First discovery of a pre-Columbian port on the Gulf CoastArticle created on Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Print
A retaining pier wall, four shrines and an unusual circular structure dating to over 1000 years old, have recently been found by archaeologists of the National Institute of anthropology and history (INAH) in the pre-Hispanic site of Tabuco in Veracruz.
A pre-Columbian port
According to María Eugenia Maldonado Vite, responsible for the archaeological rescue excavation, these remains represent a mooring pier or dock where goods and maritime traffic would land and be controlled by elites. If this is the case, then it represets the first discovery of a pre-Columbian port on the Gulf Coast.
“This evidence changes our perception of the settlement, as previously it was only known as a ceremonial area and even the toponymic naming of ‘Tabuco’ repesents a portable altar with conical roof in the language of the Tuxpan,” said the archaeologist.
Tabuco is located on the southern bank of the Tuxpan River 5 km from the sea, on a narrow strip of land between the river and to the south are the mangroves of Tumilco.
This Huastec site was explored in the 1940s by Gordon Ekholm, who carried out some initial investigations and determined the dates for occupation at between the Protoclassic (100BCE-AD250) and the early Postclassic (AD900-1200).
The investigations at this site is part of a larger archaeological project south of the Huasteca Veracruzana, looking at the system of polity in this pre-Columbian border region. The Tuxpan River is considered the boundary between the Huasteco and the Totonacos.
Large plastered ramp and wall - part of the early Tuxpan port. Images: María Eugenia Maldonado / INAH.
Large plastered ramp and wall – part of the early Tuxpan port. Images: María Eugenia Maldonado / INAH.
Excavation results
The excavations began in October 2012 and the first thing that came to light was a large dump of ceramic fragments, animals remains, large amounts of oyster shell and obsidian.
In the northeast section of the excavation a wall was uncovered which was built on large slabs of beach rock and coated in white plaster from powdered shells. This acts as the retaining wall of the great platform and has so far been measured to 15 metres in length. However, the structure continues on a slope towards the shoreline and is likely part of a pier for transferring goods to and from river boats.
Parallel to the wall were three circular shrines, 3 metres in diameter and constructed in the same materials. To the west, the team uncovered a large circular structure of 15 metres in diameter and 60 cm in height, possibly with a function related to the elites occupation because of a fire pit that was located at the top. In addition there is a stairway and a ramp that leads to a plaster floor, which also relates to a pre-Hispanic dock or berth.
Large circular structure. Images: María Eugenia Maldonado / INAH.
Large circular structure. Images: María Eugenia Maldonado / INAH.
Control of trade
This all contributes to the theory that this ceremonial centre had the function of controlling maritime traffic in the area of the river and the mangroves. Some scholars have suggested it was an important port, where the marketplace was so large that the 15th century Aztec Triple Alliance made a serious effort to hold it as a tributary province, an area also important for cotton production, a resource that could not be planted in the Highlands.
Across most of the floor surfaces is a layer of organic matter, which represents traces of an ancient flood and may explain why this area was abandoned for occupation and adapted into a pier.
Also, in this area the team uncovered 50 burials of men, women and children, placed in both extended and flexed positions. They were found at different levels cut from the surface and shows the area served as a cemetery in the final phase of occupation.
The precise dating of all the strata remains unclear, however, most artefacts are from the early Postclassic period (AD 900-1200 ) and suggest a short lived activity of less than a hundred years.
The large number of ceramic fragments located in the area will contribute to the pottery typology for the region.
Source: INAH
http://www.pasthorizonspr.com/index.php/archives/04/2013/first-discovery-of-a-pre-columbian-port-on-the-gulf-coast
