has the
periphery, but neglect regionalism. In terms of the potential to enhance material and cultural
current research, Matacapans political peers, Toto- exchanges among settlements that otherwise show
capan and Teotepec, sit in a blind spot of core- little in common.
periphery models because these centers did not With these points in mind, I am not exclusively
forge direct connections to the core. The dendritic concerned with mapping the network of produc-
model, in particular, would predict very little inter- tion and distribution for Coarse Orange pottery of
action among these three polities. The data pre- different compositions. More importantly, I want
sented in this paper contradict this notion. While to express how the network of Coarse Orange pro-
Jennings raises important issues for interaction duction and exchange articulates with other patterns
studies in ancient states, I depart from his critique of interaction in the Tuxtla region. Did the exchange
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on one issue. The primary flaw with the core- of Coarse Orange pottery map onto the Matacapan
periphery approach is not precisely that it neglects political domain, leaving the other regional poli-
regionalism, but that it glosses over how interac- ties to produce this ware independently? Did the
tions at the interregional level articulate with exchange of these vessels from Matacapan follow
regional-scale networks. the distribution of Teotihuacan symbols and goods
Interregional scale interactions introduce for- through the region? How do patterns of pottery
eign materials, people, goods, and ideas into the exchange compare to the exchange of obsidian
local system. How these stimuli are adopted, used, tools and raw materials across the regional land-
or rejected across the landscape depends largely on scape? Does social identity inferred from material
negotiations among different local groups. This culture and architectural styles serve as a predictor
contact between distant polities is one class of event of economic exchange?
(see Beck et al. 2007) that has the potential to dis-
rupt established local institutions and cause rapid Geopolitical History and Economy in the
change. Each node (settlement or individual) in the Southwestern Tuxtla Mountains
regional network may react differently to new infor-
mation. Differential negotiation of these inputs fos- A group bearing ceramic artifacts, architectural
ters social contrasts across the cultural landscape. forms, and green obsidian associated with Teoti-
This process of regional differentiation is termed huacan established Matacapan during the Early
cultural divergence, a concept that has roots in biol- Classic period (A.D. 300450) (Arnold and Sant-
ogy (Darwin 2010 [1859]) and anthropology (Flan- ley 2008; Ortiz and Santley 1998; Pool 1992; Sant-
nery and Marcus 2003; Sahlins and Service ley et al. 1987). This land had been previously
1960:4953; Steward 1955:1112). abandoned following a volcanic eruption near the
Figure 2. Map of the study region showing the distribution of Middle Classic settlements and the probable boundaries
between them. See Supplemental Figure 1 for larger image.
end of the Protoclassic period (Pool and Britt 2000; in the Late Classic period while Matacapan was in
Santley et al. 2000). Matacapan was the only decline.
regional center in the Catemaco Valley during the The Tepango Valley Archaeological Survey
Early Classic (Santley and Arnold 1996:234), but (TVAS), which I directed in 2007, targeted Toto-
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settlement expanded outward during the Middle capan and its southern hinterland for extensive sur-
Classic (A.D. 450650) into a three-tiered settle- vey (Figure 2, Supplemental Figure 1). Totocapan
ment hierarchy (Santley 1994; Santley and Arnold has a long history of development from the Mid-
1996:234235). dle Formative (900400 B.C.) through the Late
Besides Matacapan, the Middle Classic Classic (A.D. 650800) (Ortiz 1975; Stoner 2011).
Catemaco Valley hosted two other large centers. At 585ha, this site is almost as large as Matacapan
Ranchoapan, located a few kilometers to the west, (~600 ha, measured from the digitized site bound-
developed concurrently with Matacapan. Over the ary polygon using ArcGIS 9.3), and the number and
Classic period, Matacapan and Ranchoapan inter- size of monumental constructions at Totocapan
acted closely. In addition to their proximity, they (127 mounds) surpasses Matacapan (107 mounds).
display similar material culture styles. Ranchoapan Based on a comparison of size, architectural com-
adopted the Teotihuacan symbolism present at Mat- plexity, and regional settlement hierarchies, the
acapan. Also, the data suggest that these two cen- Totocapan regime commanded an independent
ters served complementary economic roles in the polity that covered a territory about the same size
region, one based on ceramic production and the as Matacapan (Stoner 2012a).
other on obsidian. To the east, Teotepec flourished Besides Totocapan, two other large centers were
in the Middle Classic and also displays evidence identified within the TVAS. Xiguipilincan, located
of interaction with Matacapan (Arnold and Van- at the southwestern corner of the TVAS (see Fig-
Derwarker 2008; Santley and Arnold 1996; Stoner ure 2), rose to prominence during the Middle and
et al. 2008). Teotepec likely commanded its own Late Classic periods. At the southeastern corner of
political domain independently of Matacapan. Both the TVAS, Tilzapote emerged as a secondary cen-
Teotepec and Ranchoapan increased slightly in size ter due to its role in regulating interactions across
the boundary zone between polities (Stoner 2012a). Totocapan, as these materials are most abundant
Both Xiguipilincan and Tilzapote rose to the top of there. I argue here that promotion of this ideology
the regional hierarchy while Totocapan began to augmented rituals held at Totocapan and provided
lose its power at the end of the Late Classic. This portable media through which its leaders promoted
temporal pattern resembles the trajectory observed their ideas to the countryside. Sacrifices were
among Matacapan, Ranchoapan, and Teotepec, offered to Cipactlithe primordial monster asso-
which may suggest that the fortunes of the two ciated with the underworld, water, fertility, and
polity capitals were linked. cycles of death and rebirthat other settlements
in the Gulf Coast region (Arias 2007; Snchez
Symbolic Networks in 1999). At Totocapan this cult may have been linked
Middle Classic Tuxtla Mountains to the playing of the ballgame (Stoner 2012b). Ball-
Settlements throughout the southwestern Tuxtla game paraphernalia appear in the same context as
Mountains share a rather homogeneous set of Cipactli Cult materials in excavations undertaken
everyday material styles that differentiate this by Valenzuela (1945b). A connection between
region from other Gulf Coast regions (Daneels saurian deities and the ballgame was not unique to
2006). Stylistic uniformity may signify many Totocapan, as a saurian imitator appears splayed
things, including shared social identity, shared tech- across a ball court in the central Mexican Codex
nological knowledge, or use of common raw mate- Borgia. Cipactli Cult bowls occur principally at
rials. Atop this substrate of regional stylistic Totocapan and in its environs, but examples occur
commonalities, however, are more overt expres- at and around nearly every regional center in the
sions of identity that pattern distinctively across the TVAS. No Cipactli Cult vessels have been identi-
landscape. fied at Matacapan or in the Catemaco Valley (Ortiz
For Matacapan, Teotihuacan symbols likely rep- and Santley 1988), though it was never the focus
resent the promotion of an official state identity and of an intentional search. Most importantly, the
ideology. Consumption of these symbols extends inferred symbols of each regime intermingle in the
from Matacapanwhich is the most central node southeast corner of the TVAS area.
connecting settlements in the Tuxtlas to Another line of data useful for detecting social
Teotihuacandown the Catemaco River and west contrasts in a region is architectural layout. I fol-
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to Ranchoapan (Santley 2007:Figure 6.4). Despite low approaches to urbanism that see the built envi-
strong evidence for economic interaction with Mat- ronment as a form of nonverbal communication
acapan, intensive research at Teotepec has not (Rapoport 1982, 1990; Smith 2007). From the con-
yielded any Teotihuacan-related ceramic materials figuration of monumental architecture in space, the
(Arnold and VanDerwarker 2008; Santley researcher can make qualitative inferences regard-
2007:166167). In the Tepango Valley, very few ing possible political relationships among centers
tenuous Teotihuacan stylistic affinities appear. in a region (Ashmore and Sabloff 2002; Moore
These few Teotihuacan symbols cluster mostly in 1996; Pool 2008; Smith 2007; Trigger 1990). Toto-
the south-central and southeast corners of the sur- capan, Matacapan, and Teotepec presented differ-
vey area around Tilzapote (see Figure 2). This pat- ent architectural patterns at their monumental cores.
tern likely developed through its relative proximity Totocapan and Teotepec display versions of stan-
to Matacapan and its position on the most easily dardized architectural layouts seen throughout cen-
traveled route connecting settlements across the tral and southern Veracruz. Plaza Group 1 at
two valleys. Totocapan itself did not possess sig- Totocapan resembles the square plaza and single-
nificant stylistic connections to either Matacapan long-mound configuration of some Late Classic
or Teotihuacan (Stoner 2011:413418). Standard Plan architecture at Cerro de las Mesas
As a proxy for Totocapan influence, I present and sites further to the west (cf. Daneels 2002;
the distribution of a standardized set of ceramic Stark 1999; Stoner 2012a). Interestingly, Totoca-
attributes on bowls that depict saurian imagery, pan also shares a number of ceramic material cul-
referred to as the Cipactli Cult (Stoner ture traits with Cerro de las Mesas and surrounding
2011:418425). The Cipactli Cult, as practiced in settlements, such as double-slipped and bi-slipped
the Tepango Valley, appears to have originated at wares, pottery that resembles Acula-Red-Orange,
and use of simple volutes as decorative motifs (see the Tuxtlas with well-made utilitarian and prestige
Stark 1998, 2001). Versions of the standard plan ceramics (Arnold et al. 1993; Pool 1990; Santley
were recorded at all but one of the Middle Classic et al. 1989; Stoner et al. 2008).
regional centers in the Tepango Valley.2 Those at Coarse Orange jars tempered with fine volcanic
secondary and tertiary TVAS centers are fully ash were the most intensively manufactured pottery
enclosed, square plaza groups. An alternative archi- vessels at Matacapan (Arnold et al. 1993; Pool 1990;
tectural program occurs at Teotepec and other set- Santley et al. 1989). These are well-made utilitar-
tlements in the southern Tuxtlas foothills and the ian pots, often slipped and painted with geometric
Coatzacoalcos Basin (cf. Arnold and VanDer- designs with at least one example of use as a funer-
warker 2008; Borstein 2001; Domnguez 2001; ary urn (on display at the Museo Tuxteco in San-
Urcid and Killion 2008). The Long Plaza Group tiago Tuxtla [Figure 3]). The Coarse Orange type is
exhibits a rectangular plaza enclosed on both edges a narrowly defined category that encompasses lit-
by parallel long mounds and on the long axis by a tle variability relative to others in the regional ware-
temple mound and a low platform. type-variety system (Ortiz and Santley 1988; Pool
It appears that an architectural style boundary 1990:265268, 283286, 295296). While Coarse
occurred somewhere in the Tuxtla Mountains. Nei- Orange was not exclusively made during the Mid-
ther Matacapan nor any settlement along the dle Classic, it was most popular then.
Catemaco River displays strong affiliations with Coarse Orange pottery was produced in a vari-
either of the aforementioned architectural tradi- ety of settings at Matacapan, but three production
tions. Architects at Matacapan did construct plaza areas specialized in making these pots. Coarse
groups, but they were differently configured in Orange was the primary ware manufactured by an
space. The most important plaza group at the site attached production area (Pit 6) in central Mat-
integrated the talud tablero style made popular at acapan and at two large production areas on the
Teotihuacan (Valenzuela 1945a). Moreover, all southwestern edge of the site: Comoapan (Area
architecture at Matacapan was arranged around 411) and Area 199. Comoapan, in particular, was
what was perhaps the largest central plaza in the Matacapans largest-scale ceramic workshop com-
Classic Gulf Coast region (Santley et al. 1985:30). plex (Arnold et al. 1993; Santley et al. 1989; Pool
Central plazas of this size are rare at other centers 1990:222230). Evidence of pottery production at
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in the region, which favor smaller, modular Comoapan covered more than 4 ha. Excavations
arrangements of buildings. and surface reconnaissance revealed 36 updraft
kilns and several large waster dumps. Product spe-
Systems of Ceramic Production and Exchange cialization at Comoapan was unusually high.
While Matacapan provided several civic and ritual Coarse Orange jars made up 66 percent of all exca-
functions for the inhabitants of the Catemaco Val- vated rim sherds (Pool 1990:228).
ley, the data suggest that control over the produc- Only 23 percent of sites in the Middle Classic
tion and exchange of certain goods was a key Catemaco Valley show evidence of ceramic pro-
component of its political power (Santley 1994). duction of any kind (Santley and Arnold 1996:236),
The economic system of the Catemaco Valley was though low intensity production is probably under-
such that specialized craft production occurred represented (Stark 2007; Stark and Garraty 2004).
mainly within regional centers. Specialized pro- Given that ceramics, particularly the Coarse Orange
duction did rarely occur in hamlets and villages. type, appear at nearly every Classic period site
The most notable case of specialized production throughout the Catemaco Valley (Santley 1991),
was pottery manufacture at Matacapan (Pool intersite ceramic exchange was likely. The cumu-
2003:6466; Santley et al. 1989). The ceramic pro- lative output of Coarse Orange jars from Comoa-
duction system at this center was highly variable, pan and Area 199 alone exceeds the estimated
consisting of low-intensity production for use consumption requirements of Matacapan, indicat-
exclusively in the same household, household ing some exchange beyond the sites boundaries
industries with at least some production for (Arnold et al. 1993).
exchange, an attached workshop, and two large Previous NAA and petrographic assays demon-
independent workshops that provisioned parts of strate that the paste recipe formulated by Comoa-
Figure 3. Coarse Orange jar on display at the Museo Tuxtleco in Santiago Tuxtla. This vessel, recovered at Matacapan,
functioned as a funerary urn and contained the remains of two infants.
pan occurs throughout the Catemaco Valley, but it jars there, the percentages for types represented
is less well represented at sites near the western val- among the wasters are 81 percent Fine Gray dishes,
ley margin (Site 154, Site 170) and at Tres Zapotes, 7 percent Coarse Brown cazuelas, 5 percent Coarse
a large center west of the Tuxtla Mountains that was Brown jars, 5 percent Coarse Orange jars, and 2
in decline by the Middle Classic (Stoner et al. percent unidentified.
2008). Interpolating this fall-off pattern into the

Tepango and Xoteapan valley suggests that the Obsidian Tool Production and Exchange
Comoapan paste recipe would form a minority of Obsidian from the Zaragoza-Oyameles source in
the Coarse Orange sample investigated from the Puebla dominates all Classic period assemblages
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Tepango Valley. Distance from Matacapan, politi- in the Tuxtlas (Santley et al. 2001; Stoner
cal differences, and the existence of chemically 2011:466), suggesting that most sites participated
different geological materials all add to the proba- in the same obsidian distribution network. Green
bility that Tepango Valley settlements did not con- obsidian is not so evenly distributed across the
sume pottery from Matacapan. This hypothesis is region. Matacapan imported green obsidian from
tested below. the Teotihuacan-controlled Pachuca source. It was
Currently available evidence for pottery pro- then traded through more restricted networks (Sant-
duction at Totocapan consists of a few small-scale ley 1989; Santley and Arnold 2005). This material
production loci attached to elite households (Stoner occurs primarily as finished blades, with very lit-
2011:438). However, one cannot directly compare tle evidence of blade production or importation of
production evidence at Totocapan to Matacapan. raw materials (Santley 1989). Green obsidian
While Matacapan was intensively surveyed and occurs in its highest percentages at Matacapan (13.3
excavated, Totocapan was only subjected to exten- percent in the late Middle Classic) and Teotepec
sive survey techniques (but see Pool [2003:6466] (12.1 percent of all obsidian recovered at the site)
for a similar comparison between Matacapan and (Santley and Arnold 2005). Given the demonstrated
Tres Zapotes). At least one large-scale pottery pro- connection between Matacapan and Teotihuacan,
duction workshop occurred outside Totocapan. Sur- and the lack of such a connection evidenced at
vey at the small village of El Nopal, located about Teotepec, I infer that Teotepec was a consumer of
4km to the east of Totocapan, yielded a high num- this obsidian traded in from Matacapan. Many other
ber of partially vitrified and warped waster sherds sites in the Catemaco Valley possessed green obsid-
(n = 128) and high sherd densities over a large area. ian tools in lower proportions. Green obsidian
While potters did produce some Coarse Orange blades also made their way into the Tepango Val-
ley, with the highest percentages found in the south- with only one blade production by-product identi-
east corner of the TVAS along the Xoteapan fork fied out of 39 Late Classic blades. Many blade pro-
(a tributary of the Tepango River) (Stoner duction indicators were also identified in spatially
2011:471474) (Figure 2). Tilzapote and nearby discrete zones of Tilzapote, but the industry does
sites account for 55 percent of all green obsidian not appear to have been an intensive endeavor.
in the TVAS area during the combined Early and In general, it appears that Totocapan and Mata-
Middle Classic period. In contrast, survey at Toto- capan served very different economic functions
capan returned only one piece of green obsidian out with respect to their hinterlands. While Matacapan
of 225 total pieces. Tilzapote generally had greater provisioned many sites in the region with goods,
access to all obsidian than most settlements. Twelve Totocapan produced few ceramics or obsidian tools
of 18 collections at Tilzapote possessed obsidian- for exchange outside the city (with the possible
to-ceramic ratios above the median for the TVAS; exception of Cipactli Cult ceramics). Totocapan
four of those collections were in the upper decile appears to have relied instead on nearby producers
for the project area (maximum for the site is .85). of ceramics and obsidian. It must be stressed that
Ranchoapan produced obsidian tools on a rela- these are preliminary findings for the Tepango Val-
tively large scale compared to other settlements in ley. The Catemaco valley has seen a much greater
the Tuxtlas. Barrett (2003:222223; see also Sant- intensity of work, including excavations and more
ley and Arnold 2005:188), however, argues that intensive surveys at several sites.
Ranchoapan was not a major mover or producer of
stone tools on the macroregional scale (compared Reconstruction of Political Boundaries
to Tula or Colha) and that most production was for in the Classic Tuxtla Mountains
local use in specialized contexts. That said, the Elsewhere, I have evaluated and characterized
scale of tool production in the northern portion of political boundaries (and the strength of political
the site, combined with the lack of blade produc- relationships over space and time) among the Mata-
tion evidence at many other sites in the region, capan, Totocapan, and Teotepec polities based on
points to some intersite exchange of blades. Inter- several variables: location, scale, magnitude of
estingly, Ranchoapan possessed among the lowest political control over space, gradient of authority
percentages of green obsidian of any site during the between polities, permeability of the boundary to
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Classic period (Santley and Arnold 2005:188), interactions, the internal spatial continuity of
which suggests that the flow of these tools into the authority within the polity, and stability of the
Tepango Valley came directly from Matacapan. boundary over time (Stoner 2012a). Part of this
Matacapan also displays evidence for production reconstruction relied on the distribution of mater-
of obsidian tools, but these tended to be smaller pro- ial culture styles and architectural layouts as sum-
duction contexts that did not likely provision a large marized above. Additional lines of evidence are
part of the region. presented here.
No obsidian workshop in the Tepango Valley All three of these political capitals were of rel-
came close to the inferred intensity of blade pro- atively equal size and architectural complexity.
duction at Ranchoapan. Data from the site of Otea- Totocapan, Matacapan, and Teotepec all possess
pan, however, point toward production for between 100 and 130 mounds of varying sizes and
exchange during the Late Classic. This site, located layouts. While Matacapan (ca. 600 ha) and Toto-
3 km south of Totocapan, yielded the highest quan- capan (ca. 585 ha) were of relatively equal size,
tity of blade production by-products in the TVAS, Teotepec is estimated to have covered only about
but relatively few blades were recovered there. The 100 ha. Due to differences in ground cover between
ratio of blade production by-products to blades in Matacapan and Teotepec, however, the size of the
the southern portion of Oteapan is .74 (32 by-prod- latter may have been underestimated during the
ucts/43 blades). This suggests that more blades initial survey.
were produced there than anywhere else in the val- Another method of evaluating polity boundaries
ley, but they were not consumed on-site. I suggest, summarized here depends on the distribution of
based on its proximity and size, that the largest settlements across space. Between the large cen-
consumer of these blades was Totocapan, a site ters of Tilzapote and Ranchoapan lies a sparsely
inhabited area that may have served as a buffer Some sites, like Teotepec, which did not align
zone. Buffer zones may show a concern for defense itself with Teotihuacan, interacted closely with
or they may reflect the practical concern of being Matacapan to procure pottery and Teotihuacan-
closely situated to cities that provide centralized controlled green obsidian. Other sites, like Ran-
functions (see Blanton et al. 1993:6972). I choapan, display Teotihuacan-style artifacts but
employed Xtent modeling (Renfrew and Level lack the green obsidian exported from the central
1979) in ArcGIS 9.3, modified to incorporate cost Mexican city. The foreign disruption also may have
distance (the energy or effort required to travel over affected urban planning, as Matacapan and all set-
terrain of different slopes). This model allocates ter- tlements along the Catemaco River rejected the
ritories to political centers, weighted by their size pervasive Gulf Coast architectural plans seen at
(in hectares) and least-cost paths throughout the Tepango Valley (Standard Plan) settlements and at
region. Relying on this model alone is problematic, Teotepec (Long Plaza group). Furthermore, the
so I characterized the boundaries using multiple talud tablero architectural style that dominated
lines of evidence according to the variables men- Teotihuacan appears on at least two mound con-
tioned above (Stoner 2012a). The projected Mid- structions at Matacapan (Valenzuela 1945a). In
dle Classic political boundary between Matacapan sum, these multiscalar interaction networks across
and Totocapan goes through Tilzapote. This polit- the Tuxtlas display disjoint patterns over space and
ical boundary was not a hard border because the time. Missing from this reconstruction are data on
symbols of both polities comingled in the south- the distribution of Matacapan-produced Coarse
eastern corner of the TVAS. The boundary was per- Orange pottery, which was that sites most eco-
meable to the movement of ideas, goods, and nomically important ceramic ware.
ceramic traditions. Alternatively, the intermingling
of different styles may indicate that the political Geology and Ceramic Resources
boundary was unstable and fluctuated many times in the Tuxtla Mountains
over the 200-year Middle Classic period. The same

methods used to infer this political boundary sug- The Tuxtla Mountains are an island of volcanic
gests that Teotepec was not part of the Matacapan activity on the relatively flat coastal plain east of
polity, but we have relatively few data points to Mexicos Sierra Madre Oriental. The Tuxtlas mas-
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establish this argument for that side of the study sif formed during intensive volcanic activity that
area. I return to consider the possible exchange of began during the late Miocene. This volcanism
Coarse Orange jars between Matacapan and Teote- continued through the Pliocene and Pleistocene, but
pec below. tapered off into the Holocene (Martn del Pozzo
1997; Ros 1952; Reinhardt 1991). Pressure that
Summary resulted from volcanic activity domed up the over-
This review paints a complex picture of interaction lying Tertiary marine deposits. Eruptions deposited
in the Tuxtlas region. During the Classic period, copious flows of lava over the region (Dirzo and
the introduction of foreign influence at Matacapan Vogt 1997), which cooled slowly and formed fine-
disrupted the localized trajectory of evolution in the gained to coarse-grained olivine, pyroxene, and
Catemaco Valley (Arnold and Santley 2008; Pool plagioclase-rich basalts. Explosive Strombolian
and Britt 2000; Santley et al. 1987). This contrasts eruptions shot volcanic ash clouds into the air. This
with autochthonous cultural developments better volcanic ash, which is composed of the same min-
represented at places like Totocapan, Teotepec, and erals as basalt (Stoner 2003), is found in thick beds
Tres Zapotes. Over time, the different settlement in many places throughout the Tuxtlas. Volcanic ash
zones developed divergent cultural practices. Teoti- was used to temper prehispanic pottery, including
huacan rituals and ideals predominated along the Coarse Orange.
Catemaco River, but prominent settlements estab- Of particular importance to understand pottery
lished long before Matacapan did not adopt these economics in this study is the surface distribution
intrusive symbols. Totocapan, instead, presents evi- of Tertiary marine clays. High-quality clay was, and
dence of interactions with settlements in the Lower still is, available for making pottery in the region
Papaloapan Basin to the west. (Arnold 1991; Pool 1990:148161; Pool and Sant-
ley 1992; Stoner 2003). Ros (1952:328) charac- around Matacapan (Pool 1990:311). The
terized the sedimentary geological formations of Catemaco River exposed clays of the lower Con-
the Tuxtlas. From oldest to most recent, these are cepcin. The higher calcium content of Group C
La Laja/Depsito, Concepcin, and Filisola (see clays of the lower Concepcin is attributed to
Pool 1990:148161 for a comprehensive descrip- higher frequencies of carbonate minerals and lower
tion of Tuxtlas strata). Pool (1990:307314) estab- concentrations of quartz sand. Group S clays
lished that certain ceramic waresspecifically appear farther to the west and southwest of the
Fine Orange (including Fine Buff), Fine Gray, and Catemaco River and within the Tepango River val-
Coarse Orangewere manufactured from Con- ley. It also occurs high in the exposed stratigraphy
cepcin clays. Quaternary clays, which include near Bezuapan, but was not used because Group
smectite that forms around basalt outcrops, were C clays were more accessible and of finer texture.
probably used for other wares, such as Coarse Group S has significantly lower concentrations of
Brown (Pool 1990). The Concepcin formation calcium and is also elevated in iron and titanium
composition gradually shifts stratigraphically, so a (Pool 1990:345, 376, 379; Stoner 2003). The
distinction between upper and lower Concepcin Group S clays derive from the upper Concepcin
can be made (Pool 1990; Pool and Santley 1992). formation, which has fewer carbonate mineral
Plio-pleistocene and recent volcanic rocks have inclusions and greater frequencies of quartz sand.
formed on top of these older horizons (Pool Volcanic ash, a common temper for ceramic
1990:148). production, occurs at many locations throughout
The Concepcin strata are composed primarily the region. The Strombolian eruptions that occurred
of kaolinite clay minerals. Concepcin clays dif- most recently in the Tuxtlas were of a very explo-
fer from the stratigraphically superior Filisola for- sive and gaseous variety (Santley et al. 2000). This
mation because the latter is composed primarily of translates into a polymineralic ash that is a combi-
quartz sands and sandstone. Filisola sands are the nation of exploded basalt and small bits of cooled
most accessible Tertiary formations in the Tuxtlas lava that are spewed into the air. Each ash grain
because they are the most recent. The Concepcin contains mineral crystals of plagioclase, olivine, or
outcrops at several places where river valleys cut pyroxene. Although volcanic ash occurs as lenses
through Quaternary soils, volcanic ejecta, and Fil- in the La Laja Formation and is dispersed in the
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isola sands. The Concepcin strata gradually tran- middle member of the Filisola Formation, it is not
sition into the Filisola formation; thus, clays taken described for the Concepcin Formation (Martn-
from the top of the upper Concepcin should por- Del Pozzo 1997:27; Pool 1990:150; Ros 1957:
tray some of the characteristics of the Filisola. This 335337). The absence of basaltic volcanic ash
provides an interesting source of stratigraphic vari- from the Concepcin formation is further supported
ation that benefits compositional sourcing studies by elemental concentrations in 80 Concepcin clay
(Pool 1990:148161; Pool and Santley 1992; samples analyzed by XRF (Pool 1990:307312,
Stoner 2003; Stoner et al. 2008). Martn del Pozzo Table 19). In particular, clays derived from basalt
(1997:27) notes that the lower Filisola has inclu- were easily distinguished from Concepcin clays,
sions of fine calcareous minerals, and the middle and basalt contamination in two samples collected
layers contain volcanic material and mica. near lava flows was readily identified (Pool
The clay formations discussed above are 1990:309, 310).
exposed on the surface in distinct areas of the Tux- I analyzed by neutron activation analysis (NAA)
tlas (Figure 4). Erosion that incised river valleys one volcanic ash sample (Stoner 2003), collected
into the Tuxtlas massif exposed Concepcin clays by Pool (1990) for his doctoral work. Additionally,
in several parts of the region. The Catemaco and volcanic ash grains within 50 Coarse Orange sherds
Tepango Rivers exposed these clays to different were targeted using laser ablation-inductively cou-
depths. Pools (1990) X-ray fluorescence analysis pled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) (see
of ceramics and clays demonstrated an east-to- Stoner and Glascock 2012). These volcanic ash
west pattern of chemical variation among the clays specimens displayed high concentrations of
in the Tuxtlas. Group C, which is calcium-rich, chromium, iron, nickel, manganese, vanadium, and
occurs in the eastern portion of the study area scandium relative to the clays in the region. Rein-

Figure 4. Showing the distribution of Concepcin sedimentary outcrops and their chemical group designations (after
Stoner et al. 2008. Data derived from Pool and Santley 1992: Figure 9.1; Ros 1952; and Stoner 2003).
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hardt (1991) identified chemical variation among the surface of the ceramics is slightly eroded, leav-
the ash beds found in the Tuxtlas, but it was due ing the fine to medium sand-sized volcanic ash
primarily to differential weathering and will not be temper exposed. The texture of the slightly eroded
useful for sourcing to a geographic location. surfaces, therefore, feels like a very uniform 60 or
80-grit sand paper. Decoration, when preserved,
Distribution of the Coarse Orange Type always consists of black and/or red paint over a
white or cream slip or the natural color of the paste.
Coarse Orange is a common ceramic type in the Coarse Orange jars generally occurred in lower
Catemaco River valley. It occurs at nearly all sites frequencies in the TVAS area than in the Catemaco
that were occupied during the Middle Classic Valley (Table 1 and Figure 5). A total of 1,723
period. The Coarse Orange type is very distinctive sherds were typed as Coarse Orange (3.3 percent
and relatively standardized in form, color, texture, of all pottery sherds recovered by the TVAS). This
temper size and percentage, and decoration. It ceramic code was rigorously maintained as a cat-
occurs as neckless jars with an out-flaring lip or egory, including only those Coarse Orange speci-
necked jars with long, straight, and out-slanted rims mens that were visually indistinguishable from the
with everted lips (Pool 1990:295296). Bowls of Coarse Orange produced at Matacapan based on
this type were rare in the TVAS (n = 50 or 3 per- form, color, texture, slip, temper type, temper size,
cent of the Coarse Orange type). Texture refers to and temper amount.
the tactile characteristics of the pottery. Since the Table 1 and Figure 5 depict the proportion of
same clay is used to produce the soft, chalky Fine Coarse Orange among all Middle Classic-sensi-
Orange and Fine Gray ceramics, it is common that tive pottery for sites that yielded 10 or more sherds
Table 1. Percentage of Coarse Orange Sherds of Total from Matacapan Coarse Orange without the use of
Middle Classic-Sensitive Sherds (Sites with Fewer than 10 a hand lens. As discussed below, only one of the
Coarse Orange Sherds Excluded).
14 sherds sampled from Tres Zapotes closely
Sites Coarse Orange Total % CO
resembles the chemical composition of Coarse
143T 94 129 72.9
Orange sampled from the Comoapan production
111T 23 32 71.9 facility. Tres Zapotes, therefore, represents a con-
184T 10 15 66.7 tinuation of the fall-off in Coarse Orange frequency
150T 29 45 64.4 with distance from Matacapan.
132T 38 69 55.1
183T 27 59 45.8
152T 10 23 43.5 Sampling and Methods
98T 80 204 39.2
110T 36 88 40.9 I sampled a total of 198 Coarse Orange jar sherds
97T 32 81 39.5 from the TVAS region and added four Concepcin
Nancinapan 28 77 36.4 clay specimens for NAA. The chemical data for
La Cuesta 36 110 32.7

Texcochapan 52 168 31.0
these specimens add to those previously collected
83T 12 43 27.9 from the Catemaco Valley and clays for the region.
10T 10 36 27.8 The total sample includes 430 Coarse Orange
Tetax 28 103 27.2 sherds and 32 clay specimens (Table 2). Thirty of
Totocapan 392 1634 24.0 the ceramic specimens came from individual sur-
Francisco Madero 126 528 23.9
Coyoltepec 18 76 23.7
face collection units across the Hueyapan Survey
El Nopal 33 141 23.4 area in the southern Tuxtlas foothills (Killion and
Sehualaca 21 92 22.8 Urcid 2001). Sherds were randomly sampled
147T 23 102 22.5 among all Coarse Orange sherds within sites.
Oteapan 65 302 21.5 Methods follow Glascock (1992) and Neff
Chilchutiuca 19 90 21.1
Vista Hermosa 13 62 21.0
(2000), and are detailed in more depth elsewhere
(Neff and Glascock 2002; Stoner 2003, 2011).
Pizapan 42 217 19.4

36T 13 68 19.1 NAA provided raw elemental concentration data
Tilzapote 66 400 16.5 for 33 elements (Table 3). I eliminate Ta and Co
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42T 10 62 16.1 because Pools (1990:216) use of a tungsten car-

Zezecapan 30 192 15.6
Xiguipilincan 10 71 14.1
bide mill to powder the clay samples for XRF
Totogal 12 131 9.2 analysis artificially increased the concentrations of
103T 11 140 7.9 these elements.
Compositional groups indicate statistically sig-
nificant chemical or mineral variation in the pastes
of this type. The Coarse Orange type composed a of the sample that arose from differences in paste
much larger part of Middle Classic ceramic assem- preparation or raw material procurement (Arnold
blages in the eastern half of the survey area. Pro- et al. 1991; Glascock 1992; Neff 2000; Weigand et
portions of this type decrease with distance from al. 1977). Groups are formed through hierarchical
Matacapan, suggesting that the political capital of cluster analysis, principal component analysis,
the Catemaco Valley was either the origin of the Mahalanobis distance-based probabilities, and
Coarse Orange style or it was the primary producer visual inspection of elemental plots. My objective
of these jars that were then distributed to the coun- is to form robust groups that remain coherent no
tryside. matter what statistics are used to evaluate or dis-
Tres Zapotes, the western-most site sampled for play them. The geographic distribution of such
my earlier compositional analysis (Stoner 2003), groups allows archaeologists to reconstruct zones
produced a very low proportion of Coarse Orange of production and exchange on a general level.
jar sherds from survey. Many of the sherds classi- Supplementary data on ceramic production and
fied as Coarse Orange during analysis of survey resource availability allow a more specific charac-
materials from Tres Zapotes (Pool 1997) displayed terization of patterns of exchange observed in the
characteristics that could be visually distinguished compositional data.

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Figure 5. Percentages of the Coarse Orange type of all Middle Classic-sensitive ceramics at sites within the TVAS (exclud-
ing sites with fewer than 10 Coarse Orange specimens). Choropleth zones are defined by natural breaks in the data.
Coarse Orange Chemical Groups Statistical analyses were calculated on the

entire 462-specimen sample for the combined
Figure 6, a scatter plot of the NAA data from the ceramic and clay dataset described above. Prin-
Tepango/Xoteapan Valley Coarse Orange sample, cipal components analysis provides a first look
analyzed as part of the current project, displayed at chemical patterns. The first two components
over 90 percent confidence ellipses for member- explain 60 percent of the variability among the
ship in the Coarse Orange reference groups. A 90 chemical data (Table 3). The most influential vari-
percent confidence interval provides a slightly more ables on Principal Component 1 are Ca, Sr, Cr,
conservative estimate of group membership than a and Ni, in order of decreasing importance. As
95 percent interval. My initial hypothesis that most seen in Figure 7, Ca and Sr are highly correlated
of the sample from the Tepango Valley would be and explain variation along the same axis.
made from Group S clays prevalent in the area was Chromium and Ni, however, diverge from Ca and
mostly wrong. The majority of specimens in the become the most important counterparts to Ca on
Tepango Valley possessed the CO1 paste recipe Principal Component 2. The chemical groups dif-
made from Group C clays available in the ferentiate using either Principal Components 1
Catemaco Valley. and 2 (Figure 7) or elemental concentrations of
Table 2. Coarse Orange and Clay Sample and Group Assignments.
Site CO1A CO1B CO2 CO3 COP6 GROUP C GROUP S Unassigned Total
Tepango Valley Sample
Totocapan 15 2 1 - - - - 2 20
Chilchutiuca 5 2 3 - - - - - 10
Zezecapan 5 - 1 - - - - 4 10
Maxyapan 5 1 2 - - - - 2 10
97T 6 3 1 - - - - - 10
Totogal 2 3 - 2 - - - 3 10
Tilzapote 3 - - - - - - 7 10
143T 2 3 - - - - - 5 10
147T 4 2 - - - - - 4 10
152T - - 4 - - - - 4 8
El Nopal 5 1 1 - - - - 3 10
110T 8 1 - - - - - 1 10
31T 5 1 2 - - - - 2 10
161T 5 2 - 1 - - - 2 10
Sehualaca 5 4 1 - - - - - 10
Oteapan 4 - 2 - - - - 4 10
Francisco Madero 6 2 - - - - - 2 10
Tetax 4 3 - - - - - 3 10
Texcochapan 5 - 1 - - - - 4 10
TVAS Clay K1 - - - - - - 1 - 1
TVAS Clay K2 L - - - - - - 1 - 1
TVAS Clay K2 U - - - - - - 1 - 1
TVAS Clay K3 - - - - - 1 - - 1
Catemaco Valley Sample

132C 9 1 2 - - - - 2 14
143C 8 - 2 - - - - 5 15
154C 1 - 11 - - - - 3 15
170C 1 - 14 - - - - 15
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39C 7 - 8 - - - - 15
48C 10 - - - - - - 5 15
Apomponapam 9 1 3 - - - - 2 15
El Salado 5 - 3 - - - - 6 14
Hueyapan 15 1 6 4 - - - 4 30
Isla Agaltepec 7 2 1 - - - - 5 15
Ranchoapan 9 2 - - - - - 4 15
Teotepec 6 - 5 - - - - 4 15
Tres Zapotes 1 - 14 - - - - 15
Matacapan Production Facilities

Southeastern 4 - 1 - - - - 4 9
Comoapan 6 - - - - - - 6
Pit 6 - - - - 5 - - 5
Western 2 - - - - - - 2 4
Clays (Pool 1990) - - - - - 18 9 1 28
Total 194 37 89 7 5 19 12 99a 462
aWhile 21 percent unassigned is not a relatively a high proportion compared to other compositional studies, it should be
noted that most of the unassigned specimens display intermediate chemical compositions between CO1A and CO1B. If
subgroups had not been separated, the number of unassigned specimens would be much lower. However, presenting a uni-
fied CO1 group would overestimate the provisioning role of Comoapan in the region.
Ca and Cr (Figure 8). Unassigned specimens Group S clays and their corresponding ceramic
appear in Figure 9. groups. Chromium variability results from the addi-
Calcium concentrations provide the primary tion of volcanic ash. Volcanic ash temper elevates
method of discrimination between Group C and the concentrations of a suite of related metal ele-
Table 3. Component Loadings with Elemental Means and Standard Deviations.
Average PC1 PC2 PC3

Element (ppm) RSD 37.6 60.4 68.0
Al (Aluminum) 81228.1 8067.3 .026 -.036 -.060
As (Arsenic) 2.63 2.39 .253 .158 .758
Ba (Barium) 437.1 161.3 .097 -.044 -.134
Ca (Calcium) 55448.1 23498.7 -.490 .493 .204
Ce (Cerium) 62.1 7.69 .039 -.015 -.020
Cr (Chromium) 428.5 143.7 -.393 -.366 -.084
Cs (Cesium) 4.16 1.43 .032 .379 -.414
Dy (Dysprosium) 4.02 .68 .083 -.044 -.077
Eu (Europium) 1.50 .19 .032 -.075 -.019
Fe (Iron) 58286.8 8130.5 -.127 -.090 .032
Hf (Hafnium) 5.18 1.04 .139 -.055 .008
K (Potassium) 14202.5 2991.0 .023 .169 -.205
La (Lanthanum) 30.05 3.09 .048 -.020 -.036

Lu (Lutetium) .33 .05 .103 -.002 -.031
Mn (Manganese) 864.71 265.14 -.224 -.094 .141
Na (Sodium) 7563.5 1891.9 -.188 .134 .044
Nd (Neodymium) 28.83 4.26 .047 -.026 -.031
Ni (Nickel) 159.2 65.0 -.335 -.393 .009
Rb (Rubidium) 64.70 17.9 .061 .240 -.306
Sb (Antimony) .55 .15 .145 .164 -.026
Sc (Scandium) 21.0 2.64 -.078 -.105 -.056
Sm (Samarium) 6.08 .70 .041 -.032 -.025
Sr (Strontium) 375.1 150.0 -.446 .280 .027
Tb (Terbium) .76 .13 .056 -.046 .013
Th (Thorium) 8.08 .79 .025 .033 -.038
Ti (Titanium) 5699.4 785.7 -.017 -.105 -.065

U (Uranium) 2.74 .73 .033 .157 -.030

V (Vanadium) 178.04 25.24 -.100 -.056 -.032
Yb (Ytterbium) 2.26 .39 .114 -.013 -.032
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Zn (Zinc) 91.77 31.02 -.016 -.027 -.009

Zr (Zirconium) 139.16 33.72 .111 -.052 -.009
Note: Bold values are among the most important for each component.
ments compared to the raw clays. These include higher on Principal Component 2 (influenced
Cr, Fe, Ni, Mn, and V. The addition of volcanic ash strongly by high Ca and Sr). Group S scores lower
temper, therefore, separates Coarse Orange pottery on PC2 (indicating lower Ca and Sr concentra-
from the composition of the natural clays (Figure tions) and higher on Principal Component 1 (influ-
10). In Figure 10, Group C and Group S clays enced mainly by negatively loaded Ca, Sr, Cr, and
clearly display the lowest concentrations of the Ni). I briefly describe each compositional group
most important elements contributed by volcanic below (Table 4).
ash (Cr and Ni). Group COP6, Coarse Orange from
an attached production facility in central Mataca- CO1
pan (excavation Pit 6), contains the lowest per- Ceramics within Coarse Orange Group 1 (CO1)
centage of temper in the paste. As a result, COP6 are potential products of Matacapan. Group CO1
displays lower levels of Cr and Ni than the major- scores higher on Principal Component 2 and lower
ity of the Coarse Orange pottery. on Principal Component 1 than Coarse Orange
Four groups of Coarse Orange and two groups Group 2 (CO2) (see Figure 7). They were sepa-
of clays separate within the chemical dataset. Both rated from CO2 primarily based on higher con-
clay groups (Group C and Group S) score lower centrations of Ca, Sr, and Na. This indicates that
than most ceramics on Principal Components 1 and CO1 was made from Group C clays. Specimens
2 (see Figure 7). Among the clays, Group C scores within CO1 have a high proportion of fine
Figure 6. Scatter plot showing the Coarse Orange sample from the Tepango Valley projected on calcium and chromium
axes. Ninety percent confidence ellipses were calculated from Coarse Orange compositional data from the Catemaco
Valley (see Stoner 2011: Figure 9.9).

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Figure 7. RQ-Mode plot of ceramic and clay compositional groups and factor loadings for the entire sample of Coarse
Orange jars and Concepcin clays.
Figure 8. Chemical groups depicted on logged axes of Ca and Cr, ellipses represent 90 percent confidence intervals.
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Figure 9. Unassigned specimens depicted on Principal Components 1 and 2, ellipses represent 90 percent confidence
intervals of chemical group membership.
Figure 10. Coarse Orange pottery and Concepcin clays plotted on axes of Cr and Ni.
(.125.249 mm) and medium (.250.499 mm) the number of ceramics that match the Comoapan
sand-sized volcanic ash temper and contain very production source. I prefer the more conservative
few quartz inclusions larger than very fine sand (< assessment at this time. It should be noted, how-
.125). Potters began with very fine-textured clay ever, that most of the unassigned samples can be
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and improved its technological performance char- confidently assigned to the general CO1 group
acteristics (Schiffer and Skibo 1997) by adding made from group C clays.
fine to medium volcanic ash.
For this paper, I am concerned specifically with CO2
identifying possible exports from Matacapans Group CO2 ceramics are the second most abun-
Comoapan production facility. Many of the dant paste recipe found in the project area. They
Tepango Valley specimens fall outside the CO1 display significantly lower concentrations of Ca
group previously established for Coarse Orange than the CO1 ceramics, exhibited by its lower
from the Catemaco Valley. Claiming that all CO1 scores on PC2. This results primarily from the use
ceramics were products of Comoapan would over- of the Ca-deficient Group S clays. These clays, as
state the importance of this production facility. viewed in ceramic thin sections, contain many
Therefore, I separated the CO1 specimens that rounded, sand-sized quartz inclusions, which may
scored comparatively high on both PC1 and PC2 dilute the levels of Ca. Volcanic Ash temper in CO2
as subgroup CO1B, leaving the CO1A variant to ceramics frequently has grain sizes of medium and
represent the most plausible products of Comoa- coarse sand. Considering both quartz sand inclu-
pan (see Figures 79). CO1B may consist of rela- sions and temper together, CO2 is the coarsest
tively lightly-tempered pots compared to the CO1A Coarse Orange sampled. Because Group S clays
subgroup. are most prevalent in the Tepango and Xoteapan
Dividing CO1 into subgroups accounts for the valleys, locally-produced Coarse Orange jars sam-
majority of the unassigned specimens in the sampled from the TVAS should possess the CO2 paste
ple (21 percent) (see Figure 8). Forcing unassigned recipe. This is supported by previous research by
specimens into the subgroups would overestimate Pool (1990:318320) demonstrating that Fine
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Table 4. Elemental Means and Percent Standard Deviations for Each Compositional Group.
CO1A (n=194) CO1B (n=37) CO2 (n=89) CO3 (n=7) COP6 (n=5) Group C Clays (n=19) Group S Clays (n=12)
Element Mean % SD Mean % SD Mean % SD Mean % SD Mean % SD Mean % SD Mean % SD
Na 8828.7 10.1 7420.7 16.6 5567.7 29.0 3512.0 35.4 6672.9 6.1 6814.0 16.3 5628.1 42.2
Al 78992.6 4.9 82995.3 5.0 86297.3 8.6 106679.2 23.6 79133.5 7.8 71383.0 8.3 83837.3 23.2
K 14105.4 15.0 17614.8 12.8 12548.2 24.1 17281.9 28.9 14340.2 17.2 16883.7 13.9 14905.9 26.1
Ca 65086.6 15.7 65787.0 19.5 25515.2 29.5 9558.4 58.3 42157.3 40.6 98521.3 26.6 5435.0 46.7
Sc 21.9 4.4 19.3 6.0 22.6 10.5 18.8 19.1 17.5 3.9 14.2 9.1 15.2 23.3
Ti 5789.2 9.9 5211.5 10.3 6312.7 9.8 5939.6 18.9 5162.6 8.0 4206.0 13.6 5242.7 27.8
V 191.8 7.6 162.5 8.5 179.0 14.6 144.0 14.8 129.5 16.2 132.9 12.9 132.1 24.0
Cr 509.2 10.5 306.3 16.5 454.7 25.9 141.1 15.3 206.0 10.6 88.0 13.1 109.2 39.1
Mn 942.8 13.4 757.5 11.8 837.3 33.6 465.1 37.9 564.0 9.3 491.1 33.5 538.7 107.5
Fe 62203.3 4.3 54701.2 4.6 58333.8 12.7 39385.7 23.6 52203.7 9.7 38680.0 9.0 38082.2 17.7
Ni 177.8 20.5 111.4 14.9 193.8 34.1 41.4 62.9 92.6 28.0 25.3 109.7 42.9 73.0
Zn 89.7 35.2 93.3 19.5 94.3 41.2 98.8 28.8 96.8 21.1 93.5 19.7 90.2 39.0
As 1.78 79.6 2.84 49.6 2.60 74.1 4.11 40.1 4.03 44.6 8.40 35.8 5.57 88.6
Rb 62.5 16.2 85.2 29.9 55.8 21.7 80.7 19.8 67.1 23.7 89.7 13.9 77.1 30.4
Sr 448.0 22.3 438.2 27.5 223.1 40.8 85.3 70.4 304.2 8.5 315.7 32.0 27.8 125.8
Zr 128.1 19.0 133.7 13.7 162.3 25.4 183.0 12.3 158.4 13.7 143.3 21.5 191.3 29.7
Sb .48 18.8 .67 21.1 .55 24.6 .76 9.7 .78 13.7 .89 17.8 .75 28.0
Cs 4.13 20.4 5.78 23.8 3.11 27.9 4.62 15.6 4.29 44.6 6.70 21.8 4.57 28.9
Ba 374.5 33.2 511.3 37.0 526.0 29.9 590.8 22.5 277.4 22.4 382.2 20.5 439.0 36.1
La 28.8 4.2 30.6 4.4 31.6 13.0 38.3 8.9 32.0 2.8 28.5 6.4 34.8 14.8
Ce 59.4 5.3 62.4 4.7 65.4 18.9 75.2 4.2 65.8 3.9 60.6 6.8 66.9 15.4
Nd 27.6 10.2 29.1 8.1 30.7 19.8 36.5 8.1 30.1 7.2 26.7 11.9 33.5 23.7
Sm 5.86 4.5 6.10 4.9 6.49 15.2 7.49 5.5 6.71 5.3 5.58 7.6 6.80 28.7
Eu 1.47 4.9 1.42 6.8 1.66 15.8 1.83 4.2 1.45 2.3 1.26 8.1 1.68 29.5
Tb .73 13.0 .73 12.1 .84 18.8 .95 10.6 .85 8.6 .72 17.2 .87 30.6
Dy 3.73 10.8 4.21 7.3 4.55 15.4 5.75 7.5 4.38 10.5 3.84 8.6 4.84 32.7
Yb 2.05 9.2 2.31 7.1 2.55 15.0 3.12 10.0 2.72 6.0 2.52 8.3 2.97 26.2
Lu .30 10.4 .35 10.4 .37 13.5 .45 11.7 .39 5.5 .37 9.4 .41 26.2
Hf 4.61 7.0 4.99 8.6 6.19 13.9 6.72 18.9 6.14 4.8 5.83 18.3 7.83 25.9
Th 7.76 6.5 8.92 5.5 7.88 8.2 8.43 11.8 9.40 4.1 8.21 8.7 8.72 14.0
U 2.61 18.3 3.25 17.8 2.26 21.7 3.01 18.1 2.63 16.8 3.99 38.1 3.30 21.7
Figure 11. Map showing the distributions of the CO1A chemical group. Choropleth zones are defined by natural breaks
in the data. See Supplemental Figure 2 for larger image.
Orange ceramics from Totocapan were made with together between the major ceramic clusters and
Group S clays. the Group C clays. The other two actually appear
chemically closer to CO2. It is doubtful that the lat-
CO3 ter were produced with Group S clays because of

Coarse Orange Group 3 (CO3) is a variant of their very fine texture. Group COP6 possesses the
IP Address: 128.206.100.158
Coarse Orange produced within the southern and fine-textured Group C clay tempered very lightly
western parts of the study area. Relatively few spec- with fine sand-sized volcanic ash. This demon-
imens are assigned to CO3, and most derive from strates the role of the percentage of volcanic ash
the Hueyapan Survey area in the southern Tuxtla temper in determining the chemical composition
foothills. These ceramics were produced using of ceramics. The clays utilized in this production
Group S clays. CO3 ceramics contained many recipe are among the finest textured, with very low
sand-sized quartz inclusions. Comparatively low frequencies of silt-sized quartz inclusions and
quantities of volcanic ash temper were added to this almost no sand-sized inclusions.
already coarse clay, which resulted in lower con-
centrations of Cr, Ni, Mn, Fe, and V compared to Distribution of Coarse Orange
the other ceramic specimens. The heterogeneous Paste Recipes across the Study Area
composition of temper suggests that potters may
have gathered it from river sediment. Little is cur- Plotting the CO1A paste variant on a map of the
rently known about ceramic production within the region demonstrates exchange between these two
Hueyapan Survey area. river valleys (Figure 11, Supplemental Figure 2).
In general, the prevalence of Coarse Orange pot-
COP6 tery of this paste recipe in the TVAS area suggests
Coarse Orange Group Pit 6 (COP6) ceramics importation from the Catemaco Valley, specifically
produced at Matacapan separate statistically in the Comoapan. The lowest percentages of this paste
petrographic dataset (Stoner et al. 2008). Visual recipe occur at sites near the hypothesized politi-
inspection of the scatterplot of chemical groups cal border between Matacapan and Totocapan poli-
shows three of the COP6 ceramics clustering ties, including Tilzapote and Sites 39C, 154C,
Figure 12. Map showing the distributions of the CO1B chemical group. Choropleth zones are defined by natural breaks
170C, and 143T (see Figure 2). The majority of The CO1B paste recipe was also produced from
Coarse Orange sampled from Totocapan, Francisco the Group C clays found in the Catemaco Valley.
Madero, and Sites 97T and 110T display the CO1A Jars of this paste recipe found in the TVAS may
recipe. Trade of these jars, therefore, appears to also have been imported. Pottery was produced at
travel from Matacapan toward the northwest. Toto- sites 141T, 144T, and Tilzapote, which are all sit-
IP Address: 128.206.100.158
capan utilized the highest proportion of these wares uated within the major distribution zone for this
in the region. The CO1A specimens found in the paste recipe (Figure 12, Supplemental Figure 3).
countryside immediately surrounding Totocapan All three of these sites occur within a short walk to
could have been procured either from markets at Group C clay outcrops, but Group S clays are more
Totocapan or perhaps from itinerant merchants prevalent in the area. Furthermore, none of these
from Matacapan making several stops throughout sites currently exhibit evidence (i.e., wasters)
the region. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of specifically of Coarse Orange production.
exchange cannot, at this time, be determined with The CO2 paste recipe is underrepresented in the
confidence. A secondary route of distribution enters Tepango Valley (Figure 13, Supplemental Figure
the TVAS at the headwaters of the Xoteapan fork 4). This is surprising because the Group S clays
and follows the river southwest. used to produce CO2 dominate clay outcrops in the
Within the Tepango Valley, several sites com- area, whereas Group C clay outcrops are absent.
pletely lack or possess very few jars of the CO1A This pattern, combined with the distribution of the
paste recipe (Sites 143T, 152T, Totgal, and Tetax). Coarse Orange type as presented in Figure 5, sug-
Three of these sites were situated in upland areas, gests that only a minor percentage of the Coarse
and all of them were positioned at a distance from Orange jars found in the Tepango Valley was pro-
major rivers. This may support the idea that major duced there. The CO2 recipe may have been pro-
routes of interaction followed routes of river trans- duced at Tres Zapotes, Chilchutiuca, or Sites 152T,
port, while the uplands remained on the margins of 154C, 170C, or 39C.
popular interaction networks. The scarcity of the The CO3 paste recipe was restricted to the south-
CO1A paste recipe at Tres Zapotes is likely due to ern Tuxtla foothills and a few sites in the Tepango
its distance from Matacapan. Valley, such as Totgal. These few specimens (see
Figure 13. Map showing the distributions of the CO2 chemical group. Choropleth zones are defined by natural breaks
Table 2) were locally produced and were probably pan was one of the biggest consumers of these
not exchanged. goods. The hamlet at Site 110T consumed about

The COP6 paste recipe exclusively appears at equal proportions of Matacapan-produced Coarse
Matacapan in the attached production locality iden- Orange jars. Survey at Totocapan yielded more
tified in excavation Pit 6. The products from this than 10 times more Coarse Orange sherds (n = 392)
IP Address: 128.206.100.158
attached producer were likely consumed by the compared to Site 110T (n = 36), but the ware gen-
patron who commissioned the service. erally made up a much higher percentage of the
Middle Classic ceramic assemblage at the latter
Interpreting the Results (41 percent) than the former (24 percent). Zezeca-
pan, Texcochapan, Maxyapan, and Site 110 may
Because of the prevalence of Group S clays in the have procured Matacapan Coarse Orange inde-
Tepango Valley and Pools previous research pendently of Totocapan because they all sat on an
demonstrating that Fine Orange at Totocapan was alternative route of river transportation along the
produced using local Group S clays, the dominance Xoteapan fork. Perhaps more important, the other
of the CO1A paste recipe in the TVAS area strongly regional centers in the TVAS area did not rely heav-
indicates the import of Coarse Orange jars from the ily on these imported goods. Cruz de Vidaa and
Catemaco Valley. Based on data for the differen- Xiguipilincan were not sampled for NAA because
tial size and intensity of ceramic production facil- not enough Coarse Orange was identified there to
ities in the Catemaco Valley, potters at the collect a robust sample. Tilzapote and Oteapan did
Comoapan facility (and possibly Area 199) likely possess Coarse Orange jars, but more than half
manufactured these trade goods. were made from alternate paste recipes. Francisco
These data strongly indicate that Totocapan and Madero is the only center in the TVAS besides
Matacapan were networked together on the Totocapan that consumed significant proportions
regional economic landscape during the Middle of Coarse Orange of the CO1A paste recipe.
Classic. The two polities cooperated to satisfy each Teotepec along the northern shore of Lake
others economic needs for at least part of their his- Catemaco also imported Matacapan-produced
tory together. The data also indicate that Totoca- Coarse Orange. While this has been stated previ-
ously (Stoner et al. 2008), recent NAA assays by two trade items traveled via different types of mer-
Arnold (Arnold 2012; Arnold and VanDerwarker chants along discrete trade routes.
2008) strengthen the argument. Ceramics made at The distributions of Matacapan Coarse Orange
Teotepec show a strong preference for Group S jars, material culture styles, architectural styles,
clays and a clay of intermediate composition and other commodities highlight the disjunctive
between Group C and Group S unique to this local- patterns of interaction in the Tuxtlas. It is clear that
ity. The CO2 Coarse Orange jars previously sam- the leaders and general population of the upper
pled from Teotepec are locally produced, but jars Catemaco River valley saw themselves as differ-
of the CO1A paste recipe came from Matacapan. ent from neighboring settlements to the east and
west. The Teotihuacan association that many in the
Disjuncture among Tuxtla Mountains Catemaco Valley expressed was, however, scarcely
Interaction Networks appropriated by Tepango Valley residents. Fur-
thermore, the few Teotihuacan-style objects found
The Teotihuacan-related disruption that caused set- in the TVAS area are not good predictors of trade
tlements at Matacapan and in the Catemaco Valley with Matacapan, as symbolic, political, and eco-
to diverge from the local developmental trajecto- nomic interactions followed different spatial tra-
ries observed at Totocapan and Teotepec did not jectories. Disjuncture among interaction networks
inhibit interaction among these three important prevailed because social actors throughout the
polity capitals. Matacapan traded Coarse Orange region negotiated interactions with Matacapan
jars, and possibly green obsidian, to Teotepec. from unique perspectives and with different local
While almost no green obsidian found its way to needs and motivations.
Totocapan, the Tepango Valley capital consumed Little to no data exists for exchange from set-
the most Matacapan-Produced Coarse Orange pots tlements in the Tuxtlas to Matacapan. Certainly
of any political center in the TVAS (in both per- Matacapan leaders and craftspeople did not provi-
centage and raw quantity). sion the region with obsidian and ceramics out of
Besides Totocapan, Matacapan-produced pure generosity. Perhaps the items traded to Mat-
Coarse Orange was found primarily at villages and acapan were perishable (e.g., food, textiles, and
hamlets in the Tepango Valley. In contrast, all products manufactured from local flora or fauna)
IP Address: 128.206.100.158
regional centers in the TVAS procured at least a and therefore not detected through the methods
minor quantity of Cipactli Cult ceramic vessels, employed by archaeologists. Raw materials for
probably produced at Totocapan. This reflects two manufacture (e.g., clay, temper, basalt for making
distinct decision processes in the Tepango Valley. groundstone tools) and other products not found in
For prestige/serving ceramics, emphasis was placed production contexts at Matacapan may also have
on association with Totocapan. For utilitarian been imported to the site. This brings me back to
ceramics, consumer decisions relied on practical Santleys (1994; see also Santley and Alexander
concerns of availability, cost, quality, and, possi- 1996) argument regarding Matacapans position
bly, reputation (as Reina and Hill [1974:237] within a dendritic core-periphery system. While it
observed for Chiconautla-made jars in Guatemala). does not appear that Matacapan traded Coarse
At the boundary between the Catemaco and Orange jars to central Mexico, as Santley originally
Tepango valleys, sites underutilized Matacapan- implied (1994; cf. Arnold et al. 1993), perhaps the
produced wares compared to the remainder of the intraregional interactions highlighted by this
study area. This includes Tilzapote, which yielded research functioned to accumulate a surplus of per-
both high percentages of green obsidian and sev- ishable resources at Matacapan. These locally avail-
eral examples of Matacapan-style bichrome ceram- able materials were then exported to other regions
ics. Given the likelihood that both green obsidian that lacked direct access to them. Goods and mate-
and the CO1A paste recipe originated from Mata- rials accessible in the region, but scarce in the semi-
capan, this discrepancy suggests either that resi- arid highlands, include cotton, rubber, honey,
dents of Tilzapote had no use for imported Coarse liquidambar, various flora and fauna, and tropical-
Orange jars, which were no doubt more expen- bird feathers, among others. With regard to Sant-
sive than locally-made jars, or perhaps that these ley and Alexanders (1996) dendritic model, the
possibility remains that Matacapan fostered intrare- sertation (Stoner 2011). What remains of the materials ana-
gional exchange relationships in order to gather lyzed are archived at MURR. Materials collected on the
Tepango Valley Archaeological Survey are curated in Tres
resources for export to central Mexico and else- Zapotes, Mexico, by the Instituto Nacional de Antropologa e
where. The Teotihuacan relationship provided lead- Historia.
ers and merchants at Matacapan with exotic goods
and ideas for trade to other settlements in the region. Supplemental Materials. Supplemental materials are linked
Intensive ceramic workshops provided yet another to the online version of the paper, which is accessible via the
SAA member login at http://saa.org/home/tabid/36/
method for Matacapan officials to intensify default.aspx. These include the following figures:
exchange relationships with the regional Tuxtlas Supplemental Figure 1. Map of the study region showing
population. Furthermore, the target of exchange the distribution of Middle Classic settlements and the proba-
may have been the contents of Coarse Orange jars ble boundaries between them.
rather than the jars themselves (Arnold et al. 1993). Supplemental Figure 2. Map showing the distributions of
the CO1A chemical group.
In any case, Coarse Orange jar production fits into Supplemental Figure 3. Map showing the distributions of
a pattern of enhanced regional interconnectivity
the CO1B chemical group.

during the Middle Classic that may have implica- Supplemental Figure 4. Map showing the distributions of
tions for interregional networks as well. The for- the CO2 chemical group.
eign connections wielded by Matacapeos
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Acknowledgments. I would like to thank the National Science 2008 Classic Period Cultural Currents in Southern and
Foundation for providing funds that both led to the collection Central Veracruz. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and
of materials for this study (Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Collection, Washington, D.C.
Grant # 0712056) and provided a rate reduction to the Arnold, Philip J., III, Christopher A. Pool, Ronald R. Kneebone,
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Stoner, Wesley D., Christopher A. Pool, Hector Neff, and
Michael D. Glascock Notes
2008 Exchange of Coarse Orange Pottery in the Middle
Classic Tuxtla Mountains, Southern Veracruz, Mexico. 1. This assertion was later revised (Santley 2007:
Journal of Archaeological Science 35(5):14121426. 124125; see also Stoner et al. 2008).
Trigger, Bruce G. 2. The only one that did not present a standard plan
1990 Monumental Architecture: A Thermodynamic Expla-
(Oteapan) is extensively disturbed by modern constructions
nation of Symbolic Behaviour. World Archaeology
22(2):119132. so that formal layouts cannot be discerned.

Urcid, Javier, and Thomas W. Killion
2008 Social Landscapes and Political Dynamics in the

Southern Gulf Coast Lowlands (5001000 CE). In Clas-
sic Veracruz: Cultural Currents in the Ancient Gulf Low-
IP Address: 128.206.100.158
lands, edited by Philip J. Arnold III and Christopher A.

Pool, pp. 259291. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library Submitted December 21, 2011; Revised November 6, 2012;
and Collection, Washington, D.C. Accepted June 15, 2013.

Stoner 2013

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INTERPOLITY POTTERY EXCHANGE IN THE

TUXTLA MOUNTAINS, SOUTHERN VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Latin American Antiquity 24(3), 2013, pp. 262288

Monday, September 16, 2013 11:14:02 AM

Figure 1. Map of the Tuxtla Mountains showing major political centers.

2008). Interpolating this fall-off pattern into the

over the 200-year Middle Classic period. The same

Monday, September 16, 2013 11:14:02 AM

La Cuesta 36 110 32.7

Pizapan 42 217 19.4

42T 10 62 16.1 because Pools (1990:216) use of a tungsten car-

Monday, September 16, 2013 11:14:02 AM

Coarse Orange Chemical Groups Statistical analyses were calculated on the

Table 2. Coarse Orange and Clay Sample and Group Assignments.

Catemaco Valley Sample

Matacapan Production Facilities

Table 3. Component Loadings with Elemental Means and Standard Deviations.

Average PC1 PC2 PC3

La (Lanthanum) 30.05 3.09 .048 -.020 -.036

Ti (Titanium) 5699.4 785.7 -.017 -.105 -.065

U (Uranium) 2.74 .73 .033 .157 -.030

Zn (Zinc) 91.77 31.02 -.016 -.027 -.009

Valley (see Stoner 2011: Figure 9.9).

CO3 ter were produced with Group S clays because of

not exchanged. goods. The hamlet at Site 110T consumed about

the CO1B chemical group.

Arnold, Philip J., III

intraregional variability as a potent tool to under- bridge University Press, Cambridge.

4(910):324376. Schiffer, Michael B., and James M. Skibo

1960 Evolution and Culture. University of Michigan Press, Antiquity 62(1):2750.

Stoner, Wesley D. Valenzuela, Juan. H.

22(2):119132. so that formal layouts cannot be discerned.

2008 Social Landscapes and Political Dynamics in the

lands, edited by Philip J. Arnold III and Christopher A.

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