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A MIDDLE FORMATIVE ARTIFACT EXCAVATED AT ARROYO PESQUERO, VERACRUZ

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2015

Carl J. Wendt ,
Henri Noel Bernard  and
Jeffery Delsescaux
Carl J. Wendt*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, California State University Fullerton, 800 North State College Boulevard, Fullerton, CA 92834
Henri Noel Bernard
Affiliation:
Museo de Antropología de Xalapa-MAX, Universidad Veracruzana, Av. Xalapa s/n, Xalapa, Veracruz, México C.P. 91010
Jeffery Delsescaux
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, California State University Los Angeles, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032
*
E-mail correspondence to: cwendt@fullerton.edu
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Abstract

During a recent underwater archaeological survey of the Arroyo Pesquero, members of the Proyecto Arqueológico Arroyo Pesquero discovered an extraordinary and unusual archaeological specimen made of mottled brown and white jadeite. This artifact, most likely dating to the Middle Formative period (900–400 b.c.), is significant for two reasons. Firstly, because this object is the first find discovered at the site during a systematic archaeological investigation and thus has archaeological provenience and, secondly, because of the iconographic elements it possesses and its one-of-a-kind form. This article begins with a short background on the Arroyo Pesquero site, including its discovery, history of looting, and archaeological investigations. We then briefly describe the present investigation and the discovery of the artifact itself. This is followed by a description of the artifact—its form, iconography, and its possible functions. We conclude with some comments on the specimen within the framework of Middle Formative Olmec iconography.

Type
Research Article
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , Fall 2014 , pp. 309 - 316
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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References

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