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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 
BULLETIN 170 


EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA 
TABASCO, 1955 


By PHILIP DRUCKER, ROBERT F. HEIZER 
and ROBERT J. SQUIER 


With Appendixes by Jonas E. GuLiBere, Garniss H. Curtis 
and A. STaRKER LEOPOLD 


UNITED STATES 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
WASHINGTON : 1959 


For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. 


SMITHSONIAN | 


INSTITUTION APR2 1958 


Perspective sketch of Pyramid and Complex A of La Venta site. 


(For identification of structures, see figs. 3 and 4.) 


431818 O - 59 (Face title page) 


LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 


SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 
Bureau or AMprican ETHNo.oey, 
Washington, D. C., June 27, 1957. 
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a manuscript entitled 
“HWxcavations at La Venta, Tabasco, 1955,” by Philip Drucker, 
Robert F. Heizer, and Robert J. Squier, with Appendixes by Jonas 
E. Gullberg, Garniss H. Curtis, and A. Starker Leopold, and to 
recommend that it be published as a bulletin of the Bureau of 
American Ethnology. 
Very respectfully yours, 
M. W. Stiruine, Director. 
Dr. Lronarpd CARMICHAEL, 
Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. 


Aoi 


Ss 6 


CONTENTS 
PAGE 
rOdichignee eee a. eee ene ee ae 1 
Nethodolorye 45-44-02 cue 2h eis saath ee See eae 3 
ithe site of ua Venta: 2. - aaa ae se SS a oe 6 
Hxcavationsam 1955.2. ___-_-_-------- == 84-5) a8 Sete =- 115) 
The Court wall (Feature A-1-a), Court floor (Feature A-1-b), and 

east half of South-Central Platform (Feature A—1-c)------------- 15 
Ghranology_ 2 es). gee eee ee ee ee eee Di. 

North-south centerline trench through Complex Avy AE ie a EE 2 
Southern section___.- _.2-_--+-=----=---+=--2-+-===++==------- 30 
@aneral sectionl $22 22 oe LE eee 52a ee Se Se 34 
@hronology. ©... 2244525. 55e2 2 2-542 Se sens sese es -- 44 
Narthern section... -.._.- 2 ------- = =-.4-2- 5-482 455-5--=--= 46 
Chronology _.22bae 13 22 bee ee S e ees Sse ee 50 

Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f) and Court floor west to center- 

Tie Me eo Ce a eee ee ee 50 
(ironolory. 22520 see ee eee 61 
Northwest Platform (Feature A—1—g)---------------------------- 63 
Northern end of platform_---------------------------------- 64 
Central part of platform.____------------------==-==+===---- 67 
Hast edge of platform _._____--.-------------===4==-S45=—--- 68 

Ghronolosy. 2225 fees ee ea ae se te re 7 
Northeast Entryway (Feature A—1-i)_--------------------------- 71 
Chronology... 02-9) 222 ho ee ree 
Southwest Platform (Feature A—1l-—e)----------------------------- 78 
Interpretations of Feature A—1-e__-------------------------- 101 
Murtctions.. oe a a ee Be ae 101 
Bngineering.... 238292 )002e Sout see ie ee eee eee 106 
Ghronolopy. 2222-55 ee Eee ee 107 
Excavations in Mound A-5____--------------------------------- 109 
Excavations in Mound A—-3____--------------------------------- 112 
Chronolooys = see ne ee ee ee 115 
Excavations in Complex C_______--------------=--=-====-=------ 118 
Correlation of Complex A constructions_-_------------------------ 121 
irises ee ee ee ee et eee 124 
RET oe ee At ee a eee 125 
72] SPTUSC=TM (Sn ane SR SE ONE Lor fee tS 125 
Pen R rN ee a a ee eee 125 
erties. 2. oy een) But alabols DP) use tata 127 
Massive Olferings2.2204 4): saeee east ha Son ee See 128 
Massive Offering No. 1-__--=---+--------=---==+-=------ 128 
Niassive Offering, No. 2... .--.=-_--_ 34-34-56 ------= 128 
Massive Offering NO. 32... se a ee 128 


IV CONTENTS 


Excavations in 1955—Continued 


Offerings—Continued PAGE 
Smallsdedieatoryotterings. "45 Yale ee eee 133 
OfferimewNG hee 2 6 ee ee ae ee 133 
Offenmnge Nog ==) 2 ke AC een eee oe 2 135 
Offering NGO. 2aA: «/ Caevera ta bese ce Skies 145 
Offering INOW ooh bee ee ee 146 
Offering INO ee 8 Abe eee ee Se 152 
Offerino NOS eee ees wees ee ae 162 
Offering NowGei es eee ek oo eee eee ee 167 
Offerin cuUN ORO e sue Merce ae eas lS ra 171 
Offering: Not Stee. sae teee eis Oe ee Ae 174 
Offerings: No.9:and 11. 2522228. oS ee eet 2 176 
Offering «No? dO sua eee es Pi ei ae {Pied ts 185 
Offering Not Zetia Roe eee tga enki 3 ae 186 
OfferingwN oO: gl 3 see peeks eee eS oe ee eee eo 187 
Offering Noi Ta nieiiie, Cue) hele Gyn ee! 187 
Offering Nol 22 eee eee oe ren Se ee 189 
Offerings "Nos Gland 72. 2 2c a2 22 ao te 190 
OfferinoVNo ws: tees Sere ee eee et 190 
Offering NGA TO ieee eo Se oe ee Be ey | 191 
Miscellaneous) finds) in‘ Complex)A,, 1955. =. 2222 ee 191 
Stone-working techniquesse) fue es Cubk a we eb WE to. ae 194 
Stone monuments. 2 Sys eee he a ae ee 197 
Monument 19s sae iobs oe See ee se ea 197 
Monument: 20. 2220s) 05 2 ee Ree ee) tea Tee ee 200 
Monument 2ice2o oe 2G ee aN Lisi bb Bae ane ee 200 
Montument:22 2 uo hoo eee Fee's het eh, te ia oe 202 
Monument 2ausse en nee eae ASO bs Oe 202 
Monument: 24905528 way ae eee ee oe 204 
Monument Zous ee oe ie oil, ah ed La wh 204 
Monument. 26223562282 ea oee eree Mie oe 206 
Monument: 2722268 ceo ees Be eh eee) sie io) 208 
Fragment of monuments) 4 2302 oo ois es Be 209 
Small stone: Carvingese ose eeeec ke kee CE el. So 209 
Additional notes on earlier finds at La Venta___________________--_- 212 
Post-Phase [V materials from tha Venta 2-2-2 22. Soe ee 215 
Post-Phase IV iofferings=2 22222 23.5 ese ee ee 218 
Offering. No. 20° tee ees Rela eee i 8 2 a ee 218 
Offering! No. 21: = settee oe ee oe ee 220 
Offering Noy 22.) ee iw ye eee he dS) re ee 220 
Offering, \No..23... 1 eR ee a cys! 2 ots ee 221 
Offering No. 24. 0 See ee ee eee 223 
Offering INO#25....2 322 eee ee es 223 
Offering. No. 262 2) se Ay ee ed eh A oe 224 
Offering NOM27. 222222 eee ee ee epee 224 
Other post-Phase IV materials from Complex A___------------ 226 
Mutilation and displacement of La Venta stone monuments... 229 
Other materials'from, La Venta island=2 “a he2) sees ee 231 
Jade figurines. 2244-20. .2... Sp ee ea ee 231 
North Pavement, areas... 2222 Ae ee, norton) ee 233 
Cerro:del. Eneantoie2 i. os see eee ee 237 
MLOPTOS: SItO2 oo ee an des ee ee 240 


CONTENTS Vv 


PAGE 
Results and conclusions: cultural and chronological position of La Venta. 248 
eMIStoOrical TésiiMeeete sk eee nee eee eee eee ase Re ee 248 
Geographical distribution of Olmec culture-- - -~------------------ 253 
La Venta in relation to the Olmec sequence_-_--------------------- 259 
Significance of C-14 dates in relation to Maya and other cultural 
patterns of Mesoamerica-- ----------------------------------- 260 
Significance of C—14 dates in relation to Valley of Mexico and adjacent 
highland regions__-_---__-__-.---..-----_-------------------- 262 
Significance of C—-14 dates in relation to “calendar,” glyphs, and other 
featiireseee eee ee = aes eee eee eee eee = See eee ae 263 
TReaayenidboin GINGA eee he ee ee ee ee er ee 264 
Possible sociopolitical situation at La Venta_--------------------- 267 
Appendix 1. List of offerings recovered in 1940-43 at La Venta____-_--- 272 
Appendix 2. List of La Venta stone monuments-_---------------------- 276 
Appendix 3. Technical notes on concave mirrors, by Jonas E. Gullberg__ 280 
Appendix 4. The petrology of artifacts and architectural stone at La 
Wenta, byrGarniss H. Curtis2+ 0) 24 2222-22 = i 22h Se eee 284 
Appendix 5. The range of the jaguar in Mexico, by A. Starker Leopold_-- 290 
MOTATING (eELCEh es ae tn a Jes tet eee A to ee. = 291 
ECL GENIC UTM Wit Nice ee ee ee Se ee 297 
ready nn. ye A a RS TEND a ih OR AE Td gen eae 301 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
PLATES 


Pwr 


Oomoarann 


10. 
in 
12. 


13. 


14. 


15. 
16. 


Ue 


18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 


(All plates follow page 300) 


. Ceremonial Court. Part of row of basalt columns along east side of Court. 
. General view of Complex A after clearing jungle growth. 
. East face of South-central Platform. 


a, Arrangement of stones in clay block just north of South-central Platform, 
facing east; b, Closeup of old-rose floor series west of Northeast Platform 
showing contact line with Phase IV red clay cap. 


. Piles of serpentine blocks lying in lower drift sands in east half of Court. 
. Northeast Platform, showing method of excavation. 

. Northeast Entryway, looking southeast from slope of Mound A-2. 

. Southwest Platform after removal of surface drift sands. 

. Southwest Platform excavations. 


Southwest Platform; columns and facing blocks on north face. 

Southwest Platform. . 

Southwest Platform, looking north. Basalt and serpentine facing block 
rectangle marking Phase II foot of platform. 

Southwest Platform footing blocks. 

Southwest Platform, facing northeast, showing mask mosaic and overlying 
mottled pink clay fill and brickwork platform. 

Southwest Platform, facing north. Jaguar mask mosaic in situ. 

Jaguar mask mosaic in Southwest Platform (looking south). 

Southwest Platform, uppermost stone paving layer. 

Southwest Platform, excavation of paving layers. 

Southwest Platform, southeast corner. 

Mound A-5 and Massive Offering No. 2 (Feature A-2-d). 

Main north-south trench. 


CONTENTS 


. Massive Offering No. 3 (Feature A-1-h). 
. a, Serpentine blocks exposed in ancient trench surrounding Massive Offering 


No. 3 (Feature A-l-h). b-d, Offerings No. 1 and 2 in main north-south 
trench. 
Offering No. 2 celts from upper layer. 


. Offering No. 2 celts from lower layer. 
. Jade figurines from Offering No. 3. 


27. Jade objects from Offering No. 3. 


. Jade and serpentine figurines from Offering No. 4. 

. Jade and serpentine figurines from Offering No. 4. 

. Obverse (a) and reverse (0) views of jade from Offering No. 5. 
. Offering No. 6 in situ. 

. Jade objects from Offering No. 6. 

. Jade objects from Offering No. 7. 

. Offering No. 8 and jade celts from Offerings 9 and 11. 
. Offerings Nos. 9 and 11. 

. Concave magnetite mirror, Offering No. 9. 

. Concave ilmenite mirror. Offering No. 11. 

. Concave mirrors from Offerings 9 and 11. 

. Coneave mirrors recovered in 1942 and 1948. 

. Offerings Nos. 10 and 20. 

. Serpentine and basalt blocks. 

. Monument No. 19. 

. Monument No. 20. 


. Jade and rock crystal beads and ornaments from Offering No. 3. 

. Jade beads from Offering No. 3. 

. Offering No. 4. 

. Offering No. 4. 

2. Offering No. 4 figurines and ceits. 

. Jade and serpentine figurines from Offering No. 4. Numbers are those of 


individual figurines as treated in text. 
Jade and serpentine figurines from Offering No. 4. 


Monuments Nos. 21 and 22. 


. La Venta stone monuments Nos. 28 and 24. 

. Monument 25 (left) and Monument 26 (right). 
. Monument 27. 

. Stela 3, looking south. 

6. Stela 1 and Altar 4. 


57. Pottery vessels from Offering No. 20. 


. Pottery offerings. Upper, Offering No. 21 in situ. Lower left, Offering 


No. 23. Lower right, Offering No. 26. 


. Pottery vessels from Offering No. 21. 
. Jade figurine from La Venta island, probably from mound group south 


of main La Venta site. 


. Figurine fragments, spindle whorls, clay weight from Torres site. 
. Profiles of casts and photomicrographs of surface of concave mirrors. 
. Focal spots of concave mirrors; image of sun projected on a black matte 


surface. 


CONTENTS 


TEXT FIGURES 


Frontispiece. Perspective sketch of Pyramid and Complex A of La Venta 
site. (For identification of structures, see figures 3 and 4.) 


won Re 


“ID OH 


. Map of southeastern Mexico showing sites_- -_-__------------------ 
. Map of La Venta Island showing roads, camps, archeological features _ 
. Simplified map of Complex A, La Venta site, showing structures and 


datum reference points used in 1943 and 1955 exCaVevlOns == ea 
Map of Complex A, La Venta site, showing alinement of platforms, 
mounds, excavated areas, cuts for massive offerings, features, monu- 
MIGTtS OGG see ae oe = i a 


. Map of Complex C, La Venta site_-_------------------------------ 
. Section through east wall of Ceremonial Court__------------------- 
_ Profile of east end of South-Central Platform from centerline to 40 


Ree Grimes ois See). wy SS ed. ea 


. Diagrammatic sketch showing sequence of construction layers in 


south half of east part of Ceremonial Court-- ------------------- 


. North-south profile along centerline Complex A which! includes 


South-Central Platform (Feature A-1—c) and south?half of Feature 
A-1—-h (Massive Offering No. 3).------------------------------- 
North-south profile of north half of Feature A~1—h (Massive Offering 
No. 3) and south part of Mound A-2 along centerline of Complex A- 


_ Reconstruction of Mound A-2 showing position of cut for Massive 


Offering No. 2 (Feature A—2—d) -------------------------------- 


. North-south profile of Feature A-2-d (Massive Offering No. 2) and 


north part of Mound A-2-_-_----------------------------------- 


_ Plan of Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f) showing location of 


PrOtlese es) a see oe 82 See ee ee ae 


. Plan of Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f), Phase IV ------------- 
_ Profile of north face of Northeast Platform (Feature A—1-f) --------- 


Cross section of west face of Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f)__-- 


. Profile of south wall of east-west trench across east half of Ceremonial 


. Northeast Platform_._.-------------------------------------=-- 


Plan of Northwest Platform (Feature A-1-g) showing location of pro- 


- Northwest Platform___.__-------------=------------------=----- 
Northwest Platforms. os .- 2. --442-4-=---255--6 = 42-554 22=5-5- 
Piworthwest: Platforme..- 2449-305 4 te be oe a 
) Northeast Entryway -- ----------------------=--=--==--<--+>->5- 
. East-west profile through Northeast Entryway (Feature A—1-i) - ----- 
Bisauthwest Piattorm 2... Jose 22222 2 so se eee fee 33 
Meant westiblatiorm. 222 20M. 2. bibs ee 22 oe ee 
Seantiwest PiatlormMe.. ess S2ehesse= oe Sessa eee = eae 
. Profile of southwest corner of Southwest Platform_-__--------------- 
. Jaguar Mask mosaic in Southwest Platform ----------------------- 
METAS ee eee en eee. ee a ake 
PEP MIMOn Wound Ajo us Je ea ee ee ek ee ee ee 
Moni a er aT 
» Offerines Nos: 2 and 2A_.o2_. 22-2222 2+ -=4--- 254455 --- 4-525 2se =F 
. Celts in lower layer of Offering No. 2__--------------------------- 
. Engraved designs on celts from Offering No. 2_-------------------- 
. Olmec art 


VII 


PAGE 


112 
134 


141 
143 


VIII CONTENTS 


Rock crystal ornaments from Offering No. 3, showing drilled holes and 
CNOTAVEGIGESISNS ese oe eee oa nn 


Offering, NiO.(4, 100KiINg SOU oe eee eee eee 
section through Offerme NO 4222S) 0 oo st ol eee ee 
. Decorated jade celts from’ Offering, Nol 4222 28025200 7 eee 
SO ering INOW Oe a8 oe See ae a eee oe 
sw eoutery, vessels trom offermpe nso My ue eee 
PeOAde:MASkeELeSe - oo mo unen ene wor 6 1 SI Ee a 
MOMeTING ING 162. 282 awe omen ye te oe 
Me OTeTIn OWN Gs se a tt ee ee ne ee EES 
GOOLE SIN Oy Che =a an se ae et ie Pe, er ete eae 
MOMCMN INO? Oo. ae) a ae ee eae, Soe ae 
TAOMETING INGO: SM sare eee Sateen er Nee eet See Pe ie. 
Pe CONCAVE TMITTOLS soe ee oe seni eens Lae eee a Ve 
. Concave mirrors recovered in 1942 and 1943 seasons at La Venta_-_-- 
ee Offerin ONO LOM ee Ue ae anes ea Me ates ea OLY Je 
> Pottery vesselsirom ‘OfferingwNo, 145) Sa 2 es ee 
~ Objects from: general'digging in) Complex Ali ste) 2 ht ee 
» Lamestone slab used for celt' polishing (?)2°2.. 22222 ee eee 
faMonument NOMO 7 be rcmmn eee tte ea ty 7 eS ee 
Monument NowZ0n wma eee e es ee fo en Ee ee 


NMonUument Noy 2 iam ae niaiee nnn scee re cee we Se ee 
Monument NO RZ ee aces ei seen wee CR ye LARRY DIS Eee ee ee 


Pe NTonum enteNion 2 pete et ae gee foe oe ee ee 
VaNonuments¥Nos 2 G7ands2 (ait a ee Oe ee ee eee 
. Fragment of green schist monument (unnumbered) found near North- 


east, Entryway on Phase iV isuriacet) 20.2 S22 L Se ee 


SP la gue Novel) Seis eae es ee Se ee eee oe ee 
. Small sculptured kneeling figure of basalt found near southwest corner 


of mask mosaic In'Southwest Platform _—/22-___-_____ {0 22) Saee 


) Mogurines found in wO4s excavations. = 240.2 2-21 Lee 
- Faceted celts from ‘Offering '1942-C.. 2.) ese Jk oll ee 


Incised design on Red on Coarse Brown ware bowl found in 1942 at 


. Sculpture on Stela 3 which can be actually determined with accuracy -_- 
3 Restoration: of sculpturevon; stelaor2 2-205 222202 2o 2255225 1a eee 
. Engraved pottery vessel, Offering No. 23_--_---------------------- 
. Offering No. 27 bowl from upper drift sands in Ceremonial Court- --- 
. Miscellaneous restored vessels and sherds from upper drift sands south 


of Southwest \Platiormer 2 2a ass ae ee ee. 2 ee 


. Jade figurine from La Venta Island, probably from mound group south 


Of main Wa Venta sitesos (ee oan se es FS ee 


. Serpentine ornament from North Pavement area east of Ceremonial 


. Restored vessel, sherds, vessel foot, and mold-made spindle whorl, 


Cerro’ del Bncantorsite mies os ae hee area ane ens eee ee eee 


SPolychrome sherds; Torresisite®: 2 2 eas Boe eS ee ee een 
WiPoLyehrome' sherds, aiorres)site.o- 2 22 .> {aceon soe ee eee aaa eee 
. Strap handles and bichrome sherds, Torres site_-_-___-._----------- 
abipurine head, Worrestsiteses re. oll S22) ae oe 
ha, Venta Tadiocarponm Gatesta2- oe ee ae eee ee 
wiGeologic map of southeastern Mexico.2--052- 2002-0 2) eee 
sy eDistriputionyoL the qacuaraniViexicol. 220 2 Se Beets eo es ee 


PAGE 


150 
153 
155 


EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 


By Pure Drucker, Roserr F. Heizer, and Rosert J. SQurmer 


INTRODUCTION 


During the dry season of 1955, a National Geographic Society- 
Smithsonian Institution-University of California archeological ex- 
pedition carried on extensive excavations at the Olmec site of La 
Venta, Tabasco, Mexico. This site, one of importance in its day, is of 
considerable interest archeologically and has been the scene of several 
studies in recent years by the National Geographic Society-Smith- 
sonian Institution research program in southern Mexican archeology: 
(1) M. W. Stirling’s initial visit in 1941, during which he obtained 
data on a number of large stone monuments; (2) Drucker’s work in 
ceramic stratigraphy there in 1942, and his preliminary tests of cer- 
tain structures, in the course of which he encountered some interesting 
offerings; and (3) Stirling and Wedel’s more extensive tests of struc- 
tural areas in 1948, in which they uncovered numerous offerings. 
While these early projects had made available a fair amount of in- 
formation on the site, none of them had thrown much light on 
patterns of construction, or architecture—if one can speak of architec- 
ture with reference to masses of piled-up clay. The simple reason 
for this was that at no time was there an adequate labor force avail- 
able to get any conclusive results from the tests of the structures, 
which always turned out to be larger than the excavator anticipated. 
In 1941, Stirling had only a few days available to clear and photo- 
graph the monuments; in 1942, Drucker had about 3 weeks at the end 
of his ceramic tests to put his 8- to 10-man crew on the structures; 
in 1943, Stirling and Wedel had but 18 to 20 men available. It 
was therefore resolved that we attempt a climax dig in the 1955 
season, with a labor force adequate to move enough dirt to yield 
some conclusive results. We envisioned the project as one in- 
volving among other things the physical handling of stone columns 
and monuments and a large quantity of earth—large, at least, by 


1 These three seasons of work have been reported on by Stirling (1943), Drucker (1952), 
and also in a series of popular articles written for the National Geographic Magazine by 
Stirling (September, 1940; November, 1942; and September, 1943). Drucker’s “La Venta, 
Tabasco ; a Study of Olmec Ceramics and Art” (1952) is hereafter cited “LV.” 


1 


2 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


hand-labor methods, without heavy equipment. We attempted to 
allow for this by estimating the yardage that should be moved in 
what we believed to be the most important complex of the site, com- 
puting the man-days of labor necessary, and dividing this by number 
of working days in a season. This method, which admittedly in- 
volved considerable guessing, gave us 50 men for 100 working days. 
By great good luck, this size force turned out to be about right to 
accomplish what we had set out to do. 

Through the generosity of the National Geographic Society, funds 
were made available to undertake the project. Melvin M. Payne, 
senior assistant secretary of the National Geographic Society, has 
been, from the beginning of the work through the completion of this 
report, most helpful, and a large measure of credit must go to him. 
The University of California and the Smithsonian Institution con- 
tributed to the project, chiefly in the form of scientific personnel and 
equipment. We were able to work at La Venta from mid-January 
to the latter part of May 1955. The actual excavations were 
carried on from the beginning of February to mid-May; the initial 
2 or 3 weeks were devoted to building camp and clearing the jungle 
from the part of the site we intended to work in; the last couple of 
weeks were devoted to filling in our excavations and to breaking 
camp. ‘Technical personnel included, in addition to Drucker and 
Heizer, who were in charge of operations, Ing. Eduardo Contreras, 
assistant archeologist of the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e 
Historia, and Robert J. Squier, research assistant in archeology, Uni- 
versity of California. 

During planning, preparations, and actual fieldwork, there were 
numerous persons who gave us invaluable assistance—usually just 
when we needed it most. To them we wish to offer our very sincere 
thanks. Mention has been made of the National Geographic Society, 
which, through its Committee on Research, made the project pos- 
sible. In Mexico, the wholehearted cooperation of Arq. Ignacio Mar- 
quina, former director of the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e 
Historia, Dr. Eduardo Noguera, former director of Monumentos Pre- 
hispanicos, and other officers of the Instituto, and Dr. Eusebio Davalos 
H., former director of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia, enabled 
us to arrange for necessary permits, to process our collections at 
the end of the season, and to have access to study materials. T. H. 
Englesby, general services officer at the United States Embassy, Mex- 
ico, helped us immeasurably also, especially in matters relating to 
official communications. A grant to aid in preparation of report was 
made by the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Cali- 
fornia, and for this we acknowledge our appreciation. In 1957, 
while engaged in a check study of the La Venta materials, we were 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 3) 


assisted by Dr. E. Davalos, present director of the Instituto, by Dr. 
Luis Aveleyra de Anda, now director of the Museo Nacional, and 
Dr. Ignacio Bernal, present director of Monumentos Prehispanicos. 

During the actual fieldwork our time was pretty fully occupied with 
crew supervision, mapping, study of stratigraphy, note taking, pho- 
tography, and the like. The result was that at the field camp little 
detailed study of small artifacts was possible. Drucker spent some 
time in Mexico City after the excavations were closed down studying 
the collections. Heizer and Squier, in Berkeley, prepared the photo- 
graphic and line-drawing illustrations and completed the study of 
selected materials loaned by the Museo Nacional. Sr. Contreras, who 
served as assistant during the excavations, worked as assistant arche- 
ologist on the University of California Archaeological Survey in 
1956-57, and while in Berkeley drew most of the figures and profile 
plans. In December 1956, when the descriptive text sections were all 
written, we received the radiocarbon dates for the site. At this point 
it seemed desirable to check over the 1942, 1943, and 1955 collections 
from La Venta, and to learn more of the apparently contemporaneous 
cultures of the highland. The National Geographic Society was good 
enough to supply funds for Squier and Heizer to spend 2 weeks in 
January 1957 in Mexico City in order to carry out this study. 

Throughout the work Dr. M. W. Stirling, director of the Bureau 
of American Ethnology, and Melvin M. Payne, senior assistant sec- 
retary of the National Geographic Society, have been most helpful 
and encouraging. In the field, we were obligated for innumerable 
favors to officers of Petrdleos Mexicanos, including especially Ing. J. 
J. Nettel Flores, general superintendent of the zone; Ing. Hugo 
Contreras, Ing. J. Echeverria, assistant superintendent, Ing. Roberto 
Rodriguez Montes, Ing. Ignacio Zavala Torres, and many others. 
These people solved many of our transportation and logistic prob- 
lems for us, and even put some heavy earth-moving equipment at our 
disposal. In one connection or another, Mrs. Irmgard Weitlaner 
Johnson, Mrs. Carmen Cook de Leonard, Mrs. Beatriz Barba de Pina 
Chan, and Dr. Walter Taylor were good enough to assist us. Many 
other persons did us favors that made the work go smoother; though 
we cannot list them all, to each we express our gratitude. 


METHODOLOGY 


Prior to going into a discussion of our methodology, it will be well 
to explain our division of labor and responsibilities. Heizer de- 
voted full time to actual archeology; Drucker, because of his greater 
familiarity with the Tabasco culture pattern and Spanish, divided his 
time between this and “housekeeping” chores such as labor supervision 
and camp operation. Both also shared the maintenance of the photo- 


4 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


graphic record, with assistance from Squier. Contreras supervised 
special projects, and assisted with the camp and crew maintenance. 
Squier was responsible for the maps and diagrams, in addition to 
giving the photographic assistance mentioned. At the conclusion of 
the work at La Venta, Drucker and Contreras classified and studied 
the season’s collections at the Museo Nacional de Antropologia. In 
the preparation of this report, Drucker provided rough drafts of cer- 
tain sections, which were edited by Heizer and Squier, who wrote the 
remainder and coordinated the two sets of material. 

The excavations at La Venta were carried out principally with 
picks and shovels, wheelbarrows being used to get the dirt out of the 
way. What with the size of the features that we intended to test, 
and the toughness of the clays of which they were constructed, La 
Venta was no place for a camel’s-hair brush and a grapefruit knife. 
When possible, we tried to strip off layers of clay that appeared to be 
units. However, the clays did. not lend themselves very well to strip- 
ping. Once a horizontal surface had been sun dried it became ex- 
tremely hard and-could not be scraped. Therefore we made an effort 
to note any indications of intrusive pits, and were able to do so in 
many cases, but depended primarily upon vertical sections for our 
analysis of structural phases. To assist in preparation of the report, 
and to check our field notes and diagrams, we made a considerable 
number of kodachrome pictures of our trench walls that showed struc- 
tural successions. After a wall had been exposed for a few days the 
brightly colored clays dried and faded to dull nondescript reddish- 
buff hues. In many cases, however, by spraying a wall gently with 
an ordinary garden knapsack sprayer, the colors could be restored for 
recheck and for photographic purposes. 

One of our major problems was the removal of the 4 to 5 feet of 
the gray drift sand which covered most of the Ceremonial Court area. 
We had hoped to be able to clear off a considerable section of the 
Court in order to excavate it. We began by moving the drift sand 
overburden in the northeast corner of the Court. The job was ex- 
tremely dull and in many ways was a great loss of time. There 
were no artifacts in the drift sand in this part of the Court, except 
a very infrequent nondescript sherd or two. It was true that close 
to the lower margin of the sand we encountered a great mass of 
fragments of basalt columns, and in addition some piles of serpentine 
blocks which will be discussed later on. Other than this, there was 
no archeology involved in the moving of the sand. Due to the cour- 
tesy of the officials of the Mexican Oil Co., we eventually were loaned 
a bulldozer, which operated for approximately 24 hours, altogether, 
for us. With this assistance we were able to strip off the rest of the 
drift sand overburden in the northeast quadrant of the Court. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
pry Saale)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 5 


Even more useful and labor saving to us, was the removal of the 
1943 back dirt which formed a tremendous long pile along the mar- 
gins of the north-south trench. Finally, being reasonably sure that 
there were no major artifacts in the way, we had the bulldozer cut 
a strip eastward from the north-south trench, cutting through the 
wall on the east side of the Court at a point just south of where 
Stirling and Wedel had made their east-wall excavation. This 
trench, for a matter of convenience, did not run quite perpendicu- 
lar to the centerline of the site. However, it was only a few degrees 
off and gave us a much longer section of the Court. In fact it gave 
us an east-west cut halfway across the Court, which we might not 
have been able to get had we been forced to depend entirely on hand 
labor. 

Our method of locating points was by triangulation from any two 
of three arbitrarily established datum points. These points, as se- 
lected, had no particular relation to the features of the site, but rather 
were chosen on the basis of giving good visibility. Datum 1 was 
a computed centerline point on top of the basalt column tomb 
(Feature A-2-a). Datum 2 was northwest of Feature A-l-e on 
top of a very slight elevation formed by a 1943 backdirt pile, and 
Datum 3 was on top of Mound A-3. Elevations of features, struc- 
tural levels, offerings, etc., were also taken from these datum points 
and subsequently, simply as a matter of convenience, converted to 
the Datum 2 elevation. In beginning our stripping of the drift sand 
in the northeast quadrant, we had attempted to stake off squares to 
control our excavation, and to give us fixed points of measurement. 
It proved to be impossible to keep the stakes in the soft drift sand, 
which continually caved away; consequently we reverted to the 
method of triangulating all locations from our datum points 
and no longer bothered with stakes and squares. It is necessary to 
mention that our excavations, almost from the first, never had the 
neat appearance that we would have liked. The banks of sand over- 
burden gave us a great deal of trouble. They were continually slump- 
ing in until we sloped them back approximately to a 60-degree angle. 
By the time everything had caved in that wanted to around the 
margins of our excavations and we had sloped the sand walls back, 
we had some rather ragged looking outlines around the upper por- 
tions of our excavations. 

We were also faced with problems in connection with very deep 
trenches that we knew we would have to dig in the clay of the struc- 
tures. Where the clay fill had been mixed with the right amount of 
sand by the original builders, it was fairly stable even in the nearly 
vertical faces. Where the clay contains little or no sand, it seems to 
dry back a certain distance into the wall and form a cleavage plane 


6 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


between the dried outer surface and the moist inner portion. After a 
short time large quantities of this material are likely to drop into a 
trench. We also found that in some cases there were thick massive 
layers of clay fill overlying the fill with lenses of rather loose sand. 
Whether this latter type of fill represented in ancient days the sort of 
modern construction where much more sand is put into the concrete 
than specifications called for, we do not know, but in any case these 
sand lenses were quite dangerous because they would trickle out and 
leave large masses of clay above them suspended in midair. As a solu- 
tion, we consistently sloped the walls of major trenches outward and 
in some cases, as in the deep trench in Mound A-2, we stripped off 
several feet of clay fill leaving wide platforms on the edges of the 
trench before going clear down to the bottom. Asa result, we had no 
serious problems, or accidents, from cave-ins. 

During the entire season we gave considerable thought to the prob- 
lem of conservation. The structures built of clay obviously do not 
lend themselves to conservation, or restoration, in the same way as 
do those that are built of stone. In any case we found it necessary, 
in order to excavate some of the structures at all adequately, to dig 
them entirely away. However, we were able to accomplish the fol- 
lowing: the basalt columns on and around Feature A-1-e were dia- 
grammed and numbered, and the number was chiseled on each column 
to make possible the eventual reconstruction of the feature. The 
Jaguar mosaic mask, which we found in the season’s work, was simi- 
larly diagrammed and numbered. The numbers in this case were 
painted on the edges of the stones, and the entire quantity of stones 
was shipped to the Museo Nacional de Mexico, where it has been re- 
constructed by Sr. Contreras in the patio precisely according to the 
original design. Two of the smaller and better new monuments 
(Nos. 19, 23) were also shipped to Mexico City. Stela 3, which had 
slumped forward so that it lay at a very steep angle, showed what 
appeared to us as indications of possible fracture along the back. 
We believed that the heavy weight of the top, tilted as it was, might 
easily snap this splendid monument in two; therefore, we excavated a 
pit behind it, and with the assistance of the bulldozer set it up 
straight. The new monuments discovered south of the Pyramid, 
since they were in poor state of preservation and could not be moved, 
were reburied when we left the site. 


THE SITE OF LA VENTA 


The site of La Venta (fig. 1) was described in some detail by 
Drucker (LV,1952). The present section will attempt only to amplify 
certain details on the basis of our more accurate knowledge gained in 
1955, and will correct certain minor errors in the earlier account. 


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Drucker, He 
and Squier] 


8 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


The island structure (fig. 2), surrounded by swamps, is shaped ap- 
proximately as indicated in the sketch map in the earlier description. 
However, Drucker’s estimates of its size were in error. According 
to a map made available by officers of the oil company, the maximum 
length of the dry land area is just under 2.8 miles (4.5 km.) rather 
than between 3.5 and 4 miles (between 6 and 7 km.) as previously 
stated (LV, p. 6). The dry land mass is also somewhat narrower 
than was estimated. Its maximum east-west dimension, close to its 
northern end, is a little over a mile (approximately 2 km.) and its 
average width is about 0.75 mile (1.2 km.). The earlier estimate 
indicated a maximum width of nearly 4 km. and an average width of 
about 1.5 km. The area of the island is approximately 2.1 square 
miles. 

Most of the work during the 1955 season was concentrated in 
Complex A, the Ceremonial Court area, lying just to the north 
of the Pyramid. In figure 8 the positions of the larger stratigraphic 
profiles are indicated. The features here were constructed along the 
crest of a long, narrow, low ridge that runs in a north-south direction 
for something over 2,000 feet. South of the Pyramid the ridge comes 
to an end, and then across a low depression, another ridge of similar 
size and shape continues its general direction. In the area of the 
Ceremonial Court (fig. 4) the original crest of the ridge seems to 
have been rather less than 200 feet in width. On the west it drops 
away fairly steeply to an eroded gully, some 20 feet below the present 
crest. On its eastern side it dips very gradually for a few feet and 
then levels off to form a wide flat area. The Ceremonial Court is 
built directly across the crest of this ridge. Its general area is marked 
by the tips of rows of vertically set basalt columns (pl. 1), as de- 
scribed by both Drucker and Wedel (LY, passim). In 1955 we re- 
measured the area outlined by the columns, estimating just as Wedel 
did the location of the southeast corner of the rectangle. According 
to our measurements, the columns bound an area of 188 feet east- 
west, and 135 feet north-south. These columns are set into the inner 
edge of a buried brickwork wall. As presently reported, there are 
gaps in the row of columns which suggest that this phase of con- 
struction was never entirely completed. The clay wall itself does not 
entirely surround the Ceremonial Court. There is a gap on the north 
side between the end of the wall and the east side of Mound A-2. 
At this point, the wall and floor were ornamented with stones very 
carefully placed in the position which suggested to us that this was 
probably an entry. We did not excavate on the west side of Mound 
A-2, but we assume that a similar entryway occurred there. In the 
center of the south side of the Court there was no continuous wall. 
Instead, there was a flat-topped “forecourt” which extended outward 


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Drucker, Heizer, 
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431818—59——2 


10 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


south along the centerline of the Court. The forecourt was flanked 
by two low platforms, each of which was crowned by a rectangle of 
vertically set basalt columns, with horizontal “bracer” columns laid 
along the bases of the vertical ones. The Southeast Platform was ex- 
cavated by Stirling and Wedel in 1943. This was the feature in 
which they found the very elaborate mosaic of serpentine blocks 
representing a jaguar. The Southwest Platform was more completely 
excavated by us in 1955. Most of the features, or subfeatures, of 
Complex A are arranged symetrically, but there is one small structure 
marked by a row of six vertically set columns between the Southeast 
Platform and an extension of the line of the columns forming the east 
wall of the Court. Wedel’s tests in this area (LV, pp. 60-61) suggest 
that this was a small feature, and probably represents a late modifica- 
tion of the original plan of the Complex. There is no comparable 
feature apparent on the surface in the southwest corner of the Court. 
Inside of the clay wall, and behind the Southeast and Southwest Plat- 
forms, there was a level open area. We found this area to consist, in 
cross section, of layers of sand and clay, which we considered to repre- 
sent the fill placed to raise the general level of the Court. Each layer 
of this fill was capped by a series of thin, fairly regular, layers of 
clay and sand, usually of quite distinctive colors, which we interpret 
as floors. These floors do not run exactly level, as will be brought 
out. They appear to have been very slightly inclined, or specially 
modified to allow for adequate drainage. The floors are interrupted 
by three low platforms in the south-central, northeast, and northwest 
areas of the Court. All of these stood approximately 2 feet above 
the general Court level at the final stage of construction. The North- 
east Platform, which was completely exposed by us, had a maximum 
north-south length of 54 feet, and width of 22 feet. It was of irregu- 
lar plan. The basic outline would appear to have been a rather 
blunt-ended ellipse. The corresponding platform in the northwest 
corner of the Court was not completely uncovered. As will be brought 
out in the proper place, our investigations indicate that these plat- 
forms had extremely specialized functions during the use of the site. 
Our nomenclature of the features of the site will continue and ex- 
tend that originally proposed in the 1952 report (cited throughout 
as LV). According to the original plan, Complex A includes all the 
structures in the main portion of the site north of the Pyramid, to 
the northern edge of Mound A-2. Sub-unit A-1 comprises the Court 
itself, including all attached and contained structural features. These 

features we have designated in the following manner: 
Feature A-1-a: The enclosing wall around the eastern, western and most 

of the northern sides of sub-unit A—1. 


Feature A—1—b: The fills, floor levels, drainage systems, etc., of the general 
Court area. 


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2 “- Excavated 1942-43 

-----=-- Excavated 1955 

—-—- Complex A centerline 
[E] Offerings found 1942 
A" "1943 
©» "1955 


PLATFORM 


5 10 15 
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s (FEATURE A-I-i)--- cme fe 
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3 FEATURE A-2-b (FEATURE A-!-d) ; 
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Figure 4.—Map of Complex A, La Venta site, shoWing alinement of platforms, mounds, excavated areas, cuts for massive offerings, features, 


monuments, etc. 


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wri Sauies} ©’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 11 


Feature A-1-—c: The stepped platform on the south-central side of A-1. 
This was the structure referred to in earlier publication (LV, p. 28) as 
the “stile,” and here as South-Central Platform. 

Feature A-1-d: The Southeast Platform. 

Feature A—1—e: The Southwest Platform. 

Feature A-1-f: The Northeast Platform. 

Feature A-—1-g: The Northwest Platform. 

Feature A-1-h: A massive offering intruded into the center of the Court 
area of A-1—b and consisting of Six pavementlike levels of serpentine 
blocks. 

Feature A-1-i: The Northeast Entryway. 


The platform mound just north of sub-unit A-1 was designated 
A-2. Excavations showed that this feature in reality consisted of 
a succession of low stepped platforms built one over the other, dur- 
ing a series of elaborations and rebuildings of the site. The original 
platforms here appear to have been set so that their centers lay to 
the north, outside of A-1. However, as they were increased in size 
in subsequent construction phases the platforms grew to the south 
so that finally the toe of the platform mound was at, or in, the area 
of A-1. Platform mound A-2 contained a number of features desig- 
nated as follows: 

Feature A-2-a: Tomb of basalt columns. 

Feature A-2-b: A deposit of horizontally placed columns and offerings 
(Wedel’s ‘“‘Tomb H’’). 

Feature A-2-c: Sandstone coffer . 

Feature A-2-d: Massive offering intruded through structural layers of 
mound and consisting of single pavementlike layer or serpentine slabs. 

Other sub-units of Complex A are small, elongated mounds, earlier 
designated A-3, A-4, and A-5 (LV, p. 35). These structures are 
situated so that their long axes run approximately north-south and 
they are located between A-1 and the Pyramid. 

The Pyramid itself is designated as Complex C (fig. 5). The Pyr- 
amid proper (and it should be noted that the form of this structure 
is very obviously pyramidal when the bush is cleared from it) is 
designated as sub-unit C-1 (pl. 2). Because we were able to do more 
clearing in 1955 than in previous seasons, and because the areas along- 
side Complex C were not as densely grown over as in the past, having 
been cleared off recently, we were able to measure its size somewhat 
more accurately than had been possible heretofore. The Pyramid 
proper, C—1, proved to have a north-south dimension of 420 feet and 
an east-west of approximately 240 feet. The top stood at a height of 
about 103 feet from the uppermost constructed clay surface in the 
Ceremonial Court (A-1-b). The height of this Pyramid previously 
reported by Stirling and Drucker (LV, p. 8) was a measurement 
given us by a surveyor for the oil company. However, he measured 
the Pyramid from a point immediately to the west of it, which was 
slightly lower than the uppermost clay level in the Ceremonial Court. 


[Bull. 170 


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and Squier] EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 13 


Sub-unit C-2 was a small platform which extended out northward 
from the center of the north face of the Pyramid proper for a dis- 
tance of some 60 feet. Its original width could not be determined 
accurately because one side of it had been very heavily eroded. It 
was probably originally in the neighborhood of 30 feet wide, and had 
a maximum height of about 12 feet. C-3 is a very large level plat- 
form about 80 feet wide, which runs along the entire east flank of the 
Pyramid. Its height varies somewhat because of the irregularity of 
the ground surface on which it was constructed. At its southern 
end it is approximately 15 feet high. On its southeastern corner there 
is a small but prominent conical mound about 4 feet high, and 20 or 
25 feet in diameter. Sub-unit C-4 was a narrow platform that joined 
C-3, and runs in east-west direction clear across the southern face of 
the Pyramid. It is between 20 and 30 feet wide and continues at the 
level of C-3. Its average height above the ground surface is about 
15 feet. 

Sub-unit C-5 is a long narrow platform that extends southward 
from C-4 on the centerline of the Pyramid itself. It is 80 feet long, 
30 feet wide, and 15 feet high. On its extreme southern end there is a 
low elevation, possibly a small platform mound, which at present is a 
foot or two high. It is quite conspicuous, however. There is no plat- 
form apparent along the western side of the Pyramid proper. ‘The 
platform reported there by Drucker (LV, p. 8) proved not to be a 
platform at all, but a steep bank resulting from the erosion of an old 
skid road, apparently worn down in the days of mahogany cutting 
at La Venta. 

To describe the site adequately it is worth while to make some men- 
tion of the centerline, which was noted in the previous report as a 
feature along which all of the structures and monuments were ori- 
ented. We were able to check on this line more accurately in 1955. 
To do this we laid off an arbitrary line which appeared to pass through 
the centers of a number of prominent features. These features in- 
cluded A-2-a (Monument 7; a computed center point on the top) 
through the center of Monument 13, and through a computed center 
point on top of the Pyramid C-1. This same line was also found 
to pass approximately through the center point of a number of other 
features, such as Monument 24, the cist of sandstone slabs in Mound 
A-3, and in addition passed through the center of a series of small 
offerings over the two massive offerings A-1-h and A-2-d. The line 
also appeared to bisect these last two named features. According to 
our 1955 measurements, this line had a direction of 344° per magnetic 
compass. According to the best source available to us (USAF World 
Aeronautical Chart No. 644, “Tehuantepec Isthmus,” corrected to 


14 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


1955) the 1955 magnetic variation of the compass in this region was 
8°0’ E. Therefore, the direction of the line is 352° true. 

We never managed to find time to run a line through the jungle 
to the north to the vicinity of Altar 6. We plotted an estimated po- 
sition of this monument some 400 feet to the west from the centerline. 
Due to the distance, dense brush cover, and the rough terrain between 
the edge of the air strip and this monument, it was very difficult to 
determine the monument’s precise location. A similar altar is re- 
ported on or near the extension of the site centerline (fig. 2). 

We were able to extend the line for a short distance southward 
from the crest of the Pyramid. In doing so we found that it passes 
between Altars 2 and 3, which are situated on sub-unit C—5. Altar 
2, however, has been tipped over and may have been moved slightly 
out of its original position. We attempted to determine the position 
of Altars 4 and 5 by holding flags over them and estimating their 
distance. Altar 5 as plotted is situated about 10 feet west of our 
extended line, and Altar 4 approximately 140 feet to the east of it. 
These two monuments, back to back on either side of a low ridge, if 
actually in the position in which we plotted them, are not as far off 
the centerline as they might seem. A computed centerline from a point 
midway between them is only 2° west of the centerline of the site. It 
is also possible, of course, that our reconstructed centerline may not 
be quite in accord with the one originally planned because of errors 
introduced by our computations. 

Leaving aside all questionable cases, a glance at the plan of the 
site indicates that a considerable number of structures are either 
directly on the centerline (this would include C-2, C-5, A-3, Feature 
A-1-c, and Mound A-2) or else form pairs to the right and left of 
it, equidistant from it. Paired features of this type include Mound 
A-4 and A-5, Features A-1-d and A-l-e, and Features A-1-f and 
A-1-g. We are consequently convinced of the reality of this center- 
line as a significant feature in the planning and original layout of 
the site. The matter of its precise orientation raises a problem. We 
have not looked into this matter in any detail, and simply mention 
here a few alternative possibilities which might account for the 
orientation of the centerline at La Venta. For one, the northerly 
orientation may be pure chance or accident and have been determined 
by the alinement of the natural clay and sand ridge upon which the 
site is built. For another, some fixed star in the first half of the 
first millennium B. C. which then occupied the approximate position 
of Polaris today may have been the point of alinement. For a third, 
the centerline could represent a perpendicular to an east-west orien- 
tation obtained by observation of the rising or setting sun on a par- 
ticular day in the Olmee calendar (cf. Macgowan, 1945, p. 118). 


Drucker, Heizer, 
aud Squier)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 15 


Whatever the specific reason which impelled the builders of La Venta 
to orient the centerline along 8° west of true north, we feel that it is 
significant that the majority of Mesoamerican sites are built on north- 
south alinements, and from this conclude that the La Venta Olmec 
were early participants in this widespread practice. This whole 
problem is one in urgent need of exploration. 

For the sake of simplicity in our work at the site and in the 
present report, we use the site directions rather than true compass 
bearings. Reference to “north” in the text and figures means site- 
north (352° true), and other directions, east, south, and west, cor- 
respondingly, are derived from the orientation of the site. 


EXCAVATIONS IN 1955 


THE COURT WALL (FEATURE A-1-a), COURT FLOOR (FEATURE A-1-b), 
AND EAST HALF OF SOUTH-CENTRAL PLATFORM (FEATURE A-1-c) 


The most readily visible aspect of the Ceremonial Court before ex- 
cavation began was the discontinuous series of stone columns (pl. 1) 
which, if their lines are projected, formed a rectangle measuring 135 
feet north-south and 188 feet east-west. The centerline of the site 
which is the line of sight from the midpoint of the tomb (Feature 
A-2-a) to the midpoint of the top of the Pyramid, runs squarely 
through the middle of the enclosure, each north-south column line 
being equidistant from the centerline. 

The excavations of 1943 had removed some of the columns, and 
Wedel’s count is more accurate than one in 1955 could have been. He 
states (LV, pp. 36-87) that 


along the west side, beginning at the southwest corner, 53 columns were visible 
above ground [i.e., protruding above the surface level of drift sand]; then 
came a gap of about 8 m. where no columns were evident, followed by another 
series of 12 and a corner column. From this, the northwest corner, 12 columns 
could be counted in a continuous row extending eastward. From the northeast 
corner, going west, another series of 12 or 13 columns were visible. None could 
be seen throughout most of the extent of the north wall line of the Court, that 
is, between the two short series running east from the northwest corner and 
west from the northeast corner. Proceeding southward from the northeast 
corner along the east wall of the Court, there were 34 visible columns plus 
gaps that would accommodate perhaps three to six more. Here the row ended; 
limited tests along the line which should have been marked by columns yielded 
only negative results. No stones could be found at or near the point where 
the southeast corner of the Court should have been, or westward from that 
point along what was evidently the south side of the Court area. 


Along the south side of the Court were the Southeast Platform (Fea- 
ture A-1-d) and the Southwest Platform (Feature A-l-e), each of 
which was surmounted by a rectangular palisade of basalt columns. 
The first of these was excavated and described by Wedel in 1943, the 


16 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


second was dug by the 1955 expedition and is detailed elsewhere in 
this paper. 

As will be set forth later in discussing the Northeast Entryway 
(Feature A-1-i) of the Court, it is clear that the line of basalt 
columns did not originally form a continuous row across the north 
edge of the Court, but the short rows terminated about 19 feet from 
the northeastern and northwestern corner columns. The small dis- 
continuities of the column line running south of the northeast corner 
were, we found, due to the tops having broken off below the surface, 
for when the drift sand was cleared away we found the stubs in place 
as well as the upper detached segments lying nearby. The southern 
end of the column line along the eastern side of the Court we believe 
is lacking; if ever present the columns had been removed anciently. 

The basalt columns themselves are natural in origin and exhibit 
five or six sides, one of which is characteristically wider than the 
others. This wider surface was commonly smoothed down by rubbing 
in order to accentuate its flatness, and it was this surface which was 
the facing surface in the particular construction features where the 
columns were employed. Ordinarily, and this is the case of the 
columns bordering the Ceremonial Court, the wider surface faced 
inward. We may suppose that this was for aesthetic effect, because it 
gave a distinct impression of a flat-surfaced wall where, if column 
sides of variable widths had been indiscriminately selected, the visual 
impression would have been that of an ill-fitted and irregular vertical 
wall face. 

Wedel in 1943 ran two test trenches into the enclosure line. These 
he calls the “East Trench, A-1” and “West Trench, A-1” (LV, pp. 44- 
49). The latter, more extensive than Drucker’s earlier wall test 
(LV, pp. 32-33), ran through the midpoint of the north-south row 
of columns forming the west side of the Court enclosure. Here, 
under the upper gray drift sand, Wedel found the columns embedded 
in a flat-topped wall with its inner facing surface standing almost 
vertically. An end-to-end row of dressed rectangular basalt blocks 
was set along the inner edge of the flat-surfaced wall. Outside the 
columns he noted under the sand a red clay cap over an unfired adobe 
brick wall with a steep slope, and at its lower edge a row of facing 
blocks (whether basalt or serpentine is not stated). 

The only point at which we dug through the wall line of the Cere- 
monial Court was in the east-west trench cut through the eastern half 
of the Court by the bulldozer. This was about 37 feet south of the 
end of the string of columns running south of the northeast corner 
of the Court and about 30 feet south of Wedel’s “Kast Trench A-1,” 
which was still visible as a depression. 


Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 17 


The east-west bulldozed trench ran from just east of the centerline of 
the site through the east half of the South-Central Platform (A-1-c) 
across the Ceremonial Court and through the projected line of the 
north-south row of columns outlining the eastern side of the Court 
(fig. 6). We will here treat the trench as one excavation unit, though 
the deposits which it exposed comprise three major components: (1) 
the South-Central Platform (A-1-c) toward the west end of the 
trench (fig. 7); (2) the floors and fills of the Court area proper 
(fig. 7); and (8) the wall enclosing the Ceremonial Court (fig. 6). 
Since these three components are together involved in the history of 
the building of the Court and its features, the following discussion will 
treat the various layers in their historical sequence and relationship as 
they were deposited to become elements of the Court. 

In the following list small-letter designations are assigned to layers 
and components of the Ceremonial Court (Feature A-1-b), the 
South-Central Platform (Feature A-1-c), and the wall enclosing the 
Ceremonial Court (Feature A-1-a). In the following discussion the 
various layers and components will be referred to by their letter 
designation (cf. figs. 6, 7), and after the description is concluded the 
relationships of the various layers and components will be discussed. 

(a) Natural soil formations: 
Surface deposit of gray drift sand 
Preconstruction gray drift sand 
Clay subsoil 
(b) Intrusive pit filled with (d) clay 
(ec) Trench dug through layers (d)-(i) for columns 
(d) Massive red clay cap (an artificial structural deposit like all those 
earth components listed below) 
(e) Intrusive pit filled with red and yellow clay 
(f) Old-rose colored floor series 
(g) Pink, purple, and red clay fill 
(h) Mottled pink sandy clay fill 
(i) White sandy floor series 
(j) Rectangular dressed basalt facing blocks 
(k) Unfired adobe clay bricks laid in red clay mortar 
(1) Yellow and pink clay fill of platform (Feature A-1-c) 
(m) Cinnamon-colored floors and surfacing for platform (Feature A-1-c) 
(n) Red clay ridge or embankment outlining Court 
(o) Buff and brown water-sorted sandy floor series 
(p) Sand and clay fill lying on clay subsoil 
(q) Red and white sandy clay block 

The earliest’ construction effort consisted of removing the gray drift 
sand (a) which lay upon the massive compact yellow clay subsoil. 
The purpose of this sand removal operation was apparently to secure 
a firm and stable surface on which to build the Court floors and 
structures. This careful preparation of the surface implies a well- 


[Bull. 170 


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20 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


thought-out plan of procedure and a sound body of engineering prin- 
ciples possessed by the builders of the site. The sand was removed 
for a distance of about 100 feet east of the centerline, at which point 
it was about 20 inches thick. Against the low face of this sand was 
laid a block of heavy red clay mixed with white clay loading (q). 
We assume that this clay buttress ran along the whole length of the 
eastern side of the Court, and perhaps around the other three sides, 
but we did not check this point. This clay block measured 12 feet 
wide, 20 inches thick at the eastern edge, and 17 inches thick at 
the west edge. The surface was smooth and the corners well shaped 
and squared. Obviously, considerable care was taken to lay down this 
clay construction. Within the Court area and between the centerline 
and the west face of the construction of massive clay (q) just described 
was a fill of brownish sand and clay (p), whose top surface came up to 
the level of the clay block (q) to the east. The surface of this fill 
sloped to the west (i. e., inclined toward the centerline), and it is sug- 
gested that the purpose of this slope was to form a grade for drainage 
of surface water which was carried from the high eastern edge of the 
Court toward the centerline where it was then channeled off in some 
sort of drain to the south where the surface drift sands could absorb 
it. On top of layers (p) and (q) lay a series of stratified light brown, 
tan, and buff sandy floors (0) which we have termed “water-sorted.” 
In thickness these run from 4 or 5 inches at the east edge of the 
Court to 9 inches or so at the west near the centerline. This layer 
also has a marked surface slope to the west. We believe that these 
floors mark a series of early sandy clay surfacing layers of the Court 
which were subjected to sheet washing of rainwater flowing over the 
graded Court surface. Such washing tends to separate the fine clays 
from the coarser sand, and to deposit these two into an upper thin 
fine clay band and a lower coarse sand band. The eastern limit of 
layer (o) thins out rapidly as it continues over the clay block (q), 
and reaches a terminus where it butts up against the toe of a low 
north-south running embankment of massive red clay (n), triangular 
in cross section, about 10 inches high and 18 inches wide. This 
ridge of heavy clay appears to be the original low border of the Court 
area. It may have been originally larger, though there is no evidence 
of its having been so. The fact that the brown water-sorted floors 
come up to its toe indicates pretty definitely that it is preserved in its 
original form and dimensions. 

In the area extending east of the centerline (except where cut out by 
later alterations) for about 50 feet there were two cinnamon-colored 
sand floors (m) which lay on top of the water-sorted brown sandy 
floors (0). Each of these is about one-half inch thick, the lower one 
running uninterruptedly to the east wall of the 1943 centerline trench 


Drucker, Heizer, HXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 21 


and the upper one lying directly on the first, but at about 26 feet east 
of the centerline rising sharply to form the facing of an elevated 
platform. The elevation of this platform could not be determined 
since later disturbance had cut off the facing and upper surfacing. 
The fill of this structure was a yellow and pink clay (1) now 20 
inches thick; it may be safely assumed that the original elevation 
was higher since no top surfacing layer was apparent. The east- 
west dimension (width) of this platform may be estimated at about 
52 feet as judged from the fact that to the east of the centerline, 
which may be assumed to be the midpoint of the platform, it ex- 
tended 26 feet. At this point we have the east half of the Court sur- 
rounded by the low red clay ridge (n) and surfaced with brown sandy 
clay floors (0) subject to erosion by rainwater flowing down a gentle 
slope to the west at about 1 inch fall per 10 feet. We assume the west 
half of the Court to have been similarly constituted except for the 
drainage slope which there would incline east toward the centerline. 
The area just east of the centerline was occupied by the low platform 
faced (and probably surfaced) with a cinnamon sandy clay (m) 
about a half-inch thick which extended on as a court floor surface 
east of the toe of the platform for at least 25 feet. Here it could not 
be traced further, either because it had been removed deliberately or 
had been eroded away, or perhaps was never present, and from here 
eastward for 51 feet to the inner edge of the low red clay embank- 
ment (n) we noted at this level only the brown water-sorted sandy 
floors (0). 

The next major construction effort was carried out on the border 
of the Court in the form of the laying of a high and thick wall of 
large, unfired red and yellow adobe bricks (k) set in a red clay mortar. 
This brickwork appears to have been continuous on the east and west 
sides of the Court, but to terminate shortly after turning each of the 
four corners (cf. LV, p. 60, description of Feature A-1-i in this 
paper). The top of this wall has obviously eroded and been reduced 
in height, and now has an elevation of 2 to 3 feet. At the base, 
where it lies on the brown water-sorted floors (0) the wall is 15 feet 
wide. The individual adobes, while they vary in their several dimen- 
sions, average 10 to 14 inches long, 8 to 10 inches wide, and 214 to 
3% inches thick. The inner face of the wall has been cut away by 
a later trench (c), so that its original appearance and angle of incli- 
nation is unknown. The adobes lie in horizontal courses separated 
by %4 to 1 inch of mortar except for the outer half of the wall where 
they are inclined down so that the outer edge of the wall is sloping 
and butts directly up against the red clay ridge (n) which served as 
the border of the Court in its early phase of use and construction. 
It may safely be assumed that the inner face of the adobe wall was 


Pape BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


vertical or steeply sloped, that its top was flat or gently rounded, and 
that its outer facing surface was inclined at a low angle. At the 
toe of the brickwork wall’s inner face was set a row of end-to-end 
dressed basalt blocks (j) resting on their edges. These are like others 
found as parts of structures in the Court (e. g., Features A-1-1, 
A-1-e) and average 19 inches long, 9 inches wide, and 41% inches 
thick. Against the inner facing surface of these basalt blocks were 
what we called the “white sandy floor series” (1). Here at the eastern 
limit of the floor of the Court where they came up to the basalt footing 
blocks of the wall the sandy floors series total about 4 inches thick. 
To the west they ran for 48 feet to the eastern toe of the enlarged 
platform which was 46 feet east of the centerline. The (1) floor series 
was 8 inches in total thickness at its western end, and thus the general 
profile is that of a thin wedge with the taper running east toward the 
wall outlining the Court. The east dipping grade was reduced, 
though still maintained for drainage. 

The initial element of the white sandy floor series (i) is a thin 
reddish-buff to orange-colored sandy clay floor about one-quarter of 
an inch thick lying on top of the cinnamon-brown floor (m). The 
occurrence of this buff-to-orange floor is limited; its western limit is 
47 feet east of the centerline, and it is traceable from this point 
eastward for only 5 or 6 feet where it becomes indistinct. Like the 
upper cinnamon-brown floor (m) this floor seems to have served as 
a colored facing for a low steep-sided platform with the floor area 
immediately adjacent to the structure also bearing the same surfacing. 
The only evidence of the elevated platform so faced now visible is the 
remnant of the steep sloping toe of the structure—later alterations 
and additions to this platform (see fig. 7) have removed all but this 
limited evidence of this, the first of four separate stages of the build- 
ing and alteration of the platform. The earlier platform whose 
eastern edge lay 26 feet east of the centerline was at this time incor- 
porated into the enlarged platform by dumping on top of it and filling 
in to the east (and presumably to the west on the other side of the 
centerline) a mottled pink sandy clay fill (h). On the top of the 
early platform this fill layer (h) is 17 inches thick, and to the east on 
top of the cinnamon-brown floor (m) it is 37 inches thick. The plat- 
form was, therefore, at least 37 inches high. Offering No. 3 appears 
to have been deposited at the time the (h) layer was being laid down. 

The platform which was formed by enlarging the earlier (1) and 
(m) components by adding the (h) and (i) fill and surfacing was 
subsequently rebuilt 3 more times. The second alteration entailed 
the surfacing of the flat Court area with a white sandy clay layer 
from 2 to 3 inches thick and refacing the platform with successive 
thin coats (totaling about one-quarter inch thick) of bright yellow 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 23 


fine clay (pl. 3). The third and fourth alterations were similar to 
the second, each consisting of white sandy clay Court resurfacings 
which were laid down at the same time the exterior painting of the 
platform was renewed. The surface of the uppermost and latest of 
the white sandy floors is covered with a definite thin layer from 1% to 
14 inch thick of finely crushed green serpentine. This green surfac- 
ing layer was probably derived as a by-product of the shaping and 
finishing of the serpentine blocks which form the jaguar mask in 
Features A-1-d and A-1-e, the massive “pavement” offerings in the 
Court (Features A-1—-h and A-2-d), and the rows of serpentine blocks 
which occurred at different places in the Court area in association 
with various structures. The La Venta site builders, always on the 
lookout for bright-colored materials for floors and structure surfac- 
ings, probably saved and used the stone workers’ pecking and polish- 
ing waste, and it is logical to assume that this use came at about the 
same time, or shortly after, a period of considerable activity in dress- 
ing serpentine blocks. 

The next event in the history of the Court was the dumping in of a 
thick layer of massive red, purple and pink clay (g). This fill layer, 
apparently intended to raise the general elevation of the Court area, 
was overall about 15 inches thick. Where this (g) fill came up against 
the platform it covered, and thus protected, the yellow facing. On 
top of the (g) fill rests the “old-rose floor series” (f). These rep- 
resent a stabilized surface for a reasonably long period of time as 
indicated by the large number of colored elements in the series. Just 
west of the platform the old-rose floors (so named because of their 
main color element) are 4 inches thick, and the following sequence 
of colored floors is evidenced here reading from bottom to top: orange, 
rose, tan, white, tan, orange, rose, tan. Elsewhere along the exposed 
wall of the trench the series is similar, though individual components 
may be locally thicker or thinner, or even absent, as though they were 
differentially eroded. We assume that a new flooring layer was ap- 
plied when the existing one began to wear away from water erosion 
or use, and this assumption adequately explains why there are dis- 
crepancies between one spot and the other on the Court surface. 

The old-rose floors (f) which now surfaced the Court must have 
posed a new hydraulics problem to the site builders. Precisely what 
the problem was we cannot tell, but the manner in which the floors 
were laid and their slopes, together with shallow open gutters, pro- 
vides the evidence for the existence and solution of the drainage 
problem. At about the midpoint between the platform to the west 
and the adobe wall enclosing the Court on the east, there occurs a 
north-south running crown or drainage ridge which had the effect 
of draining surface waters either to the east or west where they were 


24 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


collected either in the east drain which ran along the inside of the 
adobe Court wall or in the west drain which ran in a north-south 
direction about 4 feet west of the edge of the platform. This last 
drain was 24 inches wide and 2 inches deep and contained clean coarse 
sand which had settled in it. The further course and exit from the 
Court of these drains is unknown—we did not follow them out be- 
cause of shortage of time, and can only presume that they debouched 
through the south wall of the Court to empty on the surface drift 
sands. 

In the west the old-rose floors (f) run up against the steep front 
of the platform. It is clear that the top of the platform must have 
projected above the old-rose floors, but the height at which its surface 
originally stood is unknown, for the reason that the subsequent (and 
final) alteration of the Court’s surface involved the shearing off 
of the top of the platform. Referring to figure 7, the line marking 
layers (d) and (h) represent the planed off top of the (h) layer, 
but this cutting was apparently done at the end of the old-rose floor 
(f) period in preparation for laying down the massive red clay cap 
(d). In figure 9, component (e) is the old-rose floors corresponding 
to (f) in figure 7. The (e) rose floors are associated with the gray 
sand (d) and light red clay (c) layers. Further east (cf. fig. 7) 
the platform elevation which one would expect to find correlated 
with the old-rose floors (f) is entirely lacking. It would appear, 
therefore, that the preparation for the laying down of the (d) red 
clay layer involved the removal of the platform elevation associated 
with the (f) floors. 

The exact size of the platform composed of the (d) red clay could 
not be determined because while using the bulldozer to remove the 
1942 and 1943 backdirt piles we inadvertently cut off the upper part 
of the red clay elevation. We indicate what we believe to be its ap- 
proximate extent in figure 7. 

After the old-rose floors had been laid and used, and probably just 
before the next major building was started, a large pit (e) was dug 
into the (h) fill of the platform and down to just above the level of 
the cinnamon-brown floor (m). The west edge of the pit cut off the 
front facing (m) of the early low platform. Diameter of this pit 
cannot be determined because a later pit (b) has cut away its eastern 
half. In the bottom of the (e) pit is a 34-inch thick layer of char- 
coal. Such pits containing charcoal were found in other platforms 
(Features A-1-f, A-1-g) in the Court area, and the best explana- 
tion we can suggest as to their function is that they are sites of burnt 
offerings of perishable materials. Although it is not certain, we be- 
lieve the (e) pit to be contemporaneous with the (f) floors and its 
red and yellow clay fill to represent the type of material removed just 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 25 


before the (d) layer was laid down. The great Ceremonial Court, 
by this time (when the old-rose floors (f) had been laid down) was 
no longer an amphitheaterlike area which it had been earlier at the 
time the adobe wall (k) was first thrown up and the Court interior 
was surfaced with the white floor series (i). The successive modi- 
fications of the South-Central Platform (A-1-c), the addition of the 
(g) clay fill and the old-rose floor series ({) had brought the surface 
level of the Court nearly to the height of the top of the adobe wall 
(k), so that in effect what might be considered an “acropolis” or 
broad, flat, elevated platform had been produced (fig. 6). Whether 
this alm was envisaged by the original planners of the Ceremonial 
Court we cannot say, but the probabilities are that this increase in 
elevation of the Court’s surface was not planned for as an eventual 
goal. Our reason for so believing is this: the adobe wall formed in 
effect a screen about 4 feet high behind which the sacred rituals and 
activities took place. If the original plan had been to gradually raise 
the Court level, the enclosing wall would probably have been origi- 
nally made rather higher in order to maintain the element of privacy. 
What actually occurred next in the Court was the importation and 
setting of the great basalt columns to form a palisaded enclosure, 
and there are no indications that such a palisade was originally plan- 
ned for. In other words, the palisade itself or something of the sort 
to produce the effect of an enclosed sanctuary was suggested by the 
open and exposed Court surface which had gradually become elevated 
in the course of time. An alternative to outlining the Court with 
stone columns would have been to build up the adobe brick wall. 
This alternative was not chosen, perhaps for the reason that the cus- 
tom of using such bricks had by this time gone out of vogue. 

When the time came for the next major building program in the 
Court, a layer of at least 12 inches thick of massive red clay (d) was 
deposited over the entire surface of the Court including all of the com- 
ponent features of sub-units A-1 and A-2. This (d) layer runs 
pretty consistently about 1 foot in thickness, but varies in places a 
few inches and shows evidence of having lain exposed and subject to 
erosion. We may suppose that it was originally finished or topped off 
with colored floors, but of these no trace was discovered. From this 
it is clear that the abandonment of the site occurred at the time when 
the (d) red clay component was exposed on the surface. Gradually 
the upper drift sand began to accumulate, and continued to deposit 
slowly to the present day. 

The (d) red clay capping of the Ceremonial Court was contem- 
poraneous with the time of the importation and setting up of the large 
numbers of basalt colums to form the palisaded border of the Court, 
the tomb (Feature A-2-a), and the rectangular enclosure on top of 

431818—59——3 


°6 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


the Southeast Platform (Feature A-1-d) and Southwest Platform 
(A-1-e). A narrow and fairly deep trench (c) was dug to receive 
the columns (fig. 6). At the point where our excavations cut through 
the east wall of the Court, this trench was about 40 inches wide and 
33 inches deep. The trench had cut off the west face of the brick 
wall removing all evidence of the juncture of the various layers of 
the Court fill with the inner face of the wall. The (c) trench was 
dug to the level of the base of the adobe wall, and the row of basalt 
facing blocks (j), long since buried over by later fillings, was redis- 
covered, exposed in the bottom of the trench, and left in place. We 
assume that the trench to receive the columns was dug around the 
entire perimeter of the Court, and that this trench was only partly 
filled with stone columns as detailed earlier in this discussion. In the 
particular section of the Court wall under discussion here (1. e., the 
southern half of the east border of the Court) there is no evidence 
that stone columns were ever set in the trench. It is possible that the 
engineers who planned and executed this terminal renovation of the 
Court ran out of stone columns and used logs as surrogates for col- 
umns. The column trench is now filled with red clay (d), but no in- 
dication of former wooden columns could be detected, and indeed, we 
would scarcely expect any evidence to remain, for as the (hypotheti- 
cal) wooden columns rotted out, the red clay packing would wash and 
settle in the cavity and thus eliminate evidence of their earlier 
existence. 

Exposed in our trench wall was a round pit (b) 5 feet in diameter 
and 60 inches deep which had been dug from the surface of the (d) 
massive red clay fill layer (fig. 7). This pit penetrated down into 
the original (p) fill layer of the Court, and intersected the eastern 
half of the earlier (e) pit just to the west. The (b) pit contained no 
material offerings, and its top held a 4-inch thick layer of clean 
wood charcoal which may have been connected with some sort of 
offering ritual. The top of this charcoal was exposed on the surface, 
and is therefore the latest event evidenced in the entire profile of our 
trench excavation. 

Above the (d) red clay layer was the surface mantle of gray drift 
sand (a) which averaged in the Court area 4 feet in thickness. This 
sand deposit marks the period elapsed since abandonment of the site 
by the Olmec builders. In the opinion of several geologists of Pet- 
roleos Mexicanos who visited the site during the 1955 excavations, 
this sand is derived from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico some 12 
miles to the north by wind action. This upper sand exhibits no 
lensing, layering, or internal stratification. In some areas of Complex 
A, notably just south of the edge of Feature A-1-e (Southwest Plat- 
form) some minor pottery offerings were buried in the upper drift 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Sua nuatery: EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 a7 


sand. These offerings indicate the presence of people on La Venta 
island, but it is clear that these were not the Olmec builders of the 
site. The post-Olmec period at La Venta is discussed elsewhere in 
this report. 

CHRONOLGY 


Referring back to the sequential account of the history of the layers 
and structures exposed in the bulldozed trench, we may now factor 
out the several phases or periods represented by this series (cf. fig. 8). 

Phase I construction began with the removal of the (a) drift sand 
overlying the clay subsoil for the purpose of preparing the Cere- 
monial Court for construction. No doubt the motivation for this was 
to secure a level foundation for the Court. After the loose surface 
sand was cleared off the massive clay block (q) was laid down, the 
sandy clay fill (p) was brought in and dumped over the Court to fill 
the extensive area enclosed by the (q) clay foundation. The (p) 
layer was laid with a grade to enable surface water to run off toward 
the centerline where, it may be assumed, a ditch or drain carried the 
waters off and dumped them on the sandy surface south of the Court. 
With this much preliminary work accomplished, the Court was then 
outlined with the low red clay embankment (n). The effect of this 
embankment was to enclose the Court and make it a finite entity. 
At this point the light-brown, tan and buff “water-sorted” floors 
were laid down, all with a grade of about 6 inches in 60 feet. There 
are a number of these floors, each representing a layer an inch or so 
thick, which were applied to the Court. They could not be counted, 
but the fact that they are present in some numbers indicates a fairly 
long period (presumably several years) when the Court remained at 
this stage of construction. The cinnamon-brown floors (m), and the 
earliest platform fill (1) also belong to Phase I. At this point the 
southern part of the Court was a flat-surfaced area relieved only by 
the low platform mound. 

Phase II here begins with the erection of the adobe brickwork 
wall (k) surrounding the Court. This wall incorporated the older 
Court border feature, the low red clay embankment (n). The inner 
edge of the wall was marked by the single row of basalt facing blocks 
(j), against which there abutted the white sandy floor series (1) 
which ran across the Court to the point where they came up against 
the South-Central Platform (Feature A-1-c) which at this time was 
enlarged both horizontally and vertically by adding the (h) fill and 
offering No. 3. The platform was resurfaced three more times during 
the white sandy floor period. The latest floor surface of the (1) 
series bears a thin layer of crushed green serpentine. 

Phase ITI marks the deposition of the massive red, purple, and pink 
clay fill (g) in such a manner as to rearrange the internal Court 


28 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (Bull. 170 


Wie ae 
(a) 


Phase I 


(1) js 


Phase 1 


Offering 3 


Phase IV 


Ficure 8.—Diagrammatic sketch showing sequence of construction layers in south half 
of east part of Ceremonial Court. (For identification of lettered components, see p. 17. 
Not to scale.) 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 29 


drainage so that the old-rose floor series (f) which cap the (g) fill 
in the east half of the Court drain either to the west toward the 
South-Central Platform or east toward the wall. A pit (e) into the 
top of the Phase IT platform and with its bottom covered with char- 
coal therefore probably marks some sort of ritual offering activity 
in Phase III times. The top of the Phase III platform, which was 
apparently made of red and yellow clay as judged from the (e) pit 
fill, was entirely removed during the next phase. 

Phase IV building involved the lowering of the elevation of the 
platform—i. e., removal of the entire Phase III platform hearting 
and the upper part of the Phase II platform mass, the deposition of 
the massive red clay capping (d) which covered the entire Court, the 
excavation of the narrow trench to receive the basalt columns (c) 
which were imported and placed in Complex A at this time, and the 
digging of a second pit (b) through the (d) deposit into the plat- 
form. The Phase IV South-Central Platform probably was about 
1 to 2 feet high and rectangular, measuring approximately 35 feet 
north-south and 52 feet east-west. 

At this point the site is abandoned and the upper drift sands (a) 
begin to accumulate, a process which presumably has continued to 
the present time. 

In final summary we may relate the various stratigraphic and con- 
struction elements listed above as to their phase as follows: 


PD ANCY Vee a eee Seale See (b)-(d) 
Phase piper es 8 hen bate des (e)—(g) 
12) 1ST), fy] @ Cee One eo as Te (h)—(k) 
JEVAVTVSYe) 7] CE I Ree eee (1)-(q) 


NORTH-SOUTH CENTERLINE TRENCH THROUGH COMPLEX A 


As part of the 1955 excavation program, we reopened and deepened 
part of Wedel’s main trench which ran along the centerline from 
the tomb atop the north mound (Feature A-2) south to the north face 
of the Pyramid (Complex C). We concentrated our efforts on the 
area between the north edge of the South-Central Platform (Feature 
A-1-c) and the tomb. Length of our trench was 169 feet; its width 
varied in accordance with the depth to which local sections were dug 
and the need to batter the walls to prevent cave-ins. 

We have drawn up the profile of the north-south trench through 
the Court area, including in it data recovered by Drucker in 1942 
and Wedel in 1943. This profile, therefore, includes all of the avail- 
able information on structural layering of deposits and location of 
offerings recovered by the several expeditions in the centerline trench 
north of Mound A-3. 

The profile, it should be noted, is drawn with a differential vertical 
and horizontal scale which has the effect of exaggerating the vertical 


30 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


dimension. Further, the profile was so long that it has been cut into 
three sections for the sake of convenience in printing and reference 
by the reader. These are treated separately in the following pages 
and are referred to as the southern section (fig. 9), central section 
(fig. 10), and northern section (fig. 12). 

We are unable to correlate to our complete satisfaction the layers 
recorded by us and shown in figure 7 with those noted by Wedel 
(LY, fig. 15) from whom we have taken the north-south profile of the 
South-Central Platform as shown in our figure 9. The broad phase 
correlation we feel is fairly sound, but the detailed duplication of 
earth layers and floors is more difficult to pin down. 


SOUTHERN SECTION 
(Fig. 9) 


The 1942 and 1943 excavations by Drucker and Wedel had pretty 
much removed the center of a stepped or terraced clay structure 
which Drucker (LV, pp. 28-80) refers to as an “entryway to the cere- 
monial enclosure” or “stile” and Wedel (LY, pp. 39-44, 77, fig. 15) 
more correctly speaks of as a “platform.” The east-west limits of 
this construction were not examined by either Drucker or Wedel. 
The 1955 excavations cut into the eastern half of this structure (fig. 
7), which can now be identified as a multistage platform similar in 
form to, but slightly larger in size than the Northeast and Northwest 
Platforms (Features A-1-f, A-l-g). We have termed this South- 
Central Platform Feature A-l-c. Just to the south lay the broad 
“forecourt” consisting of a flat-surfaced area lying between the ele- 
vated Southwest and Southeast Platforms (Features A-1-d, A—1-e). 

We assign the following letter designations to the layers and con- 
stituents of the southern section of the profile: 


(a) Natural soil deposits: 
Surface drift sands 
Preconstruction drift sands 
Clay subsoil 
(b) Massive red clay cap 
(c) Light-red clay platform surfacing 
(d) Gray sand fill 
(e) Old-rose floor series 
(f) Fill over six-layer pavementlike offering (Feature A-—1-h) 
(g) Red and purple clay fill south of platform 
(h) Mixed sand and clay fills against platform front on north and south 
(i) Cut for pit to contain pavementlike offering (Feature A—1-h) 
(j) Burned layer on top of platform 
(k) Later white floor series 
(1) Yellow clayey sand platform fill 
(m) Earlier white floor series 
(n) Bedded sandy floors ; some burned 


431818 O -59 (Face p. 30) 


purp 

Mofttie 

sand 
5 
4 
3 
2 
| 
(9) 

| G 

SCA 


431618 O-59 (Face p. 30) 


datum "a" (1943) 


Surface drift sands (4d) 


Massive red clay cap (b) 


Mon. |2 Surface drift sands (a) 


Limestone slabs 


"Burned" platform surface (j) 1 
Yellow clayey sand fill (I) \ 


Offering |943-A 


Massive red clay cap (b) 


Mottled pink and white sandy clay platform fill (0) 


Misnvemrenandin. |. (<a — a en ne eee eS 
Sand and 


purple clay fill (g) if (m) (iss fill (h) Earlier white floor series (m) “offering 13 


———— 
=== SSS] bedded sandy floors, some burned (n) 
Mottled pink & white Orange and red sandy clay platform fill (p) {o> = Saas 
sand ay fill (oO 


2 — yo Tan and pink mottled clay block (q) 
— = = = SS Seaver vy oitering 1943-C 
Watersorted floors (ry Tociaer x 


Humus stained sand (a) 


Pit for Massive Offering 3 
a (Feature A-I-h) (i) 


_ Fill over Massive Offering 3 (f) 
4 
Trench filled with 
Sterile base drift sands (a) Thy serpentine blocks 
I 
bay Massive Offering 3 (Feature A-I-h) 
| he 
‘s| 
: LO eS a 
lose Se 5 = 93999 3999HS9SIDHHPPVEFDSLS LS emo 
cS IO OND 0 00D BOO OOD OMmn OOM 
SISOS SHPISSOS OO! | a 
SCALE (feet) es a —— ——) 


SSS SS ee Se 
So Soa =, BOOB OBO S 30 Se0 Seer 
SS SS eae SS 8 Cn SSO ODE ]5E 


Clay subsoil (a) 


Figure 9.—North-south profile along centerline of Complex A which includes South-central Platform (Feature A-1-c) and south half of 
Feature A-1-h (Massive Offering No. 3). (For description of layers and components designated by letter, see pp. 30-31.) 


ra ce an 


+ onorery 


hig Ms dene 
Ye iw clayey 40nd Till £) 


bao bev) 
(ei Hit yvis’ 


stidw 8 dete beliton 
A 4 Ad jncbth 7 


Wry) 210017 batiosisio Ww 


rungs Edited gand (4 


i ce —— ee ee ne 


S200 slaps | 


ep ¢« Sy 


\teet) 3 Ses 
— cere cene aa ileal eee irene Steen gee atl 


VigeEe §.—~N orth-south profle along centering’ of! 
, Peasure A~l-h (Mosvive. Offering No. a). | 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, FXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 31 


(o) Mottled pink and white sandy clay platform fill 

(p) Orange and red sandy clay platform fill 

(q) Tan and pink mottled clay block 

(r) Brown sandy water-sorted floors 

Construction here begins with the laying down of the brown sandy 

“water-sorted” floors (r) (LV, figs. 11, 15, Wedel’s varicolored sands; 
Drucker’s level A, lower part) directly upon the natural preoccupa- 
tion drift sands (LV, figs. 11, 15), which here appear to have not 
been much disturbed since the original humus-stained upper level is 
still present. Charcoal in the upper few inches may represent evi- 
dence of the clearing and burning of the area just before construction 
began. If comparison of the east-west profile of the bulldozed trench 
(fig. 7) and that of the southern end of the north-south trench (fig. 9) 
is made, it appears that the surface of the clay subsoil dips down 
to the west very abruptly somewhere between the centerline and 20 to 
25 feet to the east. The (r) floors which mark the original surfacing 
of the Court interior were then cut through on the centerline and a 
heavy tan and pink clay (q) filled in the excavation. The eastern and 
western limits of this clay are unknown, and toward the north its 
continuation has been terminated by the great cut (i) into which 
Feature A-1I-h was laid. It further appears that this clay feature (q) 
may have originally stood somewhat higher, and that the bedded 
sandy floors (n), some of which are burned, were deposited on the 
basal remnant of the (q) construction after its upper surface had 
been removed to the level of the upper surface of the earlier (r) 
floors. Provided these suppositions are correct, and notwithstanding 
the fact that we know nothing about the original lateral and vertical 
dimensions of the (q) component, we propose that the (q) block is 
the remnant of a simple clay construction, either a simple platform 
or the pediment upon which a monument was placed. Embedded in 
the (q) clay we found three stones which may be part of a larger 
feature which extends into the side walls, or a remnant of some 
earlier construction, or incidental material included in the clay fill, 
though this last seems unlikely since similar inclusions were lacking 
elsewhere in the site. The stones are shown in pl. 4, left a, and consist 
of (1) a light gray basaltic boulder measuring 7 inches long, 11 inches 
wide and 6 inches thick; (2) a dressed serpentine slab (“paving 
block”) measuring 17 inches long, 11 inches wide, and 234 inches 
thick; and (3) an unworked subspherical basaltic boulder, apparently 
waterworn or stream-smoothed, 11 inches in diameter. Under the first 
stone was found a small sherd of Fine Paste Buff-Orange pottery. 
These three stones may have been in some manner associated with 
the possible Phase I Massive Offering to the north (see p. 46). It 
may be noted that these two small basalt boulders are the earliest 
evidence of basalt at the La Venta site (except the monuments of this 


32 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


material which we are unable to assign as to phase). Under the 
center of the Northeast Platform (fig. 16, component (s)) and 
under the north edge of the Northwest Platform (fig. 20, component 
(p)) we noted similar clay remnants, although these three features 
are not all of equal age. The (p) component in the Northwest Plat- 
form appears to be the earliest of the three; the (s) component in the 
Northeast Platform is difficult to date and is either older than or con- 
temporaneous with the (q) component in the South-Central Platform. 
What appears significant in these three clay features, of course, is their 
placement in the immediate vicinity of the loci of the three major 
platforms constructed later within the Court. 

Directly upon the (r) floors was dumped the orange, reddish, and 
white sandy clay (p) layer which was the hearting of the first stage of 
the South-Central Platform. This is the upper part of Drucker’s 
level A (LV, fig. 11) and the lower part of Wedel’s mottled clay 
(LV, fig. 15). The facing of this low platform to which Wedel gives 
a minimum height of 12 inches (fig. 9, top of (p) layer) was the 
second cinnamon-colored layer noted by us in the bulldozed trench 
(component (m) in fig. 7) and which appears as “A” in Wedel’s 
profile of this structure (LV, fig. 11). 

North of the platform at this stage of construction a series of 
bedded sandy floors (n), some of them burned or baked, were de- 
posited on top of the (r) floors and extended up to the front of the 
platform. These do not occur elsewhere, and presumably continued 
on into the Court area to the north, but their extension is impossible 
to determine since the cut (i) to contain Feature A-1—-h removed their 
northern limits. 

The platform is now increased in height about 3 feet by a heavy 
fill of mottled pink and white sandy clay (0) to form a stepped 
platform. On the south edge a fill of the same mottled pink and 
white sandy clay was deposited over the (r) floors to raise the level 
of the area surrounding the platform. Then the white sandy floors 
(m) which covered the Court area were run up the terraced face 
of the platform but not over its top surface. These floors we have 
called the earlier white sandy floors to distinguish them from similar 
ones deposited here a short time later. The platform was next in- 
creased in height about 14 inches with the addition of a layer of 
yellow clayey sand (1), capped with a burned layer (j) and faced 
with additional white sandy floors (k) called here the later white floor 
series. We may interpret the stratigraphy of the South-Central 
Platform to read that the buried offering (Feature A-1-h) dates from 
after the deposition of the (m) and (k) floors. After the digging of 
the pit (i), the offering (Feature A-1-h) is deposited and the 
(f) fill for the pit is loaded in and the work temporarily termi- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 30 


nated, as evidenced in figure 10, before the fillmg is completed. The 
(g) fill of red and purple clay south of the platform is apparently — 
contemporaneous with the (f) fill, although at this point the stratig- 
raphy which is taken from Wedel (LV, fig. 15) is far from clear. 
At this point the later white sandy floors (k) are deposited in the 
area around the heightened South-Central Platform. Then when the 
pit filling is resumed, the later white sandy floors are cut off and the 
(h) mixed sandy clay “buttress” laid up against the north slope * of 
the South-Central Platform, and the (f) fill over the offering com- 
pleted to level the Court area. The platform is again resurfaced, this 
time with a thin gray sand layer (d) and capped with a light red 
clay (c). The old-rose floors (e) are now begun and provide a stabi- 
lized Court surface for some time, being renewed as they faded or were 
worn away (pl. 4,6). The final event is the deposition over the entire 
platform of the massive red clay cap (b) whose surfacing remains 
unknown since this layer was exposed and subjected to erosion after 
the abandonment of the site. 

The pit, filled with upper drift s nds, dug into the surface of the (b) 
layer on top of the platform is similar to others found in and alongside 
both the Northwest and Northeast Platforms. It is_ possible 
that these may be exploratory tests dug by would-be looters fol- 
lowing the abandonment of the site. The fact that quantities of jade 
were still buried in the abandoned site must have been known, and after 
the site was no longer under the protection and care of its guardians 
robbers might well have tried their luck in the platform tops. Indeed, 
one wonders if the locations of the latest offerings may not have been 
marked and thus easily found—we must recognize the possibility that 
some of the (hypothetical) offerings contained in the (b) layer 
throughout the site were removed by looters following abandonment 
of the site. There is, of course, the alternative possibility that the 
priests themselves who were the caretakers of the site * removed the 
latest offerings from the platforms, but such removals (cf. the dis- 
cussion of Offering No. 4) were not consistent with the earlier attitude 
toward such offerings. 


?If there was evidence of such a “buttress”? on the south side of the platform covering 
the (kK) and (m) white floor series this reconstruction would be more defensible. 

’ We have assumed that the La Venta site was under the continual care of a body of 
caretakers whom we believe to have been members of the priesthood. ‘The repeated resur- 
facings of Court floors and platform faces argue for a permanent corps of residents re- 
sponsible for the upkeep of the center. The major rebuilding programs undoubtedly involved 
great numbers of laborers to carry clays and sands and dig pits, and these were periods 
of extraordinary activity. But each of the successive surfacings of the white sandy floor 
series, or of the old-rose floor series, involved the efforts of a number of persons as will 
be readily apparent if we compute the cubic mass of a particular color of clay or clayey 
sand flooring one-half inch thick distributed over the surface area of the Court. We 


have made such a computation, which, though admittedly approximate, amounts to 885 
cubic feet. 


34 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Lying on the red clay cap (b) were found in 1948, along the center- 
line just north of the South-Central Platform, a series of offerings 
(1943-A.), limestone slabs, and Monument No. 12. The location of 
these finds, as well as can be determined from Wedel’s account, is 
shown in figure 9. All of these finds date either from the latest occu- 
pation phase of the site, or from the postoccupation period when the 
drift sand was accumulating. 

In summary the construction phase sequence may be outlined as 
follows: 


Phase IV ... (b) 

Phase III ... (c¢)-(i) 
Phase II ... (j)-(0) 
Phase I... (p)-(r) 


CENTRAL SECTION 
(Fig. 10) 


This portion of the profile of the north-south trench along the cen- 
terline of the Ceremonial Court (sb-unit A—1 of Complex A) includes 
the stratigraphy revealed in the northern half of the pit in which 
Feature A-1-h lay, and the southern half of the mound (A-2) lying 
just north of the Court along the centerline. The A-2 mound profile 
is incomplete, a large section of its center having been removed an- 
ciently by the deep cut for Feature A-2-d, and some of the older con- 
struction features and layers at its southern edge were largely removed 
by the deep cut for the Feature A-1-h offering. We are left, therefore, 
with only a portion of the southern half or one-third of the A-2 
mound constructions in the space between the two massive offerings 
(Feature A-2-d and A-1-h). It may be said, however, that some 
of the earliest constructions in the site were situated here, that par- 
ticular attention was given throughout the entire span of time the 
site was in use to the A-2 mound, and that through most of its history 
it was a prominent surface feature consisting of a terraced platform 
mound, probably square or rectangular in outline. Unfortunately 
since the position of its center cannot now be determined, a reconstruc- 
tion of its probable original dimensions can only be estimated (fig. 11). _ 

Figure 10 is the trench profile extending from about the center of the 
pit containing the Feature A-1-h offering in the south to the southern 
limits of the Feature A—2-d offering pit in the north. The field pro- 
file is somewhat more detailed than figure 10; the simplification process 
consisted of the elimination of minor and local loading layers and the 
like without sacrifice to essential completeness of the stratigraphic 
record. 


431818 O -59 (Face p, 34) 


arbon sample 
M-5 31 


G-4 
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SAR AA SANG ee 
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NN AND NEN AN 


bature A-2-d 7 


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4318618 0-59 (Face p, 34) 


aor Sg d-| 


obser = = a 5 gf LL = 
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lotfering 1; 
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“= a-- --7 


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M-532 M-5 31 


feature A-2-d~ 


Sc COORD OOO 


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55 9 9s BOO SOS OOS SO OSS SSS \\NS N ———__"_ : 
Soe CSS SS SS Sa —] wa SAAN AAS ARS VAN 0 \N\\ WN - 
Nvyys\ \ ANANAN 
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ARREARS SOIR OECD UNO Seale (feet) ae VA 


NVANAN ANS VAAN ANAS Vass vv ay ayan gy § VAN 
¥ s VANS AA AAS APA EORTC 
a 


Figure 10.—North-south profile of north half of Feature A-1-h (Massive Offering No. 3) and south part of Mound A-2 along centerline 
of Complex A. (For description of layers and components designated by letter, see text pp. 36-37.) 


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36 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


With reference to figure 10 the various layers and components 
exhibited in the profile are designated as follows: 


(a) 


(b-1) 
(b-2) 
(b-3) 
(b-4) 
« (e-1) 
(c-2) 
(c-3) 


(c—4) 


(c-5) 
(c-6) 


(d-1) 


(d-2) 
(e-1) 
(e-2) 
(f-1) 
(f-2) 
(g-1) 
(g-2) 
(h-1) 
(h-2) 


(h-3) 
(h-4) 


(h-5) 
(h-6) 


(h-7) 
(h-8) 


(h-9) 


Natural soil formations: 
Upper drift sands 
Preoccupation drift sands 
Clay subsoil 

Red clay capping level 

Trench filled with (b) red clay 

Pit filled with sandy yellow clay and Monument 13 

Pit filled with yellow-brown sandy clay and containing Offering 1943-B 

Cut line for pit containing Feature A—2-d 

Blood red clayey sand underlying layer C-3 and Feature A—2-d 

Thin wedge of reddish-brown clayey sand under northern half of 
Feature A-2-d 

Fill of dense olive and yellowish-brown clays lying over Feature 
A-2-d 

Brown sandy fill in C—1 pit lying above C4 fill 

Yellowish-brown sandy clays with loading lenses of heavy clays and 
sands 

Pinkish-tan sandy clay fill containing a fragment of white sand 
floor with thin purple surfacing layers 

Gray-tan sandy clay layer marking contact of (b-1) and (c-6) layers 

Fill of reddish-yellow sandy clay with some charcoal and black sherds 

Thin gray sandy floors 

Fill of yellowish clay with red and white clay inclusions 

Burned red sandy clay floor on top of (f-1) layer 

Upper series of 7 colored sand floors 

Lower series of 6 colored sand floors 

Cut for pit containing Feature A—1-h offering 

Heavy red and yellow clay retaining wall against preconstruction 
sands exposed in pit wall 

Intrusive trench into (h-2) clay bank containing serpentine slabs 

Heavy sandy clay fill banked up against (h-2) and over north edge 
of Feature A-1-h 

Gray and brown sand fill of (h-1) pit 

Thin banded clean sand and fine clay layers marking deposition in 
depression of unfilled pit 

Ginger-colored clayey sand over (h-6) layers 

Fill of yellow and brown sandy clays over (i-8) floors and (h-7) nit. 
fill 

Pit containing Offering No. 1 


(h-10) Old-rose floor series in Court area 
(h-11) Light-tan surfacing layers capping (h-8) platform fill in mound A-2 
(h-12) Pit containing Offering No. 2 intrusive through some of the (h-10) 


floors 


(h-18) Yellow-red sandy clay 


Get) 
(i-2) 
(i-3) 
(i-4) 
(i-5) 
(i-6) 
(i-7) 


Fill of white and red sandy clays under (i-2) floors 
Thin purple-wash floors of platform mound A-2 

Fill of yellow sandy clay above (i-—2) floors 

Purple floors lying on (i-3) fill 

Fill of olive-brown sandy clay lying on (i-3) floors 
Purple floors lying on (i-5) fill 

Reddish-yellow sandy clay fill lying on (i-6) floors 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 37 


(i-8) Purple floors lying on (i-7) fill 

(i-9) Varicolored sandy clay floors 

(j-1) Tan sandy clay layer with charcoal 

(j-2) Thin-layered salmon-colored sands containing charcoal 

(j-3) Mottled white sandy clay platform fill containing fragments of red- 
white banded and tan-white banded flooring fragments and charcoal 

(j-4) Brownish-gray thin flooring bands on (j-8) fill 

(j-5) Sandy layers (peach, white, yellow) fill laid against painted front of 
(j-4) platform floors 

The sequence of the development of the A—2 platform mound may 
now be set forth, reference to layers and components of the profile in 
figure 10 being to the list which appears immediately above. 

Lying upon the naturally deposited preoccupation sands (a) is a 
thin layer of tan sandy clay containing charcoal (j-1) which appears 
to be the first artificially laid stratum under the A-2 mound. On top 
of this is a layer of uneven thickness (j-2) consisting of a number 
of thin, horizontally bedded salmon-colored sands containing charcoal 
fragments, a sample ¢ of which was collected for radiocarbon dating. 
The fill layer of mottled white sandy clay (j-3) which formed the 
hearting of the earliest platform in the A~2 mound contains not only 
charcoal,® but also fragments of flooring levels about the size and 
thickness of a man’s palm which had been dug up and mixed in as part 
of the fill. Some of these flooring fragments show red-white layerings 
and others are tan-white bands. They must have come from some 
earlier structure or structures surfaced with colored floors, but where 
these earlier structures were is quite unknown. As will be pointed 
out, in the Phase I fill under the Northwest Platform (Feature A-1-¢; 
see fig. 21) were found flooring fragments which, although of different 
colors from these in the early A-2 mound layers, must date from 
approximately the same time.® It is therefore quite certain that 
somewhere in the immediate vicinity there were clay structures (plat- 
forms?) which had been in use for some time, as indicated by the 
several colored layers comprising the floor fragments, and which were 
destroyed when the big construction project involved in the building 
of Complex A was begun. We believe that the remnants of early 
clay structures can also be seen (p) in figure 20 (Northwest Plat- 
form), (s) in figure 16 (Northeast Platform), and (q) in figure 
9 (South-Central Platform). Whether the flooring fragments in 
the fill underlying the A-2 platform mound and the Northwest 
Platform are floors or platform facings cannot, of course, be de- 
cided, but in terms of later La Venta construction these fragments look 
like floors which were laid down to cover a flat area. We are therefore 


*No. M-531. 

5 No. M—532 for radiocarbon dating, 

® Compare M-534 from Northwest Platform with age of 2,670+300 years with M—532 
from A-—2 mound with age of 2,650+300 years. 


38 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


led to believe that pre-Phase I clay structures surrounded by colored 
sandy floors existed either within what was later to become the Cere- 
monial Court enclosure, or in the general vicinity of the La Venta 
site proper, and that when the Ceremonial Court was made these earlier 
structures were destroyed by digging them up and using them as parts 
of the early fill-leveling layers. The fragmentary clay construction 
(element (p) in fig. 20) may be evidence of a pre-Phase I in situ 
platform. 

The (j-3) fill is capped with a series of thin brownish-gray flooring 
bands (j-4) which cover both the flat upper surface and vertical front 
of the platform. The northern limits of this low platform have been 
removed by the (c-1) cut for the A-2-d massive offering, and it cannot 
be determined whether it stepped up or not, though the likelihood is 
that it did in view of later constructions in this area (cf. i-4). 

After this platform was used for a time, fill layers of peach, white, 
and yellow sandy material (j-5) were dumped in the area south of 
the platform front. None of these layers appears to be a laid flooring 
level, and they may simply indicate abandonment of the platform 
and preparatory filling for later construction in this area. 

The next event was the deposition of a thick layer of fill (1-1) of 
fairly compact white sandy clay with loads of pinkish-red clay, gray 
sandy clay, and some charcoal. How the charcoal pieces became mixed 
in otherwise clean fill we cannot say, but it is possible that the (1-1) 
fill is the hearting of some earlier structure judged from its mixed 
nature and consistency. On top of this (i-1) fill were laid a large 
series of very thin bright purple floors (i-2). In aggregate these 
amounted to about 3 inches in thickness, and numbered at least 100 
separate colored layers. The purple layers are very thin, and were 
probably painted on with a brush; a thin colored clay paste was used. 
This series of floors has been cut off at each end and its extent cannot 
be determined. The uppermost (i-1) fill consisting principally of 
reddish sandy clay probably extended originally farther south, and if 
so, the (i-2) floors also originally continued south for some distance. 
The disturbance in this whole section by repeated constructions 1s very 
great, and hinders exact reconstruction of structure forms. 

To avoid unnecessary repetition, it may be indicated here that com- 
ponents (i-3) to (i-8) form a succession of fill and flooring layers of 
the same platform whose dimensions are unknown, but whose south 
face was stepped with low terraces. The (i-9) component consists of 
a series of colored sandy layers which are believed to be the remnants 
of an “apron” extending to the south of the platform mound. From 
top to bottom this series of sandy colored “floors” is: mixed purple 
and brown; tan; orange yellow; yellow; purple and white; tan; yellow. 
As shown below, the (i-9) sandy floorings are equivalent in time 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Heizer, FXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 39 


to the white sandy floor series found through the Court enclosure. 

The next major event was the excavation of the great pit (h-1) 
which was to receive the six-layer pavementlike massive offering No. 3 
(Feature A-1-h). This cut effectively obliterated all evidence of con- 
struction features which may have been present in the area just south 
of the A-2 platform mound where the Court floor and A-2 mound 
joined. The excavation for the A-1-h pit began at the level marked 
by the south end of the (i-8) flooring layer and is therefore equivalent 
to the end of the white sandy floor period in the Court (cf. fig. 17). 

After the pit was fully excavated, and before the offering was 
deposited, a thick sloping retaining wall of heavy red and yellow 
clay (h-2) was laid up against the base sands. The probable pur- 
pose of this buttress was to prevent the sand from slumping—a 
distinct possibility due to the overburden of construction layers com- 
prising the southern margin of the A-2 platform mound. We found 
no evidence of a similar retaining wall of clay on the east, west, and 
south slopes of the same cut, probably for the reason that the over- 
burden was not so heavy and the danger of settling was not presumed 
to be serious. After the Feature A—1-h offering was deposited the 
thin cap of clay mortar in which the blocks were embedded was carried 
up against the (h-2) retaining wall. Then, about 2 feet of (h-5) 
gray and brown sandy fill was dumped in over the offering, and 
at this point a trench about 3 feet wide and 214 feet deep was dug 
down around the entire perimeter of the offering. This trench (h-3) 
cut into the face of the (h-2) clay buttress on the north, and through 
the (h-5) shallow fill on the east, west, and south borders of the 
partly filled offering pit. The trench was then filled with finished 
serpentine blocks. Some of the blocks are broken or show minor 
imperfections, but most of them are in perfect condition, so they 
cannot be classed as rejects. They are variable as to size, and are 
probably from some earlier offering or construction. Average dimen- 
sions are 7 inches long by 4 inches wide. It is likely, though we have 
no evidence to support the proposition, that an earlier pavement 
(perhaps a jaguar mask like that in the Southeast and Southwest 
Platforms, or the one found by Wedel and Stirling (LV, pp. 74-75, 
fig. 24) just south of Mound A-3 along the centerline) was situated 
in the area of the pit dug for Feature A-1-h, and that it was torn 
out, the blocks were saved, and were then reburied in the trench 
square dug down over the edge of Feature A-1-h. Since there are 
more blocks in the trench fill than would be needed for a mosaic mask 
of the general size of the ones noted in Features A-1-d and A-1-e, 
the blocks are more probably the remains of a large flat paving like 
Feature A-1-h or A-2-d. Whatever the exact explanation, the 


40 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


strong probability that the trench-fill blocks are re-used suggests that 
they were salvaged from an earlier feature, and the likelihood is that 
this feature originally lay in the area occupied by the A—1-h offering. 

Now that the A-1-h offering was safely in place, further filling 
of the huge pit proceeded. First a sloping bank of heavy sandy 
clay fill (h-4) was banked up over the north face of the cut, followed 
by the (h-5) gray and brown sand fill in the main depression. On 
the north the (h-5) pit fill will be seen to be higher than in the 
central area of the pit, and in this way an inner depression was left. 
At the point where 4 feet of (h—5) fill had been laid in over the offering, 
work stopped for a time and was later resumed. How long this 
interval was, between the end of the (h-5) filling and its resumption 
marked by the (h-7) and (h-8) layers, cannot be said. The interval 
is marked by the (h-6) stratum consisting of clean washed sands 
and bedded layers of fine clays which were deposited by surface 
waters collecting in the depression formed by the partly filled offering 
pit. Thus, the partly filled pit stood open for at least one rainy 
season, during which surface waters collected in the central low spot 
and deposited the 3- to 6-inch layer of stratified waterwashed sands 
and clay colloids. At this time, and apparently before the rains 
started, Offering No. 10, a cruciform celt cache, was placed in the pit. 

The resumption of filling, which we assume occurred as soon as dry 
weather returned, was marked by a second offering (No. 12) over which 
was laid a layer of ginger-colored clayey sand (h-7). This (h-7) 
layer leveled off the central sump even with the higher (h-5) layer 
to the north. Filling continued in the form of the (h-8) yellow and 
brown sandy clays and proceeded until a surface was reached upon 
which the old-rose floor series (h-10) were laid. Offering 1943-—D and 
Offering No. 8 were deposited during the laying down of the (h-8) 
fill. The (h-8) fill was continued to the north to cover the older 
(i-8) purple floors. But before the (h-10) floors were begun, and 
after the (h-8) fill was completed, a pit (h-9) was dug and Offering 
No. 1 was deposited. We had assumed, upon removing Monument 13 
(“The Ambassador”) from the centerline in order to carry on the 
trench in the levels beneath it, that Offering No. 1 was deposited at the 
same time as Monument 13 was set in place, since the offering was 
situated directly beneath the monument. The profile shows clearly, 
however, that Offering No. 1 must be rather older than the point in 
time when Monument 13 was placed in its present position, since the 
pit (h-9) in which the offering lay extended north wnder the old-rose 
floors (h-10). The (b-8) pit is later than the (h-9) pit in which 
Offering No. 1 lies, as indicated by the intrusion of (b-3) into (h-9). 
It seems very probabie that an east-west row of posts, or perhaps slab 
monuments, earlier stood immediately above Offering No. 1 during the 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 41 


period when the Court was surfaced with the old-rose floors (h-10), 
and that when the (b-1) fill was laid down the line of slabs or posts 
was elevated to prevent its being buried. A further inference flows 
from this reconstruction of events, and that is the critical position 
marked by the locus of Offering No. 1 and Monument 13. This geo- 
graphical point apparently marked the juncture of the southern toe of 
the A-2 platform mound and northern limit of the Court floor. In 
this light we can explain with some rationality why Monument 13 
stands here, a point apparently recognized earlier by Wedel (LV, p. 
63). The old-rose floors (h-10) which stretch out to the south over 
the Court floor from the point marked by Monument 13 form a vari- 
able layer ranging from 1 to 5 inches thick of successive colored sandy 
floors (tan, white, rose) of which rose is the most prominent. To the 
north of the point marked by Monument 13 for a distance of just over 
5 feet is the same series of floors, but there are more of them and the 
layer is noticeably thicker. At the northern end they incline upward, 
and terminate against a block of yellow-red sandy clay (h-13), beyond 
which gap they resume again for about 30 inches. The interruption 
and upward tilt of the (h-10) floors here seems to indicate the former 
presence of some material object, perhaps a post or monument, which 
has since been removed. It is quite apparent that the area along 
the southern margin of the A-2 platform mound and the northern 
limit of the Court floor was the scene of considerable activity, and that 
certain features, presumed to be carved monuments or posts, once stood 
here as though to mark off the northern limit of the Court enclosure 
from the rising terraces of the platform mound to the north. The 
platform mound to the north was surfaced with the (h-11) light tan 
colored capping layers in a series of at least three terraces, but what 
lay beyond in the area later cut out by the deep (c-1) pit cannot now be 
determined. 

One final event which occurred during this phase must be noted. 
Offering No. 2 lay in a pit (h-12) which had been dug from a higher 
level. This was made clear by the observation that it was intrusive 
through the lowermost (h-10) floors. The 1943 digging at this point 
had cut away most of the (h-10) floors, and it was not possible for us 
to determine in 1955 whether the offering was intruded through the 
entire (h-10) floor series or only part of them. The problem is a 
minor one, however, since we can be certain that Offering 2 dates 
from the period of the old-rose floors. The remnant of an originally 
larger offering called by us Offering No. 2A consisted of five polished 
celts. It precedes in time Offering No. 2, and was disturbed and partly 
removed by the Offering No. 2 pit (h-12). Offering No. 2A probably 
dates from the end of the period marked by the (h-8) fill just before 
the (h-10) floors were laid down. It is possible that the celts removed 

431818—59——4 


42 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


from Offering 2A by the excavation for the Offering 2 pit were re- 
deposited with Offering 2. 

The series of 13 colored sandy clay floors (g-1, g-2) which total 30 
inches in thickness appear to mark a front platform or “apron” sim- 
ilar to the earlier one called here (i-9). The colors of the (g) floors 
from top to bottom are: reddish-brown, white, reddish-brown, reddish- 
yellow, reddish-brown, yellow, white, yellow-brown, white, red-orange, 
yellow-brown, white, yellow-rose, and red-brown. We distinguish the 
upper 7 floors as (g-1) and the lower 6 as (g-2) because of the dis- 
conformity indicated by the (h-18) component. If these floors were 
a separate terrace level standing between the A-2 mound and the 
Court floor, the (g—1 and g—2) floors would equate with the (e-1) and 
(e-2) fill and floors. We admit the stratigraphy is unclear, but what 
does seem indicated by the (i-9), (g-1), and (g-2) sandy floors is 
the existence of prepared level areas in the junction area of the Court 
and A-2 platform mound. There is no evidence for such an apron 
correlated with the (h-11) floorings of the platform mound, but since 
these would have been in the area cut out by the later (b-2) pit we 
can only propose that they may once have been present here. 

The (f-1) layer of fill of mixed red and white clay was deposited 
in order to resurface the platform mound with the (f-2) floor which is 
a departure from the earlier (i-2, i-4, 1-6, 1-8) purple and (h—-11) tan 
painted or wash floors in that it is a burned red sandy clay surfacing. 
The clay is baked hard, though no charcoal occurs on it, and the pre- 
sumption is that the baking was deliberate. 

The (d-1) fill was deposited after a partial digging away of the 
existing platform mound structure (e-1, e-2, f-1, f-2). This fill is 
a pinkish-tan sandy clay which contained a fragment of white sand 
floor with thin purple surfacing coats. This flooring fragment might 
have come from the (i-8, i-6, i-4, or i-2) floors. It is therefore indi- 
cated that the (c-1) cut for Feature A-2-d (Massive Offering No. 2) 
was made at the end of the (e-2) floor period, and the (d-1) fill is 
some of the backdirt dug from the (c-1) pit; if so, this would satis- 
factorily explain how the purple-coated flooring fragment got in- 
corporated in the (d-1) fill. 

The (c-1) cut is a very deep, near-vertical wall which sliced down 
through all earlier constructions and the underlying base sands to 
reach the clay subsoil. We believe that the entire operation of the ex- 
cavation of the (c-1) pit, placing of the offering (Feature A-2-d) and 
filling of the pit was a single season operation for the reason that the 
exposed sand stratum between (j-1) and the subsoil shows no sign 
of washing or erosion, which it should exhibit had it stood exposed to 
the seasonal rains. The heavy overburden of structural remains above 
the contact of (j-1) and the lower sands must have made such a steep- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
aad'Squler) zl, WXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 43 


walled excavation hazardous at best in the dry season, but the increased 
weight of water absorbed by the clay constructions on top and the 
loosening or washing of the lower exposed sands would certainly have 
led to a caving of the formidable exposure had it been left exposed to 
the rains. Once the pit was dug a blood-red clayey sand (c-2) was 
laid down, and upon it a thin wedge, which tapered off to the north, 
of reddish-brown clayey sand (c-3) was put down, and upon this 
the serpentine block pavement or mosaic was placed. Over the slabs 
was thrown a thick blanket of dense olive and yellowish-brown clays 
(c-4), and above this a “cheap” fill of brown sandy material (c-5) 
which was followed by a yellowish-brown sandy clay with loading 
lenses of heavy colored clays and clean sand (c-6). The uppermost 
level of the (c-6) fill is a heavy red and yellow clay which merges 
imperceptibly into the overlying (b-1) red clay. That the (c-6) and 
(b-1) layers are distinguishable is shown by the thin (d-2) layer of 
grayish-tan sandy clay which marks the top of the (c-6) fill covering 
Feature A-2-d. 

The final major alteration of the site now begins with the deposition 
of the massive red clay cap (b-1) and after this was in place a deep 
east-west trench (b-2) was dug. This trench contained nothing, at 
least in the centerline trench, and we did not follow it out laterally. 
Whether it was intended to hold columns or posts we could not de- 
termine. The projected line of the short east-west rows of stone 
columns running west from the northeast corner of the enclosing 
Court wall and east from the northwest. corner does not correspond to 
this trench. We cannot suggest the reason or purpose for this trench. 

At the point now marking the juncture of the Court floor and toe 
of the A-2 platform mound stands Monument 13. The placing of 
Monument 13 here clearly occurred after the (b-1) red clay was de- 
posited. An earlier trench occupying the position of the (b-3) pit 
may have been dug out, the row of posts or slab monuments removed, 
the trench refilled with yellow sandy clay, and Monument 13 set in the 
yellow sandy fill. Monument 13, therefore, in its present position 
dates from the very end period of the La Venta site. The monument 
itself may be an earlier piece. 

Still further south a pit filled with red clay (b-4) contained Offering 
1943-B. This pit clearly dates from the (b-1) period since it is in- 
trusive through the (b—1) clay, the (h-10) floors, and penetrated the 
upper (h-8) fill of the (h-1) pit. 

Now occurred abandonment of the site. There is no evidence in 
the trench area covered by figure 10 of pit-digging (for looting ?) 
noted in the South-Central and Southwest, Northeast and Northwest 
Platforms. Erosion of the (b-1) red clay set in, and the (a) upper 
drift sands gradually accumulated to protect the clay constructions 
underneath. 


44 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


CHRONOLOGY 


We may summarize the sequence of building activities in the A-2 
platform mound, as illustrated in figure 10, as follows: 

Phase I begins with the deposition of the (j-1) layer, followed by 
the (j-2) fill, continues with the (j-3) hearting of the earliest platform, 
which is capped with (j-4) floors. The (j-5) fill layers deposited 
against the low front of the platform are considered here as part of 
Phase I construction, although they may possibly be the initial activity 
of the Phase II period. Our reason for assigning (j-5) to Phase I is 
that they appear to be, insofar as level is concerned, either a part of, 
or a local equivalent to, the “watersorted floors” found elsewhere in the 
A-1 complex. It is important to note that the (j-3) layer contains 
colored flooring fragments derived from some earlier structure, and 
that it is practically certain that during the earliest construction of 
the Ceremonial Court (A-1) and the A-2 platform mound there were 
existing structures somewhere in the vicinity. These earlier structures 
would, therefore, be pre-Phase I or contemporaneous with Phase I 
activities at the main La Venta site. They are more likely, on logical 
grounds, to be pre-Phase I, since it would be improbable that during the 
period of initial construction in the A-1, A-2 complexes of the main 
site, other structures were being built, maintained, and destroyed at 
the same time. The suspicion is very strong, therefore, that the island 
of La Venta, and somewhere in the near vicinity of the La Venta site 
area itself, there was already established some sort of ceremonial site 
which was superseded by the main La Venta site and that this process 
involved the destruction, in whole or part, of the earlier site. Since 
La Venta is remote from areas of intensive habitation, a fairly long 
period of time may have been spent in the locality by the engineers 
and priests planning and laying out the construction project. If 
several years of planning and preliminary work went into the project, 
and this seems not unlikely, some sort of shrine or temple was probably 
built to serve interim requirements of ceremony and ritual. That 
these constructions may have been fairly considerable ones is indicated 
by the fact that two types of floorings (banded red-white and tan- 
white) are represented in the (j—8) fill. Altogether on the basis of such 
speculation, we propose that the flooring chunks in layer (j-3) derive 
from an earlier ceremonial site in the neighborhood—the tenuous link 
between this hypothetical pre-La Venta site and the main (and later) 
La Venta site proper is pure speculation. 

Phase II begins when the A-2 platform mound was enlarged with 
the (i-1) fill and (i-2) purple surfacing. The (i-2) purple floors are 
very thin, numbering as many as 20 per inch, and it may be assumed 
that the platform mound remained in this form for a fairly long 
period of time. If the colored washes, consisting of very fine clays, 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Sudier] ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 45 


were renewed once a year, the (1-2) surface may have endured for 50 
years or so. The platform mound is then rebuilt and resurfaced three 
more times (i-3 to i-8 fills and surfacings) following the contour 
of the underlying (i-4) surface. The (i-9) apron on the southern 
front of the A-2 mound was deposited during this phase. The (i-8) 
platform mound surfacing is contemporaneous with the end of the 
sandy white floor series found over the Court area. The lack of Phases 
T and II jade offerings can possibly be accounted for by assuming their 
removal in Phases III and IV by the excavation of the (c-1) and 
(h-1) pits. Some of the numerous Phases IIT and IV offerings may 
be redeposited Phase I or II offerings which were necessary to remove. 

Phase ITI is a period of major construction, and is brought to an end 
with the surfacing of the Ceremonial Court with the old-rose (h-10) 
floors. Phase III begins with the (h-1) cut (at the level of the older 
(i-8) platform mound surfacing) for the Feature A~-1-h offering, and 
includes the retaining wall (h-2), block-filled trench (h-3), fills (h—4, 
h-5, h-6, h-7), all elements of the offering pit—the (h-8) platform 
filland (h-11) surfacing, and special components such as Offering No. 
1943-D, Offering No. 1 (h-9), Offering No. 2 (h-12), Offering No. 2A, 
and the (h-18) deposit. The (h-10) old-rose floors bring the phase 
toaclose. Also part of Phase III are the (f-1) fill and (f-2) surfac- 
ing, the (e-1) fill and (e-2) surfacings. 

The (g-2) floors, comprising the fronting “apron” of the A-2 
platform mound are equated with the (e-1) and (e-2) layers of the 
A-2 mound itself. The (h-13) element is considered to be a filled 
pit (or trench?) which contained a post or monument, and which, 
when removed, permitted the deposition of the (g-1) “apron” floors. 
The (g—1) layers are also equated with the (e-1) and (e-2) fill and 
surfacings of the platform mound. These equations of layers, identi- 
fication of the (g-1) and (g-2) sandy floorings as an “apron,” and 
the (h-18) component as a pit or trench which held, during the (g-2) 
floor period, a post or row of upright features forming a barrier be- 
tween the Court floor and the A-2 platform mound are all rather 
hypothetical. But the special features such as pits and trenches 
(b-3, h-18, b-2) and isolated sandy floorings (g-1 and g—2) in the 
area marking the junction of the Court floor and the platform mound 
and abundance of ritual offerings, definitely indicate the area as one 
selected for special attention. Unfortunately we are unable to be 
very precise about the way in which this area was treated by the 
La Venta site builders. 

Phase IV is instituted at the end of the (e-1)—(e-2) fill and floor 
sequence with excavation of the great (c-1) cut into which the Feature 
A-2-d offering was laid. The (d-1) fill is considered to be dump 
material dug out of the (c-1) cut. Integral elements of the (c-1) pit 


46 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


and its fill are the serpentine blocks comprising the offering, and the 
(c-2), (c-8), (c-4), (c-5), and (c-6) components which are capped 
with the thin (d-2) gray clay layer. 

Phase IV here, as elsewhere in Complex A, is marked by the com- 
plete smothering of all earlier construction by a layer of massive red 
clay (b-1). Monument 13 stands in a pit (b-3) dug from the (b-1) 
surface, and there is an unexplained trench (b-2) dating from the 
(b-1) layer, as well as the (b-4) pit containing Offering No. 1943-B. 

One conclusion of considerable significance may now be drawn. 
This observation has to do with the dating of the A-1-h and A-2-d 
serpentine block paving offerings. A-1-h (the six-layer block offer- 
ing) dates from the very beginning of Phase III, and A-2-d dates 
from the very beginning of Phase IV. The equivalent Phase II 
offering is the Southwest and Southeast Platform substructures. This 
suggests that each major rebuilding phase at La Venta was begun with 
a massive serpentine block pavement offering. If this is so, one 
wonders where the Phase I serpentine block offering is, and we suggest 
that it is now to be seen in the (h-3) serpentine block-filled trench 
dug down around the edge of the A-1-h offering, the blocks being 
those which were removed by the deep excavation (h-1 in fig. 10) 
which dates from Phase III. Since no stratigraphic evidence of a 
pit which may have once contained this hypothetical Phase I offering 
was noted by us, we assume that it lay along the centerline within 
the area occupied by the later (h-1) pit. It would thus have been 
somewhat smaller in surface area than the A-1-h offering. Being 
forced to rip out an earlier dedicatory offering, the Phase III 
renovators were presumably impelled to redeposit the Phase I massive 
offering blocks in a ritual manner in its original locus. 

In summary, the correlation of layers and components shown in 
figure 10 with phases are: 

Phase TVs. Ve! le eee se SA (b-1)-(b-4) 
(c-1)—(¢-6) 
(d-1)—(d-2) 
nase gplilese! &s 2 So sue Se ae ene (e-1)-(e-2) 
(f-1)-(f-2) 
(g-1)-(g-2) 
(h-1)—(h-13) 
Phases iis Fee rents Seeds a (i-1)—-(i-9) 
PASE y Toone ett ete ee A ee ee ee (j-1)-(j-5) 


NORTHERN SECTION 
(Fig. 12) 


Figure 12 details the stratigraphy of the northern end of the 
north-south trench and covers the area along the centerline occupied 
by the deeply buried A-2-d serpentine block offering, the crest of 


(9p "d a0egq) 65- O BIBIEF 


one 


a 
= 
7 
al 
Ps 
— 
——VS 
- 
on 
i 
Te 
: 
1 


: qi wy fa fiery ih 
Las | ARs Frat ae 


io 


vr 


ire on 
a 


i 


431818 O -59 (Face p. 46) 


Complex A 
{datum plane 


— (1955) 


1942 
trench 


(b-1) \ 


ee 
— fu2 
hell 
h-8 ‘ 
yi: 1955 trench (stratigraphic 
i) ing detail not recorded ) 


a 
1955 excavation 
limits 


Rough sandstone 
| block 


(9) 


“A 


x 


% ww 


Vertical and 
horizontal midpoint 
of A-2-d pit 


Base sands / 
(a) 


5S BS ae 
Scale (feet) 


Feature 


1 
A Re ee ee sedemiacly Seat atabeltoas We dant saver 
< Nareee je eee Waasasthoane 24 ks ANA 


IEE CE EIA 
NVA 


——- —, 
a Sa NNN aN ROS 
Ge CCCCST COLT VITIATTIET ECCT eIt ts —— MAN ASN VN ENN AN VRB 
\j VANS AY MERC OOo tay CELTIC ETTTUUN UA CASAS VERA AY 
AUS NVASS SCANS Sigs VASA VAGUS UNSO OTS GN AN SD EGR YN 


‘ 


as 


\ 
WANA AAA AN AN MANNAN ANY AN ON 
\  \* 


\ Wah advyas v\ 
\ NAN ANN \ \ \ wurwriyhiy 
VANS ASAN ARENAS VICKS NS yy Rite ec COUN hi EN AR 


Vvyvan 
wy 


Clay subsoil 
Figure 12.—North-south profile of Feature A-2-d (Massive Offering No. 2) and north part of Mound A-2. 


cA) 


Monument 24 


* A te. Sedna | 
on wileeowrrra fehee neyo ta rae ea elder ie tem epeapamante seater Te aint Suan 
aad)? (\-d) — 


/ (S-b) tua (1-9) to spon, 


ee 


ee - 


” ee 


BH) 


je jer San ESS , eterno 1 alt... 


Ste a 


TITS TITY ; 

fyg if ean {7 

Cf Pf tft vs if, Try oS ‘a Why Pei Wy 
/ hae Ui Li hdd, ffi PIAS Sf Sif; hfs) “ff mT Yy 


-S3t8i8 O=33 These B 4c} 


Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 47 


the A-2 platform mound in whose uppermost levels were recovered, 
in 1942 and 1943, the elaborately decorated sandstone coffer with lid 
(Monument 6) and the basalt column tomb (Monument 7) and the 
north slope of the A—2 platform mound in which was found Monu- 
ment 24. 

At the outset of this discussion it should be noted that the bull- 
dozing of the airstrip just north of Complex A had not only com- 
pletely removed the northern toe of the A~2 mound but also disturbed 
the upper levels of the A~2 mound between the airstrip and the tomb 
(Monument 7). Our excavation here, which consisted of a shallow 
trench along the centerline north of the tomb structure, was hampered 
by standing water from February and March rains, and was difficult 
to interpret because of the disturbed stratigraphy. Lack of time, 
and pursuit of stratigraphic data in the main trench south of the 
tomb did not allow us to return to our earlier trench excavation north 
of the tomb, the result being that the precise stratigraphic record of 
the A-2 mound layers immediately north of the tomb was not re- 
covered. At no place in this trench did we reach the preoccupation 
base sands. As may perhaps be admitted by the reader of this report, 
the stratigraphy of the Complex A-1 at La Venta was complicated, 
and much of our energy was devoted to an attempt to correlate levels 
in the several areas of the main Court where we were digging con- 
tinuously with sections of the labor force. Not all significant data 
were recorded, and we did not clearly see at the time the excavations 
were being conducted, that certain areas should have been studied and 
recorded in detail—the trench north of the tomb in Mound A-2 is 
one of these neglected areas of importance, as is the strip running 
east and west of the point marking the juncture of the A-2 platform 
mound and the Ceremonial Court. For these lacunae in the infor- 
mation we admit responsibility, and say only that we did the best 
that we could at the time. 

The various layers, and components of the northern end of the 
centerline trench as shown in figure 12 are designated by letter and 
number in the list below. Designations of layers and components 
occurring in figure 12 which have been previously listed and which 
also occur in figure 10 retain here those designations. 

(a) Natural soil formations: 
Surface drift sands 
Preoccupation gray drift sands 
Clay subsoil 
(b-1) Red clay 
(b-5) Gray sandy clay-filled pit dug through (b-1) layer 
(b-6) Gray sandy clay-filled pit dug into (b-5) pit fill 
(b-7) Like b-5 
(c-1) Cut line for pit containing Feature A-2-d (Massive Offering No. 2) 


48 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


(c-2) Blood-red clayey sand underlying layer (c-8) and Feature A-2-d 

(e-8) Thin wedge of reddish-brown clayey sand under southern half of 
Feature A-2-d 

(c-4) Fill of dense olive and yellowish-brown clays lying over Feature 
A-2-d 

(c-5) Brown sandy fill in (c-i) pit lying above (c-4) fill 

(e-6) Yellowish-brown sandy clays with loading lenses of heavy clays and 
sands. Uppermost parts are massive sandy red-yellow clay. 


(d-1) —(d-2) 

(e-1) —(e-2) 

(f-1)— (f-2) : } 
(h-8), (h-11) See preceding text section and fig. 10 for details 
(i-1) —(i-8) 

(Gal) —(I4) 


The A-2-d feature has been treated earlier as to its relative time 
of deposition. It will be recalled that this massive offering marked 
the initiation of Phase IV construction, and that it represents a 
continuation of similar practices known for Phases II and III and 
probably for Phase I. We were unable, on account of the tomb 
(Monument 7) standing on top of the A-2 platform mound on the 
centerline, to carry our north-south trench beyond the point indicated 
in figure 12 for fear of undermining the massive and weighty construc- 
tion. In order to find the east-west and north limits of the (c-1) 
cut we widened the trench at the level of the (i-8) purple surfacings 
in order to track the upper edge of the cut line. This we did success- 
fully, and determined the exact dimensions of the edge of the (c-1) 
cut. Assuming the inclination of the east, west, and north sides of 
the cut conform to that of the south wall, the dimensions of the bottom 
of the cut and of the offering were calculated and are shown on 
figure 12. 

In the lateral extensions of the main trench at the level of the 
(i-8) surfacings, we encountered several large, round steep-walled 
and flat-bottomed pits which had been dug through the (b-1) red 
clay capping layer. These pits were filled with a gray sandy clay, 
and partial excavation of the (b-5) and (b-6) pits yielded no ma- 
terial items. So far as present evidence goes they do not seem to 
have been offering pits. The three pits noted west of the centerline 
(b-5, b-6, b-7) were matched by similar ones on the east of the 
centerline. In the small remnants of A-2 mound mass left undis- 
turbed and lying between the (c-1) cut and the (b-5) and (b-7) 
pits (and their opposite numbers lying just east of the (c-1) cut 
edge), we noted that the purple surfacings, presumably extensions 
of the (i-4), (i-6), and (i-8) purple layers, were present. Beyond 
the midpoint of the tomb no exact record of stratigraphy was made, 
and we know only that purple surfacing layers for platform tops oc- 
curred as far as 30 feet north of the tomb. Vague though these data 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, PXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 49 


be, they seem to indicate that the purple-surfaced platform mound 
was an extensive one. Our reconstruction of its probable size and 
contours is shown in figure 11. 

It has been shown earlier that the (c-1) cut, the offering (Feature 
A-2-d) contained in it, and its several fill layers (c-4, c-5, c-6) pre- 
cede the laying down of the (b-1) massive red clay cap which else- 
where in Complex A-1 (Ceremonial Court) is the main stratigraphic 
component of the last building period (Phase IV). 

Monument 6, the stone coffer, was found by Drucker and Stirling 
in 1942, and Wedel notes (LV, p. 62) that this stone object was placed 
“in or on a more or less structureless fill, and then covered with red- 
orange clay.” The fill referred to by Wedel is identifiable as our 
(c-6) component, and his red-orange clay is undoubtedly our (b-1) 
clay layer. The dividing line between these is marked by the thin 
(d-2) layer which was not noted by us as covering the entire surface 
of the (c-6) fill layer. Disturbance of a formerly continuous (d-2) 
layer could have been caused at the time Monument 6 (the stone 
coffer) and Monument 7 (the tomb) were placed, or (d—2) could be 
an incidental byproduct of the deposition of Monument 6. Layer 
(d-2) is of chief significance in marking the unconformity between 
the (c-6) and (b-1) layers which, by the time we excavated in 1955, 
were somewhat disturbed by the earlier digging in 1943. 

In the fill of the pit containing the A-2-d offering were recovered 
Offering 9 and, directly opposite it, Offering 11 (in the c-5 layer), 
Offerings 1942-C and 1943-F (in the c-6 layer), and a rough un- 
worked sandstone chunk measuring 21 by 14 by 6 inches lying in 
the (c-6) layer. This sandstone block had no apparent relation to 
anything above or below it, but deserves mention because it is a de- 
liberate inclusion in the fill. The sandstone is similiar in color, 
hardness and texture to the material from which Monument 6 is 
made. It occupies the nearly exact position of the midpoint, verti- 
cally and horizontally, of the (c-1) pit, though the exact spot (indi- 
cated by the + in fig. 12) is slightly lower and just to the south of the 
rough sandstone piece. 

The stone coffer (or coffin?) denoted as Monument 6 rests on the 
centerline precisely over the midpoint of the A-2-d pit—a clear indi- 
cation of relationship between Monument 6 and the A-2-d offering 
itself. The south half of the tomb (Monument 7) rests on the upper- 
most (c-6) fill layers, and the north half sits on the older and un- 
disturbed stratigraphic layers comprising the (j-1) to (e-2) series 
shown to the south of the (c-1) cut line. 

To the north of the tomb in our abortive trench was recovered 
Monument 24 which lay at the same stratigraphic level as (f-1), 
though whether in actual fact the (f-1) layer ran this far north as a 


50 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


continuous stratum we are unable to state. It does, at any rate, be- 
long to the pre-(b-1) red clay period. 

After the stone coffer (Monument 6), the stone column tomb (Mon- 
ument 7), and Offering 1942-A inside the tomb were put in position, 
the red clay capping layer (b-1) was laid on, and in the process the 
1942-D offering and stack of stone columns (Feature A-2-b) were 
deposited just south of the tomb. 


CHRONOLOGY 


The older deposits, presumably correlated with the stratigraphic 
series extending between (j-1) and (e-2) are not specifically recorded 
in the area north of the intrusive (c-1) cut for the A—2-d offering, 
though, as mentioned earlier, the uppermost purple surfacings which 
are probably the (h-11, i-8, and i-6) elements are known to be present 
alongside the (c-1) cut and the tomb, and in the area north of the 
tomb. These structural-stratigraphic components would comprise 
Phases I-III. 

The (c-1) pit with its offering and fill layers (c-2 to c-6) are all 
classifiable, as detailed in the preceding section where the central 
section of the north-south centerline trench (fig. 10) is discussed, as 
marking the first activity in the A-2 platform mound of Phase IV. 
Phase IV also encompasses the deposition of the two major monu- 
ments (Nos. 6, 7) and their enclosed offerings, the pile of stone 
columns between the tomb and the stone coffer (Feature A—2-b), the 
1942-D offering, and the enclosing and covering (b-1) red clay cap, 
as well as the latest activity evidenced in this area in the form of the 
large steep-sided circular pits (b—5, b-6, b-7) which were dug through 
the (b-1) layer and filled with a gray sandy clay. 

It occurs to us now that there may be a series of offerings in the 
presumably undisturbed levels in the area north of the north half 
of the tomb. Pre-Phase IV dedicatory caches would have been re- 
moved by the deep centerline pit in which Feature A—2-d lay. 

In summary we have: 


PhaseswnVes so en eee eee Eee (c-1) — (b-7) 

ae a Presumed to occur in same order as outlined in preceding 
section of this report. 

Phase I 


NORTHEAST PLATFORM (FEATURE A-1-f) AND COURT FLOOR WEST 
TO CENTERLINE 


Not long after the excavations were begun at La Venta in 1955 
we added to the labor force, appointed an additional straw boss, * 
7A comment here may be worth while. ‘The basis for raising one of the regular work 
crew to the status of straw boss was his ability to work steadily, his agreeable nature, and 


our guess as to how he would exercise his authority to keep the work moving. Almost 
without exception these men who were popular individuals and hard workers, when picked 


Drucker, Heizer, 
gad Suulerl, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 51 


EXCAVATED 


Ficure 13.—Plan of Northeast Platform (Feature A-I-f) showing location of profiles. 
A-B, Shown in figure 15; C—D, shown in figure 16. (Not to scale.) 


bought a dozen more wheelbarrows and shovels, and began to clear 
off the 4 feet of surface drift sand which covered the north portion 
of the eastern half of the Ceremonial Court. The upper sands were 
loose and easy to shovel and wheelbarrow away, and before long we 
had reached the top of the red clay cap which was now known to us 
as the last exposed surface marking the abandonment of the building 
program and utilization of the site. 

We were careful to leave exposed the somewhat irregular surface 
of the red clay which gave every appearance of having been sub- 
jected to erosion before the protective mantle of drift sand began 
to accumulate in quantity. As the sand removal progressed the work- 
men encountered a low clay-covered ridge with a major north-south 
axis lying just inside the east wall of the Court. The sand over- 
burden covering the north slope of this flat-topped ridge was not 
removed, but by projecting the visible angle of slope we derived the 
figure of the structure’s length as 54 feet and its width as 22 feet 
(fig. 13). The line of the south slope where it merges with the Court 
surface is just south of the point where the southernmost stone column 
on the east wall of the Court stands. The sides of the structure rose 


as straw bosses suddenly became afflicted with extreme lassitude and were reluctant to 
volunteer any reprimand to their erstwhile equals for goldbricking. Among other reasons 
for the display of such attitudes was the simple one of self-preservation. A reprimand 
by the straw boss can easily lead to resentment, and ultimately to a grudge, with the 
result that the straw boss some dark night might be bushwhacked with a Collins machete 
by the aggrieved worker. ‘The end result was that so long as Drucker or Heizer was 
present and relayed directions through the straw boss all went well, but when neither of 
us was present the work was likely to lag measurably. No doubt all Mesoamerican ex- 
cayators have similar or special observations to make on this point, but the matter of 
running a large crew with efficiency is one which requires particular accommodation to 
the local culture pattern, and can be learned only by first-hand experience. 


52 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (Bull. 170 


at a steep angle (45°) to the flattened top, thus producing what might 
be called a linear truncated pyramid, though more accurately de- 
scribed as a flat-topped platform with sloping sides rising 3 feet above 
the surrounding surface of the Court. 

Visible in the top surface of this platform were three pits, two 
of these (indicated as A and B in fig. 14) being about 30 inches in 
diameter at the top, 24 inches deep, and filled with gray drift sand. 
The center of pit B lay 18 feet from the south end of the platform, 
the other pit (A) the same distance from the north edge of 
the platform. The slightly larger pit located at the north end of the 
platform is discussed below in connection with figure 15. ‘The mathe- 
matical placement of pits A and B encourages the opinion that they 
were dug in these precise spots for a particular purpose. It is pos- 
sible that a wooden column or post stood in each, though we found 
no evidence to support this idea. Both the eastern and western edges 
of the platform had been disturbed by dug pits (fig. 14), there being 
three on each side which cut back into the sloping sides of the plat- 
form. These pits are 3 to 4 feet or more in diameter at the top, 
but reduce in size at their bottom which is about 24 inches below the 
Court surface. These pits, like the two in the upper surface of the 
platform, were filled with loose drift sand. It is possible that these 
pits once contained some perishable material, possibly wooden posts, 
which in the course of time after abandonment of the site gradually 
rotted out and were filled with the upper drift sand. A second pos- 
sible reason for the pits is that at these points ritual offerings (of 
jade?) were originally placed, and at the time the site was abandoned 
the priests dug these up and carried them away. If this were the 
case, it would involve the further assumption that only the more 
recent ritual offerings were thus removed, since our excavation of the 
platform revealed a number of valuable offerings which had not been 
disturbed. The possibility that these several pits are assignable to 
the time of the abandonment of the site, or shortly after, is enhanced 
by evidence of postabandonment activity in the form of several piles 
of well-finished rectangular serpentine blocks found lying in the lower 
levels of the upper drift sand in the Court area just inside the east 
wall (pl. 5). One such pile containing about 150 blocks (random 
sampling gave average dimensions of 4 by 9 inches) lay embedded in 
drift sand 6 to 12 inches above the red clay surface of the Court floor 
in the bulldozed trench 6 feet west of the brickwork wall. Further 
north, at 5 feet south and 11 feet west of the northeast corner column 
of the Court wall and lying in the gray upper sand at a depth of 
40 inches, was a neatly stacked pile of serpentine blocks varying in 
size from 6 to 12 inches wide, 11 to 14 inches long, and 2 to 314 inches 
thick (pl. 5,@). This piling obviously was deliberate, and took place 


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EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] 


54 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


after a foot or so of drift sand had accumulated on the Court sur- 
face. About 20 feet south of the pile just described was a third 
accumulation of serpentine blocks (pl. 5, 6, c), but different from both 
lots described above in that these were all broken. ‘They appear to 
represent a pile of discarded and useless fragments, the leftovers 
of a salvage project involving the prying out of some quantity of 
serpentine blocks from their original position and the sorting of these 
blocks into piles according to size and completeness (i. e., reusability), 
at a time not long after the abandonment of the site by the latest users. 
But a fairly long time lapse between the abandonment date and the 
serpentine block removal project is indicated, because the surfacing 
of the uppermost red clay fill had eroded, and a foot of drift sand 
had accumulated in the Court interior. We doubt that this rifling 
of the serpentine blocks was contemporaneous with the several pits 
in the top and edges of the A-1-f platform—the latter seem older, 
though we cannot produce evidence for this impression. 

Although this discussion of possible explanations for the dug pits 
associated with the platform is largely speculation, we should mention 
three more hypotheses. All are possible; none seems probable to us. 
The pits could be vestiges of original open pits for the receipt of 
offerings. We feel this improbable, because such pits could act as 
sumps and for much of the year contain water. Second, the pits could 
be holes originally holding wooden columns, across which beams were 
laid and rafters set to form a gabled roof arcade covering the central 
part of the platform. Since there is no other evidence in the entire 
La Venta archeology which might be interpreted as indicating the 
presence of wooden structures, we are understandably hesitant in sug- 
gesting that this possible interpretation be considered very seriously. 
A final theory to account for the 6 pits along the eastern and western 
margins of the Northeast Platform involves the suggestion that 
stone columns of the type which border the Court were set up here 
originally and later removed. Wedel in 1943 (LV, p. 60) noted an 
isolated north-south row of 6 upright basalt columns lying between the 
east edge of the Southeast Platform (A-1-d) and the enclosing wall 
of the Court which here (LV, fig. 14) lacked columns. We cite 
Wedel’s observations (LV, p. 61) to show that isolated rows of stone 
columns did occur in the Court area, but we know nothing about this 
particular row as te its association with any now buried structure. 
We consider the possibility that basalt columns once sat in these sockets 
alongside the platform as unlikely, but again this is impressionistic and 
the matter cannot be settled with any evidence at hand. Or, we must 
admit, several possible combinations of circumstances might apply 
here, such as salvage digging (top pits) and posts (side pits). The 
problem of decision rests, we might add, not so much on our technique 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 55 


of excavation as upon the eroded top red clay level which effectively 
obscured details of terminal surface structures and features. Taken 
all in all, we believe that either isolated wooden posts (presumably 
carved and/or painted) sat in these pits on top of or alongside the 
Northeast Platform or they represent the evidence of rifling of late 
period offerings (presumably jade) carried out when the site was 
abandoned and its caretakers either voluntarily moved on to establish 
another ceremonial center or were forcibly evicted by some unknown 
group of successors. 

Our method of excavation of the A-1-f platform was to stake out 
the elevation and dig vertically, leaving one central north-south wall 
for profile control and two east-west walls (fig. 13). After the main 
areas were dug, the center run of the north-south wall was excavated 
to remove several offerings lying near its base. The various layers 
and components of the Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f) are given 
letter designations in the following list, and in the discussion which 
follows, these letters will be used for reference. A final section will 
discuss the relationships of the various layers and components. 


(a) Natural soil formations: 
Surface deposit of gray drift sand 
Preconstruction gray drift sand 
Clay subsoil 
(b) Pits dug from (c) surface in platform 
(c) Red clay fill over Court area 
(d) Old-rose floor series 
(e) Heavy red and yellow clay fill in open pit 
(f) Waterlaid sand lenses in bottom of open pit 
(g) Open pit left in upper part of (h) and (k) fill of (1) pit 
(h) Brown sand with high clay content fill 
(i) Yellow clay platform fill 
(j) Clean white sand lenses in (k) fill 
(kK) Brown sandy fill in (1) pit 
(1) Cut in which pavementlike offering (Feature A-1-h) lay 
(m) White sandy floor series 
(n) Colored plaster facings of second stage of platform 
(o) Yellow and red clay platform fill 
(p) Colored plaster facings of first stage of platform 
(q) Pink mottled clay fill for platform 
(r) Brown water-sorted sandy floors 
(s) Massive red, yellow clay fill of pit under platform 
(t) Pink sand “floor” in (b) fill 
(u) Brown sandy fill 


The description which follows is based upon observations made 
during excavation of the Northeast Platform (figs. 15, 16) and an east- 
west hand-dug trench running from the centerline of the site eastward 
to the A-1-f (Northeast) platform (fig. 17 ). Since the sequence of 
events, as disclosed in the stratigraphy, involves both the floor of the 


56 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


wwe ew ewww ew ew wm we 


; Red clay cap (¢) 
Pit (b) filled 
Red clay cop (c) with (c) clay. Yellow clay till (t) 
Phase I platform 
‘acing 
Old rose floor rep Mar avy yellowicley =~ zea) 1 RU OR ero ae Cea 
Hill (1) nvr 


Yellow and red clay fill (0) 


Phase I platform facing (n) Pink mottled cloy fill (@) 


Bro Sy Fill (k 
Re ATE) Phose I plotferm tacing (p) 


White sandy floor series (m) 


Srowa sondy watersorted floors (r) 


Brown sondy fill (v) 


Basal drift sands (2) 


Ficure 15.—Profile of north face of Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f). 


Court through which the trench passed and the platform, they are 
conveniently discussed together. 

The earliest deposits were laid directly upon the drift sand (a) 
which lies upon the clay subsoil (a). This fill (u) consists of a brown 
sandy laminated deposit which gives some evidence of water sorting. 
The (u) layer has been partly cut out by the great pit (1) dug later 
for Massive Offering No. 3 (Feature A-1-h) as shown in figure 17. 
Between the intrusive pit for the A—1-h offering and the edge of the 
A-1-f (Northeast) platform is a layer not found elsewhere in the 
site which consists of an irregular thin stratum of pink sand (t) vary- 
ing from 1 to 2 inches thick and lying directly upon the (u) com- 
ponent. This may have been either a localized floor, or simply a dif- 
ferent element of the (u) brown sandy clay fill. We are inclined, in 
view of its uniqueness, to class it as part of the (u) layer since it is 
also covered with the (u) layer. The (u) fill deposit is apparently the 
base layer upon which the Court floor and structures were built, and 
may thus be termed the foundation level. General thickness of the 
(u) fill varied from 12 to 18 inches. The surface was fairly even, but 
we did not determine by instrument whether this surface had a drain- 
age slope. 

The next construction evidenced is a small rectangular pit 214 feet 
square and 9 inches deep with sloping sides filled with heavy red and 


57 


EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] 


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431818—59——_5 


58 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


yellow clay (s) as shown in figure 16. Nothing was found in this pit, 
and its purpose is unknown. The top of the clay pit fill is shghtly 
higher than the upper surface of the (u) layer. This block of clay 
may have been a “grade level” block similar to the (q) component be- 
neath the Court wall (discussed elsewhere, cf. fig. 6). Or, this clay 
block may have served as a base or pedestal for a monument, since 
removed. Directly upon the (u) fill deposit was laid the brown water- 
sorted sandy floors (1) which are identical to those described earlier 
(e. g., layer (0) in fig. 6). A surface slope, presumably to provide 
means for drainage of rainwater is evidenced in the (1) floors. Under 
the platform (Feature A-1-f) the (1) layer is from 4 to 6 inches 
thick except at the northern end of the platform where this layer thins 
out to about one-half inch in thickness as shown in figure 15. 
There is thus here a double slope. From a (projected) crown under 
the north central part of the platform the (1) floors slope north toward 
the inner edge of the north wall of the Court and west toward the 
centerline, at which points the water was presumably carried out of 
the Court interior through some system of drains. The first of the 
succession of stages of building of the Northeast Platform was carried 
out before the (1) floors were laid down. This earliest platform was 
formed by dumping in a fill or hearting of heavy pink mottled clay (q) 
and then plastering this fill with thin colored surfacing layers (p). 
On the north face of the platform in its first stage four distinct sur- 
facings were noted; these ran (earliest to latest), white, red, yellow, 
yellow. The colored surfacings on the west side of the platform are 
eroded, and only a thin yellow layer remains to indicate this face. 
The platform was next enlarged by dumping over and around it a 
layer of yellow and red clay (0) which increased the overall length 
and width of the platform by about 2 feet and raised its elevation 
about 1 foot. The top surfacing (p) of the first platform was scraped 
off before the (0) fill was laid down. As part of the Court refurbish- 
ing program, the resurfacing of the Court floor with the white sandy 
floors (m) was carried out. These floors overlap the toe of the second 
stage of the platform which was painted or plastered at least 3 times 
with bright yellow clay (n), each of these plastering layers being 
about one-fourth of an inch thick. These three surfacings, like the 
four of the primary platform, indicate a period of stability when noth- 
ing much but resurfacing of existing structures and floors was carried 
out. 

A period of large-scale activity follows this interval of quiescence, 
and is marked by a sequence of events. First, apparently, was the 
excavation of the tremendous pit (1) into which was laid Feature A-1-h 
(the six pavementlike levels of dressed green serpentine blocks). This 
cut was started from the level of the (m) white sandy floors and meas- 


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431818 0-59 (Face p. 58) 


Massive red clay cap (6) 


(White sandy floor series) (@) 


ee 
Brown sandy “water-sorted" floors aS) 


Brown sana fill (u) 


(Q) Reddish-brown sand 


(Pink sand floor) (+) 


Brown sand fil// 


Scale ( feet) 


Heavy red, yellow clay fill 
White Aon ® 


——— ee 


Base sand lying on clay subsoil (a) 


Surface driff sands (@) 


(Old-rose floor series) (g) 


giles Drains). 


Heavy red, yellow clay 


] 0 


offering no. I. 


(Water-laid sand lenses) @) 


Se eee 


SSS SS es 


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SE SSS OSS 


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Massive Offering (A-/-h) 


(SS), > ) Gate = ae Es =) GC ae) Bie) C=) 
Ges) a) SaaS SS SSS ssa CS ea = Sa: 


Figure 17.—Profile of south wall of east-west trench across east half of Ceremonial Court. 


A. 


—-— » —— 


° Mag.) of Complex 


Center 


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Drucker, Heizer, 
aud Squier)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 59 


ures 77 feet on a side. Surface area of the edge of the pit is 5,929 
square feet. The position of this excavation or cut is shown on figure 
4. The cut and its offering (A-1-h) were obviously planned to fall 
in the northern half of the Ceremonial Court. The east line of the 
cut at its level of origin which is the surface of the white sandy floors 
(m) falls on a line 38 feet 6 inches east of the centerline, and the 
west line of the cut lies 38 feet 6 inches west of the site centerline. 
The six superimposed pavementlike levels (Feature A-1-h) which 
measure 63 by 66 feet, and the serpentine slab-filled trench lying 
around the perimeter of the offering have been described elsewhere 
(pp. 39-40). After the offering had been placed in the pit the hole 
was filled by dumping in brown sand with some clay loads (k) until 
about 214 feet of fill was deposited. At this point a trench was dug 
down to the surface of the offering and the trench was filled with 
serpentine blocks. These blocks were not systematically laid, but were 
simply dumped in, and one might speculate at length as to the reason 
for this block-filled trench as well as the source of the blocks them- 
selves. It is possible that an offering pavement of serpentine blocks 
had earlier been placed in the area, was removed by the cut for the 
A-1-h offering, and was replaced in the same general area as fill 
for the trench over the edge of the later offering. 

One element of the (k) brown sandy fill is seen in the flat-lying 
lenses of clean white sand (j). In figure 17 three of these (j) lenses 
are shown, and it is obvious that they are an integral element of the 
A-1-h offering pit fill. The largest of these lenses was exposed in 
the trench running west of the Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f), 
and is of particular note for two reasons. First, Offering No. 4 was 
embedded in this clean white sand (figs. 16, 17), and must have been 
placed there at the time the sand lens was being laid down. Second, 
the western toe of the third stage of building of the Northeast Platform 
was built on the top of this particular sand layer (j). Thus we have 
up to this point the following sequence of events: a period of stability 
when the Court floor was covered with white sandy surfacings (m) 
and the second stage of the Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f) 
was covered with yellow surfacings (n). This period was terminated 
by the digging of the great pit (1) into which the massive six level 
pavementlike offering (Feature A-1—-h) was deposited. The pit was 
then filled with brown sand (k) mixed with some heavy clay loads to 
give it stability. At about the top of the pit the Olmec engineers laid 
in some sizable lenses of clean white sand (j) 6 inches or so thick and 
10 to nearly 30 feet long (width of these lenses was not ascertained). 
Toward the eastern limit of one of these lenses there was deposited, 
presumably as a ritual offering connected with the construction work 
going on, Offering No. 4, and upon the white sand lens (j) was built 


60 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


the western edge of the third enlargement of the Northeast Platform. 
This enlargement added but little, perhaps 2 to 3 feet, in the north- 
south and even less in the east-west surface area dimensions of the 
platform, whereas the enlargement added nearly 2 feet to its height. 
This enlargement (see figs. 15, 16), was accomplished by depositing 
a heavy yellow clay (i) with the effect of encapsulating the earlier 
(second stage) of the platform. Once the third stage of building of 
the platform was accomplished, more fill consisting of a brown sand 
with a high content of fine clay (h) was deposited over the Court 
area in order to form a level surface upon which the old-rose floors (d) 
were then laid. Both the (h) and (d) layers overlap the toe of the 
third-stage platform structure as shown in figure 16. The north face 
of the platform does not show either the (j) or (h) layers—their place 
is here occupied by (1) clay fill. To the west in the east-west trench 
(fig. 17) crossing the Ceremonial Court the (k) and (h) fills were so 
laid down as to leave a sizable pit (¢) which must have remained open 
to the weather for one or more rainy seasons as judged by the thin 
waterlaid sand lenses (f) in its bottom. Why this inner pit (g) 
measuring 32 feet east-west and 3 feet deep was left open we cannot 
tell. It may be that some original plan to use this pit had to be post- 
poned for a time, and the plan was abandoned in the interval. At any 
rate, after the pit had stood open to receive surface drainage waters for 
a season or so it was then filled with a compact red and yellow clay 
(e) whose surface was leveled off to conform with the top of the (h) 
layer and upon which were laid, in the course of time, the succession of 
pink, rose, white and tan colored floors which we have termed the 
“old-rose floor series” (d). Offermg No. 13 consisting of 2 serpentine 
pseudocelts was deposited in the upper part of the (e) clay fill. 
Although we did not run a sufficient number of precise instrument 
levels on the elevation of the old-rose floors where they were exposed 
in the trench between the Northeast Platform and the centerline, 
they appeared to slope westward from the platform and eastward 
from the centerline in this portion of the Court, and this impression 
is supported by the two shallow drains lying 25 and 30 feet east of the 
centerline. 

The last major building program involved here, as over the entire 
area of Complex A, was the dumping of the heavy red clay fill (c) 
whose eroded surface resulted after the abandonment of the site by its 
builders. In the north end of the Northeast Platform is a deep cir- 
cular pit (b) 214 feet in diameter and 31% feet deep dug from the (c) 
surface and filled with red clay (c). The pit contained nothing, and 
we are unable to determine or suggest its purpose. 

After abandonment of the site the severe erosion of the exposed 
red clay (c) surface began, and we assume that there were thus re- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
aid Squier)" EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 61 


moved whatever colored surfacing layers may have once been present. 
In the further course of time the gradual accumulation of aeolian drift 
sands became thick enough to cover the clay structures and thus 
preserve them. 

A number of jade and pottery offerings (Nos. 5-7, 14-17) found in 
the Northeast Platform are discussed below in the section on Offer- 
ings. ‘The location of each offering is shown in figures 14 and 18. 


CHRONOLOGY 


There remains now the need to discuss the relationships of the var- 
ious layers and structural components listed above on page 55. 

Phase I at La Venta in the Northeast Platform and the Court area 
lying to the west as far as the centerline comprises the brown sandy 
fill (u) which was laid on the preconstruction drift sands, the (t) pink 
sand “floor” (which has been considered a part of the (u) fill), and 
the brown sandy watersorted floors (r) which mark the first flooring 
of the Court. The clay-filled pit (s) may predate the (r) floors, 
though this point is difficult to decide since disturbance of normal 
layering has occurred here (fig. 16). Before the (1) floors were laid 
the earliest Northeast Platform was built with a hearting of (q) clay 
and facings of fine colored clay “plaster” (p). This early low plat- 
form stood for some time and marks a period of stability. Offerings 
7, 15, 16, and 17 are doubtfully attributed to Phase I. 

Phase II begins with the enlargement of the early platform by 
covering it with the yellow and red clay fill (0). Then the first of 
the white sandy floor series (m) were laid down, and as they were 
added the platform was resurfaced with the (n) yellow colored clay 
plaster coats. No offerings certainly attributable to Phase II are 
noted in the Northeast Platform. 

Phase III is marked by very extensive work in this central section 
of the Court. This activity begins with the excavation of the great 
pit (1) into which was put the massive pavementlike offering (Feature 
A-1-h). After a few feet of brown sand fill (k) were thrown in on 
top of the offering the trench around the perimeter of the offering was 
dug and filled with serpentine blocks (see fig. 17). Filling of the pit 
with (k) materials continued, and on the east this fill extended out over 
the white sandy floors (k) to come up against the face of the Northeast 
Platform (figs. 15,16). To the west an open pit (g) was left in the 
(ix) fill and this stood open to receive surface water for a short time, 
perhaps a year or so as judged from the thin waterlaid sandy layers 
(f) in its bottom. Toward the top of the (k) fill, layers of clean white 
sand (j) were laid in, and the third stage of the Northeast Platform 
was formed by covering the earlier platform with yellow clay (i). 
Offering No. 4 in the (j) layer can be dated as Phase III. The (k) 


{Bull. 170 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


62 


pete} 2] jo uolvoytyuept 107) 
Ome ens 


(¢}) alvos 


(Gis ‘d oas ‘siaAv] 
*soinjonijs 0} ssuleyoQ jo drysuoreyas Sulmoys Jajus. yZnory} ayord ynos-yWON “wWsopelg isesyWON— sl AANSIY 


(P) 


(2) A (2) 


Drucker, Heizer, ; 
and Squier] ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 63 


fill of the (1) pit is now continued with a somewhat more clayey 
material (h), the open pit (g) astraddle the centerline is filled with a 
heavy red and yellow clay (e), and the old-rose floor series (d) are 
laid down over the Court floor. Five offerings (Nos. 4, 5, 6, 18 and 14 
(?)) are assigned to Phase ITI. 

Phase IV, marking the last building activity in the Court, is evi- 
denced by the covering over the entire area with a layer of heavy red 
clay (c). Whatever surfacing this may have once had has been 
eroded by wind and rain following exposure after the abandonment 
of the site. Toward the north end of the Northeast Platform is a deep 
pit (b) dug from the surface of the (c) layer and filled with (c) clay. 
It contained no offerings or charcoal, and its function is unknown. 
Elsewhere in the top of the platform, and on the east and west edges 
of the platform are other pits whose purpose is equally unknown. 
These pits, 8 in number, have been treated at length earlier in the 
discussion. 

In summary, the relationship of the several layers and construction 
components in the Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f) and the Court 
area to the west are as follows: 


aS Mays se Ses ek Maree te etna s (b)-(e) 
Bhaseriliien ye . el pee este ey as ey (d)-(1) 
ha seule saat SF te (m)-—(0) 
aS @ ine hershey Ne ee (p)-(u) 


NORTHWEST PLATFORM (FEATURE A-1-¢) 


After the Northeast Platform (Feature A-1—-f) was uncovered in the 
east half of the Ceremonial Court and proved to contain jade and pot- 
tery offerings, we measured off the probable position of a similar plat- 
form in the western half of the Court, and cleared off the sand over- 
burden. Our forecast on the size and placement of a western platform 
proved to be precisely correct, but intensive excavation failed to pro- 
duce material offerings in any quantity. As shown in figure 19, the 
platform was dug by us in such a way as to recover profiles. The 
southern third of the platform was not excavated. 

Although the two platforms are similarly situated and of the same 
dimensions, the building stages of the Northwest Platform were more 
difficult to reconstruct owing primarily to extensive disturbance by 
ancient pits dug into its mass. 

Toward the western limit of the Court the original sand surface 
dipped sharply to the west, and this necessitated the deposition of a 
thick layer of fill in order to bring the surface level up to that of the 
remainder of the Court. 


64 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Y EXCAVATED 


Ficure 19.—Plan of Northwest Platform (Feature A-I-g) showing location of profiles. 
A-B, Shown in figure 22; C-D, shown in figure 21; E-F, shown in figure 20. (Not to 


scale.) 


Layers and components which go to make up the Northwest Plat- 
form profile (figs. 20, 21) are designated here by letters to facilitate 
reference in the description which follows: 


(a) Natural soil formations: 
Surface drift sand 
Preconstruction drift sands 
Clay subsoil 
(b) Massive red clay fill 
(ec) Olive clay fill laid against face of (d)—(e) structure 
(d) Yellow and brown painted platform facings 
(e) Light-brown clay platform fill 
(f) Old-rose floor series 
(g) Heavy mottled red and yellow clay fill 
(h) Crushed green serpentine floor 
(i) Fine banded white, purple and brown floors 
(j) Yellow painted platform facings 
(k) Brown clay platform fill 
(1) Yellow sandy clay platform fill 
(m) Water-sorted brown sandy floors 
(n) Soft brown sand fill containing charcoal 
(0) Red and purple painted facings of (p) 
(p) Massive pink and white clay block or “platform” 
(q) Brown sandy fill 


NORTHERN END OF PLATFORM 


The most complete profile from which the history of the Northwest 
Platform may be reconstructed is shown in figure 20. Originally the 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier} ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 65 


Upper drift sands (q 
@) /foor. 


SCALE 
‘foot. 


Yellow, brown 


platform facings @) Pit 


Light brown 


clay (e) 
Heavy red clay (b) 


\\ Old-rose floor series @) 
Brown clay, 
® epee CO ert ee Tee a “6 


eee 


\) 
\ Heavy mottled red, yellow clay fill @) 
\ Yellow painted platform facings @) 
\. 


Yellow sandy Fine banded white, purple, brown floors (white sandy 
cloy fill @) floor series) 


Crushed serpentine floor (h) 


SS <5 


ae 
—— 
= 


Watersoried brown sandy floors ®) 


Soft brown sand with charcoal (n) 


Red, purple facing 


“i Massive pink, while paint layers 


clay block @®) 


Brown sandy fill @) about 8O inches thick 
lying on top of base drift sand. 


Ficure 20.—Northwest Platform. North-south profile of platform edge at north end. 


surface of the sand was much lower here than in the eastern edge of the 
Court, and in order to bring up the level of the surface a brown sandy 
clay fill (q) was laid down. Apparently embedded in this is a massive 
pink and white clay block (p) with sloping sides which bear a few 
thin red and purple painted facing layers (0). Before this (q) fill 
was completed this clay block or platform was fashioned and was ex- 
posed for some time as indicated by the several painted surfacings. 
The top of the clay block or platform has been sheared off, and on top 
of it was deposited another fill layer of soft brown sand containing 
much charcoal (n). The (p) clay structure may have been a pedestal 
for a monument long since removed. This is one of the bits of evidence 
we have of construction prior to the deposition of the water-sorted 
brown sandy floors (m) which are found throughout the Court area. 
The (m) sandy floors lie on the (n) fill and are succeeded by the fine 


66 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Upper drift sands (a) 
Te Pa ek nh Ss 
Red clay cop (b) 


Saarer Olive cloy 


Pink mottled clay 


=— —_— ——— 
Pit filled with es 


LT ed SS 
clay and Shallow pit (no. 3) 


flooring 
trqgmtént 


Pit (no 4) 


L—— 4 
‘Nore 19 i 18 


8 
Red, yellow clay 


Wotersorted sandy floor no) 


““Corbon sample M-530 


Mottled brown, red sandy clay 


Pit (no./) filled with 
mottled pink sandy 


Pit (no.2) filled with mottled 


Burned clay, charcoal 


brown, pink, white, red sandy 


clay fill 
cloy with much charcoal 
Heavy white, olive cloy fill 


Fragments of B-W 
ond R-W floors 


Heavy olive clay, much charcoal @ 


Brown sandy fill (q) tying Carbon somple M-534 
on top of base drift sand 


CURLS ULL me MN a age a 
———— EE 


feet = Ss 


Ficure 2i1.—Northwest Platform. North-south profile at center of structure. 


banded purple, white and brown floors (i) which are the equivalent 
to the “white sandy floor series” noted elsewhere in Complex A. Di- 
rectly upon the (m) floors was built the first stage of the Northwest 
Platform consisting of a fill or hearting of yellow sandy clay (1) with 
the sloping sides painted, as in the case of the Northeast Platform, 
with a series of very thin yellow clay washes (j). 

After the platform was built the white sandy floor series (i) were 
laid down over the Court area, and here, as elsewhere, run up to the 
toe of the various structures. As these floors were renewed from time 
to time, sometimes by changing the colors (white, purple and brown 
are represented here), the platform facings (j) were also renewed. 
The final stage of the (i) floors is marked by a thin, though definite, 
layer of crushed green serpentine. This serpentine layer was noted 
elsewhere (surfacing of layer (i) in figure 20). 

A major alteration of the area was now undertaken with the deposi- 
tion of a thick layer of heavy mottled red and yellow clay fill (g) 
which came up to the surface of the platform formed by the (1) fill. 
The platform was now increased in height about 8 inches by adding a 
layer of brown clay (k), and running up against the face of this clay 
fill which was painted with a yellow wash are the old-rose floor series 
(f). The (f) floors, which are 3 to 4 inches thick, show the following 
sequence of layers: white (earliest), tan, pink or rose, white (latest). 
This second stage platform consisted, as may be seen in figure 20, of 
a very low elevation, much lower in fact than the equivalent platform 
stage in the east half of the Court. 


Drucker, Heizer, > 
aud Squier)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 67 


The next rebuilding involved the laying down of a light brown 
clay platform fill (e) enveloping the earlier platform. The sides of 
this platform were faced with yellow and brown clay washes (d). 

The final alteration comprised the laying up of a dense olive clay 
“buttress” (c) against the toe of the (d)—(e) platform and the cover- 
ing of the whole with the massive red clay cap (b). The term “but- 
tress” is not technically correct, and as used in this connection refers 
to a layer of heavy clay laid up against the sloping front of platforms 
before the common fill was brought in and deposited over the sur- 
rounding area. The purpose of the buttresses here, as well as in the 
South-Central and Northeast Platforms, seems to have been to cover 
and protect the platform fronts, though why such conservation 
measures, if that is what the intent was, were necessary or desirable 
is impossible to say. An alternative possibility is that the olive clay 
(c) layer was deposited over a perishable offering just before the 
massive red clay cap (b) was laid down. We frequently found masses 
of dense olive clay associated with offerings elsewhere in the Court, 
as in the case of Offerings 9 and 11. If such was the case in this 
instance, no traces of the offering remained when the platform was 
excavated. The shallow, unfilled pit in the surface of the (b) red 
clay cap may be a looter’s pit such as found in the other platforms. 


CENTRAL PART OF PLATFORM 


Figure 21 shows the north-south profile of the interior of Feature 
A-1-g. It is difficult to match the layers exposed here with those 
shown in figure 20. The fill or hearting layers ((e), (k), (1) in fig. 20) 
do not appear in the center section, perhaps either because of con- 
siderable disturbance or because the fill materials themselves were 
variable. 

On the base sand is a brown sandy fill equivalent to the (q) layer 
in figure 20, and above this a massive olive clay fill with considerable 
charcoal, some of which was collected for radiocarbon dating.’ In 
this layer were fragments of black and white and red and white 
floors which must have been secured from some structure existing 
locally. These broken floor sections indicate pre-Complex A con- 
structions in the vicinity, but where these lay is unknown. The 
several succeeding layers of heavy white and olive clay, burned clay 
with charcoal, mottled brown red sandy clay, and brown sandy clay 
cannot satisfactorily be matched with the profile in figure 20, though 
they appear to be fill layers underlying the water-sorted brown sandy 
floors ((m) in figure 21). Presumably the water-sorted floors ran 
continuously, but have been partly cut out by later digging and filling. 


5 No. M—534. 


68 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Above the water-sorted brown sandy floors is a layer of red and yellow 
clay fill on top of which lie an 11-inch thick series of thin floors whose 
order and thickness (top to bottom) are as follows: 
Light tan sandy clay, 1% inches thick 
Medium brown sandy clay, 1% inch thick 
Olive sandy clay, 1% inches thick 
Olive sandy clay, 14% inches thick 
Yellow sandy clay, 1 inch thick 
Thin banded light yellow and medium brown layers—6 floors total % inch 
thick 
Thin banded floors in following sequence (top to bottom)—white, brown, 
white, brown; total thickness 4%, inch 
Brownish red sandy clay, 4 inches thick 
Fire-baked clay surface, 4% inch thick 
Pink sandy clay shot with bright yellow sandy clay pellets, 1 inch thick 

Above the floors which seem to have been surfacings of the top 
of the platform is a pink mottled clay fill much like that which lay 
above the jaguar mask pavement in the Southwest Platform, and 
above this the massive red clay cap. 

As may be seen in figure 21 four large pits have been dug into the 
platform. ‘These cover a long range of the time represented by the 
platform, and they are numbered 1-4. In the bottom of pit No. 3 
was a lens of charcoal, a sample of which ® was collected for radio- 
carbon dating. This charcoal may represent evidence of burned of- 
ferings (such as copal, feathers, or the like) in the bottom of the 
pit. No carved stone offerings like those found in the Northeast 
Platform were found here, but in pit No. 3 were found two pottery 
vessels (Offerings 18, 19). 


EAST EDGE OF PLATFORM 


A north-south exposure running along the east edge of the North- 
west Platform is shown in figure 22. 

The stratification is reasonably conformable to that shown in figure 
20, but differs in that there is evidence of two large and deep dug 
pits which interrupt the strata they penetrate. The lower brown 
sandy fill (q) lies on base sand as it does immediately to the west, 
but is here less thick indicating that the preconstruction drift sand 
sloped down toward the west very abruptly between this point and 
the center of the platform about 15 feet to the west. The upper layer 
of clean white sand may be identifiable as the same material indicated 
as (j) in figure 17 which was, it will be recalled, part of the great 
Court-filling project which followed the deposition of Feature A—1-h 
(the six pavementlike layers). The brown sandy clay layer, likewise, 
is probably the same component as (e) in figure 17 since it underlies 


® No. M—530. 


69 


eT, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 


Drucker, Hei 
and Squier] 


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70 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


the old-rose floor series. The old-rose floors (f) are identifiable as 
the Court surface which preceded the deposition of the massive red 
clay cap. 

The two pits in figure 22 are between 2 and 3 feet in diameter at 
the throat and nearly 4 feet deep. The purple painted sandy floors 
(i) which are equivalent to the white sandy floor series in other parts 
of Complex A were laid down at this point while the pits were pres- 
ent. The pits were dug from the surface of the heavy red and white 
clay layer and were used while the purple painted sandy floors were 
accumulating, then filled with mixed brown sandy clay containing 
charcoal and the pit depression (owing to settling of the fill) was 
covered with the final element of the purple painted floors which 
consisted of the layer of green serpentine dust. The pits contained 
no trace of offerings, burning, or any evidence which would lead to 
an identification of their function. That they remained open for 
the fairly considerable span of time during which the purple floors 
were accumulating is doubtful—no settling layers of silt or sand which 
would result from surface water accumulation were apparent in the 
bottom of either. Our supposition is that these pits were the sockets 
for large wooden posts or columns, probably carved or painted, which 
flanked the inner edge of the platform. Whether these were posts to 
support a structure is doubtful since they are so large in diameter. 
We did not check the western edge of the Northwest Platform for 
similar pits, nor did we find evidence of additional pits farther south 
in line with the two noted. If two massive wooden columns did 
stand here, as we suppose, they were not exactly centered along the 
edge of the platform. 


CHRONOLOGY 


Phase I in the Northwest Platform (see fig. 20) comprises the thick 
brown sandy fill (q) resting upon the preconstruction drift sand, 
the massive clay block with painted outsloping sides (p) whose top 
appears to have been truncated in order for the (n) soft brown sand 
with charcoal layer to be deposited. This phase is brought to a close 
by the surfacing of the Court with the water-sorted brown sandy 
floors (m). The possibility that the construction elements (earth 
layers, pits, and clay block (p)) beneath the water-sorted floors (m) 
are pre-Phase I in time is discussed elsewhere in this report. 

Phase IT begins with the building of the first stage of the Northwest 
Platform marked by the yellow sandy clay fill or hearting (1), and 
the succession of fine banded white, purple and brown floors (i) which 
are identifiable as the “white sandy floor series” found widely in the 
Complex A area. As the (i) floors were refurbished from time to time, 
the yellow painted platform sides were repainted with a clay wash or 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 th 


plaster (j). The phase is brought to an end with the final surfacing 
of the (i) floors with a thin layer of crushed green serpentine (h). 
At this particular point in time the platform was bright yellow and 
the Court floor a soft green color. 

Phase III begins in the Northwest Platform area with the deposi- 
tion of about 20 inches of heavy mottled red and yellow clay (g) 
around and against the platform, the addition of a 10-inch brown 
clay (k) cap to the earlier platform (with (1) hearting) whose top 
was now level with the surface of the (g) fill, and the laying down of 
the old-rose floor series (f). Instrument leveling shows the surface 
of the old-rose floors here to be at the same general elevation as those 
elsewhere in the Court interior. The sides of the second stage plat- 
form (with (k) hearting) continued to be surfaced with yellow clay 
washes. Toward the end of the period during which the (f) floors 
were in use and being refinished as they eroded or dulled, the height 
of platform was increased by dumping on a 14-inch cap of light brown 
clay (e) whose inclined sides show two colored surfacings (d), one 
brown and the other yellow. It appears that the reason for this late 
modification of the platform was to correct the elevation of the struc- 
ture whose first top surface (k) was lower than that of its opposite 
number in the eastern half of the Court (cf. (1) in fig. 15). 

Phase IV is the last major modification of Complex A, and here 
comprises the wedge-shaped platform front “buttress” of olive clay 
(c) and the thick layer of massive red clay (b) over the platform and 
Court surface. It cannot now be determined, because of heavy erosion 
of the surface following abandonment of the site by its builders, 
whether the platform front was flat surfaced as in the case of the 
earlier stages; but since the elevation of the platform was preserved 
(pl. 6), it seems probable that its appearance was much like that in 
the earlier stages. 

To summarize, the relationship of the various layers and components 
in the Northwest Platform (Feature A-1-g) is: 


Phase TVs eee Se Se ee ee ee eee eee (b)—(e) 
WhasedUil o- fi wk. od ee oe (d)—-(g), (k) 
Pn ase te see es ee eee (h)-(j), (1) 
TE 1 PEWS (EP CaS 9 ar cae ee pa ag EET ee ate Ye ek Se (m)-(q) 


NORTHEAST ENTRYWAY (FEATURE A-1-i) 


In the northeastern corner of the Ceremonial Court some clearing of 
the drift sand overburden was done, and the enclosing wall of the 
Court was exposed. The corner column was standing, and a row of 
11 upright columns running for 20 feet west of the corner column was 
found. Further exploration to the west of the last column did not 
yield other columns, and the embankment in which the columns stood 


72 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


OOOO EOC OOOO COOOL COOOL TOTO COOCLO ET OO OE FEEL OTE COME OEE AA COOL mm mmm 


OCOCOODDOOO0O Basoa/t 


*—columns 


O 


DENSA SASS NESE RECUR E RR EE CEE CER ER UE CEN CREECH COEUEE 


x 
\ 
VAVVVY VIVE 


Seattered / 
basa/t blocks 


\ 
x 


Northeast 
platform 


~ 


QOOCCOOO0 002 


NASAVAN VANS AAAS VANS VV YN 
. 


L 


Northeast 


entryway Limestone 


ane Qe ra 
al 
0 


Toe of north 


mound (feature 
A-2) 


Ficure 23.—Northeast Entryway. Diagrammatic plan of northeastern corner of 
Ceremonial Court (not to scale) 


sloped down into a depression about 8 feet wide. The outside face of 
the short section of the embankment between this dip and the north- 
eastern corner was cleared, and here were found about 4 feet below 
the surface of the embankment several large rectangular dressed basalt 
blocks which appeared to be the remnant of an earlier continuous row 
of footing blocks set up against the wall slope (fig. 23). Wedel in 
1943 (LV, pp. 48, 77) also noted basalt facing blocks outside the em- 
bankment on the western side of the Court. The termination of the 
embankment and columns indicates that some sort of entryway was 
situated here. 

In the following list small-letter designations refer to layers or 
structural components of the Northeast Entryway (Feature A-1-), 
and in the discussion these various layers and structural features will 


Drucker, Heizer, 
pad Santer) EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 73 


be referred to by their letter designation. <A final section will discuss 
the relationships of the various layers and components. 
(a) Natural soil formations: 
Surface deposit of drift sand 
Preconstruction drift sand 
Clay subsoil 
(b) Charcoal layer lying west of (c) 
(ec) Flat limestone blocks lying in upper (d) layer 
(d) Massive red clay cap 
(e) Stone facing blocks lying in (f) 
(f£) Red clay fillin (g) cut 
(g) Cut through layers (h) to (m) 
(h) White sandy clay floor 
(i) Brown sandy fill on top of (j) 
(j) Old-rose floors 
(k) Yellow and brown stand fill 
(1) Yellow and red floor layers 
(m) Light-brown sand and clay fill 
(n) Purple-brown surfacing on top of (0) 
(o) Adobe brick Court embankment or wall 
{p) Brown sandy water-sorted floors 
(q) Mottled red, brown sandy clay fill 


In this area the original surface contour must have been very low 
as Indicated by a series of auger holes which were put down from the 
bottom of our excavation (which penetrated about 2 feet into the sandy 
clay fill (q)). Above the clay subsoil lay 36 inches of preoccupation 
drift sand, and on top of this 9 feet 6 inches of mottled red and brown 
sandy clay fill (q) which was laid in to bring the level of the Court 
foundation up to the point where the first floors could be laid down. 
These earliest floors here consist of brown sandy water-sorted layers 
(p) about 6 inches thick which occur elsewhere within the Ceremonial 
Court. Upon the (p) layer was built the adobe brick work wall (0) 
which here was roughly measured as being 11 to 12 feet wide and 
standing 3 feet 6 inches high. Since this is the second of two cuts 
made by us through the wall it may be worthwhile to compare this 
A-1-i section with that exposed in the east end of the bulldozed trench 
further south (fig. 6). The differences between the two are these: no 
evidence of the early red clay embankment ((n) in fig. 6) was seen in 
the northeastern corner of the Court; the width of the wall was similar 
in both sections, but the height is greater in the northeastern corner. 
In the latter area we are apparently dealing with the original height 
of the wall since it does not here show erosion or deliberate removal of 
the upper surface but bears a thin colored plaster surfacing (n). It 
appears that in both sections the inner facing wall was fairly steep and 
the outer facing slope was longer and more gradual. In both areas 
the wall was built upon the brown water-sorted sandy floors ((0) in 
fig. 6, and (p) in fig. 24). 


431818—59——_6 


[Bull. 170 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


74 


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Drucker, Heizer, 
ar eeay © EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 75 


After the brickwork wall (0) was built the Court level was raised 
by depositing 12 to 14 inches of light-brown sandy material charged 
with clay loads (m), and on top of this level the builders lay down a 
series of bright red and yellow clay floors (1). ‘These floors were not 
counted, but their number runs to a half dozen or so, and in aggregate 
they are about 4 inches thick. There is no equivalent series of colored 
floors farther south in the east half of the Court, so we assume that 
these floors are connected with some special surface treatment re- 
stricted to the north edge of the Court interior. Here we may note 
another divergence from the usual pattern in the vicinity of the North- 
east Entryway which is the absence of the white sandy floor series 
which elsewhere in the Court lie directly upon the (p) layer. They 
may at one time have been present and were later removed or eroded 
away, though this seems unlikely—it is more probable that they were 
not laid down in this particular area and that their place was taken by 
the (1) red and yellow floors at a higher elevation. With reference 
to our datum level the top of the (p) layer in figure 24 is at the same 
elevation as the top of the (0) level in the bulldozed trench to the south 
(fig. 6)—this is taken as indicating a fairly uniform surface (with a 
slight drainage slope to the west) over the whole of the Court area. 

On top of the (1) red and yellow floors is a 12-inch-thick yellow and 
brown sand fill (k) which is capped by a 1-inch thickness of several 
successive old-rose floors (j), a tan sandy floor (i), and a white sandy 
clay floor (h). These three flooring zones, (j)—(h), are probably all 
to be considered as a unit which appears elsewhere throughout the 
Court (cf. figs. 6, 7,17) as asingle series. In detail the sequence of 
colors, the thickness of individual floors and total thickness of the 
series, and so on, varies from place to place, and these variations are 
attributed by us to differential weathering (while exposed) as well as 
to possible different color combinations in different areas of the Court. 
Given more time we could have worked out these chromatic differ- 
ences, but Squier was primarily occupied with instrument mapping, 
and Drucker and Heizer had to supervise the crew which might be 
scattered out over the site in a half-dozen gangs, and at the same time 
make notes and draw profiles. Under the circumstances we feel that 
we were fairly successful in securing the main sequential history of 
Complex A, and admit and excuse our inability to answer particular 
questions such as the one concerning the precise, areal-stratigraphic 
distinctions in the old-rose floor series. 

We assume that the (h) floor originally ran up to the brickwork 
wall (0), and that the intrusive trench (g) which was dug from the 
(h) surface removed the floors against the wall, together with the 
underlying (i)—(m) layers encountered in the pit. There is no ap- 
parent reason for the (g) cut, and it may be suggested that this 


76 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


narrow trench which ran across the west face of the wall was dug in 
order to salvage a row of dressed rectangular basalt blocks which may 
have originally run north-south at the base of the brickwork wall and 
rested on the top of the (p) layer. Although there is no evidence of 
the former presence of such stones, they did occur in this relative 
position at the base of the inner slope of the wall where we sectioned 
it in the bulldozed trench (cf. fig. 6). It is possible that the (g) pit 
cut away the original west-facing terminus of the brickwork wall, the 
only evidence for this suggestion being the absence on this face of the 
purple-brown surfacing (n) which does occur on the top surface of the 
wall. The (g) pit was filled and the top and sides of the brick wall 
covered with a tight red clay mixed with considerable charcoal and 
plain sherds (f), suggesting a source from some habitation dump area. 
In the surface of this (f) pitfill and against the slope of the west face 
of the truncated wall were set three rows of carefully dressed basalt 
and serpentine blocks (e) which give the general effect of dressing up 
the terminus of the wall (pl. 7; fig. 23). We are guessing that a 
ground-level entrance to the Court from the north could have been 
situated here, although there is no direct evidence at hand to warrant 
the precise use of the term “entryway.” The general surface of the 
Court lay at the elevation of the surface of the (h) level. The upper 
row of 11 blocks may originally have extended farther to the north 
and south (pl. 7). Below these lay 11 of the common dressed rec- 
tangular basalt blocks laid end-to-end on edge like those found as foot- 
ing blocks against the base of the brick wall in the bulldozed trench 
(fig. 6), in the Southwest Platform (Feature A—l-e) and elsewhere 
in the Court area (LV, figs. 13, 16, p.47). The third row lay flat, and 
consisted of 16 chipped basalt blocks of a type which occurred at vari- 
ous places in the Southwest Platform (Feature A-l-e). At about the 
center of this lowermost row one block was lifted about 8 inches 
above the rest, as may be seen in plate 7. The upper row of serpentine 
blocks vary from 91% to 14 inches long, 614 to 1214 inches wide, and 
134 to 314 inches thick. The middle row of finished basalt blocks are 
more uniform in size, and run from 193% to 2134 inches long, 714 to 914 
inches wide, and 35% to 514 inches thick. The bottom row of chipped 
basalt blocks average 121% inches long, 814 inches wide, and 3 inches 
thick. 

The terminal building stage is marked here, as elsewhere through 
Complex A, by the addition of the massive red clay (d) which covered 
over the three rows of stone blocks (e). Beginning a few feet west of 
the middle row of blocks (e) and extending to a point 11 feet’ west is a 
double row of six large stone slabs (c), five of them white limestone 
(pl. 7). The row is 4 feet wide and 9 feet long, lying on the (d) red 
clay. The northwesternmost stone is of gneiss or green schist measur- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
wad Sauer] -"’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 77 


ing 22 by 14 by 5 inches, and may be part of Monument No. 22, judging 
from the identity of material and the remnants of carving on one sur- 
face. Immediately west of the double row of flat slabs is a heavy bed 
of charcoal (b) * of undetermined extent resting on the (d) red clay 
which is here burned to a brick orange from the action of the open 
fire. The row of slabs (c) sit on the edge of what may be called a 
parapet, for just to the south the surface of the red clay (d) drops 
about 1 foot. The (d) fill, therefore, was thicker at this point in the 
line of the embankment in order to preserve the outline of the inner 
Court rectangle. Just to the west of the (c) slabs the edge of the north 
mound (Feature A-2) is encountered. 


CHRONOLOGY 


The following sequence of phases or periods of construction activity 
for Feature A-1-i may be suggested. 

Phase I construction began with the filling of the low area on top 
of the preconstruction drift sand (a) with the deposition of the mottled 
red and brown sandy clay fill (q). Onthis surface was then laid down 
the brown sandy floors (p) with a shght grade to the west in order to 
provide drainage of the interior of the Court. The presumption is 
that both halves of the Court drained toward the centerline and the 
waters were there collected and carried out of the Court interior—this 
is pure hypothesis since we did not note any central conduits. 
Whether the low red clay embankment found in the wall section at the 
east end of the bulldozed trench is present here we did not determine. 
We believe that it is present, and, if so, it would belong to this phase. 

Phase IT begins with the erection of the adobe brick wall (0) which 
was topped with a thin purple-brown clay plaster (n), continues with 
the deposition of the sand and clay (m) fill and is concluded with the 
laying of the yellow and red floors (1). This exact series of layers is 
not duplicated elsewhere in the Court for reasons which we do not 
understand. 

Phase III begins after the period of stability marked by the (1) 
floors with the laying down of the (k) fill which is capped with the 
(j), (4) and (h) old-rose floor series. These floors were then chopped 
out by a trench (g) dug just west of the end of the (0) wall; a fill of 
red clay (f) was thrown in the pit, leveled to the west with the sur- 
face of the (h) floor, carried up over the top of the (0) brickwork wall, 
and in the surface of the (f) fill were set the three rows of stone blocks 
(e). How long this arrangement endured cannot be told, though 
apparently not for very long since the old-rose floor series was never 
resurfaced. 


10 Sample (No. M-533) collected for radiocarbon dating. 


78 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Phase IV is marked by the overall coverage of the Court with a 
tough red clay layer (d) whose supposedly finished surface has eroded 
away without any trace. The double row of large flat stone slabs (c), 
five of white limestone and one a section of gneiss or schist broken 
off a larger finished monument (No. 22?), was set on the surface of 
the (d) clay. The site was then abandoned and left to the forces 
of erosion which caused considerable weathering of the surface until 
the upper drift sands (a), here about 48 inches thick, became deep 
enough to protect the clay surface from direct exposure to the ele- 
ments. Large open fires which left a bed of charcoal (b) appear to 
have been built just to the west of the row of limestone slabs shortly 
after the abandonment of the site by the Phase IV builders. 

In summary, we may relate the various layers and structural com- 
ponents in this section of the site as follows: 


Post-phase sy. 2o. 0) he 2 2 AN is Sy aes (b)-(a) 
Ba seniycncnuty cay De ee ae aD ek Ree Ue Ae se (c)-(d) 
Paseo eh: Wiis a Tet ee ES a es (e)—(k) 
pha Seyi tert kia eh ae SN seat ded oa es a (1)-(0) 
ISIS ln cee eden ee ne ah ee es ne ete Se ee (p)-(q) 


SOUTHWEST PLATFORM (FEATURE A-1-e) 


The feature was situated in the southwestern portion of Complex 
A-1. It intersected the southern edge of the Complex between the 
center and southwestern corner. Prior to excavation it was marked 
by what appeared as a rectangle of basalt columns, some of which had 
obviously slumped out of their original positions (pl. 8). These col- 
umns protruded above the modern ground surface from 1 foot to 3 
feet. There was a total of 34 columns in more or less vertical posi- 
tion; 13 along the north edge of the feature; 8 along the east side; 
and 7 along the west side. In the approximate center of the south 
side of the feature there were 6 columns standing. The remainder 
of the south side lacked standing columns owing to ancient removal 
or erosion. These columns marked off a rectangular area approxi- 
mately 19 feet north-south by 23 feet east-west (fig. 25). If our 
measurements were correct, that is, if the columns we believed to 
mark the ends of the row on the north side had not been moved from 
their original position, the structure was slightly smaller than the 
companion feature A—1—d, whose interior measurements Wedel (LV, 
p. 50) gives as 20 feet 8 inches (6.3 m.) by 25 feet 7 inches (7.8 m.). 
It was difficult to determine the exact dimensions because of slippage 
along the southern ends of the east and west sides and along most of 
the south side. There was a definite slope of the surface of the upper- 
most clay layer. It is probable that this slope, which amounted to 
approximately 1 foot in the 19 feet of surface within the enclosure, 


Drucker, Heizer, 
DriGauier} ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 79 


Gaal} 


Row of columns 


'S is drift sand 
§ ‘ ely 
SIN 


Zi 
oma A [ 


G5 ayo? 
<ere ening 4 Of 


=) GD Column "steps" 


Camere) aio) SL 
here Le eS} 
Feet 


Ficure 25.—Southwest Platform. Plan view showing standing basalt columns in approx- 
imate original position (solid black) and facing blocks (hachured) of Phase IV. 


was mostly the result of erosion after abandonment of the site. Sub- 
sequently in the course of our excavations many pieces of columns 
were found in positions along the south side and in the southeastern 
and southwestern corners which might indicate that some of the stones 
had eroded out of their original places and rolled part way down the 
slope. 

At the time of the clearing, and prior to our excavations, the feature 
was covered with grayish sandy topsoil to approximately the same 
level as in the other parts of Complex A. 

One of the first problems which we attempted to solve was whether 
the rectangular columns had been set up to face outward or inward. 
Any evidence pertaining to this question not only would be of in- 
terest in our final interpretations but naturally would have a certain 
effect on our attack on the feature. The basalt columns used in the 
structures at La Venta tend to have one side naturally wider and 
flatter than the rest, although always somewhat irregular. These 
wide flat faces were in many cases made more regular by grinding. 


80 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


The columns which had retained their original vertical positions in 
all cases had these improved flat faces turned outward. Corner col- 
umns on the southeast, northeast, and northwest corners showed two 
ground-down faces on adjoining sides of the columns, which were 
faced outward. This evidence, combined with that of the facing 
blocks on the outside of Feature A-1-d (LV, p. 50) indicated clearly 
that the structures were built to be viewed from without. 

Our method of excavation of Feature A-1-e was determined in part 
by our knowledge of the structure (based on LV, pp. 31, 49-59), and 
in part on the problems which we wished to resolve. We knew the 
following about the feature: 

A. It faced outward 
B. It consisted of several layers, at least, which from top downward were: 
a cap of massive red clay, a layer of adobe brick, and massive clay fill 


C. These layers probably overlay a mosaic of serpentine blocks on a pre- 
pared foundation like that found in A—1-d in 1943 


We did not know: 


A. The external form of the structure 

B. If the anticipated mosaic wouid be similar to, or different from, that 
found in 1943 

C. The size and form of the foundation 

D. The structural and chronological relationships of A-l-e with other fea- 
tures of the Complex 


With the aim of excavating in such a way as to be able to determine 
the foregoing points, we laid out a set of wide trenches entirely around 
the perimeter formed by the basalt columns, with the general plan 
of driving in against the structure in arbitrary levels, determined prin- 
cipally by convenience in handling the large quantities of earth to be 
moved, then excavating the feature itself to the depth of the exterior 
trench, and repeating this process until we got to the bottom. We were 
of the opinion that this attack on the structure would give us the infor- 
mation we wished about its form, its contents, and its relationship to 
other parts of Complex A. This approach meant of course that we 
would have to remove the stone columns, but we were prepared to 
accomplish this. 

As the excavation progressed downward the need for runways, 
ramps, and shoveling platforms forced us to reduce the size of the 
trench around the feature. From an early stage in the excavations 
we left a stratigraphic control wall (pl. 12) running from north to 
south a little more than halfway along the east-west line of our 
excavation. The north wall of our excavation was kept inside the 
northern edge of the structure so that it too would give us a strati- 
graphic section across the feature in the east-west direction. 

In most general terms, our work indicated that when completed and 
in its final stage the feature was a small rectangular platform, sur- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 81 


mounted by a rectangle of basalt columns, rising a few feet above the 
finally prepared surfaces of the general interior of the Court just to 
the north, and overlooking a long narrow depression to the south, 
which is now filled with drift sand to very nearly the same level as 
the top of the feature. The feature consisted of a series of artificially 
constructed layers, which are distinguished from one another by 
substance, color, and form of material of which they are composed. 
Each layer is considered to have been a structural entity. There were 
other structural entities as well, including the pit dug to contain the 
base of the feature, walls, and components consisting of special types 
of fill. Each of these components will be listed briefly, and then de- 
scribed in some detail. Only after this has been done will their struc- 
tural and other relationships be discussed. We believe that certain 
individual layers represent construction phases laid down at times 
when the entire feature was refurbished and enlarged. Certain other 
layers represent surfacing materials chosen to produce some desired 
visual effect ; several such layers were sometimes laid down in a single 
construction phase. In the following list, small-letter designations are 
given the layers and components (figs. 26, 27) for convenience of 
reference. 


(a) Natural soil formations: 
Surface layer of gray drift sand 
Preconstruction gray sand 
Clay subsoil 
(b) Massive red clay cap (this and all the following components are 
artificial) 
(c) Old-rose colored floor series 
(d) Reddish-yellow sandy clays with small white clay particles 
(e) Brown, yellow, and orange floor series 
(£) Yellowish-red clay fill 
(g) White sandy floor series 
(h) Adobe bricks in clay mortar 
(i) Mottled pink clay fill 
(j) Olive-colored clay layer and serpentine block mosaic 
(kx) Olive and blue clays with rough stone blocks 
(1) Miscellaneous fill between clay-and-stone base and subsoil 
(m) Wall-like fill of specially colored clays 
(n) Pit into natural soil formation, and retaining wall against sand 
overburden 
(0) Buff and brown sandy floor series with suggestion of water-sorting 
(p) White, brown, and red-brown clayey sand fill 


(a) Surface layer of gray drift sand—This is a layer of soil that 
blankets the entire Complex, filling depressions and masking low eleva- 
tions. It consists of grayish sand which at the surface is slightly 
darker, apparently being humus stained. It is fairly fine, light, and 
noncohesive. In the course of our excavations we found at various 
points fragments of basalt columns, and other stones used in the struc- 


82 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


tures, which had eroded out of their original positions and slid or 
rolled down onto the sand. Frequently, several adjacent pieces could 
be observed to be lying at different levels, suggesting that the sand 
deposit was building up gradually ever since the abandonment of 
the site. We believe this sand to have been brought by wind since 
we cannot account for it in any other way. We also found this sand to 
contain artifacts and other evidences of human activity referable to 
a “post-Olmec” occupation. This layer of draft sand varied in depth 
from a few inches to approximately a foot over the uppermost 
structural layer of Feature A—1-e. 

(a) Preconstruction gray sand.—In various parts of the Com- 
plex a grayish sand of fine texture was found to underlie the struc- 
tures. This same situation occurred around the margins of Feature 
A-l-e. Immediately under artificial man-made deposits the sand 
tended to be dark as though it retained a certain amount of humus 
material. Below the apparently humus-stained zone it graded 
rapidly to a gray color. This sand could not be distinguished in color, 
or any other respect, from the gray drift sand that covers the present 
surface of the entire site. As a matter of fact, to the south of the 
feature where it seemed reasonable to assume that the postoccupation 
drift sand might be directly superimposed on the earlier preconstruc- 
tion sand, we were able only with great difficulty to distinguish be- 
tween the two levels, and to define a contact zone. Our assumption, 
therefore, is that both sand deposits actually represent parts of the 
same natural process of soil deposition accidentally interrupted in 
places by the constructions of the site builders. In other words, the 
sand deposition probably continued throughout the occupation of 
the site and after it. 

(a) Clay subsoil(s).—At the lower margin of the gray sand was 
found clay subsoil. There was in places a relatively thin layer of 
compact sandy clay, brown with a faint purplish tinge in color. We 
are not certain whether this represents a remnant of an old soil for- 
mation, or whether it is a zone developed in place from the more 
extensive clay formation which underlies it. This latter clay which 
we encountered at various points in the course of our excavation is 
a massive compact yellow clay, which appears to contain a small 
amount of sand which has grayish and rust-colored streaks through- 
out. The pit dug for the construction of the foundations of Feature 
A-1-e cut through a thin layer of the purplish-brown clay, and in the 
yellow clay were gray- and rust-colored streaks. 

(6) Massive red clay cap—This was a clay layer, apparently de- 
liberately chosen for its color since it was quite uniform in this respect, 
which was from 10 to 20 inches thick over the top of the feature. It 
was quite obviously applied not only to renovate but to enlarge the 


431818 O -59 (Face p. 82) 


SiGa/e 


Clay subsoil 


(feet) 


3 
a 
i 
$ 
° 
: 
2 
3 


eee OO Columns a igs 
ae , oe 
Ss Cy (a) Drift sand 
Limestone (b) Red clay cap 
(a) (a) 4— nodule 
a f i , \ 
Surface drift sand =o Sess. a be CARR 
(b) Red clay cap el 
facing 


(c) Rose floors 


Red clay Ac) Rose floors | 
q 
- Surface 


—— ae DOM z= <a =e C— ne aa | Te \ Lay. "e 
== ej ee, E Lae spall 
oe a 
™ Tp A 


(h) Adobe platform 


DIGCKS > ZI =O Cee 


( 


g) White floors 


Lower facing blocks 


(i) Mottled pink clay fill 


y-Caliche’ layer — fF —— 


Marker" wall 
(j) Olive clay and Jaguar mask mosaic 
ST 
(a) pi pi 
Basal drift sands ODDCOMPSRCO = 
Sosa oMteoo Sa oaePe DIABRADO OOOO D BABWAI HOODOO 
DTONRDBAS BROGASBABADSSS BAGS OALS DQADDGRCGL&O 
(OBS = 

BROOSEA SR SS TAS OSCR SOS ASSES 
SREARSSESSaes 2485 CSO OSS Sa 54S 

mAh 00O080eao QDSOADOADCAL GER O04°2S38S 
SUaORaAASBO DODOOCHQVC2SSAPISSS a 
BS BASES SAREE SE RR OES CASO aS 

(eo) ace> Sr eG 
Cc i 9 OCS OS ase eS one oS aaa aan AD 
lay subsoil iat ala ae ae So OO Clay subsoil 
AOA SDeOaga SO ee Platform of SDADDOSI9D DQ 
(a) ea ee Co 28 courses 0f 4 RQOAOADAS (a) 
ees A) SSeS rough stone blocks OSS PLS BEE 
Sa Se Tee ae setin olive and = osmH aS 6 8 10 
ee a ee oe = blue clay matrix Tale a NS  ——=— 
~ ols OM ABCOoa <> aooQ Scale (feet) 

28S BER O CPP REA JAAS SSR ASKS ESS SOm 
SBS Sam Aaa SS ISS SOOO A CODA5RO?IAS (ps) 


\) 
\) 
\) 


(a) Clay subsoil 


Ficure 26.—Southwest platform. North-south profile through center showing structural features. 


- 
- 
z 


At A Por tn av Tae ie 


eve oct 5 ak AW. wi. TAS i 


a y 
 —— ee See eeabets 
proteasome 
Rae ee eee 


a 


- a ’ ! 
Fi aaa —— 


(p} 
ebnpa ttird lnane 


¢ 4 
iy >? Dw woud Cag 


(Bld «@ nn = 


: y Py a a 
jioedue2 yold | 
jemi 
| (0) 
/ 
9 ee om ; 


— 
a 


i 
= 7 ‘ / 
pe rg en ecto “ mre MMC TROP a 

ave 
ot ome i, 
I i a 
; i : 
'. fl 

} 


Ai OC -Aeee 


7 mn 5 ic iT i, } i " | ig te ad . 
" Naev iiss) pall . opie | ie its 7 Aaa® re an ie OE 


Drucker, Heizer, = 
gaeqaier] EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 83 


structure. This was indicated by the fact that its horizontal dimen- 
sions were larger than those of the layer immediately beneath it. 
Its north-south dimensions were approximately 34 feet—that is to 
say, it extended 8 or 10 feet to the southward of the south row of 
columns. It seems highly probable that this area to the south of the 
columns originally consisted of a series of descending wide steps. 
Since this structural layer formed the last surface which was exposed 
to erosion from the time of abandonment of the site until it was 
finally buried by the gray drift sand, it was severely damaged so that 
its original form was impossible to ascertain. The east-west dimen- 
sion of this layer was probably about the same as the north-south 
one. As remarked previously, the surface within the enclosed rec- 
tangular columns dipped markedly to the south. It seems probable, 
however, that its original surface was level, or very nearly so. We 
have made use of the highest elevation of this clay layer as a reference 
point in describing depths of other components of the structure. We 
do this being aware that the original height of the clay layer may 
have been greater, but it certainly could not have been less. 

This clay layer was specifically associated with the basalt columns. 
These columns are naturally formed and of various lengths. ‘They 
have been considerably broken, sheared off by cleavages at approxi- 
mately right angles to the long axis. We are of the opinion that most 
of this breakage may have been caused by fires when the site was 
used for milpas after abandonment by the builders. The longest 
column in the feature was 7 feet 10 inches in length. In cross section 
the columns are irregular pentagons. Their maximum diameters 
range from 12 to 20 inches. We counted 153 pieces, large and small, 
in and around Feature A—l-e (including several large columns near 
the southeast corner which were arranged like steps, to be mentioned 
later, and a row of column fragments which extended to the east from 
the northeast corner of the feature and which rested entirely in the 
upper layer of drift sands (see fig. 25, pl. 9, 6) and therefore represent 
a post-Complex A activity). By a very rough compilation the total 
length of the columns and fragments comes to about 400 linear feet. 
If we use 1 square foot as a working average for cross sections of the 
columns, and we believe this to be conservative, at an approximate 
weight of 180 pounds per cubic foot of basalt, we get a total of 72,000 
pounds, or 36 tons of basalt, used in this one small feature of 
Complex A. 

The vertical columns were set up in pits dug into and, in most cases, 
through the bright red clay cap. In clearing the columns for removal 
(pl. 9, @) we were able to observe that the bases had been set at differ- 
ent levels, which implies that an attempt was made to level off the 
original tops of the stones. The vertical columns were set fairly close 


84 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


together in rows, but not making contact along their edges. Spaces 
a few inches wide could be observed even between columns which ap- 
parently had not been moved from their original situations. Outside 
the rows of columns and against their bases, horizontal columns were 
placed two high (pl. 10). These stones were probably for decorative 
purposes. The vertical columns were set too deep (the maximum depth 
noted was about 4 feet) in the compact clays for them to need support. 
Most of the columns, particularly on the north and east sides of the 
feature, penetrated into the layer of adobe brickwork under the red 
clay. 

Along the outside of the feature, about 7 feet to the south of the 
southern edge of the row of columns, at a depth of 614 feet below the 
reference point at the top of the present red clay surface were three 
lots of small waterworn nodules of compact white limestone. These 
ranged in length from 6 to 8 inches; in width 21% to 4 inches; in thick- 
ness three-fourths to 1 inch. They were laid flat with their long axes 
in an east-west direction, the outer edges forming a fairly straight hori- 
zontal line. There were three or four of these nodules at approxi- 
mately the center of the structure (these were dug out by curious 
visitors to the site after working hours before they could be measured 
in). There were 10 more in the southeastern corner, and 5 not nearly so 
regularly placed in the heavily eroded southwestern corner. AI] these 
lots lined up to form a fairly straight east-west line on a horizontal 
level. It seems probable that the edges were originally exposed to 
view, perhaps at an angle of steps descending the south side of the 
platform. 

There was a very definite association of this same type of dense white 
limestone with the red clay cap in another part of the feature, and 
also in other areas of the Complex. Within the red clay cap, just 
inside the north row of columns, there were a number of large water- 
worn pieces of limestone just below the surface and close to or touching 
the columns. In one case a piece of limestone lay directly under the 
base of a column. The largest of these pieces was 19 inches long by 12 
inches wide by 6 inches thick. Four others were approximately a foot 
long, and the smallest was 6 or 7 inches in its maximum dimension. 

On the basis of our information about this final level we can make 
some assumptions as to the appearance of the Feature A—1-e at this 
time. It must have been a small rectangular platform at least 3 feet 
higher than the surface of the court just to the north. A neat rectangle 
consisting of vertical columns surrounded by a double row of horizon- 
tal ones covered most of the platform surface. On the south side it 
descended either in a slope or, what seems more likely, in a series of 
steps for somewhere between 6 and 8 feet to the sandy area in front 
of the structure. Perhaps associated with such a series of steps were 


Drucker, Heizer, 
pid Sadler)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 85 


three basalt columns resting on the red clay surface at the southeast 
corner of the structure (pl. 9,5). These were arranged like steps, with 
the lowest member to the south like those found by Wedel (LV, p. 60) 
along the centerline at the south edge of the Ceremonial Court (fig. 4). 
We may presume that a similar series of basalt column steps was 
placed at the corner of the Southeast Platform (Feature A-1-d) ; 
the 1943 excavations of that structure did not extend far enough 
to the south to expose them if they are there. 

Another type of material associated with this last phase of structure 
under consideration were blocks of stone which for want of a better 
name we designated “facing blocks.” There were three types of such 
blocks used at various times during the occupation of the site. Two 
of these types were used in this red clay cap period, and since they 
are both in all respects identical to two of the earliest used types, it 
seems highly probable that they were dug up and reused. One of these 
types consisted of long, narrow, well-shaped rectangles of basalt with 
all sides carefully squared and ground smooth. A typical block of 
this kind, on the basis of measurement of a small series, measured 19 
inches by 91% inches by 484 inches. In the series measured the largest 
block was 213g by 10 by 414 inches; the smallest was 175¢ by 834 by 
514 inches. The other type of blocks consisted of pieces of basalt 
which give the impression of being very roughly shaped. Examina- 
tion made clear that they were actually worked into their final form 
by means of a sort of massive chipping process. They were not blocks 
of the previously described type in an unfinished state because they 
were consistently proportionately much wider, shorter, and thinner 
than the well squared stones. A typical block of this chipped variety 
was 14 by 10 by 314 inches. 

These blocks were used in several different ways. On the north side 
of the structure, that is to say on the face toward the Court, two rows 
of facing blocks were set above a fill of clay in a wide deep trench. 
Plate 10 shows how this trench cut through previous floors and layers 
at the edge of the Court. A peculiar thing about these two layers of 
facing blocks was that we were unable to find any indication of a sur- 
face line associated with them, so that apparently these stones were 
embedded in the fill and covered up almost immediately. 

On the east side of the feature facing blocks were set in a more com- 
plex arrangement. There were two rows of the chipped blocks laid 
horizontally, one on top of the other, on their sides, not on their edges. 
Squared blocks in a single row were set on their edges along the inner 
margins of the flat blocks. As may be seen in plate 11, a, the stones 
were placed very carefully to form neat level rows. They were ap- 
parently intended to be seen because they protruded from the surface 
of the red clay. 


86 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


On the south side, a few blocks of a carefully squared type were 
found stood on edge, apparently forming a single row about a foot 
from the outer side of the row of columns and buried about 1 foot below 
the surface of the red clay. There did not appear to be enough of 
these blocks of stones either in place or eroded out in the sand to ac- 
count for a complex arrangement lke that on the east side. 

On the west side, because of damage from erosion, it was not clear 
just how the facing blocks were placed originally. From the number 
of blocks found, some in place, some lying in the sand below their 
original level, it seems probable that there was a single row just as 
there was across the south face of the structure. This single row, 
however, appears to have been made up from both the squared and 
crudely chipped types of blocks since both types were found in ap- 
parently undisturbed positions in the row. The facing arrangement 
on the west side of the feature, like that on the east side, must have 
stood exposed to view above the surface of the red clay cap. Why the 
facings on the east and west sides should have been left uncovered by 
the clay, while those on the north and south sides were originally 
deeply buried, is not now clear. It is possible, of course, that two 
periods of deposition of the red clay cap are involved here, the latter 
of which involved extension of the clay cap out over the facings on the 
north and south sides of the feature; but no evidence of two such 
periods was anywhere observed and we can only admit that we have no 
answer to the problem. 

Our excavations disclosed that a U-shaped trench averaging a little 
over 2 feet in width and the same in depth, and filled with the same 
clays as were used for the red clay cap (b), had been dug around the 
east, north and west sides of A-1-e. On the south side this trench was 
much less clearly marked and was in fact only a wide, shallow depres- 
sion. The trench is shown in the profile drawings (figs. 26, 27) and its 
edge on the north side of the feature may be seen in plate 10, a. We at 
first regarded the trench as directly connected with the laying down of 
the stone facing block arrangements, 1. e., that the trench was dug and 
filled with the moist and plastic red clay in which the blocks could 
be anchored firmly, in a fashion impossible in the preexisting sun-baked 
clay of the structure. As we dug farther, however, it became clear that 
the facing stones were placed too far above the trench for them to rest 
in the trench fill. But further digging did disclose another lower 
facing stone arrangement, to be described presently. And it may have 
been in connection with this lower row of facing stones that the upper 
trench was dug. It seems quite possible that the intent may have been 
to line up the upper facing stone arrangement with the lower, which 
had been covered over. This presumes, of course, that some memory 
of the earlier arrangement had been retained. As is shown in the 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier!’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 87 


profile drawings, the upper level of facings is laid almost directly 
above the lower, giving some strength to our idea. It is possible that 
some borrowing of facing stones from the lower level for use in the 
upper now occurred as well. We noted a number of instances where 
the lower facing stone arrangement had been disturbed. 

(c) Old-rose colored floor series; and (d) reddish-yellow sandy 
clays with small white clay particles —The old-rose colored fioor series 
in A-1-e consists of a layer of the peculiarly colored sandy clay for 
which we named the stratum, from 5% to 114 inches thick, overlying a 
yellow sandy clay of about the same thickness with another old-rose 
colored layer beneath that. As elsewhere expressed, the fundamental 
assumption in all our interpretations of structural stratigraphy at La 
Venta is that a layer, or series of layers, of this sort represents the sur- 
facing of a mass of structural fill, such as (d) the reddish-yellow 
sandy clays with small white clay particles. Therefore, these two 
layers will be dealt with here simultaneously. 

This floor series and its fill entirely surrounded the structure, form- 
ing part of a continuous level extending over the entire Court surface. 
There was a strip of these floors overlying a small quantity of the 
associated fill on the south side of the feature, extending a short dis- 
tance to the southward from a point approximately 3 feet south of 
the line of columns. It apparently represents a fragment of a former 
small terrace to the south of the main mass of the structure. The ex- 
tent of this terrace cannot be determined since its outer end was cut 
away in connection with the deposition of the massive red clay cap, and 
the inner (north) end was also cut away by later disturbances. 

The old-rose floor series to the east approached Feature A—l-e on a 
slightly higher level (approximately 7 inches) than did the same floor 
series on the west. The remnant of terrace to the south is on about 
the same level as the adjacent edge of the old-rose colored floor series 
on the east side. 

(e) Brown, yellow, and orange floor series; and (f) yellowish-red 
clay fill—tThis floor series (e) consisted of layers ranging from one- 
fourth to three-fourths of an inch in thickness in which the light- 
orange colored sandy clay levels predominated. The series was 
actually a double one in that it showed some slight change after a 
certain number of levels had been added. This will be described later. 
The double floor series partially overlay a yellowish-red clay fill (f) 
which also contained some fragments of clays of inferior layers in 
which it had been intruded. 

The fill just described was contained in a U-shaped trench which 
penetrated lower levels of the structure on all sides. On the southern 
terrace the pit, or trench, measured at its highest point, was 1 foot 8 
inches deep and 2 feet 6 inches wide. This trench was loaded with 


88 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


fill of the type just described. The lower part of the fill was dis- 
tinguished by content of fragments of pinkish-white clay that had 
been removed in cutting the bottom part of the trench. The fill was 
backed up against the exposed faces of the adobe brickwork to an in- 
determinable height; because of later disturbances its top could not be 
defined. At a point 1 foot 6 inches above the base of the trench a 
very elaborate set of facing blocks were placed. 

The essential element of this architectural ornament was a long row 
of very carefully squared basalt blocks, which completely surrounded 
the structure (pl. 12). These were stones of the same type as those 
previously described as having been reused in connection with the 
building of the red clay cap. The blocks were placed on their long 
edges, end to end, their lateral axes in a vertical position. They were 
lined up and leveled most carefully so that the row is quite straight 
and level. On the south side of the structure this row is 35 feet 814 
inches long and that on the west side 26 feet 6 inches in length. ‘These 
two segments of the ornament which we exposed completely vary only 
23% inches in elevation in the 60 plus feet of their combined length. 
Of course one factor which contributes to the neatness of this arrange- 
ment at present is the fact that these facing blocks were below the level 
of major erosion damage to the structure. As a matter of fact, along 
the western side of the feature a considerable quantity of fragments of 
stone columns and facing blocks from upper levels lay in the sand just 
outside and above this row of blocks, having eroded out, slid, or tumbled 
down the side of the building. The row of blocks extended continu- 
ously around the north and east sides. 

On the north, east, and west sides this row of blocks constituted the 
whole ornament. On the south side, however, there were two other 
sets of blocks, in addition to the neatly squared ones of basalt (pls. 12, 
13). Behind the basalt blocks, a row of polished serpentine blocks had 
been placed. These serpentine blocks averaged about 9 by 13 by 38 
inches in size. They were set with their long dimension upright, tilted 
back at a slight angle. Al had one flat polished face and squared 
edges, and were so cut that they fitted together edge to edge quite 
closely. At the eastern end of the row there were two specially cut 
narrow blocks about 5 inches in breadth, which obviously had been 
made to fill out the length of the row as determined by the length of 
the basalt blocks. The backs of the serpentine blocks varied consid- 
erably, some were flat, some bulged somewhat in the middle, and some 
were quite convex, edge to edge. The backs were smooth, but not 
polished. The thickness of the blocks varied from 2 to 4 inches, the 
average being just under 3 inches. 

On top of the rectangular basalt blocks was a row of the chipped 
basalt blocks (just like those described in connection with the red 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier} "’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 89 


clay cap) set with their long dimension upright, and tilted back at a 
slightly greater angle than were the serpentine blocks, so that they 
completely covered the latter. The whole arrangement was quite 
neatly set up; originally it must have been even neater than our photo- 
graphs show because of the fact that the chipped blocks particularly 
tended to settle and slump out of place with the passage of time. It 
is rather difficult to see why the serpentine blocks, which probably had 
a very pleasing appearance with the original polish of their faces, 
should have been so carefully placed and then covered up. We 
searched for any indication of time difference in the deposition of 
the three layers, but could find none. The fact that the end blocks 
of the serpentine row were especially cut down to fit the length of the 
squared basalt blocks indicates pretty certainly that basalt blocks 
were a primary part of the architectural ornament, and that the whole 
thing probably represented a structural unit. 

That the floor series (e) described above is associated with these 
facing blocks can easily be demonstrated by a study of the profile (fig. 
26). It was mentioned that the floor series is a double one. The lower 
component partially overlies at its inner (northern) end a set of white 
sandy floors (g), which had been cut away in the course of making 
the trench containing the fill and facing blocks. The inner end of the 
brown-, yellow-, and orange-colored floor series continued on at the 
same level to overlie the fill in the trench and extended just to the 
base of the outer edge of the rectangular facing blocks. As this part 
of the floor series was repaired and restored, and thus increased in 
height, the inner few inches were tapered off so that the lower portion 
of the facing blocks was not covered. Whether eventually the shallow 
gutter thus formed along the base of the blocks began to cause danger 
from erosion, or whether in the course of time a certain amount of slope 
wash was allowed to accumulate there, we were unable to determine. 
However, there is a small zone of clay triangular in section which filled 
the gutter to a depth of about 2 inches. Succeeding layers of floor 
from this series ran out over this small quantity of fill to the edge 
of the facing blocks. However, from this point on, until the cessation 
of use of this series of floors, succeeding layers were once more tapered 
off downward so that they left most of the squared facing blocks 
exposed to view. 

This floor series would appear to represent a special feature con- 
structed in connection with the laying of the facing blocks. There are 
no similar floor series in any other part of the Complex excavated 
by us. One may, of course, assume that in all likelihood a similar set 
of floors could be found in front of Feature A—1-d, the corresponding 
structure in the southeast corner of the Court area. 

431818597 


90 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


(g) White sandy floor series —This floor series consists of a number 
of thin layers of white sandy material separated by tan and buff sandy 
layers. The floor series surrounded the entire A—1-e structure and 
presumably at one time had been in direct contact with the main body 
of the structure but was cut off by the trench containing the facing 
blocks just described. South of the feature the white floor series is 
represented by only a narrow remnant of what must have once been 
a small terrace or walkway overlooking the sandy area to the south. 

This white floor series is extremely important in the interpretation 
of the history of the site. It recurs in various parts of the Complex 
and because of similarities in color, material, and in stratigraphic posi- 
tion is considered to be a unit. As will be described in more detail 
below, the foundations of Feature A—1-e were laid in a prepared pit. 
Space between the foundations and the edge of this pit was filled 
with clays, and these white sandy floors extended outward from the 
general Court area and overlay this fill and other primary elements 
of the structure. 

(h) Adobe bricks in clay mortar.—The adobe bricks, unfired and 
sun-dried, were made out of a variety of clays of yellowish colors. 
They were not all alike; some being light and some dark yellow, others 
tending to yellowish brown, and a few having a yellowish-orange tone. 
They were laid up in heavy masses of red clay mortar. It was possi- 
ble to remove entire adobes, or large pieces of them, to see what their 
original form had been. They were quite obviously hand-molded, 
approximately rectangular with rounded corners, although some were 
almost elliptical in plan view. The edges were not squared, but rather 
convex. The size varied a good deal, although the average was some- 
where between 10 and 14 inches long, 8 to 10 inches wide, and 214 to 
31% inches thick. These bricks were laid in well-defined courses (pl. 
11, 6), separated by layers of mortar from 1 to 3 inches thick. The 
same red clay mortar filled the spaces between the blocks of each course. 
Some of the courses were arranged in organized patterns. One that 
was observed consisted of blocks of adobes 4 wide by 3 long, that is, 
12 adobes toa block. Each of these blocks of 12 adobes was placed with 
the long axes of the adobes in the same direction and at right angles 
to those of adobes in adjacent blocks. This pattern was varied only 
on the northwest edge of the course where a mass, 12 adobes long by 
7 wide, was laid with the long axes east-west. Along the west edge 
of this level there was a border row of adobes laid end to end with the 
long axes north-south, that is, parallel to the edge of the course. 
Along the north edge of this same level the adobes were laid in a single 
row, side to side, again with long axes north-south. Time did not 
permit our clearing each of the courses of adobes to determine patterns 
used in them. It seems likely, and our field observations suggest, that 


| ao 
= 


ae 


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P ie 4 
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sa — — 30> Cds ca5 Ca Cao C3 oe ise 
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Rithiong: | PCRS eias ON ORO Teese ae 

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, en — a. ore, a if ast Se a AW a E> 


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) Clay subsoil 


—— —— 


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| 0a ay bap -wee! profile through center showing structural aed 
} 
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— 


a 


(d) Reddish-yellow clay 


(a) drift sand 


(g) White and tan floors 


__— Upper facing 


=) 
ss 


(cess) (se | Sj Ga) 


=) aaa 


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ESS 


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a 


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Column 


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etl 


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Red clay-sand 


Rose-buff-rose 


floors 


Adobe platform (h) 


Red-yellow clay 


Pink mottled clay 


9) 


Basal sands 


6 
\yo® 
Ko\o mO\ 


Whitish and brownish 


(a) 


Light pink mottled 
sandy clay 


y—Yaguar mask mosaic 


5 Ianants 
: i iis 
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JOGOS 04 


(i) 


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10090 


Pink brown sand 


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with small gravel 


Stones set in 
olive and blue clay 


(a) Clay subsoil 


matrix 


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Clay subsoil 


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Scale (feet) 


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vO 


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(a) 


East-west profile through center showing structural elements. 


SouthWest platform. 


Figure 27, 


BAF Rae Pern ye _ la erhalten etm ra Beno 
eo ornate and pel oes aeanetlecana re et 
aot — 


10011 it se0n(: e20n t ] eae Riana) ake 


sti ae te fei bbaF (b) 
aoe S08) GLO 


oben epson 


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Sand. nword Anis | 
ovexa liomea rtiw 


Hee de 02 ASE: 5 + 
vas pi G} 
i ets | Sia OL j 


F289 G = 2d (Beer B 93h 


Drucker, Heizer, x 
Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 91 


all or nearly all of the courses were laid in patterns of this same general 
type. The use of blocks of adobes would have provided a way of 
accommodating the adobes of various sizes in manageable units, and 
would also give a certain effect of breaking joints. 

The number of courses of adobes was, strangely enough, difficult to 
determine. The uppermost, directly underlying the massive red clay 
cap, were very faintly outlined and difficult to see. It seems probable 
that the leaching action of soil water and, prior to the deposition of the 
drift sand over the top of the feature, the dry season soil cracking with 
its resultant mechanical mixing of soils, had largely destroyed the 
upper layers. The greatest number of courses that we could count 
was 16. In the small test pit dug in the feature in 1942, a picture was 
taken (LY, pl. 3) in which the light chanced to be just right to bring 
out color differences in the clay. In this photograph 15 courses of 
adobes are easily visible, and in addition one more may be seen, 
although with difficulty. It is also true that the 1942 test was quite 
close to the center of the structure, and may have cut through the 
highest point of the brickwork. Thus our figure of 16 courses counted 
in 1955 may be close to the number originally laid down. 

The adobes lie directly under the red clay cap (b) which, as has been 
stated, covered the top of the structure. They le directly on (1) the 
mottled pink clay fill. It is not known if the adobe brickwork con- 
stituted only the core of the structure at a certain period, or if it also 
formed the exposed top and sides. We are inclined to believe that the 
adobes were exposed on the sides of the feature, and possibly on the 
top as well, because of the appearance of the ends of the adobes on 
the south side where they are covered by the fill associated with the 
lower rows of facing blocks. There, in profile, they appear to extend 
out slightly over the edges of the layers of mortar between them, and 
the red clay mortar appears to have a concave vertical profile on each 
level, as though shghtly washed out as a result of exposure to the 
weather. The combination of colors, the yellowish bricks which con- 
trast strongly with the red clay of the mortar, would seem to be quite 
striking and decorative, perhaps too much so to have been covered up. 
We must caution, however, that this latter line of evidence is not to 
be relied upon too heavily at the site of La Venta. 

On the northern, eastern, and western sides the outer ends of the 
adobes were cut away by the trench dug for the installation of the 
lower alinement of facing blocks. As we have indicated above, we 
believe that the lower few courses along the south side of the structure 
had been left relatively undisturbed. It appears that here the trench 
for the lower facing stones cut through the white floor series (g) but 
did not penetrate into the adobes, whereas on the other three sides the 
trench cut off a small amount of the adobe platform. The outer 


92 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


courses of adobes along the south side are stepped back successively, 
indicating that the structure had sloping sides. 

We may estimate the amount cut off on the north side by assuming 
that the cut through the white floor series (g) was made the same 
distance out from the adobes here as it was on the south side. This 
gives us an estimate of 26 feet 4 inches for the original north-south 
dimension of the adobe structure. The east-west dimension must be 
very close to the original length because of the narrowness of the trench 
along these sides; we estimate that the original east-west dimension 
was approximately 34 feet 6 inches. 

The adobe structure thus appears to have been a small rectangular 
platform of truncated pyramidal shape, measuring approximately 26 
by 3414 feet at the base and standing approximately 6 feet above the 
level of the surrounding white Court floors. 

(¢) Mottled pink clay fill—This was a layer of massive clay which 
supported, at its center, the mass of adobe brickwork, and to the 
south supported the terraces. It was capped by the white floor series 
(g) around the sides of the feature outside of the horizontal limits 
of the adobes. This fill consisted of a peculiar mixture of light 
reddish clays with pellets and streaks of white and yellow clays that 
combined to give a sort of pinkish effect. The clays also contained 
a fair quantity of sand, enough so that the material does not crack 
when sun-dried. We are unable, of course, to say whether this sand 
was added intentionally, or whether the clay was chosen because it 
naturally contained this useful material. This fill was quite compact 
and hard when moist, and very hard when dried. It was not entirely 
homogeneous. At the middle of its southern edge there was an area 
of similar texture, but of a slightly darker color. The northern half 
of the fill, the part sectioned by the north wall of our cut, showed 
several piles, or small mounds of material which was predominantly 
sandy and poorly consolidated. In the southeastern corner of the 
structure the clay was essentially the same in texture and consistency 
as the main mass, but with a variety of minor color differences so that 
loading lines rising to the south as the fill was built up against the wall 
were very easy to observe. It may be mentioned that similar fill was 
encountered in other features of the Complex. 

The western wall of our excavation intersected three pits in a north- 
south row, whose centers were approximately 214 feet east of the 
western row of lower facing blocks; at 9, 15, and 22 feet, respectively, 
south of the north row of facing blocks (fig. 28). The bottoms of 
the pits were approximately 3 feet below the level of the small blocks. 
We failed to note points of origin of these pits, but the content of the 
pitfall, variety of clays, broken adobes, fragments of serpentine, and 
spalls of columnar basalt, as well as the location of the pits, lead us to 


431818 O - 59 (Face p. 92) 


yellow clays, and containing 
»cks, spalls of basalt and 


construction drift sa 
terim-construction d 
laid up against mott 


(a)@ Drees ‘an 


Brown sand containi 


(a) Clay 


| | A CD ad as ar A Yl I cs, | SS) EL 


SS ee Ny aa ares | on cae OG aS) ES 
Gey Sse ye eS ee 


CES SD PN Oe ey 


ses of EE Be Aide 
EVES es 
and blue = 


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= 
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Bgsose Vw 97 L Sace Pp. 76) 


<S— 


| eee column sections 


(c) Rose floors 


(a) Drift sands 


(d) Reddish- 
yellow clays 


"xX" (see text) 
\ 


(g) White floors 
(e) Brown- yellow- 
orange floors 


(h) adobe platform 


Three pits filled with mixed red and yellow clays, and containing 


; sherds, fragments of serpentine blocks, spalls of basalt and 
(1) Mottled pink clay fill fragments of adobes 


«(m-?) Probable remnant 
of marker wall 


(n) Dense olive 
/and red 
clays 


Faint humus (?) stratum; probable 
contact zone between pre- 

construction drift sands and in- 
terim-construction drift sand fill 
laid up against mottled clay fill (i) 


>. 0 SSeS BOO OF OOD COOCIOS0E S92 OS eo Sac) 


ct eae oe eS OT OS OOO Oooo Se eae 
So SS ee OO OS OOD OOD O OO Om OSS. | 


(a) Drift sands 


(k) Platform consisting of 28 courses of 
pees rough stone blocks set in olive and blue AQod 
clay mortar 


Brown sand containing small gravel 
(1) Mixed subsoil 


and other clays— 
(a) Clay subsoil 
in)acs 


Figure 28.—Profile of southwest corner of Southwest Platform. 


io nse 
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Phree pis filtedwth mined red anc 


Wi volo Haka. ‘BALES til) 


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exc pce) ben Tt Ge LWA to gig A@awisd 9n6s 190hi6a = 
Se) Fo EN If ats) .--=picheecabag? Minb notouyenogn as 
o> {| -@ of Ali bape. tly noite nose rae 
% | | § f- (i) it volo Bolt ftom leminga quebiat 


ns fm. nM) 


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Paso > abmbe rind 4a} 


eS aan, te 7 
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ge . 
By 


Drucker, Heizer, 
prc Squier! EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 93 


believe that they were to be associated with the red clay cap, or perhaps 
even postdated its construction. It is just possible that they may have 
been tests made in ancient times to examine the lower structures, 
or to search for a reference point. As will be brought out in another 
section, we found other evidence of checks of this sort. 

(j) Olive-colored clay layer and serpentine block mosaic_—This was 
a layer of tough yellowish-olive clay about a foot thick, which formed 
a sort of envelope about a mosaic of serpentine blocks (pl. 14). That 
is to say, it formed the bedding material in which the blocks of mosaic 
were set, and also covered the mosaic. No observable distinction be- 
tween the clay under and that over the mosaic could be found; there- 
fore, we consider the clay envelope and the mosaic to form a single 
unit. 

The mosaic (fig. 29) was almost the exact counterpart of that found 
in the similar feature (A-1-d) in the southeastern corner of the 
Complex in 1943. This present one consisted of 485 carefully cut 
and squared blocks of serpentine.*t All these blocks had one flat 
surface, or face, so that they could be laid to form an even plane. 
The backs of some of the blocks were flat, those of others were round. 
A few well-preserved areas on some blocks (probably denser and 
harder portions of the stone, since serpentine varies greatly in hard- 
ness) retained enough polish to indicate in all probability that all the 
blocks were worked to have smooth shiny surfaces when laid in place. 
When uncovered by us, most of the blocks showed a greater or lesser 
amount of accretion. This was definitely not asphalt although de- 
scribed as such in 1943 (LV, pp. 56, 59), but was a manganese product, 
the residue of oxidation resulting from effect of soil water on the ser- 
pentine. The mosaic covered an area 15 feet 5 inches east-west by 20 
feet 714 inches north-south.” It was laid almost, but not quite, level. 
The main portion, that comprising the nearly square area forming the 
main part of the mask, dipped to the south 314 inches on its eastern 
edge and 23¢ inches on its western edge. The outlying diamond-shaped 
appendages on the south side sloped to the northward 2384 inches. 

The mosaic represented a very highly conventionalized mask of the 
jaguar, and incorporated most of the distinctive features repeated in 
other Olmec representatives of this deity (pls. 15, 16). The mask 
of course was intended to be viewed from the north. The south edge 
was the top. The four diamond-shaped appendages on the south side 
represented either a headdress or plumes. Within the main square 
area of the mask the four small open spaces with castellated upper 
edges represented four eyes, with the plumed eyebrows of the typical 


1 Wedel (LV, pp. 56—59) notes 497 stone elements in the mask in the Southeast Platform. 
12The mask in the Southeast Platform (LV, pp. 56, 59) measured exactly the same 
east-west, but was 2 inches longer in overall (north-south) length. 


94 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


g 
All 


(0) meters | 


Ficure 29.—Jaguar mask mosaic in Southwest Platform. Hachured areas indicate 
colored sands. 


Olmec Jaguar representation. The long narrow panel in the center of 
the mask represented the nose, and the wide area across the lower 
portion, the mouth with lip and fangs. The small trapezoidal notch 
on the lower margin was the curve of the lower jaw of the beast. The 
open area of the mouth was filled with approximately an inch of cin- 
namon-colored sand. No other part (eyes, nose, chin cleft) was so 
treated, strangely enough, although the centers of the diamond-shaped 
appendages at the top were filled with clay, slightly more yellowish 


Drucker, Heizer, = 
ceil Sailer: EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 95 


in color than that of the matrix in which the mosaic was set. This 
yellowish clay may have made even more contrast when first deposited, 
and subsequently may have been tinged by the olive-colored clay above 
and below. 

At the southwest corner of the mask mosaic, entirely encased in the 
olive clay matrix, was found a small kneeling human figure of fine- 
grained basalt (fig. 63). This figure will be described later in this 
report. 

(k) Olive and blue clays with rough stone blocks —Underlying the 
clay base of the mosaic was a slightly darker colored olive clay which 
formed one of the two major components of the base of the feature. 
This clay was quite dense and compact. It was not altogether uniform 
in color. As indicated, certain portions contained, instead of olive- 
colored clay, a clay of a gun-metal blue color containing bits of vege- 
table material, which looked like subsoil from a swamp area. 

The other constituent of the bottom of the structure consisted of 
chunks of stone, principally serpentine, although a few pieces of other 
kinds of metamorphic materials such as gneiss and schist were ob- 
served. By far the greater proportion of these pieces of stone were 
rough, irregular chunks in form. A few showed roughly chipped and 
uneven edges as though they had been partly prepared for working into 
blocks, and a smaller number were partly shaped and worked blocks 
that had apparently broken during the process of manufacture. In 
brief, the stone materials embedded into clay had the general appear- 
ance of quarry refuse. There were a very few blocks of serpentine 
which had been worked into square, flat plaques and which were un- 
broken. These stones were laid in 28 well-arranged levels in the clay. 

This foundation of clay and rough stones was subterranean, that 
is to say, it was built in a large pit especially dug to contain it. The 
top layer of stones (pl. 17) occurred at an average depth of about 1 
foot below the base of the mosaic just described, and 14 feet 7 inches 
below the highest preserved point of the red clay cap. This layer of 
stones had an extent of 29 feet 4 inches north-south by 40 feet 1 inch 
east-west. The southern edge of the layer was composed of pieces 
selected because they had one comparatively straight end. These 
stones were laid with their long axis north-south, and the straight 
ends were evened to produce a neat line along the southern edge of 
the layer. The same arrangement was followed in all the other layers, 
except the bottom one. Other edges, that is those on the east, north, 
and west, were not treated in the same fashion, but were rough and 
uneven, indicating that construction of each layer began with the 
southern edge. To return to the top layer, all other stones were laid 
with their long axis east and west. On being cleared they gave the 
impression of being laid in rows. Careful inspection, however, made 


96 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


clear that this was not so. The stones were not only of various widths, 
but of various shapes, and were laid 4 to 5 inches apart; consequently 
rows were formed by a few stones, pinched out, and new ones were 
started. In the entire surface of the layer there is not a single row 
that runs all the way across. Some degree of skill and craftsmanship, 
and planning as well, was involved in making such a regular ap- 
pearing layer out of irregular chunks of stone. This same general 
system was followed in all the layers which we cleared. 

The stones of the top layer ranged from 10 to 15 inches in length, 
5 to 10 inches in width, and 2 to 5 inches in thickness. There were 
no very large, nor very small pieces in the layer; an “average” ap- 
pearing stone was 12 by 7 by 2 inches in size. Counts made of two 
randomly selected 10 foot by 10 foot squares, gave an average of 141 
stones per hundred square feet of area. 

The second layer of rough stones, which occurred at a depth of 
10 inches below the top of the first layer, was like the top one in the 
arrangement of the stones. The southern edge was evened off with 
the stones laid in a north-south direction and the rest of the stones 
were laid east and west in what looked like regular rows, but which 
actually were not. The stones of this layer were slightly larger, so 
that the count of two squares, 10 feet by 10 feet in area, gave an 
average of 114 stones per hundred square feet. 

The size of the stones increased and the stones were set closer 
together as we went downward through the layers; also the layers 
were closer set with less and less clay between them. 

In order to expose the jaguar mask mosaic, we removed the strati- 
graphic control wall after recording the sections exposed in it. When 
we began to remove the layers of stone we once more began to leave 
a stratigraphic wall in the middle of our cut. The first four layers 
of stone were partly removed, one at a time, from the west side of 
our excavation. Those in the eastern half were stepped down so that 
at one stage we had remnants of all four of them in their original 
vertical relationship (pl. 18, @). Since the layers of stone proved to 
continue downward, we removed the remnants we had left in the 
east side of the cut and stripped off both sides down to and including 
the eighth layer. From the eighth layer on only the western. side 
of our excavation was actually worked. Beginning with the 18th 
layer (pl. 18, 6) averaging 9 feet below the first layer of stone, we 
reduced our excavation to an 8-foot by 4-foot cut in order to reach 
the bottom of the structure during the 1955 season. 

The chief points of difference in the layers that we were able to 
note were the following: In the eighth layer, in the northwest corner, 
there was a small area in which, instead of the usual rough or partly 
worked chunks of stone, completely squared blocks of serpentine had 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier} ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 97 


been placed. These blocks varied somewhat in size and were laid 
edge to edge to form a small level area without, however, actually 
being laid in rows. This part of the layer that we exposed was 
approximately 614 by 7 feet in extent in the very corner of our cut. 
The shaped stones continued on for unknown distances into the north 
and west walls of our excavation. In the 15th and 16th layers, in 
the northern 4 feet exposed in our excavation, the stones were em- 
bedded in the blue clay previously described that replaced the olive- 
colored clay. The area of this blue clay increased rapidly in suc- 
cessive layers below. We encountered it in the bottom of our cut 
at the south edge of the base. The 28th layer of stones, the lowermost, 
were stood on their edges, not laid flat (figs. 26,27). It and the 27th 
layer, immediately above, consisted of the largest stones of all, at 
least in these small sections we sampled. Many of the pieces from 
these two layers weighed from 70 to 100 pounds. 

Beneath the 28th layer of stones there was a 13-inch layer of com- 
pact blue clay which lay over the base of the pit. The contact of 
this blue clay layer with the basal subsoil clays was marked by a 
layer approximately one-fourth of an inch thick of a hard, dark-gray 
calichelike material. This marked the bottom of the clay and stone 
mass, at a depth of 17 feet 5 inches below the top of the dark olive 
clay and 31 feet 5 inches below the top of the red clay cap. 

The total mass of this stone and clay base of Feature A—1-e is of a 
good deal of interest. If, for rough and ready computation, we assume 
that the outer faces of the clay-and-stone mass were vertical and 
regular, although we know that they were actually not, the total volume 
equals 20,500 cubic feet.1* If we assume further that two-thirds of the 
mass consisted of stone, which would appear to be a fairly conservative 
guess, we get a figure in the neighborhood of 13,650 cubic feet of stone; 
at 150 pounds per cubic foot (a figure based on the average specific 
gravity of serpentine) the quantity of stone comes to just over 1,000 
tons. This figure is of course a very rough estimate which may be off 
100 or even 200 tons either way. Even at that, it is clear that there was 
a very large quantity of stone used, especially when it is remembered 
that it all had to be brought in over long distances to this site in the 
stoneless coastal plain. 

(l) Miscellaneous fill between clay-and-stone base and subsoil.—As 
the profiles (figs. 26, 27) show, the sides of the clay-and-stone mass 
were not quite vertical since some courses extended out farther than 
others. However, it seems probable that they were intended to be 
approximately vertical. The walls of the pit dug to contain the base 
were, as will be brought out, not vertical but steeply sloped. The 


18 Where exposed by us, there were bulges past the edge of the top layer that would 
increase the total volume. 


98 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


space left between base and subsoil, which narrowed from top to 
bottom, was filled with varieties of clays. In some places it was fairly 
clear that quantities of the material were dug from the pit itself, that 
is to say, the subsoil mixed with other clays was thrown back in. The 
fill, because of the variety of materials of which it was composed, 
obviously differed from other built-up clay layers, most of which were 
very clearly of clay selected for their color, or combination of colors. 
This fill was a heterogeneous mass. A most significant point regard- 
ing it was that loading lines were clearly visible in all sections made 
through it. ‘The varieties of clays used made these very clear. These 
loading lines uniformly sloped upward from the clay-and-stone base 
to the edge of the pit. This suggests that as the base was built up, the 
space between it and the edge of the pit was filled, level by level, from 
the base itself. 

(m) Wall-like fill of specially colored clays.—Associated with the 
layer of olive clay and rough stones was a structural component which 
appeared in cross section as a very conspicuous low, more or less 
vertical, wall of brightly colored clays (pl. 19). We applied the term 
“marker wall” to distinguish this “wall” from the retaining wall (n) 
to be described below. 

This component was actually surrounded by the mottled pink clay 
fill, and in a sense formed a structural link between this latter type of 
fill and the base. We first observed it in the southeastern area of our 
excavation where it was noted to extend in an east-west direction from 
the stratigraphic control wall to the eastern wall of our trench. It 
appeared as a quantity of bright red clay containing chunks of dark 
green clays, and inclusions from 1 to 3 inches in diameter of white and 
yellowish sandy material. It was most conspicuous in contrast to the 
mottled pink fill which surrounded it. When completely sectioned, it 
was observed to be 5 feet 2 inches high, with an average width of 11 
inches. In the east wall of our excavation its base was situated 5 inches 
south (outside) of the southern edge of the clay-and-stone mass, and 
about the same distance below the level of the top of this mass. The 
top 2 feet, instead of being vertical, was inclined to the south at an 
angle of about 45°. Where cross-sectioned by the stratigraphic con- 
trol wall (fig. 26) it was noted that this component was closer to the 
top of the base. In other words, it was not quite parallel to the edge of 
the base although it probably was intended to be. To the west of the 
stratigraphic control wall this component seemed to dwindle away. 
In the southwestern corner of our excavation (fig. 28) all that re- 
mained of it was an irregular mass of red clay with green and white 
inclusions which lay atop the clay and stone mass about 15 inches north 
of its southern edge. In the 18 feet from the stratigraphic control 
wall in the center of our excavation to the southwestern corner of this 


Drucker, Heizer, py 
and Squier] ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 99 


excavation, the red clay wall had bent 114 feet to the north and 
diminished 30 inches in height. The reason for this change is not 
clear, but it probably was connected with a number of other differences 
which set off the southwestern corner from the rest of the structure, to 
be discussed below with relation to the pink mottled clay layer (i) and 
clay retaining wall (n). 

When cutting extensions from our main excavation to locate the 
edges of the clay-and-stone mass, we found that the wall-like com- 
ponent in the southeastern corner of our cut continued eastward to 
the corner of the clay-and-stone layer, at which point it joined a 
similar structural element which ran northward just outside of, and 
following, the edge of the base. The principal difference between this 
eastern component and the first one we noted was that the former 
consisted of green clay with only a few bits of red clay. Where sec- 
tioned in our trench, this green component resembled a vertical well- 
made wall 1 foot 6 inches through at the base, tapering to 1 foot at 
the top. It was 5 feet 2 inches high. The flat base was just outside 
the clay-and-stone mass, with its inner edge touching the olive clay. 
Subsequently, our other extensions from the main excavation cross-sec- 
tioned similar components on the north and on the west sides, which 
like the one just described ran along the edge of the base and just 
outside of it. Both northern and western segments consisted of mix- 
tures of clay in which red predominated, as was the case with the 
southern segment. In brief, the entire base was surrounded by a 
strikingly colored wall-like element, which was carried upward into 
the mottled clay fill. 

(n) Pit into natural soil formation, and retaining wall against sand 
overburden.—The pit which was dug for the base of Feature A-1l-e 
was noteworthy, not only for its size and depth, but also for the steep 
slope of its walls. The dimensions of its original margin are difficult 
to measure accurately for two reasons. First, the original sand sur- 
face of the site sloped in this particular locality in two directions, 
from east to west and from north to south. To the west it sloped 
quite steeply, so that the extension of our trench in the northwest 
corner, which was not dug completely to the bottom, did not encounter 
the original old sand surface. Instead, we found, lying outside of 
the components of the feature, a mass of older artificial fill which had 
been cut through (fig. 27). We estimated the upper dimensions of 
the pit as 50 feet 4 inches north-south by 61 feet 3 inches east-west. 
In this locality, the upper edge of the clay subsoil runs in a nearly 
horizontal plane in all directions. At the level of the clay subsoil 
the dimensions of the pit were 41 feet north-south by 49 feet 5 inches 
east-west. The bottom of the pit, if we assume that our cross sections 
in our reduced excavation in the southwestern corner are representa- 


100 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


tive, was approximately of the same dimensions as the top of the clay- 
and-stone base (k). As to the depths: in the northeast corner, the 
pit cut through 10 feet 10 inches of sand; in the southeast corner 
8 feet 1 inch; and in the southwest corner approximately 4 feet 4 inches. 
The depth of the pit into the clay subsoil was 13 feet, if we assume 
the bottom of the pit was level. 

The pit was dug through the sand, leaving walls with slopes rang- 
ing from 70° to 80°. On reaching the top of the clay subsoil the 
horizontal dimensions of the pit were reduced between 2 and 4 feet 
north-south and about the same amount east-west. This left a shelf 
between 2 and 3 feet wide all around the inside of the pit. Masses of 
heavy clay, primarily red clay with large inclusions of white sandy 
clays (pl. 19), were built upward on this shelf on all four sides of 
the pit. They were not built vertically, but sloped, following the 
contour of the sand surface against which they were laid. In thick- 
ness, these components varied somewhat. The east wall, where sec- 
tioned, averaged about 2 feet 6 inches through. The one across the 
north side, which, where sectioned by our trench, was the tallest and 
also the narrowest, tapering rapidly from its 2 feet 8 inch width at 
the base to an average of 1 foot 6 inches. The height of these struc- 
tural components varied according to the height of the sand bank 
against which they were built. The lowest observed by us was the 
southwestern portion of the south wall, which narrowed and dipped 
to the west until the southwestern corner of our trench cross-sectioned 
a wall 4 feet 5 inches high and 1 foot 6 inches in maximum width. 
Everywhere around the cut, except in the southwest corner, the mottled 
pink fill layer (i) extended out over the edges of the base to make 
contact with this sloping formation of clay. In the southwest corner 
part of the mottled pink fill extended over the clay wall and made 
contact directly with the surrounding gray sand. This situation pre- 
sents a special problem, which will be discussed later on. 

Below the edge of the clay subsoil the slope of the pit followed ap- 
proximately the same angle as was used through the drift sands. 
Where we exposed it, it was observed to range from 70° to 80°. Near 
the bottom of our reduced trench it became almost vertical, being 
measured at 89°. 

(0) Buff and brown sandy floor series with suggestion of water 
sorting.—Layers of material of this type, similar in color, texture, as 
well as the water-sorted appearance, were noted at a number of other 
points in Complex A. We believe that they represent an early struc- 
tural phase of the site for reasons which will be described elsewhere. 
At the feature presently being discussed, no such layers were found in 
the structure itself. However, in the extension of our trench in the 
northeastern corner, layers of this type were exposed. Here the ancient 


Drucker, Heizer, 
md Suuier! ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 101 


excavation of the pit for the base cut through 1 foot 214 inches of layers 
of this type (fig. 26). There appeared to be three levels of these ma- 
terials, each consisting of a considerable number of thin strata, ranging 
from one-fourth to three-fourths of an inch thick each. It was also 
noted that this series of levels contained considerable amounts of char- 
coal at the point where they were cut by the old pit. The white floor 
series lay directly over these levels as elsewhere in the Complex. At 
the southeastern corner of our excavation (see fig. 27) another pos- 
sible occurrence of the “‘water-sorted” floor series was noted. This was 
a level averaging 3 inches thick made up of three thin strata of colored 
clayey sands. This level had been cut by the excavation of the pit 
for the A—1-e stone and clay platform and later had been covered by the 
white floor series (g). The level consisted of two layers of pinkish 
clayey sand, each about an inch thick, between which lay a 1-inch thick 
layer of buff clayey sand. The differences between this floor series 
and the “water-sorted” floor series as encountered elsewhere in the 
Court are worthy of note. The position of this rose-buff-rose series, 
however, above the humus-stained drift sands and below the white 
floor series, suggests that it may simply be a variant of the “water- 
sorted” floor series not observed elsewhere by us. 

(p) White, brown and red-brown clayey sand fill—Artificial fill 
layers of clayey sand in obviously loaded layers which varied some- 
what in color, being white or near white, brown and red brown, and 
in which the sand content predominated, were found immediately to 
the west of Feature A-1-e. These levels were outside of all components 
of the structure itself and appeared to have been cut through by the 
pit for the foundation (see fig. 27). They underlaid the white floor 
series ; that is to say that these layers were found in a stratigraphic posi- 
tion in which the buff and brown sandy floor series normally occurred. 
The chronological situation is not clear. This fill may have been asso- 
ciated with the white floor series, but it is our feeling that the artificial 
fill was laid down during the initial Court leveling period to bring the 
surface in this area up to the level obtained elsewhere in the Court and 
that it later was cut through by the pit for the A—-1—e foundation. 


INTERPRETATIONS OF FEATURE A—1—€ 
FUNCTIONS 


It is quite certain that the part of the structure that we have referred 
to as the “clay-and-stone base” (k) was not a foundation in the ordi- 
nary sense. It was entirely nonfunctional. In the first place, such 
laborious construction was not necessary for stability. On this same 
site in La Venta, in fact in certain parts of the same complex, fairly 
substantial structures of clay were built directly on the original sur- 
face. Obviously the builders knew that this surface was stable enough 


102 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


to support such features. At the most, if stability were a point re- 
garded as important, they would have had to dig down only to the 
surface of clay subsoil and not 13 feet below it. Second, the inclusion 
of the very large quantity of rock placed in layers of the “foundation” 
was actually not necessary either. That it was not, was obviously 
known to the builders who constructed other and larger mounds of 
sand and clay, structures which lasted throughout their times and are 
still substantial mounds at the present day. An additional fact regard- 
ing this part of the structure is that our evidence indicates quite clearly 
that neither the stones of the base nor those of the more painstakingly 
prepared mosiac (j) can be considered ornamental since they were not 
left exposed to view, but immediately upon being deposited were 
covered with layers of clay. Therefore, we are forced to conclude that 
the rough stone layers, and the mosaic as well, formed an offering and 
were of a religious rather than functional or ornamental significance. 
We know that in much later times jade was valued most highly by the 
inhabitants of the area. The fact that objects of jade were used as 
offerings by the Olmec indicates that they, too, prized this substance. 
We might suggest, therefore, that the green serpentine may have rep- 
resented jade in a certain symbolic sense. In addition, the cost of the 
serpentine in terms of human labor required to transport it the long 
distance from the source made it valuable and worthy to be used as an 
offering material. The number of rough stone layers, 28 in all, may 
have been significant also, perhaps referring to a lunar month. The 
rough stone layers and the clays in which they were placed, and the 
mosaic mask, will be referred to as “Massive Offering No. 1.” 

If we may use the hypothesis that this huge subterranean mass was 
not a structure in the ordinary sense, but simply an offering, and that 
the structure, architecturally speaking, was the small platform mound 
on top, we have something which comes closer to falling within the 
normal areal pattern and, as will be brought out below, gives us a 
logical base for interpretations of structural sequences. 

The next two points to be considered refer to our interpretations of 
certain minor aspects noted in the course of the excavations. For ex- 
ample, the sloping clay walls of red clays with white inclusions (n) 
which were laid up against the sand at the edges of the original pit 
were simply retaining walls, we believe, laid up to prevent cave-ins 
while the deeper portion of the pit was being dug and the offering was 
being placed in it. We have another example of such an engineering 
device from another part of Complex A-1 (cf. fig. 10). This matter 
became quite clear to us, since we ourselves were quite conscious of 
the problem imposed by working below steep faces of the loose light 
sand. We found it necessary to slope the upper walls of our trenches 
which cut through the drift sand to about 60°. 


Drucker, Heizer, ! 
Drucker; Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 103 


Another minor component worth special comment is the wall-like 
fill of specially colored clays (m). Our first impression of this ele- 
ment was that it was a wall to support the fill during construction. 
However, a little thought made it obvious that the component was too 
thin and too nearly vertical to ever have stood alone or to have given 
much support to a face. The components just described which were 
interpreted as real retaining walls (n) were invariably laid up on 
slopes. The thin vertical walls (m) could not have functioned in 
this fashion. In addition, there was the peculiar angle of the upper 
portion of the material noted in the southeastern wall of our cut. 
Finally, there was the fact that in several exposures the component 
was completely surrounded by mottled pink fill, not only on both sides 
but above and below as well. Next, we tried to see the component as 
a ditch dug and refilled with special material. Its irregular outline, 
however, as exposed in our northern trench and in the southeastern 
corner of the feature, and its narrowness and relatively great depth— 
which would pose a problem to manual methods of ditch digging even 
today—combined to render this interpretation incredible. It became 
apparent that the only way in which the “wall” could reasonably have 
been constructed was that it must have been built up simultaneously 
with the deposition of the mottled pink fill in which it was placed. 
There are at least two possible interpretations of its function. One 
of these is that it may have been intended as a permanent marker, 
defining the outer perimeter of the layers of clay and rough stone. 
That is to say if the builders had intended to make it possible for their 
successors, in some renovation of the feature, to determine exactly 
what the dimensions of the original structure had been, they could 
have done so by this method. The fact that the south segment of the 
component did not run quite true might be attributed to bad work- 
manship or accident in the course of the construction. There is also 
the possibility that the component had some ritual significance which 
must remain unknown to us. The fact that its eastern segment was 
predominantly of green color hints at such an interpretation. We 
shall point out another possible association of green with an easterly 
direction in another part of our excavations. Another instance of 
surrounding a buried stone structure with a wall-like element, the 
significance of which may be different from that of the present in- 
stance, is to be found in Massive Offering No. 3, Feature A-1—h, where 
a “wall” formed of dressed serpentine blocks surrounds the offering. 

The situation noted in the southwestern quarter of Feature A—1-e 
is of immediate significance to the chronological interpretation. As 
was noted above, the sloping mass of clay (n) laid up against the 
sand wall around the pit is believed to have been a retaining wall. Its 
purpose was apparently to keep sand from falling into the pit while 


104 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


work was going on. In other parts of the structure that were sec- 
tioned by our trenches, the mottled pink fill was carried out against 
the retaining wall. Only in this southwestern quarter of the feature 
did we find this type of fill extending out over a low retaining wall 
to make direct contact with the sand. One possible explanation of 
this situation is that there was a time difference between two steps 
in the construction of the feature. That is, if the original retaining 
wall actually was built against a sand bank which sloped sharply to 
the west and the offering was put in place within the pit, but left 
uncovered, this situation would be accounted for. It would mean that 
prior to the deposition of the mottled pink clay (i), sand accumulated 
in front of the southwest corner of the feature so that eventually, when 
the fill was deposited, it was simply carried out to the edge of the sand. 
This does not appear to be a likely possibility when the manner in 
which the mottled pink clay and drift sands come in contact is studied 
in the profile drawings, figures 26 and 27. Furthermore, all the evi- 
dence points to the immediate covering of the stone and clay structure 
(k) and mosaic (j) by the mottled pink fill, not to a period during 
which the mosaic was left exposed and during which drift sands were 
building up south of the structure. We can be practically certain that 
had the pit remained open for any length of time in this region of tor- 
rential tropical rains, clear evidence of this would be present in the 
form of eroded surfaces and deposits of water-laid clays and sands. 
Instead of this we found all surfaces in excellent shape, and there is 
no doubt in our minds that the mottled pink clay (i) was laid down 
immediately after the stone and clay platform and the mosaic were 
constructed. This of course does not rule out the possibility that 
the mosaic mask may have laid exposed to view for a short time 
during which ceremonial activities may have been conducted. The 
small basalt human figure (fig. 63) which was found at the south- 
western corner of the mosaic may have figured in just this kind of 
activity. 

We believe that the reason for the difference in construction meth- 
ods employed in the southwestern quarter of the feature is to be found 
in the original slope of the drift sands in this area of the site. We 
have noted in our discussion of the Northwest Platform, Feature 
A-1-g, that the sand ridge on which Complex A is built drops off 
rather sharply along its western side. This made necessary the addi- 
tion of fill materials along the western side to bring the level up to 
the general Court level. Such fill was encountered by Wedel (LV, pp. 
46-49) beneath the west Court wall and by us below the Northwest 
Platform, and we have described above a similar fill (fig. 27) found 
outside of the clay retaining wall (n) at the northwest corner of the 
present feature, A-l-e. We assume that this fill extended for some 


oe eye EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 105 


distance west of the Court wall to give the required foundation for 
the wall. We do not know how far south it extended; probably it 
continued only a short distance south of the corner of the Court wall 
and our trench at the northwest corner of Feature A-l-e. South of 
the area which was raised in level by the (p) fill, the original drift 
sand surface probably remained relatively undisturbed. 

When the pit for the stone and clay platform (k) was dug, its 
northern section cut through the prepared Court floor, including the 
“water-sorted” floors (0) in the northeastern quarter and the artificial 
fill (p) in the northwestern quarter. The southern margin of the pit, . 
however, cut through only the original drift sands. When the clay 
subsoil (a) was reached, the clay retaining wall (n) was plastered 
up against the cut bank to the surface level and digging of the pit was 
resumed through the subsoil clays. Thus we believe that the top of 
the clay retaining wall (n) shows fairly accurately the surface level 
existing at the time the pit was dug. If we are correct in this re- 
construction, the slope of the original preconstruction drift sands 
should be apparent from a comparison of the height of the retaining 
wall at different points around the feature, except in the area in the 
northwest part of the feature which was raised by the addition of the 
artificial fill (p). The east-west slope across the south side of the 
feature, calculated by this method, was 7 feet 10 inches in 35 feet, 
i. e., the original surface of the drift sand was 7 feet 10 inches lower 
at the southwest corner of our excavation than at the southeast 
corner, 35 feet to the east. <A slight slope of approximately 6 inches 
from north to south in the vicinity of Feature A—1-e appears from a 
comparison of the height of the retaining wall at the northeast and 
southeast corners of our excavation. 

If the top of the retaining wall along the southern edge of A-1-e 
marks the approximate surface level of the preconstruction drift 
sands, we might expect to find evidence in the drift sand itself to 
indicate the former surface. We searched carefully for such a sur- 
face line along the southern edge of our excavation but except at 
the southwest corner were unsuccessful. At the southwest corner 
(fig. 28) a faint zone of what appeared to be humus with scattered 
minute fragments of charcoal was visible in the drift sands at the 
level of the clay retaining wall. This darkened stratum averaged 
approximately 4 inches thick along the several feet exposed by us. 
It is possible that this stratum was originally somewhat thicker but 
had been scraped off in the preconstruction preparations in this area 
of the site. This might account for its absence along the remainder 
of the south side but we have no evidence on which to base a positive 
statement one way or the other. We can only note that elsewhere in 
Complex A the upper levels of the preconstruction drift sands are 

431818598 


106 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


clearly evident by their “humus-stained” appearance and are usually 
more than a foot in thickness. 

Above the darkened stratum just described, extending up to the 
present surface level, we found only gray drift sand with no indica- 
tions of time differences in its deposition. We believe, however, that 
this upper drift sand was deposited in this location partly by human 
and partly by natural means. During the laying down of the mottled 
pink clay fill (1) drift sand removed from some nearby location was 
being filled in along the south side of the feature to compensate for 
the slope of the original sand ridge. As the mottled pink clay rose in 
height, so did the sand fill being banked against it. This continued 
to the top of the mottled clay fill. At this point the surface of the 
drift sand fill was approximately at point X in figure 28. The adobe 
platform (h) and white floors (g) were then built over the mottled 
pick clay (i). The white floors may originally have extended a few 
feet farther south of the adobe platform than shown in figure 26, but 
have been cut off by subsequent constructions. The drift sand level 
marked by point X (fig. 28), or perhaps slightly above this, was the 
surface during the subsequent Olmec use of the site. Following aban- 
donment of the site the drift sands accumulated to the present surface 
level. No evidence of the Olmec occupation surface at or near the 
level of point X could be detected. This was the situation noted gen- 
erally around structures which were surrounded by drift sands, as in 
the case of Mounds A-3 and A-5, and may indicate that the Olmec 
kept the sand surface clear of plant growth and debris. Thus the 
lack of a stratigraphic break between early and recent drift sands 
may not be significant. 


ENGINEERING 


Certain information which we were able to derive relating to con- 
struction technique used in building Feature A—1-e places an interest- 
ing light on the engineering capabilities of the ancient Olmec. For 
example, the way in which the pit to contain the offering under the 
platform was dug indicates quite clearly that the builders understood 
quite well just what they could and could not do with the soils and 
materials at their disposal. The retaining wall (n) built to keep sand 
from caving into the pit as they dug it was clearly a most ingenious and 
effective device. Heavy compact clays laid up along the slope were 
quite adequate to prevent the sand from shifting down into the pit. 

Another point which is worth considering concerns the handling 
of the basalt columns set up around the top of the structure. Many 
of these were set in individual holes, differing in this regard from 
those set up in the wall A—1—a enclosing the Court, which were set up 
ina trench. If, as we believe, the columns were set so that their tops 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 107 


were leveled, very careful measurements must have been involved in 
digging the pits to the right depth. Once set into its hole, a basalt 
column would have been most difficult to remove had the hole been 
too shallow. It certainly could not have been lifted out like a fence 
post, but would have had to be dug out. We found no indications of 
extensive digging around any of the columns that might indicate 
that they had been removed and then replaced. 

If the wall-like fill of differently colored clays (m) actually was, 
as suggested, a sort of marker to define the limits of the underlying of- 
fering, it was a most ingenious sort of benchmark. We have of course 
no way of determining whether this was the real purpose of the “mark- 
er wall.” We saw nothing which would indicate positively that use 
was made of it in later construction epochs. Once the adobe plat- 
form (h) was in place it would serve as the feature around which later 
alterations and additions were planned. Even the alinement of the 
adobe platform itself does not appear to have depended upon the 
“marker wall” since the one is not centered exactly over the other. 
We are inclined to regard this feature as a “marker wall” more in the 
symbolic than in the practical sense. 


CHRONOLOGY 


If, on the basis of our interpretations concerning the function of 
Feature A-1-e, we turn to a determination of the chronological se- 
quence and relationships of the several layers of the structure, we 
come to the following conclusions. 

Phase I is represented here, as elsewhere in Complex A, by the 
buff and brown “water-sorted” floor series (0), which was observed 
only in the northeastern quarter of A-l-e. We have mentioned above 
another possible occurrence of the “water-sorted” series in the form 
of the rose-buff-rose floor level which was exposed in the southeast 
corner of the feature. The white, brown, and red-brown clayey sand 
fill (p) against which the clay retaining wall (n) was laid along the 
western side of the feature may represent a Phase I component or it 
may be contemporaneous with the clay wall (n) and the white floor 
series (g¢). This fill material has been cut through by the pit for 
the stone and clay platform (k), and it is our opinion, as has been de- 
tailed above, that it was laid down during the Phase I leveling of the 
Ceremonial Court. 

Phase II, the initial construction phase of the Southwest Platform 
itself, is divisible into two subphases. Phase II-a consisted of the 
digging of the pit (n) and laying up of its clay retaining wall (n), 
the placing of the massive offering, including both the 28 rough stone 
layers embedded in clay (k) and the mosaic mask (j), the deposition 


108 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


of the mottled pink fill (1) and “marker wall” (m), and the construc- 
tion of the adobe brickwork platform (h). At this time the adobe 
platform was the only part of the structure which was visible above 
the ground level. The structure was surrounded by and contempo- 
raneous with the whole floor series (g) in the general Court area. We 
do not know whether the adobe structure was surfaced or painted in 
any way. It is possible that the color of the adobes themselves was 
sufficient ornamentation, but we should note that in other parts of 
Complex A, as in Mounds A-2 and A-3, structures were given surface 
coatings in Phase II times. 

Phase II-b is represented in our analysis principally by the U- 
shaped trench dug around the perimeter of the adobe platform in 
which a special fill (£) was put to support the lower set of facing 
stones. It is possible that the adobe brickwork was entirely covered 
with a layer of the fill in which the facing blocks were set, but this is 
not certain. We do know that there was a special set of floors (e) 
laid on a narrow terrace south of the main platform as a part of this 
subphase. 

Phase III probably involved some enlargement of the adobe plat- 
form in the course of which its outer walls were covered with clay fill 
(d) and the perimeter was surfaced with the old-rose floor series (c). 
We do not know whether or not the fill was added to the top of the 
platform at this time. If it was, it was scraped off in connection with 
the rebuilding during the succeeding construction phase. The princi- 
pal Phase III effect in this part of the site appears to have been to 
raise the Court level surrounding the A-1-e platform, thus reducing 
its height. 

Phase IV was represented by the deposition of the massive red clay 
cap (b) built on top of the platform and around the sides of it, and 
as has been brought out, over the rest of the Complex as well. With 
this layer are associated the basalt columns and upper facing stones, 
and the use of the waterworn nodules of limestone. This phase in- 
volved a very extensive modification and enlargement of the feature 
as well as introducing new elements in the pattern: the basalt columns 
and the slabs of limestone. Subsequent to Phase IV came abandon- 
ment of the site, heavy erosion which damaged the south side of the 
feature and most particularly the southwest corner, and finally the 
continued gradual deposition of the drift sand (a) which built up to 
form the modern surface. 

The several building stages may be summarized as follows: 


1 Bea Ezy eve (GUN Bee 10 es i ee a 0) 2 (b) 

Ie Sy sess eee ey ee eo ee eee (e)—-(d) 
TEA OES {eh fl LE 0 eR tc = we ee a LST (e)—(f) 
21 ONS HSY Sp 9 OD fs Ve a SB A Sa aka tele eh (g)-(n) 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Heizer, pXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 109 


EXCAVATIONS IN MOUND A-5 


Mound A-5 is the feature which was designated “Earth Embank- 
ment A-5” in the 1952 report (LV, fig. 14). The mound appeared as 
a long low ridge, running parallel to the central axis of the site. Be- 
cause of the quantity of the drift sand which had filled in around it, 
the mound was rather inconspicuous. Probing along its crest revealed 
pieces of stone spaced a few feet apart for some distance along the top. 
When the drift sand was cleared off and these stones were exposed, they 
were found to be waterworn pieces of white limestone lying on the 
surface of the structure. At what appeared to be the highest point of 
the feature, an excavation was laid off 38 feet in a north-south direc- 
tion by 30 feet east-west. This cut straddled the crest of the mound 
and the eastern slope toward Mound A-3. An extension, approxi- 
mately 30 feet in length, was dug from the northeast corner of the ex- 
cavation across the slight depression toward Mound A-3. 

When the drift sand had been cleared from the top of the feature and 
its side within the limits of the excavation, it was found that there was 
a layer of drift sand which at its shallowest on the highest part of the 
mound measured 1 foot 4 inches deep and which increased in depth to 
the eastward to some 17 feet 6 inches between structures A-5 and A-3. 
The east slope of A-5 proved to be not a simple slope, but one which 
apparently originally descended in two terraces forming three steps 
between the crest and the base (fig. 30). After abandonment of the 
site these terraces apparently drained toward the south and were 
eroded along their inner sides so that on excavation they appeared 
troughlike rather than level. 

The sterile clay base underlying the eastern side of Mound A-5 was 
nearly level. Resting on this clay base was an irregular layer of 
brown sand, averaging 10 feet in thickness, similar to that found be- 
neath other structures in Complex A. Mound A-5 lay on this sand 
layer. We should note here that along the western side of the Cere- 
monial Court, just to the north of Mound A-5, the sand dropped off 
sharply, necessitating the use of artificial fill to maintain the Court 
level. A similar situation may prevail beneath the western side of 
Mound A-5. The clay mound rose to a total height of 7 feet 11 inches 
above the sand layer. The mound stepped down a distance of 1 foot 
3 inches from its crest to the second (higher) terrace mentioned above 
and from this a distance of 1 foot 4 inches to the lower terrace. The 
east edge of the mound dropped off steeply to the mound base. The 
excavations thus revealed that Mound A-5 (and by inference Mound 
A-4 as well) is a long, low platform mound, approximately 285 feet 
in length by 53 feet in width across the top. We did not find time to 
determine whether the ends of the mound are squared or rounded; the 
surface contours indicated rounded ends. 


(Bull. 170 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


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Drucker, Heizer, 
ori Sauie] ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 111 


The lower terrace of the mound had been paved with large water- 
worn slabs of limestone, unshaped by human agency. Six large slabs 
(pl. 20, @) supplemented by smaller pieces, forming a rough paving, 
were visible in the area excavated by us. The large pieces were 3 or 
more feet across and as much as 8 to 10 inches thick, and must have 
weighed between 300 and 400 pounds each. On the inner (western) 
edge of this terrace, Monument 23 had been placed. This monument, 
which is described in detail elsewhere in this report, is a slightly more 
than life-size statue representing a seated human figure. The head 
and arms had been broken off in ancient times. Although we searched 
for the missing pieces we were unable to find them, and it seems quite 
clear that they were not in the immediate vicinity. 

On the inner side of the second terrace there was another series of 
large limestone slabs. These, however, had been set vertically, form- 
ing a row roughly parallel to the long axis of the mound. The pro- 
file along the north edge of our excavation showed very plainly that 
there had been a large pit dug in ancient times, which extended from 
the outer (western) side of the vertical slabs eastward to the horizontal 
slabs that paved the lower terrace, and in depth extended nearly to 
the base of the mound. The pit was filled with heavy clay soil into 
which the limestone slabs had been set. Excavation of this pit, how- 
ever, yielded nothing in the way of information or artifacts. We 
found no indication of the purpose of the large vertical slabs and are 
left with the supposition that they were intended as an ornamental 
feature along the back of the second terrace. 

The east-west profile trench through Mound A-5 gave us no con- 
clusive evidence as to the period of construction of the mound. Out- 
side of the area of the refilled pit the trench showed various levels 
distinguished by soils of different types or colors, but these seemed 
to represent merely differential loading. No layers of chronological 
significance, as in the “floor” levels found elsewhere in Complex A, 
were recognizable here. Apparently the mound had been built during 
a single construction period. The uppermost layer was formed of 
massive red and yellow clays, very similar to the clays capping all 
other structures in Complex A which are of the final construction 
period, Phase IV. The use of limestone slabs is also a Phase IV trait 
elsewhere in Complex A. Therefore it is possible, perhaps even 
probable, that Mound A-5 and its twin on the eastern side of the 
complex, Mound A-4, date entirely from the Phase IV construction. 
Lacking any stratigraphic means of verifying this, we shall simply 
admit that we do not know. No artifacts aside from Monument 23 
were recovered from this excavation. 


dD BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


we ae 
ps Me 
SS foes ig 
© Drift sonds 
(surface much eroded) 
oo = a re ee ae ae 
eS ot 
© Red clay cap 
Le . 7—-—— — 
\ - 
\ 
| bf 
| / @© Mixed red and : 
\ / yellow clays with 
\ © Pit filled with red / some burned clay | © Pit filled with 
and yellow clay containing / and charcoal red and yellow clay 
much charcoal and ash containing much 
charcoal and ash 


ee 


—— — _———S——= 
® Orange and | \ 
white sandy clay ] 


floors with traces / ® Yellow and reddish | 
| 


of purple coating / clay fill with some burned 
/ areas and containing a 


\ few sherds 
/ 
\ 


\ | \ 
——— @ =) E = —— =e) =) lz 
re — = a 
\ | | | @ Layered clayey 
\ / @ Brown basal drift sands, | / sands with large 


ee charcoal and humus stained in \ {burned areas 


SS S= upper levels 


Ficure 31.—Profile of Mound A-3. Section of east wall of 1955 north-south trench. 


EXCAVATIONS IN MOUND A-3 


Mound A-3 was the small feature south of the Ceremonial Court in 
which the sandstone cist (Feature A-3-a) was discovered in 1943. 
We carried out some minor tests here with two purposes in mind. 
The first was to attempt to coordinate our terminology with that of 
Wedel, who has given a detailed description (LV, 65-67) of his cross 
section of this feature. Our second aim was to cut a short trench 
westward toward Mound A-5 to add, if possible, to the limited infor- 
mation we had gathered in our investigations in the latter feature. 
The check of the stratigraphy in general corroborated Wedel’s infor- 
mation, although we did make some adjustments of terminology to 
make his and ours conform. In addition, on the basis of our work 
in the other features of Complex A, we were able to make some elabora- 
tions of his distinctions of layers. We will describe first the results 
of our excavations in our north-south trench, which paralleled Wedel’s 
trench through the mound for a distance of 30 feet but extended 3 feet 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 113 


farther to the east. A profile of part of this trench is shown in figure 
31; the entire mound is seen in plain view in figure 4. 

The original ground surface on which the feature was built was, 
just as stated by Wedel, the humus-stained sand layer (a), the upper- 
most portion of which contained considerable charcoal. Assuming 
that the top of the sterile clay subsoil underlying the sand layer was 
at the same level as noted a short distance to the west near Mound 
A-5, the depth of the sand layer beneath Mound A-3 would be approxi- 
mately 12 feet. This appears to be the same layer encountered by us 
elsewhere in Complex A at the original preconstruction surface. 
Overlying this base was a thin stratum, 3 to 5 inches thick, of layered 
clayey sands (g) with some areas that appeared to be burned. It is 
possible that these represent original leveling layers, corresponding 
to the “buff and brown sandy floors, apparently partly water-sorted” 
in the general Court area. We noted that the (g) layer contained a 
higher proportion of clay and was generally more pinkish in color than 
is usual for the “water-sorted floors” in the Court proper. The next 
stratum consisted of a mixed yellow and reddish clay fill (f), 2 feet 
2 inches thick, with a few sherds and some areas showing burning. 
This was capped by a series of orange and white sandy clay floor 
layers (e) approximately 4 inches thick. Traces of purple coating 
were discernible at intervals along this floor level. Over these floors 
was a layer, 2 feet 10 inches thick, of dense red and yellow clays (d) 
with considerable quantities of charcoal, which in turn was covered by 
a 13-inch thick capping (b) that appeared to be the same as the 
massive red clay cap noted as the final construction layer throughout 
Complex A. Resting on this clay cap was a 15- to 20-inch layer of 
postoccupation drift sands (a). The surface of the red clay cap (b) 
was very irregular, suggesting extensive erosion before the protective 
mantle of drift sands had accumulated. 

We pause here to take note of a point of difference between our 
findings and those of Wedel. Within the Ceremonial Court Wedel 
used the term “tierra bonita” to refer to the floor series that we have 
designated in the present report as the “old rose” floor series. This 
series of sandy floor layers was not encountered by us in Mound A-3. 
The “tierra bonita” level described by Wedel (LV, pp. 65-67) matches 
well in general description, stratigraphic position, and absolute eleva- 
tion with the series of layered sands (g) which we found to cap the 
base sands and which we have suggested above may be the “water- 
sorted floors” found in the Court. We determined the elevation of 
the top of Feature A-3-a (“Tomb C”) during the 1955 excavations. 
Knowing this elevation we can calculate the approximate elevation 
of the “tierra bonita” level described by Wedel. The figure thus 


114 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


derived falls within 4 inches of the elevation of our layered sand 
level (g) and there is therefore little doubt that the two floor series, 
though differently termed, are in fact the same. It will be recalled 
that above this layered sand series Wedel found only a massive reddish 
clay dome. Our 1955 excavations, which paralleled Wedel’s trench 
through Mound A-3 but exposed the area 3 feet farther to the east, 
revealed a more complicated stratigraphy than that found by Wedel. 
This has been briefly described above. A most important component 
observed by us but not by Wedel is the orange and white sandy clay 
floor series (e). Wedel notes (LV, p. 67) that the reddish clay dome 
of Mound A-3%, as exposed in his trench along the major axis of the 
mound, consisted for the most part of a “... chaotic mass of burnt 
clay, fire-blackened earth, stones, and an occasional tiny sherd.” We 
noted several intrusive pits in our trench just to the east of Wedel’s 
excavation which were filled with the same kind of clay rubble (fig. 
31). It appears that the entire central part of Mound A-3 was 
extensively disturbed in ancient times, leaving only occasional areas 
of undisturbed stratigraphy one of which we were fortunate enough 
to encounter. This disturbance apparently prevented Wedel from 
detecting the orange and white floor series (e) in the walls of the 
trench excavated by him. 

Our east-west trench, begun near the western edge of the 19438 
excavation and extending toward Mound A-5 for a distance of 20 
feet, revealed the western edge of what appeared to be a flat-topped 
structure which was capped with the orange and white sandy clay 
floor layers with traces of purple coating as described above in our 
north-south trench in this mound. This structure was covered with 
the massive red clay cap as in the central part of the mound. Ex- 
tensive disturbance of the structure had occurred in the area exposed 
in the eastern part of our trench. 

The 1955 excavations in Mound A-3 showed that this mound, 
instead of being simply a structureless clay dome resting upon a pre- 
pared level, was at one time a platform mound with a decorated sur- 
face. The east-west dimension of this platform was approximately 
40 feet, as determined by the distance of its western side from the site 
centerline. The north-south dimension can only be estimated at this 
time; from the length and configuration of the overlying red clay 
cap we estimate that the major axis of the platform was between 
60 and 75 feet in length. The top of the platform rose 2 feet 6 inches 
above the layered sandy clay base. 

The sequence of construction activities in Mound A-3 may be 
summarized as follows. The initial step was the leveling of the 
original sand surface. Wedel has described (LV, p. 67) what may 


Drucker, Heizer, py i 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 $15 


have been the method used by the builders to achieve a level surface 
here, by the use of sun-dried adobe brick “grade stakes.” Upon this 
surface was laid a series of layers (g) of clayey sands. These sands 
show evidence of burning, perhaps as the result of ceremonial activi- 
ties in connection with the construction. Upon this prepared surface 
was deposited a hearting of dense yellow and reddish clay (f) and 
this was surfaced by repeated applications of thin layers of orange 
and white sandy clays (e), forming a flat-topped platform mound. 
The surface of this platform was painted an indeterminate number 
of times with a sandy purple wash. 


CHRONOLOGY 


We must now face the problem of relating the platform and its 
prepared base to the sequence of building phases throughout Com- 
plex A. We have suggested above that the layered clayey sands (g) 
may correspond to the “water-sorted” floor level found elsewhere in 
the site. This has been a Phase I component wherever found. Two 
factors may weigh against the attribution of the (g) layer to the 
Phase I “‘water-sorted” floor constructions, neither of which may be 
overly significant in our attempt to date this component. The first 
of these relates to the absolute elevation of the (g) layer, which is 
just over 1 foot above the average elevation of the “water-sorted” 
series in the Court at large. This need not weigh too heavily since 
Mound A-3 stands some distance from the southern margin of the 
Court proper and it may not have been considered necessary by the 
site builders to construct the (g) level here at exactly the same level 
as elsewhere. Secondly, there is the fact that the (g) series in Mound 
A-3 contained somewhat more clay and was generally more pink in 
color than was the case in the “water-sorted” floors wherever observed 
by us in the Ceremonial Court. Much of the pink color appeared to 
us to have resulted from the burning which took place on the (g) 
level prior to the construction of the platform (e-f). As for the 
greater proportion of clay in the (g) level, this may be of small 
importance by itself since we actually observed only a small fraction 
of the total expanse of this level either in the Ceremonial Court or 
in Mound A-3 and therefore know very little about its range of 
variation. We are inclined to regard the (g) level as a Phase I com- 
ponent because of its color, its relative elevation, and its stratigraphic 
position with respect to the underlying sands (a) ; all of which accord 
better with the “water-sorted” floors than with any other construction 
element in the Ceremonial Court. 

We believe that the platform consisting of the yellow and reddish 
clay fill (f) and orange and white sandy clay surface (e) also dates 


116 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


from the Phase I constructions. Our problem here is to differentiate 
the (e) surface layer from the Phase II white floor series found 
throughout the Court. It should be noted that nowhere in the Court 
have we observed the white floor level to run over the top of any plat- 
form structure. In every case the white floors are court floors only, 
running up to the sloping faces of the platforms but never continuing 
over the top. However, in the remnant of the Phase I platform in 
Mound A-2 (see j-4 in fig. 10) a layer remarkably similar in composi- 
tion and color to the (e) layer in Mound A-3 is used to surface the 
platform. This similarity to the stratigraphically clear Phase I plat- 
form surfacing technique in Mound A-2, together with the obviously 
early context of the (f) platform fill—resting as it does on the initial 
prepared surface layer (g¢)—leads us, regardless of the distance sep- 
arating Mounds A-2 and A-3, to suggest a Phase I date for the (e-f) 
platform. 

We found no evidence in Mound A-3 of repeated platform enlarge- 
ment such as was common in the structures in the Ceremonial Court. 
The original platform apparently stood exposed, except for resurfac- 
ings, until covered by the (d) and (b) clay cap. We have mentioned 
above that traces of purple coating were visible intermittently along 
the top of the platform surface layer (e). It is possible that these 
represent the only evidence of Phase II activity in Mound A-8. 
Purple coloring was observed in several places in the Court as a com- 
ponent of the Phase II white floor series and in Mound A-2 was the 
only color used to surface the Phase II platform throughout its com- 
plicated series of rebuilding and resurfacing (i-2 to i-8 in fig. 10) 
stages. None of this, of course, clinches the case for the purple sur- 
facing of Mound A-8 as a Phase IT feature; it seems clear, however, 
that if Phase II is represented in this mound it is limited to the purple 
surfacing. 

Subsequent stages of construction of the mound appear to be associ- 
ated with the building of the stone slab cist (Feature A-3-a) which 
was found in 1943. Apparently a shallow trench was cut through the 
middle of the platform along its north-south centerline, which was 
also the centerline of Complex A. Into this trench was thrown a foot 
or so of red and yellow clays containing some burned clays and much 
charcoal. The uprights and floor slabs of Feature A—3-a were set in 
this clay rubble and the offering of jade objects, Offering 1948-G, was 
placed in the cist. The trench through the platform then seems to 
have been filled with more of the same clay rubble, filling in around 
the stone cist and building up a layer about 3 feet thick (d) over the 
top of the platform. Nearly 2 feet of the upper part of the cist pro- 
truded above this (d) layer. Following the deposition of the (d) 
layer a number of pits (c) were dug into it, some of these extending 
in depth well into the preconstruction drift sand layer beneath the 


Drucker, Heizer, TEN 
dna Suuieri EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 117 


mound. ‘Those which we saw in our north-south trench through the 
mound were filled with the same clay rubble as made up the (d) layer 
itself, but with the addition of much charcoal and ash. We found 
nothing in these pits to indicate their purpose. They may contain the 
burned remains of offerings made to commemorate some event with 
which the alteration of the mound and building of the stone cist were 
also associated. At any rate, after the filling in of the (c) pits the 
layer of massive red clays (b) was put down over the entire mound 
to a depth sufficient to cover the top of the cist with at least several 
inches of clay. Several offerings of jade and other materials (Offer- 
ings 1943-—H through 1943-M) were deposited in the upper levels of 
the red clay cap (b), probably also commemorating whatever event was 
honored by the construction of the cist and addition of the cap over the 
mound. After the deposition of the red clay cap the mound stood 
exposed to the elements for sometime. This is indicated by the erosion 
which has badly scarred the surface of the mound and run down its 
sides sufficiently to obscure whatever form the mound might have had 
in its final phase. The erosion was largely brought to an end by the 
accumulation of the mantle of drift sands (a) which formed the 
modern surface. 

The final alterations of Mound A-3, which include the deposition 
of the red and yellow clay layer (d), the stone cist, charcoal and ash- 
filled pits (c), and massive red clay cap (b), were almost certainly 
made during a single construction phase. This phase must have been 
the one which we have designated Phase IV throughout Complex A. 
The construction of the stone cist in a structureless fill (d) and covering 
with the red clay cap (b) accords very well with the final phase con- 
structions in Mound A-2, where the basalt column tomb (Monument 7), 
pile of basalt columns (Feature A-2-b), and sandstone coffer (Monu- 
ment 6) were placed in an identical context. We recognize that Phase 
IIT, which in the Ceremonial Court is marked by the “old rose” floor 
series, is missing in this interpretation. No evidence was found, how- 
ever, either during the 1943 excavations or by us in 1955 which would 
indicate that Phase ITI had ever been represented in Mound A-3. It 
is of course possible that enlargements to the Phase I platform made 
during both Phases II and III were removed during the Phase IV 
alterations, but we found nothing that would substantiate this. 

Another feature which may be associated with the final construc- 
tion stage in Mound A-3 is the jaguar mask mosaic which Wedel 
(LV, pp. 74-75) designated as “Pavement No. 2.” This mask mosaic 
was located on the Complex A centerline with about 1 meter separating 
its northern edge from the south edge of Mound A-3. It apparently 
rested on a prepared clay base and was covered only by the upper drift 
sands. We found no evidence, nor did Wedel in 1943, of a massive 
offering in Mound A-3 such as was laid down in Mound A-2 (Feature 


118 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


A-2-d) at the beginning of the Phase IV constructions. It is barely 
possible that the jaguar mask mosaic was intended as a functional 
equivalent of the massive offering in Mound A-2. Certainly the fact 
that it was covered only by drift sands argues for its lateness in the 
Complex A phase sequence since the universally demonstrated tendency 
of the Phase IV site builders was to completely cover all exposed fea- 
tures from previous phases. An additional, but somewhat speculative, 
argument for the lateness of the mask mosaic might be made on the 
basis of the differences between this mosaic and the two which date 
from Phase II times found in the Southeast and Southwest platforms. 
A comparison of the three mosaics (LV, figs. 20, 24; this report, fig. 29) 
shows a number of rather striking differences between the mosaic 
found just south of Mound A-3 and the two Phase II mosaics. It 
might be argued that these differences came about as the concept of 
the conventionalized jaguar face changed with time. We wish merely 
to suggest such an argument, not to pursue it here. Our best evidence 
for a Phase IV date for the mask mosaic is provided by the absence of a 
clay cap over its surface, as we have stated above. 

To briefly summarize our interpretation of the history of Mound 
A-8, this structure appears to have resulted from essentially two stages 
of construction. During the Phase I activity, the basal drift sands 
were leveled and a layer of clayey sands (g) was laid down. Upon 
this a platform consisting of the yellow and reddish clay hearting 
(f) and orange and white sandy clay surface layer (e) was built. 
During Phase IT of Complex A history, activity appears to have been 
limited to the addition of a number of washes of a sandy purple coat- 
ing over the top of the platform. Phase III seems to be totally 
unrepresented in this structure. The final stage of activity, Phase 
TV, saw the construction of the stone cist (Feature A-3-a), addition 
of the red and yellow clay rubble (d) and the massive red clay cap 
(b) with its offerings of jade and other materials, and probably the 
construction of the jaguar mask mosaic just south of the mound. Fol- 
lowing a period of heavy erosion a layer of drift sands (a) slowly 
accumulated over the surface of the mound. 

In simplest terms, then, we can summarize the history of the mound 
as follows: 

Phase IV__(b)—(d) 
Phase III__Not represented 


Phase II___Purple coating on (e) ? 
Phase I___-_ (e)—(g) 


EXCAVATIONS IN COMPLEX C 


As noted elsewhere the Pyramid, designated “Complex C,” had 
around its base a number of platformlike appendages. Clearing of 


Drucker, Heizer, 
eri Gauiey "’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 119 


Complex A and the lower northern slope of the Pyramid brought into 
prominence a long narrow platform that projected northward from 
the face of the Pyramid. This feature designated as “C-2” (see fig. 
5) was approximately 60 feet long and 30 feet wide. It rose quite 
steeply from the low-lying ground to a height of about 10 feet at 
its outer tip. From this point it sloped gradually to a point at which 
it joined the mound mass. The western side of the platform from 
the point of juncture with the main Pyramid outward had been con- 
siderably damaged by erosion. We laid out two squares to the east 
of the platform, leaving a stratigraphic wall section between them. 
Just east of the centerline we laid out an 18-by-40 foot cut parallel 
to the north-south axis of the platform. The two eastern squares 
were excavated to a depth of 6 feet below the surface and then aban- 
doned, and efforts were then concentrated in the western cut. The 
narrow trench extending to the north was approximately 40 feet in 
length. At a depth of 10 feet it was reduced in width to leave a 
3-foot shelf as a runway for dirt removal. At 11 feet 6 inches the cut 
was further reduced to a narrow trench 2 feet wide in the center of the 
main trench, which was carried down 3 feet, and then work in this 
feature was stopped. 

This test was made in the hope of collecting some information 
on structural sequences within the platform and the Pyramid itself. 
The head of our deep trench, of course, intersected the toe, at least, of 
the Pyramid proper. However, we found no indications of structural 
sequences of the type we had hoped for. The platform was a one- 
phase construction, which cast no light on the construction of the 
Pyramid, unless it might be to hint that the Pyramid and platform 
were part of the same single phase project. There was no visible 
structural separation between the Pyramid mass and the platform. 
The platform and the edge of the main mass of the Pyramid consisted 
of a tough yellowish buff clay on the surface, and at a depth of 9 
feet 10 inches (measured from the highest point at the head of our 
trench) we encountered a fill, or hearting, of clean very light-gray 
sand. This sand continued into the Pyramid. It extended to the 
point under the junction of the platform and Pyramid. This sand 
was unusual in that it appeared to be quite clean, like beach sand. 
Where first encountered it contained a considerable quantity of 
fragments of broken pottery and wood charcoal.’* These sherds 
must have been thrown into it deliberately, perhaps as binder, for the 
sand itself was far too clean to have come from an occupation or 
refuse zone. We noted several points both in the overlying clay and 
in the sand core at which some differential loading occurred, but there 


14 Carbon sample (No. M—536) collected here for radiocarbon dating. 


120 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


was no indication whatsoever that these pointed to any structural 
chronological significance. 

On the south foot of the Pyramid there are two platforms, one of 
which runs east-west along the entire south face and is designated by 
us as C-4. The other, C—5, is a long narrow structure extending out 
in a north-south direction from its point of juncture with C-4. Al- 
most exactly at the base of the slope of the main Pyramid mass and 
the point where it joins C-4, three new monuments, Nos. 25, 26, and 
27 (pls. 53, 54) were found. Monument 25 was situated very nearly 
on our reconstructed centerline of the site. Monument 26 was set just 
to the eastward with about 3 feet separating the edges of the two 
stones. Monument 27 was set 75 feet to the eastward of Monument 25. 
All three stones, although at present they have slumped somewhat, 
appear to have been set originally in a line which was approximately 
perpendicular to the centerline of the site. All were wide, flat, stela- 
like slabs of stone and were set with their carved faces to the south. 
Clearing them indicated that they had been set up in shallow holes 
with backs braced against a shelflike bank cut into the main Pyramid 
mass. That they were entirely buried was due to the fact that slope- 
wash from the main Pyramid had covered them in the course of the 
years. The base of Monument 25 was at a point 7 feet 11 inches below 
the present surface. Its pointed, broken base was wedged up with a 
variety of small stones, including 2 pieces of limestone, one of basalt, 
and a small chunk of schist. Monument 26, which is 1 foot 2 inches 
shorter than Monument 25, had been set in a shallower pit so that 
when it was straightened up the top must have been very nearly even 
with that of the stone next toit. The hole in which Monument 27 had 
been set was very easily seen. It was a pit which penetrated 2 feet 7 
inches into the surface red clay layer. The monuments themselves 
will be described in detail in a separate section, but it may be mentioned 
here that the carvings on all three represent jaguar masks in low relief. 
Two of the three (Monuments 26 and 27) were placed upside down. 

In addition to clearing these three monuments, three test pits were 
dug to search for more in the same area. Since Monuments 25-27 
had been found on what had been intended as the last day of excavation, 
the work that could be done was quite limited. On the assumption 
that the monuments might be part of a symmetrical arrangement, 
test pit “A”, 5 feet by 10 feet, was dug immediately west of Monument 
25 to search for a companion stone to Monument 26. Test pit “B”, of 
the same dimensions, was dug 75 feet west of Monument 25 to 
search for a companion to Monument 27. Test pit “C” was dug more 
or less at random, 15 feet east of Monument 26, along the line of the 
stones. All these pits were dug to a depth of 8 or 9 feet and tested 
several feet deeper with a soil auger. 


Drucker, Heizer, pp» , + 97 
id Squier] EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 121 


On the outer end of C-—5, south of the two altars (Altars 2 and 3), 
a 5-foot by 20-foot pit was dug in a small mound at the tip of the 
platform. This feature was small, rising to a height of about 4 feet 
above the level of the outer end of the platform, which was estimated 
as 11 feet above the present general surface south of the Pyramid and 
its platforms. This test was dug to a maximum depth of 36 inches 
from the highest point. There was a very thin layer of drift sand 
which graded rapidly into brown sandy clay under which a bright 
orange-red clay was found. 

This set of platforms appears to be a fruitful place for further 
investigation. One obvious problem is that of determining the 
relationships between Monument 1 (a colossal head) and the three 
new monuments. The conditions of these latter and the facts that 
two show considerable evidence of ancient damage, and that two of 
them are placed with the design upside down, hint very strongly 
at post-Olmec reuse. We are of the opinion that they were placed in 
their present situation by people, who though awed by the mysterious 
carvings, did not actually understand the designs. It seems possible, 
although it probably could never be proved, that these three stones 
might originally have been placed around the foot of the 
platform (C-5) forming a symmetrical arrangement by completing, 
or balancing Monument 1 and Stela 2. The general indications from 
our few tests in this locality were that extensive excavations might 
be required to yield any results, or at any rate excavations larger than 
we were prepared to undertake at the very end of the season. Rather 
than biting off more than we could chew, we refilled the tests and re- 
buried the monuments and left them there. A further possibility for 
future work is in determining whether or not there lie buried on the 
east side of the centerline, monuments whose positions match those of 
Monument 1 and Stela 2. 


CORRELATION OF COMPLEX A CONSTRUCTIONS 


The correlation chart (see table 1) summarizes the construction 
history of the several structures in Complex A at La Venta. It will 
serve as a useful guide to the reader who may have become lost in 
the welter of detail concerning the history of the individual structures. 
Added to the chart is the phase designation of the numerous offerings 
recovered since the beginning of excavation in 1942. 

As has already been pointed out, the site was laid out on a natural 
ridge which runs approximately north and south. In the Ceremonial 
Court area this ridge was leveled off where it was too high in the east 
half, and filled in the low western half. It is possible that the remnant 
of a pre-Phase I structure is to be seen in the (p) clay block (fig. 20) 

431818599 


[Bull. 170 


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EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 


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124 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY. [Bull. 170 


underneath the Northwest Platform. If so, this would indicate a pre- 
La Venta complex on the same site. If there were earlier structures on 
the spot now occupied by Complex A, these must have been alined 
differently from the later structures in this area. The fragments of 
colored flooring layers in the lower fill layers in the Northwest 
Platform and Mound A-2 certainly indicate that clay structures 
with painted surfaces were being destroyed during the building of 
the Phase I structures. Where these earlier structures were must be 
left for future investigators to determine. 

As is clearly shown by table 1, we may speak of Phase I as the 
water-sorted floors period, of Phase II as the white floor period, of 
Phase III as the rose floor period, and Phase IV as the red clay cap 
period. In nearly every structure, these particular diagnostic features 
occur at the same elevation, and it 1s not to be doubted that they are 
indicative of the same activity carried out throughout the Court area 
during its several successive rebuilding phases. 


PHASE I 


The laying out of the La Venta site, by which we mean the deter- 
mination of the central alinement and plotting of the boundaries of 
the Ceremonial Court and positions of the enclosed platforms and the 
north platform mound (Mound A-2) and, in all probability the initial 
stage of the Pyramid, must necessarily have preceded the earliest con- 
struction work.?® When the leveling and filling of the area to be 
occupied by the Ceremonial Court was concluded and the small red 
clay ridge surrounding the Court (upon which was later superimposed 
the brickwork wall) was thrown up, the water-sorted floors were de- 
posited. At this time the first low platform mounds (Northeast, 
Northwest, and South-Central) were erected, and the earliest stage 
of the platform mound (A-2) north of the Court was built. A low 
clay platform capped with orange and white sandy clay surfacing 
layers was constructed just to the south of the Ceremonial Court on 
the centerline (Mound A-3). Four dedicatory caches or offerings 
(Nos. 7, 15-17) in the Northeast Platform are doubtfully attributed 
to Phase I. In the discussion of Feature A—1—-h we have given our 
reasons for believing that the serpentine block-filled trench surround- 
ing the perimeter of the offering held the redeposited blocks derived 
from a Phase I massive offering which originally occupied part of 
the area in which Feature A-1-h was laid. Although there is no proof 
that these blocks are derived from such a Phase I offering, this inter- 

% Jt will be apparent to the reader who carefully studies the plan view of Complex A 
(fig. 4) that a long list of alinements of the various platforms, buried pavementlike offer- 
ings, and dedicatory offerings with one another could be made up. ‘This certainly must 
indicate that the Olmec were deeply concerned with maintaining an orderly arrangement 


of features within the complex. It probably also indicates that there were functional 
relationships between the structures, offerings, and monuments. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier} EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 125 


pretation is strongly suggested by the fact that at the beginning of 
Phases II, III, and IV a massive offering (Nos. 1, 2, and 3) was 
deposited. 

PHASE II 


The beginning of Phase II was marked by the excavation of the 
great pits, the deposition of the 28 layers of rough serpentine blocks, 
the jaguar mosaic masks, the fill layers and erection of the adobe 
brickwork platforms, and the laying of the facing blocks around the 
footing of the platforms in the Southeast and Southwest Platforms. 
Following the deposition of the mosaic masks in these structures, 
Offerings 1942-E and 1943-E were placed. Next came the building of 
the brickwork wall or embankment which surrounded the Court, the 
inner (and outer ?) toe of this wall being marked by continuous rows 
of dressed rectangular basalt facing blocks. In the Northwest Plat- 
form, offerings of pottery vessels (Offerings 18 and 19) were probably 
deposited in this period. The three platforms inside the Court area 
were increased in height and area and additional platforms were built 
on Mound A-2. Offering No. 3 was deposited at this time in the 
South-Central Platform. The level of the flat interior of the Court 
was raised by the addition of dense clay fill and this was capped by 
the white sandy floor series. 


PHASE II 


Phase III was initiated by the deposition of Massive Offering No. 3 
(Feature A-1-h) astride the centerline between Mound A-2 and the 
South-Central Platform. The three platforms inside the Court were 
all enlarged and in the Northeast Platform were deposited Offerings 
5, 6, 183, and probably 14. Offering No. 4 was placed just west of this 
platform in the fill layers which form part of the addition to raise the 
level of the Court floor. A number of offerings (1943-C, 19438-D, 1, 
2, 8, 10, and 12) were placed in the Phase III fill layers just south of 
Mound A-2 along the centerline. Mound A-2 was added to repeatedly. 
Within the Ceremonial Court the Phase III surface consists of the 
old-rose floor series. These, like the sandy white floor series of 
Phase II, mark a period of unknown but fairly considerable duration 
as Judged by the number and thickness of successive floorings. At this 
time the terminus (at the Northeast Entryway), and possibly the 
outside toe, of the brickwork embankment or wall surrounding the 
Court was faced with dressed basalt and serpentine blocks. 


PHASE IV 


Phase IV began with the placing of Massive Offering No. 2 (Feature 
A-2-d) at a point estimated as the center of Mound A-2. In the fill 
over this offering were deposited Offerings 1942-C, 9 and 11. The 


126 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


deposition of the red clay cap over the floor and structures of the 
Ceremonial Court, as well as over Mounds A-2 and A-3, is the most dis- 
tinctive stratigraphic element of this period. The use of sandstone, 
of which the Mound A-3 cist and the Monument 6 coffer are made, 
as well as limestone slabs (found in Mound A-5, the Northeast Entry- 
way, along the site centerline, in the Southwest Platform, the flooring 
of the Monument 7 stone tomb and the limestone wedges or shims 
beneath Monument 25 and Stela 5) is entirely limited to Phase IV 
at La Venta. Another Phase IV material is greenschist of which 
Monuments 22, 24, and Stela 5 were made. Monuments 16, 17 and 18, 
at the south end of the island, may because of the material of which 
they are made belong to Phase IV as well. Mounds A-4 and A-5 
were apparently constructed during Phase IV. At this time the basalt 
columns (the total number of which is not known but exceeds 200) 
were imported from a source as yet not determined. Some of these 
were used in the stone tomb (“Tomb A” or Monument 7), others were 
laid in small stacks (for example, just south of the stone tomb and in 
the space between the Southwest and Southeast Platforms), and num- 
bers were set upright in the top of the Phase II brickwork platforms 
of the Southwest and Southeast Platforms and in the crown of the 
brickwork embankment surrounding the Court. It is our opinion, 
contrary to that of Wedel (LV, p. 65), that the enclosure of the 
Court with the basalt columns was never concluded. This is not to 
deny the possibility that some columns were removed from the sur- 
rounding wall, but our meager evidence indicates that there were 
sections of the wall in which columns never stood. It is not beyond the 
bounds of possibility that the tremendous labor involved in trans- 
porting the columns to La Venta might have been more than the Phase 
IV inhabitants could handle and the job was never completed.* We 
have at various times during the writing of this report speculated on 
the possible reasons for this failure to complete the column-importing 
project and have discussed among ourselves such possibilities as social 
revolt, cutting off of the distant source of supply, or unanticipated 


1¢The source area of the basalt columns remains, in 1957, unknown. It is definitely not 
La Union volcano on the Sayula River. The best guess is that the Tuxtla mountains about 
50 airline miles northwest (cf. fig. 1) was the source. Stirling’s hypothesis (1943 b, p. 50) 
that the columns were rafted from here down the coast and up the Tonala River to La 
Venta seems the best to account for the basalt at the site. Our own workmen found it 
simpler to carry the columns by means of rope slings and freshly cut poles (pl. 9, a) 
rather than drag them with a four-sheave rope block. The practicable limit seemed to be 
about 35 men carrying a 2-ton column, with each man’s share about 110 pounds. The 
greatest stela on the site (Stela 3) weighs about 50 tons (Stirling, 1943 b, p. 52) and is 14 
feet high, 6 feet 8 inches wide, and 3 feet thick. With a total weight of 100,000 pounds, 
and a load limit of 100 pounds per man it would have taken 1,000 men to carry this stone. 
Cross-country carrying of such a block through jungle and across rivers might be done, 
though it seems improbable. We conclude that rafting to the island and dragging the 
final distance on skids or rollers on land is the only acceptable answer as to how Stela 3 
came to La Venta. Similarly, the basalt columns were probably rafted, though with 
cousiderable effort they could have been carried individually. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 127 


cessation of the occupation of the site due to conquest. Since we are 
unable to produce anything concrete in support of these or other 
alternatives, we leave this, like other problems, to future investigators. 
It would seem logical that the effort involved in bringing in the stone 
columns and placing them in the Ceremonial Court area, the building 
of Mounds A-4 and A-5, the placing of the numerous offerings of this 
phase, and the construction and burial under the red clay cap of the 
stone tomb (Monument 7) and sandstone coffer (Monument 6) in 
Mound A-2 and the sandstone cist (Feature A-3-a) in Mound A-3 
indicate no intention of a sudden abandonment of the ceremonial 
center. 

The four construction phases at the site of La Venta which we have 
discussed in this report may, as we have indicated earlier, represent 
activities which occurred at the beginning or termination of a calen- 
drical and/or religious cycle (cf. Tozzer, 1941, p. 151). Distinctive to 
Phase IV at La Venta are the great tombs represented by Monuments 
6, 7, and Feature A-3-a. There is no evidence of tombs in Phases 
ItoIII. (We remind the reader of the interpretation proposed else- 
where in the present report that offerings such as 1948—L, and Offer- 
ings 5-7 from the 1955 excavations, may symbolize, but do not repre- 
sent, actual burials.) The elaborate burial of high priests or rulers 
in Phase IV may indicate the development of a highly differentiated 
class-structured society which became so top heavy that it broke down 
because of the inability or unwillingness of the general population to 
support it. There were very likely burials of such personages in ear- 
lier times, but they apparently were interred elsewhere than at La 
Venta. The organization of society necessary to accomplish in Phase 
IV the importation of the huge quantities of stone columns, taken 
together with the tomb burials at La Venta, do at any rate imply a 
much more rigorous and autocratic control of the general population 
than during Phases I to III. 


OFFERINGS 


In the 1955 excavations a total of 30 dedicatory offerings or caches 
was recovered within Complex A. Of these, 3 are of the “massive 
offering” class in the form of solid pavements of dressed serpentine 
blocks or mosaic zoomorphic masks. The remainder are dedicatory 
offerings of one or more small objects such as celts, figurines, pottery, 
ornaments, and the like. 

In Appendix 1 the dedicatory offerings of small objects recovered in 
the La Venta excavations of 1940-48 are listed for the purpose of 
record. The offering numbers given in this list are those assigned by 
us. We have attempted (table 1), in addition, to show the location 
and assign each of these offerings to one of the construction phases as 
determined in 1955 and detailed in this report. 


128 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


MASSIVE OFFERINGS 


In the course of the 1955 season we recovered data on three features 
of very unusual type, which we interpret as offerings. These offer- 
ings are quite different from the ordinary lots of small objects of 
pottery, jade, or other minerals which are commonly found in Meso- 
american sites. It would be well to point out that two additional 
features of this type were found in 1943, making a total of 5. The 
characteristics of these massive offerings, on the basis of our limited 
sampling, seemed to be that large deep pits were dug to receive them, 
and the offerings themselves consist of a very great quantity of stone. 
One such offering has already been described briefly in discussing 
the excavation of Feature A-1-e and its structural sequences. There, 
it was pointed out that the entire lower part of the structure, that is, 
the layers of rough stone embedded in the olive-green and blue clays, 
and the mosaic mask as well, were considered to be an offering. A1- 
though in 1948 Stirling and Wedel did not have time to determine the 
size and depth of the “rubble” underlying the serpentine mosaic which 
they found in Feature A-1-d, it is most probable that it was similar 
to or identical with that which we excavated in 1955. The feature 
which Wedel refers to as “Pavement No. 2,” a less carefully laid- 
out mosaic of serpentine blocks, would be another offering of this 
type although a deep pit was not made for its placement. This had 
been disturbed in ancient times. 


MASSIVE OFFERING NO. 1 
(Construction Phase IT) 


This consisted of the jaguar mosaic and the 28 rough stone layers 
in Feature A-1-e, and has been described in connection with that 


structure. 
MASSIVE OFFERING NO. 2 


(Feature A-2-d ; construction Phase IV ) 


At the north end of our main north-south trench we were able to 
trace the outlines of a long, narrow pit. Its border was 491% feet long 
north-south and almost exactly 20 feet wide east-west. This pit was 
dug to a depth of 16 feet 3 inches below its point of origin (fig. 12). 
This ancient excavation was dug with extremely steep walls, which 
cut through earlier construction levels and penetrated deeply into the 
gray drift sand underlying the original structures. The slope of the 
walls where we were able to measure them at the southern end of this 


17On the site map (LV, p. 35) the pavement in the Hast (i. e. Southeast) Platform is 
erroneously labeled Pavement No. 2. This is actually Wedel’s Pavement No. 1 (cf. LV, 
pp. 56-59). 


mad Saaienp 7” EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 129 


cut averaged 74 degrees from the horizontal. A short exposure of 
the edge of the cut at its eastern side along the side of the tomb had 
a slope of 80 degrees. The pit penetrated only a short distance into 
the clay subsoil underlying the sand. In the bottom of this pit a 6- 
inch layer of bright red sandy clay was placed. On this prepared 
bed was placed a layer of serpentine blocks (pl. 20, 6). These blocks 
were very carefully prepared, having been cut to rectangular forms 
with rounded corners, and their upper surfaces smoothed, probably 
originally polished to a high gloss. The blocks were laid with their 
long axes in a north-south direction. They were placed in rows 
which ran east-west. That is to say, in each row the blocks were care- 
fully selected for length. The lengths of the different rows differed 
a good deal because the blocks ranged in length from 16 to 25 inches. 
In each row the blocks were of various widths, and consequently did 
not form north-south rows. The blocks in each row were placed 
fairly close together and the rows themselves were quite close. The 
southernmost row of blocks, that is at the southern edge of the 
offering, extended a few inches out past the edge of the red clay 
bed and to accommodate them the face of the pit had been shaved down 
to an almost vertical slope. It seems probable that the blocks were 
laid from north to south and the total length of the offering was just 
slightly greater than had been intended, perhaps because of spacing 
between rows of blocks, so that the excavation had to be extended 
slightly at the last moment to accommodate the final row. A striking 
fact about this feature is that the very steep exposures of sandy soil 
underlying the lowest platform levels show no signs of having been 
faced, or shored up, in any way. This can only mean that the entire 
job—the digging of the pit, the placing of the red clay bed and the 
layer of blocks, and the filling of the pit—must have been accom- 
plished in one single operation, in fact during one single dry season. 
Otherwise it is inconceivable that the steep faces of sand with the 
heavy overburden of clay would not have been washed out and caved 
in during the torrential seasonal rains of this area. The cruciform 
cache of celts found in 1942 (Offering 1942-C) had been placed in the 
fill over this offering, as had Offerings 9 and 11 found in 1955.. As 
will be noted there is a frequent association of offerings of celts, 
especially in cruciform layouts, with massive offerings of this type. 
Cruciform celt offering No. 1942-C lay over Massive Offering 2 (LV, 
27) ; cruciform celt offering 1943-E lay over the mosaic mask in the 
Southeast Platform (Feature A-I-d) (LV, pp. 55-56), and cruci- 
form celt offering No. 10 lay over Massive Offering 3. It is not known 
whether the celt offering (No. 1942-E) found by Drucker in 1942 in 
the Southwest Platform was arranged in a cruciform layout. 


130 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


MASSIVE OFFERING NO. 3 


(Feature A-1-h; construction Phase III) 


Ata point 721% feet south of datum 1, and directly across the center- 
line, we found the edges of another pit which proved to measure at 
the top 77 feet north-south by 77 feet east-west. This pit had been 
dug down to the clay subsoil 12 feet 11 inches below its point of origin 
(figs. 10,17). The upper margins of the pit were dug with only a 
moderate slope to a depth of 4 or 5 feet. From that point on the slope 
was abruptly increased to between 65 and 75 degrees from the hori- 
zontal. On the north side of the pit where the sandy subsoil occurred 
at somewhat higher level, the pit had a somewhat gentler slope of 
approximately 50 degrees toward its bottom. Unlike the pit for 
Massive Offering No. 2, when this one was dug a retaining wall of 
heavy clay was built up against the exposed face of the gray drift 
sand on the north side. This retaining wall was quite similar to those 
associated with construction of the massive offering in Feature A-1-e. 
It consisted of heavily loaded masses of compact clay piled up against 
the slope of the sand. In the bottom of the pit, layers of serpentine 
blocks were placed (pl. 21). There were six of these layers separated 
from each other by thin layers of tough green clay fill (pl. 22). These 
blocks of serpentine, like the ones in the pit to the north, had been 
carefully shaped. They were all cut to rectangular form and well 
smoothed. Those of each layer varied somewhat in size, both in 
length and width, but had been carefully selected so that in each east- 
west row all of the blocks were of the same length so that the rows 
would be quite regular. The layers gave the impression of pavements, 
although there is no indication whatsoever that they actually were 
intended to serve as surfacing. In fact the contrary is true. We 
believe that they were covered up rapidly soon after their deposition. 
The lowermost layer was quite level and regular. The surfaces of 
those laying above it were more uneven. This may have been the 
effect of the settling of the clay fill between the layers, due to the 
heavy weight of the overburden. The two outer layers, that is to 
say, levels 1 and 6, counting from the top down, were made of quite 
large blocks. The layers between them were of small blocks. There 
was also a thicker layer of fill between layers 3 and 4 than between 
any others, which separated the levels into two sets of three layers 
each. In all but one layer (the fifth) the longest blocks of all formed 
a sort of a border along the north edge. 

The entire area occupied by this offering measured 63 feet north- 
south by 66 feet east-west. We did not expose it all. Our main 
north-south trench uncovered a section 26 feet long, from the northern 
edge of the stone layers, by about 5 feet wide. We then cut a 9 foot 


aad Sualey 7’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 131 


by 3 foot section through the layers down to the subsoil. We also ex- 
posed the southern edge of the stone layers. East and west dimen- 
sions, however, were determined by exposing the upper 4 or 5 feet of 
the pit in extensions of our main trench and then testing with a soil 
auger to determine the limits of the stone. We believe that we were 
able to determine the dimensions with reasonable accuracy, and we also 
assume that the layers over the entire area of the offering were of the 
same character as those that were exposed by us. Some measure- 
ments of individual blocks follow: 

Layer 1: Range 26 inches X 1114 inches to 18 inches X 7 inches 

Layer 2: (Average length 714 inches) 

Layer 3: (Average length 7 inches) 

Layer 4: Range 12 inches X 8 inches to 5 inches X 414 inches 

Layer 5: Range 8% inches X 534 inches to 514 inches X 5 inches 

Layer 6: Range 1414 inches X 10 inches to 11 inches X 714 inches 

(Thicknesses of blocks in all layers 2 inches to 4 inches) 
The laying of the layers of the serpentine blocks did not complete 
this feature. The top layer was covered with a cap of heavy clays, 
which was backed up around the edges against the retaining walls, and 
subsequently a trench was dug into this clay fill down to the level of 
the top layer of serpentine blocks (fig. 10). This trench had, in the 
sections exposed by us, a width of 8 feet 5 inches at the top and tapered 
to approximately 214 feet in width at the bottom. Its depth varied 
from 2 feet to 2 feet 4 inches. It was dug around the entire peri- 
meter of the horizontal stone layers. On completion it was filled 
with small dressed serpentine blocks (pl. 23, 2). These blocks were 
similar in size, shape, and finish to those of the inner layers of the 
main offering. They were not placed carefully, however, but ap- 
pear to have been dumped into the trench. Those within the trench 
are lying at various angles although many of them were observed to 
be more or less on end, or edgewise. On top of the pile they were 
tossed in flat. This feature of stone blocks forms a sort of “wall” 
around the edge of the carefully laid blocks. It was in turn covered 
with fill and the entire pit was filled with sandy clays, and toward 
the top with heavy clays. It was noted that in this fill sandy materials 
predominated toward the bottom. Apparently the material used did 
not matter except in the uppermost portion of the fill where clay 
was used to provide a good solid surface. The entire pit appears 
not to have been filled in a single operation, but presumably over a 
period of one or more rainy seasons. There are indications of slump- 
ing of retaining walls, and occasional horizontal streaks of what 
appear to be water-sorted materials. This fill was finally sealed off 
by the laying of the old-rose colored floor series. At the center of 
the northern edge of this offering, that is to say on the centerline of 
the site, a whole series of small offerings were deposited as the fill 


£352 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


accumulated. It is worth commenting that six offerings of small 
objects were placed here within an area of approximately 20 feet from 
the north edge of the layers of serpentine blocks. In addition, Mon- 
ument 13 had been set in the same immediate area during the final 
phase of the utilization of the site. It would appear that this par- 
ticular location was regarded as an especially propitious place for 
offerings and that some markers were placed, or some record was kept 
of the location of the deeply buried layers of serpentine long after 
they had been covered up. It is also worth noting, incidentally, that 
one of the offerings associated with this particular area was a cruci- 
form layout of celts (Offering No. 10). 

As has been stated, we interpret these large stone features as of- 
ferings, which were covered shortly after they were laid in place. 
There is no indication at all that they served any practical purpose, 
such as pavements on which people walked, or on which rituals were 
performed. The larger offering, that of the six levels of stone layers, 
may have required a fairly long time to complete. However, there 
is no indication that any of the layers of stone were exposed for a 
long period. Similarly we were unable to find any evidences at all 
that Massive Offering No. 1, under Feature A-1-e, was left uncovered 
for any considerable length of time. Another point which suggests 
that the fill over these features was deposited fairly continuously, 
and rapidly, is the fact that in several instances the subsidiary offer- 
ings of celts and other objects were not placed in pits dug into the fill, 
but were apparently deposited at a certain stage of loading in the 
clay and sand, and then covered up by continued filling. 

Mention has been made of the association of cruciform offerings 
of celts as subsidiary offerings to these buried masses of stones. Such 
offerings were found in the fill over Massive Offering 2 (Offering 
1942-C) and Massive Offering 3 (Offering 10), and an elaborate lay- 
out of cruciform celts (Offering 1943-E) was found in 1948 in the 
fill over the mosaic mask of the Feature A-1-d. In 1942 Drucker’s 
small test pit in Feature A—1-e encountered a total of 6 roughly made 
serpentine celts. He was not able to determine whether they had been 
laid in any definite arrangement. 

These massive offerings indicate some rather unusual patterns in 
Olmec culture. We know of nothing quite comparable to them in 
the rest of Mesoamerica. The emphasis on deeply buried treasures 
suggests somewhat different attitudes from those involved in and 
motivating the erection of stelae, the building of great mounds with 
temples on top, and so on. Of course these latter customs also were 
practiced at La Venta. The use of serpentine blocks in the massive 
offerings may have symbolized to the Olmec offerings of jade. It is 
clear that jade was highly prized and regarded as a preferred mate- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier} ’ HXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 133 


rial for use in offerings. The dressed and polished green serpentine 
blocks used in the massive offerings may have been intended to simu- 
late huge offerings of jade. Then there is the sheer magnitude of 
these offerings. Their size alone must have made them noteworthy 
and valuable in terms of the human effort involved in transporting 
such large quantities of stone over great distances, not to mention the 
labor expended in preparing the stone for use. Other suggestions 
as to the significance of the massive offerings undoubtedly could be 
made, but those given above seem to us to be the most obvious, and 
perhaps the most likely. 


SMALL DEDICATORY OFFERINGS 


There is a group of small offerings recovered from within the Cer- 
emonial Court, which may be treated separately since they form a 
natural and distinct unit from other offering materials removed in 
the 1955 season. In the first place they are obviously of a different 
order from the layers of large pieces of stone which we interpret as 
offerings. Second, stylistically and chronologically, they are quite 
distinct from the lots of offerings which were found outside of the 
Ceremonial Court. The objects considered here consist of a number 
of comparatively small objects of jade, serpentine, and other minerals, 
and a number of ceramic specimens. No pottery figurines were found 
with dedicatory offerings in Complex A. This may suggest that pot- 
tery figurines had a purely secular function at La Venta. It is worth 
pointing out as part of this introduction, that the offerings were not 
deposited at random within the Ceremonial Court. All the materials 
in this series were either located very obviously with reference to the 
centerline of the site, or they were associated with certain structures, 
like A-1-f, A-1—g, etc. These materials will be described in the fol- 
lowing paragraphs. For descriptive purposes, each lot of offerings 
will be treated separately. However, initial descriptions of each class 
of artifact will give a very brief summary of the typology of that 
particular class. These typological discussions are intended to cover 
all the materials found in the course of our season’s work. 


OFFERING NO. 1 


Location.—On centerline of the site directly beneath Monument 13. 

Construction Phase.—Phase III. 

Description—tThis offering consists of 20 large roughly made 
pseudocelts of serpentine, laid with their axes north-south in three 
rows of six each, with two specimens at the southern end of the layout 
placed so as to stand upright (fig. 32). This offering was placed in 
a pit beneath Monument 13. The point of origin of this pit appeared 
to be prior to the laying of the orange and old-rose floors. The three 


134 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


incHes 


“ 
= 
3 
@ 
wu 
- 
z 
w 
v 


Ficure 32.—Offering No. 1. 


rows in which the specimens were placed form a figure approaching 
a rectangle, 3 feet 2 inches across the north side, 3 feet across the south 
side, 3 feet 1 inch along its western edge, and 3 feet 5 inches on its 
eastern side (pl. 23, b,c). The two vertically placed pieces stood 4 
inches south of the southern row of pseudocelts. The pit in which this 
offering was placed had a narrow extension to the north which con- 
tained nothing but ordinary pitfall. The association with Monument 
13 we consider to have been accidental, not purposeful. The computed 
center point of this offering lay almost directly beneath the center 
point of the monument and it is possible that the monument was 
placed with reference to the location of Offering 1. It is more likely, 
however, that both were located with reference to the centerline and 
to features connected with the south edge of Mound A~2, the offering 
in Phase III, and the monument in Phase IV. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker: Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 135 


Within the pit of the offering, but off to one side and placed ap- 
parently without any relation to the main offering, was found a small 
serpentine celt which possibly had accidentally been dropped in the 
position in which found. 

The objects which we have referred to as “pseudocelts” are large, 
elongated, probably waterworn pieces of serpentine, which had 
shapes approximating those of finished celts. Some showed traces 
of slight amounts of workmanship, apparently to remove major ir- 
regularities. They were approximately elliptical in cross section, hav- 
ing one thick rounded end which apparently represented the poll of 
the celt, and at the other end the two wide sides taper into a blunt 
edge. The similarity to real celts is actually not very close. Had we 
not found so many other offerings of celts in this, as well as in pre- 
vious seasons’ work at La Venta, it is quite possible that we would not 
have recognized these pieces as imitations of the genuine well-made 
celts. The specimens vary from 9 to 14 inches in length, 5 to 7 inches 
in width, and 214 to 4 inches thick. A number of the individual 
pieces weigh between 10 and 15 pounds. 


OFFERING NO. 2 


Location.—Centerline of the site. 

Construction Phase.—Phase III. 

Description.—This offering consisted of two layers of celts of jade, 
serpentine, and other materials. There were 31 pieces in the upper 
layer and 20 in the lower one. These were contained in an elliptical 
pit 3 feet 6 inches long by 2 feet 5 inches wide. The base of this pit 
was 1 foot 6 inches above the bottom of the pit in which Offering No. 1 
was placed (pl. 23,6-d). The upper layer of celts was placed in what 
appears at first as an irregular arrangement (fig. 33, pl. 24). Casual 
inspection suggests deposition in three incomplete north-south rows in 
which the specimens were laid with their longitudinal axes east and 
west. Closer inspection and comparison with the lower layer, however, 
indicates that the celts were laid in two groups, each consisting of 
two lots of 5 specimens each, which were laid poll to poll with the 
bits outward. The space between the two groups of 10 celts was 
filled by a triangular arrangement of 10 laid in four rows of 4, 3, 2 
and 1, with the single specimen of the uppermost row out of place. 
A fragment of a celt occurred near the row of two celts. It seems 
highly probable that the upper group of specimens may have been 
laid in the pit at a slightly higher level, perhaps having been placed 
on a mat or some other perishable material, and in time sunk down 
to the same level as the layer below. 


136 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


12 


n 
ea 
£ 
Ris 
oo <x 
nu 
6 
“ 2 
y 
Zz 
be J 
w 
° uw 
wu 
Oo 


EDGE OF PIT 
Ficure 33.—Offerings Nos. 2 and 2A. 


PIT FOR 
OFFERING No.) 


D k , H ize , a V6 
Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 137 


The lowermost layer, that of 20 celts (fig. 34, pl. 25), is quite obvi- 
ously arranged in four groups of five celts each, laid out in two 
north-south rows. 

Celts of stone are one of the most abundant types of artifacts at 
La Venta. In the course of the 1943 and 1955 field seasons, several 
hundred have been found. It will be recalled that Wedel and Stirling 
(LV, pp. 75-76) found one offering containing 253 of these objects. 
A survey of the literature does not show any comparable frequency 
of celts from any other Mesoamerican site. The La Venta specimens 
vary a good deal in form. One type which may readily be distin- 
guished is that which we have already referred to in discussing Offer- 
ing No. 1, the pseudocelts. For present purposes at least, we may con- 
sider these as a single group. It is just possible, however, that there 
are actually two categories under this type which we are unable to 
separate at present. That is to say some of the objects, so classified 
by us, may actually be blanks, which were imported for completion, 
but which instead were placed in the offerings. Others, like the stones 
desposited in Offering No. 1, may never have been intended as mate- 
rials for making finished celts, but may have been merely symbols 
to be used as offerings. The second type would include all the com- 
pleted, or nearly completed, true celts from the site. Although, as 
has been stated, there is a fair amount of variation in the details of 
form, most of these objects have certain similarities. They range 
greatly in size, but some of their proportions are fairly constant. The 
length is ordinarily between 2 and 3 times the width, and the width is 
ordinarily between 2 and 3 times the thickness of the specimen. In 
other words La Venta celts tend to be moderately long and rather flat. 
The maximum width usually occurs at, or Just above, the bit so that the 
piece tapers gradually to the poll. The typical bit is ordinarily 
strongly curved from side to side and symmetrical. A few specimens 
have bits which are concave-convex in cross section, a form which 
would appear to be more suitable for use as an adz than as an ax or 
chisel. Within this generalized pattern there appears to be two major 
subclasses which may have depended upon the technique of the manu- 
facturer of the individual specimen. In one of these the cross section 
is rectangular, or approximately so. It would appear that celts of 
this type for the most part were made by sawing out a blank of the ma- 
terial from a larger piece of stone. Remnants of shallow saw grooves 
can be seen on a number of these pieces. Among these celts which are 
rectangular in cross section there is a small subgroup of comparatively 
short, thick celts which are square or nearly so, in cross section, their 
sides tapering rapidly toward the bit and tapering also toward the 
poll. These are invariably very sturdy-looking tools. They are 
customarily made of tough igneous rock, not jade, and are smooth all 

431818—59 10 


138 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Ficure 34.—Celts in lower layer of Offering No. 2. 
Compare with figure 33. 


Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 139 


over but not polished. We do not know whether these are pieces 
which have been imported from some non-Olmec region, or whether 
they represent some special sort of tool whose shape was determined 
on the basis of functional need. The other principal category of celts 
includes those which are elliptical to asymmetrical in cross section. In 
this category we have a wide range of cross-section shapes, ranging 
from very regularly formed ellipses through specimens which show 
only slight asymmetry to the extremes in the other direction which are 
quite asymmetric. It is impossible to tell how the very precisely sym- 
metrical specimens were made. The blanks from which they were 
made might perhaps have been sawed out, but if so the work was car- 
ried on until no traces of the original cut marks remained. On the 
other hand they may have been irregularly shaped pieces which had 
been very carefully ground down. Asymmetric specimens, however, 
are in many cases quite obviously celts which were made from small 
elongated probably waterworn stones whose natural shape was such 
that only a relatively small amount of work was needed to transform 
them into usable tools. Whether the very symmetrically made speci- 
mens were also derived from such stones we cannot determine. A 
considerable number of the jade and serpentine celts, particularly, 
appear to have been derived from worn river cobbles. 

A point of particular interest in connection with the function of 
these objects was the fact that the examination indicated that a con- 
siderable percentage of them had actually been used for cutting pur- 
poses. Previously it had been thought that at least the jade specimens 
might have been made for ceremonial purposes only. Of course there 
is always the supplementary possibility that celts of jade, or even 
of other materials, might have been intended for ceremonial use, but 
that such use might have included, for example, cutting wood for 
ceremonial fires, or something of the sort. At any rate many of the 
celts showed nicks along the bits, which very strongly suggest use, 
and in addition showed signs of what appeared to be battering on 
the polls. Only a few which had nicks along the cutting edges were 
without battering on the other end. This suggests use of these im- 
plements as chisels or wedges which were pounded, rather than as 
axes or adzes. 

Of the 51 specimens in Offering No. 2 (including the one fragmen- 
tary celt), the following facts were noted: 

14 specimens were of jade 

20 specimens were of serpentine 

17 specimens were of other materials 

11 specimens were rectangular in cross section 

26 specimens were elliptical in cross section 

14 specimens were asymmetric in cross section 

20 specimens showed signs of apparent hard usage 
5 specimens were decorated 


140 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


The 5 decorated celts in Offering No. 2 merit brief detailed descrip- 
tions. In the uppermost layer was a celt of serpentine, 614, inches 
long, 1%, inches wide, and % of an inch thick with asymmetric cross 
section, and with the remnant of a lightly incised design on one face. 
The fact that one end of the design is missing indicates that either 
the celt was cut down from a larger one, or that it was resharpened 
so much that part of the design was ground away. The design itself 
consists of two parts, which appear to differ stylistically. (See fig. 
35, d.) The lower design is of a somewhat crudely drawn rectangle 
with crossed diagonal lines through it. It also has curved lines which 
cut off the insides of the corners and has a circular element within a 
lozenge in its center. Immediately above this is the remnant of a much 
more skillfully engraved design which stylistically conforms to the 
usual standards of Olmec art and contains at least one very distinctive 
element of this art style. This element is the split, strongly curved, 
fang which may be seen in the left-central portion of the design. On 
the lower right-hand side is an element which almost certainly is 
intended to represent the lower mandible of a skull which has muti- 
lated teeth. In all probability, when complete, this part of the design 
represented either a being, characteristically shown as a death head, 
or else one distinguished by a bony lower mandible, as were certain 
Mayan deities. 

From the lower level of celts of this offering came four decorated 
pieces. One of these was a large, wide, celt of mottled-gray jade (fig. 
35, a). This piece was 75g inches by 3154, inches by 114 inches in 
dimensions. In one face a concavity in the form of a rectangle with 
rounded corners, 444 inches by 234 inches by %@ inches deep, had 
been ground. There is no indication of work marks, or wear, that 
would suggest that this cavity had been used for grinding paint or 
some similar purpose. Actually, the piece looked so much like the 
sort of thing one might find modified into an ash tray to be sold to the 
tourist trade that had we not found it ourselves, we might very likely 
have doubted its authenticity. Subsequent to the grinding out and 
polishing of the concavity, four rather crudely and roughly incised 
design elements were scratched in the poll end of the face, and a 
small crude human figure was drawn on the bit end, with its legs 
and feet extending down into the concavity. This little figure is quite 
crudely done, but the treatment of the mouth very plainly shows that 
whatever the artistic ability of the person who scratched it on this celt, 
he was quite familiar with the standard conventionalizations of Olmec 
art. 

Rather crude incising, somewhat comparable to the designs just 
described, was put on a medium-sized serpentine celt in the same layer. 
This design consists of a series of elements, which include four irregu- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 141 


Figure 35.—Engraved designs on celts from Offering No. 2; 
a shows upper decorated surface and cross section. 


larly drawn circles around an elongated and vertically placed element, 
the uppermost circles being surmounted by two horizontal bars which 
have three points, each pointing downward (fig. 35, c). The pattern 
is somewhat reminiscent of the better carved ones from the decorated 
jade celts found in 1942 (Offering 1942-C, LV, p. 165). The specimen 
measures 5134 ¢ by 214 by 15 inches. 

A much more elaborate design occurs on a celt made of what appears 
to be a fairly compact brownish tuff. The stone from which the speci- 
men was made appears to be waterworn to very nearly its present 


142 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


shape. It was probably only slightly modified before the design was 
placed on it. Dimensions of the specimen are 7% inches by 31%, 
inches by 1114, inches. The figure incised on one face of this stone 
appears to represent a personage wearing a mask in the form of a bird’s 
head (fig. 35,5). However, if the projections toward the left actually 
represent the open beak of a bird, then what we have interpreted as 
the eye with a tufted eyebrow over it would seem to have been mis- 
placed. The body of this personage is represented in what would seem 
to be a seated posture with legs crossed. He appears to be holding 
some object in his hands. Above the figure, toward the bit, are four 
miscellaneous elements which do not appear to be connected to the 
figure itself. 

The final decorated celt is a very symmetrically shaped large speci- 
men, which appears to be of material similar to the one just described, 
but considerably harder. The bit of this specimen is heavily nicked 
and broken, and the poll is battered as though it had received very 
rough treatment. Measurements of the piece are 1374, by 4144, by 1% 
inches. On one face of the celt a head, in profile, has been incised in 
what is absolutely classic conventional Olmec style (fig. 35, e). Not 
only are the details of the representation of the head in conformity to 
the stylistic standards, but the engraving itself also very clearly con- 
forms, being done with neat, clean lines, sweeping even curves like 
the apparent death head of the design on the first celt described. This 
workmanship manifestly differs from the scratched, irregular lines of 
the other engravings. In fact the comparison is so striking that one 
suspects that not only was some exceptionally sharp cutting tool used 
but that some special techniques were involved. Whether some sort 
of stencil might not have been used to lay off a pattern may never be 
known, but the regularity in this engraving hints at such a possibility. 

In figure 36 are shown a number of heads represented either by flat 
incising or modeling in hard stone, usually jade, which are all obvi- 
ously in the Olmec style. The decorated celts from Offering No. 2 
at La Venta (fig. 35) add importantly to the corpus of indisputable 
specimens of Olmec incised art. Figure 35, 6 and e, although different 
in excellence of execution, are nevertheless stylistically similar in 
sharing the small detached figure just beside the forehead and the 
central projection arising from the top of the head. Notwithstanding 
the apparent crudity of the engraving shown in figure 35, }, the 
representation is nevertheless done with considerable skill, and obvi- 
ously represents a bird-headed deity seated tailor-fashion with the 
lower arms and hands resting on the thighs, a posture which is dupli- 
cated in Monument 23 and elsewhere in the La Venta materials. 
Certain features of the two engraved celts just mentioned may be com- 
pared to the series of pieces shown in figure 36. The detached element 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drager gclzer, PXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 143 


Ficure 36.—Olmec art. Not from La Venta site. a, From engraved celt, Simojovel, 
Tabasco. 6, Provenience unknown. c, Necaxa, Puebla. d, Chiapas. ¢, Guerrero. 
f, Mixteca. g, Guatemala. A, Veracruz or Oaxaca. 


144 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY ‘{Bull. 170 


beside the forehead is possibly represented on the engraved Simojovel 
ax (fig. 36, a), and by the small profile on the jade plaque (fig. 36, 0). 
This element may represent a carved miniature plumed head attached 
to a hat or headdress as judged from such a piece clearly shown on 
Altar 5 at La Venta (LV, fig. 52, top). The notch in the top of the 
head in figure 35, e, is apparently also present in the engraved plaque, 
figure 36, b, but in this instance as a secondary element, that 1s, a 
decorative element which is not an integral unit of the main profile. 
The mouth of the figure in figure 35, e, is identical to that on upper 
left and lower right faces in figure 36, 6. The element consisting of 
two vertical lines running down the back of the head and bending 
forward under the chin as far as a point below the corner of the 
mouth may represent the lower jaw of the La Venta type mask in 
Monument 19, although this may possibly be related to a cinch or 
chin strap such as shown at La Venta in Altar 5 (LV, fig. 57) and 
in figures 86, ¢c and g. The profile which omits or minimizes the 
lower lip and chin in this element (figure 35, ¢) also occurs in the 
pieces shown in figure 36, c and d, and possibly below the right eye 
in figure 36, 7. The cheek ornament consisting of a double line usually 
running from the root of the nose laterally to the cheekbone and from 
there vertically to the chin occurs in simple form at La Venta on the 
engraved celt (fig. 35, ¢) and more elaborately in the pieces shown in 
figure 36, 6, d, e,g, and h. 

It is not possible to draw much meaning from this sort of comparison 
since the items we are matching with the La Venta pieces are lacking in 
provenience or archeological context. The nonproductiveness of such 
attempts emphasizes the requirement for additional controlled arche- 
ological excavations to secure reliable study materials. The increasing 
production of archeological fakes imposes even stricter demands 
upon the archeologist to make certain that he is dealing with genuine 
specimens (cf. Petersen, 1953). The new materials from the La Venta 
excavations of 1955 do, however, add to our knowledge of Olmec 
decorative motifs and tend to show that, when sufficient materials 
of undoubted provenience are on hand, significant conclusions can be 
drawn about the development of Olmec art and its diffusion to other 
areas. 

It is worth noting that the La Venta site has not produced a single 
example of the large, elaborately sculptured “votive axes” which are 
obviously of Olmec origin (Saville, 1929 a, 1929 b; Judd, 1951), and 
there may be some reason, therefore, for suggesting that such axes date 
from a later stage of Olmec culture than is represented at La Venta. 

Table 2 gives data on celts from the upper and lower layers of 
Offering No. 2. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] 


638 
Fragment 
76 


EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 145 


TABLE 2.—Offering No. 2 
UPPER LAYER 


Width Thick- Cross section Material Remarks 
ness 
Inches Inches 
2546 1546] Elliptical___._______ : 
36 11546] Rectangular Bit nicked, poll battered. 
2%6 134g] Elliptical__.________ Bit nicked. 
21346 11546] Rectangular Do. 
234 Hlliptical: £4 2: 228- Jade Do. 
2% 1% }2__. dota: Asymmetrical bit. 
1% ert ES do___ Asymmetrical bit nicked. 
13% 34 | Asymmetrical_ 
11346 156 | Elliptical______ a J d Do. 
pepe oe Spree car Asymmetrical_ i 
2%e 16} Rectangular--___.__|_._-- Gl San Pe oe Bit broken off; biconical per- 
forations at poll. 
2 Elliptical _.=2 2.22. Jad Cs sees E14 String sawed notch along axis 
at bit. 
236 13g | Asymmetrical_ Dioniterse- 25-25 Bit nicked; poll battered. 
2 1545| Elliptical____ Serpentine_______- Do. 
2%6 134¢| Rectangular_ Wades a4 ee 2k Bit resharpened. 
31546 13g | Elliptical___-_ Serpentine________ Bit nicked, poll battered. 
244 14% | Rectangular_ 
2346 Ly ee do_ Diprites=-2— = Straight bit. 
238 2146 Elliptical____ 
22 DEP eee (3 oe teat Stee Seen Serpentine________ 
26 1446} ASymmetrical._____}____- Gb eta oe 
154% 1% peal ese yas | ea dose ee! 
2%e 1%6 | Rectangular________ CE Se Bit broken off, poll battered. 
1%6 7% | Asymmetrical______ Serpentine_-______ One face decorated. 
11% 6 ESiig Ei ptical ae es 5 Sie doh Bit nicked. 
234 1 a ee Gl) Betas eee Jadel 52 ses 
154 13g | pone GOSs SB ea oso ese dos yee Elliptical form in plan view. 
1% 144g} ASymmetrical______ Serpentine________ 
258 1344] Rectangular________ Diorite ee es Curved longitudinally. 
11346 UG OM eee Got ee Conglomerate_____ Bit nicked; poll battered. 
2%6 [PS eripticales: oe ns eas (ole ha eS Bit nicked, no polish. 
LOWER LAYER 
Inches Inches 
ay ao Sv metvical a Reaaes Ger pentine (7s) a Pseudocelt (or blank?). 
Ch ff 0 Fa las (OD a ee ee aes |e Oe ee 
3 By Rectaieular Ley Se Serpentine________ Bit nicked, poll battered. Bi- 
conical perforation. 
2%6 1%6 | Asymmetrical______ Jadeves.2 2222s a 
216 5h a ee COU are ses Serpentine________ Bit flat, unsharpened (unfin- 
ished?). 
31346 2 Elliptical 22. 22 225laames CLOSERS Fook te Do. 
2%6 Vig 3c Gof ss wake: Jades=: 5 & STt 
316 bb ta | a 9 a (3 Ca ee pear tere As | bo GG=en sees Es Concavity 414238 %6 inches 
in one face; crude incised 
decoration. 
214 EY ty.) ee GOs 2 S223 abe Serpentine________ 
2% 134g) ASymmetrical______ DWiorite- se. Bit nicked. 
3 13%{6 | Elliptical___________ Appts (Re eee oe eee Bit nicked, poll battered. 
1% 16) Rectangular________ ee Re Bit straight; thong-cut notch. 
2% 154 | Elliptical._-....-.-. Serpentine________ Crude incised design; shape 
ey natural, slightly mod- 
ified. 
31346 11){6| Asymmetrical _____- Mufice eet oto Elaborate design; bit chipped; 
poll battered. 
46 14g | Elliptical___.._____- (2) eee eee eee Elaborate incised design. 
36 Visca Ge ae Dionite: 2-2. SF. 
2%e6 roe (Te ae et ee ce Serpentine________ Bit nicked; poll battered. 
246 ee Obs eae ae ASAT E a 5 oe 5 FR Do. 
3% 1%6 | Asymmetrical______ Serpentine_______- Unfinished(?). 
34 DS Gre il sos Ci Fe LEG Eos & eee Bit nicked; poll battered. 


OFFERING NO, 2—A 


Location.—On the centerline of site, just to the northeast of, and 
outside of pit of Offering No. 2. 
Construction Phase.—Phase III. 


146 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Description.—This offering of five celts as found by us appeared 
to be the remnant of a lot of materials deposited prior to the placing 
of Offering No. 2, and possibly prior to the placing of Offering No. 1. 
The pit of Offering No. 2 very obviously cut through the Offering 
2-A arrangement (pl. 23, d; fig. 33). As found by us, there was a 
row of four celts which had been laid with the bits to the north. 
Immediately to the south of this row lay one other celt in a similar 
position. The corner of the pit of Offering No. 2 was so located that 
it could have removed companion pieces from Offering 2-A. It will 
be recalled that an extra celt was noted in the pitfall of Offering No. 
1. It may be, therefore, that Offering No. 1 intersected the one under 
present discussion, and that subsequently Offering No. 2 cut into and 
removed another portion of it. 

Table 3 gives data on celts from Offering 2-A. 


TABLE 3.—Offering No. 2-A 


Length Width Thick- Cross section Material Remarks 


ness 
Inches Inches Inches 
3 234 17%{6 | ASymmetrical__| Jade.__.______ Appears to be blank, with thick 


rounded, blunt straight bit; well 
polished except for few depressions. 


634 244 % | 0 Fo eesti do BA PRN dovsziasn as Appears to be slightly modified water- 
worn nodule. 

458 258 15g | Rectangular?___| Sandstone?____| One face and edges regular, smoothed, 
slight polish; other face roughly 


chipped out. 
These bw apeciinene se of pau 
y intic Py material; unless it has deteriorate 
ae whe ae a ales an A ead considerably since deposition, the 
ss ag he Se ea ae pieces could never have served for 


| tools. 


OFFERING NO. 3 


Location.—In east half of South-central Platform. 

Construction Phase-—Phase II. 

Description—Offering No. 3 consisted of a very large number of 
small, and in many ways exceptional, jade objects and a few pieces 
of other materials. The precise layout of this offering was not ob- 
served because it was disturbed by a bulldozer in the course of cutting 
a sectional trench in the southeastern quadrant of the Court. The 
location, however, could be determined with some precision because 
of the fact that the offering had been covered over with a sort of cap 
of yellow clay. The northern part of this clay envelope remained in 
situ in the trench wall. There were at least two aspects of this offering 
which characterize certain specialized patterns of La Venta offerings. 
In the first place the specimens were placed in a bed of cinnabar. 
Secondly, the offering and its cinnabar base were covered with a layer 
between 1 ¥% to 2 inches thick of specially selected bright yellow clay. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 147 


Description of specimens.—As previously stated, this offering con- 
tained a considerable number of pieces. There had been three figu- 
rines, a pendant in the form of a water bird; four small concave rec-' 
tangular objects; five spangles, five ornaments of rock crystals, and 
a large number of beads of various types. 

The first of the figurines (pl. 26, d—/) is made of very light gray 
jade with a faint bluish tinge, and quite opaque. The specimen is 
2154, inches long and has a maximum breadth of 1%. inches. The 
carving represents a human being and stylistically conforms to the 
general pattern of Olmec figurines. Among the several points of 
difference which set this specimen off stylistically from the most 
typical of these carvings, perhaps the most obvious is that of its pro- 
portions. The body is much shorter and more heavy set than the 
usual representation, and the head and face are also shorter and wider 
than normal. Various features are indicated by shallow rounded 
grooves which outline them. There are grooves to indicate the hair 
line, the hairdress itself, and the lower lip, and in addition there are 
grooves around the eyes. Similar grooves also indicate a breechclout. 
Arms are separated from the body by a technique which was probably 
utilized in making other figurines, but which here is more easily deter- 
mined: holes were drilled from front to back between body and arms 
and the completed cuts were made by string sawing, begun at the drill 
holes. Note that the hands are joined to the body and also that the 
direction of the cut curves from back to front (indicating use of a very 
flexible tool). The legs were separated (feet are joined together) 
in the same way. The figurine presents the usual Olmec character- 
istics of having a series of intersecting biconical perforations at 
various points such as nasal septum, the ear lobes, and in addition 
at the back of the neck, to provide a point of suspension. The eyes 
were formed by double drilled pits and there are typical drilled pits 
also at the corners of the mouth. The polish of the specimen is quite 
high except for a few small areas on the back, which appear to have 
been eroded, or to have suffered damage due to chemical action of 
the soil. 

The second figurine (pl. 26, a-c), 2%. inches long, is in many respects 
closer to the standard Olmec figurine than the one just described. The 
principal point of difference is in its very small size. It is made of 
very light gray jade, opaque, and mottled with streaks which are of 
medium gray color. The head shows the exaggerated elongation, 
suggesting the deformation so commonly seen in Olmec figurines. 
There are the usual biconical perforations in the nose and ears, and 
through the back of the neck for suspension. The corners of the 
mouth are marked by drill pits. One minor variation is to be found 
in the fact that the eyes were not drilled but were indicated by saw 


148 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


cuts. A breechclout is indicated front and back by light incised lines. 
Part of one arm was broken off prior to placing it in the offering, as 
indicated by the worn appearance of the break. Polish of the speci- 
men was medium. 

The third figurine was represented by a small arm fragment only. 
This bit looked at first at though it might be the missing piece of the 
arm of the figurine just described. However, it did not fit at the break 
and it differed enough in cross section and in color to indicate that it 
very clearly came from a different specimen. The fragment is of a 
grayish opaque jade slightly darker than that of the piece just de- 
scribed. The two figurines must have been very nearly the same size. 

An outstanding art object uncovered in the course of the season is 
a small pendant in the form of a long-beaked water bird (pl. 27, a). 
This specimen was made of a piece of light greenish-gray opaque jade 
which was mottled with light gray streaks. The carving represents, 
in simple, stylized fashion, a crested cranelike bird with trailing wings. 
The front of the object is convex laterally ; the back is concave. There 
are 5 perforations along its edges, which presumably were intended 
either for suspension, perhaps in a necklace consisting of several 
strands of beads, or to enable sewing the piece on some article of cloth- 
ing. All the perforations are biconical except a sixth one, at the very 
center of the piece, which is drilled through from the back only. 

Four small objects of jade, rectangular in outline with concave de- 
pressions at their centers (pl. 27, b-e), suggesting in their form flat- 
ended dugout canoes, are similar to the much larger specimen of Olmec 
workmanship found at the site of Cerro de las Mesas in 1941 (Drucker, 
1955, pl. 88,6). Two of the pieces are of opaque, very light gray jade. 
One is a bright medium green opaque jade, and the fourth is a dark 
grayish jade, which when held against the light appears to be a trans- 
lucent blue gray with a few streaks of bright green color. As stated, 
all are generally similar in form, being rectangular in plan with con- 
cavities at the center of one side. At what appears to be the bottom 
side, all are slightly convex. They range in length from 1%,4 to 114 
inches, in width from 14 to %.» of an inch, in thickness from 4, to 14 
of aninch. While generally similar in form, the concave area in each 
differs slightly from that of the rest. One piece has a concavity that 
extends its entire length with edges slightly raised above the level of 
the end platforms. Another has a rectangular cavity in the middle 
with sides and ends on the same level. The third has a roughly rec- 
tangular cavity in the middle, and the fourth has a shallow channel 
its entire length with an elliptical depression at the center. Each piece 
has two biconical perforations at each end. These suggest that the 
specimens were intended to be attached to some garment. Other bi- 
conical perforations are drilled through the central part of each piece. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier}? EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 149 


Another set of objects also appears to have been intended for attach- 
ment on some article of clothing because of numerous small holes 
which they contain. This lot consists of five pieces, which are all 
variants of the same basic shape: small slightly convex pieces of jade 
with one straight and one curved edge and elongated ends (pl. 28, top 
row). Three of the pieces are of opaque, light to medium green jade. 
One is a grayish-green jade and the fifth is translucent medium green 
jade. All have unilaterally drilled perforations at the center and a 
perforation at each end. Three have intersecting biconical perfora- 
tions along the straight edge, and one, the smallest, has two small 
grooves apparently in lieu of perforations. Perforations drilled 
through these pieces are mostly quite small. One which was measured 
was just under one-sixteenth of an inch at its point of origin, and less 
than one thirty-second of an inch at its point of exit. Two of the 
specimens were highly polished and the other three had a medium 
polish. 

This offering also included five small objects of rock crystal (pl. 28). 
All of these were variants of one basic shape, and like the specimens 
in the preceding paragraph, would appear to have been designed for 
attachment to some article of clothing, since they were perforated in 
such a way that it would be quite easy to sew them on. They ranged 
from 1545 of an inch to %¢% of an inch in length, from 1145 to % of 
an inch in width, and from 14 to 5, of an inch in thickness. All 
were made so that they had one surface which was convex both longi- 
tudinally and laterally, and bases which were cut into three flat 
planes. Intersecting biconical perforations were drilled through 
each end and one side, so that each object has three points of 
attachment. Three pieces have tiny, finely incised designs on the 
flat end surfaces. The other two are plain. When placed with the 
central flat side down, the angles of the other two flat surfaces transmit 
the color of the background in such a way as to create a multicolored 
effect on the convex surface. Figure 37 illustrates two of the deco- 
rated pieces and shows the way in which they are perforated. 

There were a number of tubular objects of jade (pl. 28) also con- 
tained. in the offering. These are pieces which are often referred to 
in literature as “large tubular beads.” These, however, because of 
their size, and also because of the fact that several of them have been 
found associated with earspools suggest that they may not have 
been used as beads in the usual sense, but had some special purpose, 
and very likely formed parts of the earspool assemblies. This seems 
especially likely when they occur in what are obviously matched 
pairs. One such pair consisted of two pieces, both just under 114 
inches long, and just under 14 of an inch in maximum diameter. 
In addition to the longitudinal perforations each had a row of five 


150 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Oo { 2 
Ug a RE CARs a LT EET A RET 
CMS. 


Ficure 37.—Rock crystal ornaments from Offering No. 3 showing drilled holes and 
engraved designs. 


small holes drilled down one side. They suggest in form simple flutes. 
Both pieces are of jade although apparently made of different pieces 
of stone since the color differs, one being of medium gray jade mottled 
with light gray and greenish streaks, and the other of light gray 
jade streaked with bluish green. One has both ends cut off quite 
squarely and has its maximum diameter at the center with a very 
slight tapering toward the ends. The longitudinal perforation of 
this piece is biconical. The companion piece has no taper. It has 
one nearly square end and the other one slightly irregular. There is 
a little incised circumferential groove near either end. The cross 
section of this specimen is not quite round. It was apparently made 
from a piece of jade which was sawed out of a larger piece so as to 
have a rectangular cross section, and then the corners were rounded 
off after a fashion. Unlike its companion piece, this specimen has a 
single longitudinal perforation drilled all the way through from 
oneend. The tapering drill hole, at its point of exit, came out slightly 
off center. 


Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 151 


Another pair of cylindrical objects have circumferential grooves 
which mark them off in a series of small round nodelike sections 
(pl. 28). Each piece has eight of these circumferential grooves. 
The segments thus formed are not of the same size in either piece. 
As in the preceding case, one of these pieces has a biconical, longitudi- 
nal perforation, and the other is drilled from one end only. Both are 
of opaque jade, one of light-green color, and the other of a more 
grayish tone. 

In addition to the foregoing specimen, there were a large number 
of pieces which by their form, size, and the numbers in which they 
occurred probably actually were beads. The beads at La Venta 
include a variety of types. The most abundant form was the sub- 
spherical type, which grades imperceptibly into specimens that ap- 
pear to be nothing but rounded pebbles, perforated for suspension 
(pl. 29). Both in the offering presently being discussed and in others 
as well, we made a considerable effort to distinguish consistently 
between the subspherical and the pebble beads, but were unable to 
doso. Extreme forms at either end of the range are quite distinctive. 
However, at the point at which the two forms merge, transition is 
so gradual that distinction between them cannot be made consistently. 
In Offering No. 3 there were 54 small beads of this type (pl. 28), as 
well as 13 fragments which also appeared to come from specimens of 
this form. All of these apparently were jade. They ranged in size 
from a length (length of beads here refers to the dimension along 
the axis of the perforation) ranging from 144 to 14 of an inch, with 
maximum diameter 14 to 14 of an inch. In addition there were 27 
small subspherical beads, all of which were more regular in form, 
and much better rounded than the preceding, which were not of jade 
but of some fairly hard, dark purplish-brown material. These, like 
the other subspherical beads, were almost all biconically drilled. This 
was quite characteristic of materials at this site. 

Another bead type consisted of 26 flat disk-shaped specimens (pl. 
28). These are all small and mostly of translucent green or blue jade. 
They range in length from 14, to 1% of an inch and in diameter from 
¥ to %. of an inch. Most of these are unilaterally drilled, only the 
7 largest of this group are bilaterally perforated. 

Cylindrical (or tubular) beads are represented by 58 specimens 
from this offering (pl. 28). As in the case of the subspherical beads, 
cylindrical beads from the La Venta site ranged through an unbroken 
series of specimens which are quite regularly cylindrical in form, to 
merge with another form approaching that usually referred to as 
“barrel-shaped.” We found it impossible to find a clean-cut line of 
demarcation between these two types. 


152 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


In addition to the foregoing there were a number of beads of some- 
what special shapes. There are 9 lobed or “gadrooned” pieces (pl. 29), 
all of which were a variation on the beads of subspherical form. Beads 
in this group vary somewhat in that 6 of them have rather shallow 
grooves, and in the other 3 enough material had been cut away to leave 
very pronounced lobes. Three specimens have three segments, or lobes, 
marked off. Six of them have four such segments. One of the latter 
is very nearly a cube with rounded corners. A tenth specimen of ir- 
regular subspherical form has two grooves and two side perforations 
approximately 120 degrees apart. 

Of especial interest was a lot of 9 small beads, which in their form 
suggest copies of pottery vessels (pl. 28). Six look like globular, 
short-necked pots. Three others, each of which differed slightly in 
form from the rest, are strongly reminiscent of tall, long-necked Jars. 
All these specimens are perforated along their longer dimension, 
that is, from base to mouth of the vessel. 


OFFERING NO. 4 


Location.—_Immediately west of center of Northeast Platform under 
Court floor. 

Construction Phase.—Phase III. 

Description—This offering came to light in the late afternoon 
just before the regular shift ended. It was necessary to expose, record, 
photograph, and remove the find in the few hours of remaining day- 
light. It proved impractical to leave any small finds in situ over- 
night, even with a guard, and because of the ever-present threat of 
looting we had no recourse but to do the best we could in the time 
available. Offering No. 4 is of particular interest because it was 
unique in a variety of ways. It consisted of a group of 16 figurines 
and 6 celts, which had been arranged in such a way that they repre- 
sented a scene (pl. 30, fig. 838). The long slender celts, all of jade, were 
stood upright edge to edge along the east and southeast edge of an 
ellipse 20 inches along its north-south diameter, and 14 inches east- 
west. The figurines were also standing upright. One of them, typi- 
cally Olmec stylistically, but of very unusual material, was placed 
so that it stood with its back against the row of celts. The other 15 
figurines, two of which were jade and the rest of serpentine, were 
placed in front of this figure. A file of four was set up as though 
passing in review from north to south. The 11 other figurines are 
arranged in a semicircle along the western side of the ellipse, watching. 

The feet of the figurine and polls of the celts were embedded in a 
small, slightly mounded hump of reddish-brown sand which, as an 
extensive layer, constituted part of the fill underlying the rose-colored 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] 


EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 


153 


Ficure 38.—Offering No. 4, looking south. 


431818—59——_11 


154 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


floors. It should be noted that in this general area, this particular 
fill was not entirely of clay, but contained some extensive layers of 
sand (fig. 17). After the celts and figurines had been placed in posi- 
tion the feet and lower legs of the figures and the polls of the celts 
were buried about 114 inches in the reddish-brown sand to hold them 
upright. The whole offering was covered with white sand. At this 
point the white sand was mounded up so that it covered the figurines 
and extended outward, in the form of an elliptical lens, some distance 
north and south. A thin brown sand layer was then used to fill out 
the surrounding area level with the top of the white sand mound in 
which the figurines were buried. The area was then leveled off and 
covered over with the old-rose floor series. We assume, of course, 
that it was first covered with the lowermost layer of this floor series, 
which after a time was repaired and renewed by covering it over with 
another colored layer, and so on. 

The story of this layout does not end at this point. At a later date, 
that is to say after the final member of the old-rose floor series (which 
here comprised four colored layers) had been placed over the offering 
and over the rest of the Court, a hole was cut through the floors in the 
form of an ellipse, which was almost exactly the same size as that of the 
figurine layout, and was centered very accurately directly above it (pl. 
31). This hole was dug down to the level of the heads of the figurines 
and the tips of the celts and then refilled. The cut through the floors 
was most obvious when we cleared off the level, because the material 
with which the hole was filled was lighter in color and contrasted 
strikingly with the white and old-rose colors of the uppermost floors 
(fig. 39). Our first thought was, of course, that the hole had been dug 
in order to place the figurines and celts but the reddish-brown sand in 
which the lower legs of the figurines were set was undisturbed and ex- 
tended continuously outward in all directions—in other words, 
extended out a greater distance than the margins of the hole cut 
through the floors. The same was true of the white sand with which 
the figurines were covered. The pitfall, however, from the point of 
origin from the pit down to the heads of the figurines was obviously 
mixed, containing fragments of the old-rose, white, yellow and orange 
colored floors through which the hole had been cut. Therefore, it was 
quite clear that the figurines and celts had been placed prior to the 
laying of the floors and the hole was cut through subsequently (prob- 
ably at the very end of Phase III) to inspect them. The point of 
especial interest in this connection is the very accurate manner in 
which this inspection hole was located directly over the elliptical area 
occupied by the offering. We are of the opinion that this indicates 
that some sort of accurate records were made, or possibly some sort of 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 155 


a ee ee ee whit O/d'-rose. 
=f - = === >= -- White, |\Goor series 
= a ao ele int = -— ROSE of Phase 
SEER as $- ast? =— Orange | ja court 
area 


' 

' 

‘ roken chunks of ' 

: ose floor series.~ \—, 
! 


G7 = cenit 


‘ 


Nee Reddish-brown san 


$$ Wir 


SCALE 
— os 5 
6inches 


Ficure 39.—Section through Offering No. 4. Left to right in offering: celt 4, figurines 7, 8, 
19, 18. Note pit cut from white sand floor (latest of Phase III old-rose floor series) to 
inspect figurines that were originally deposited at time Phase III fills (reddish-brown 
sand, white sand, brown sand) were laid down. Compare with plate 31. 


plan, so that a considerable time after the burial of the offering it 
could be found again. 

It is necessary here to add some qualifications to a prior popular 
description of this figure layout. In that account (Drucker and 
Heizer, 1956, p. 367) we described the scene stating that all the figures 
of serpentine and jade were arranged to face the figurine made of gran- 
ite which stood against the wall-like row of celts. More leisurely and 
careful study of the photographs and field notes, however, suggest that 
this unusual figurine, while it obviously represented an important per- 
sonage in the scene, was not necessarily the primary center of interest. 
Two alternative explanations of the layout occur to us. Referring 
to figure 38 and plates 30 and 82, it could be claimed that the scene de- 
picted by the figurines centers about five principal characters. These 
are the four figurines (fig. 38, Nos. 8-11) which appear to be alined in 
a file facing south, and the single figurine (No. 22) which stands 
directly in their line of march. The remaining figurines are arranged 
in a semicircle watching this scene. The figurine of granite (No. 7) 
may represent a captive or another important personage. The most 
important figure, by this interpretation, would be the one (No. 22) 
facing the oncoming file. It is worth noting that this figurine was 
the most spectacular in appearance of all this group, being made of 
bright green jade with numerous black inclusions which gives a very 
striking appearance. The features of this figurine were also most 
haughty and commanding. The file of four figurines (Nos. 8-11) is 
in no way set apart from the others by special characteristics. There 


156 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


is nothing about them to indicate whether they are priests who are 
performing some ritual, or whether they are dancers, or perhaps 
candidates for some sHeullael rites. 

Our second alternative interpretation has to a with the apparent 
arrangement of the majority of the figurines in groups of two. This 
shows most clearly in plate 30. The iearaine =e (with reference to 
the numbers shown in fig. 38) would be 8-9, 10-11, 12-14, 18-15, 
16-17, 18-19, and 20-21. Nos. 7 and 22 stand by themselves. What 
was taken above as a file of four figures (Nos. 8-11) would by this 
interpretation be included as simply two more pairs of figures in the 
group which is observing some ritual in which the figurines Nos. 7 and 
22 are the central personages. No. 22 again appears to be the real 
center of the action. It is possible that another figurine originally 
stood beside the one numbered 7 in the drawing, perhaps backed up 
against celt No. 3. From this location we recovered two fragments 
of very badly decomposed schistose (?) material which on being 
cleaned appeared to be fragments of the arms of a figurine. It may be 
that a figurine of this rather soft laminated stone was placed in this 
space and, after having been buried for some time, disintegrated 
very badly. It is quite possible that it was removed at the time the 
inspection hole was cut through the overlying floors. 

Whatever the real explanation of the scene depicted by the group 
of figurines and jade celts may be, it apparently represents some im- 
portant ritual. The arrangement is unique. We suggest that it offers 
some very interesting clues as to the way in which at least some of the 
Mesoamerican figurines actually may have been used. The only com- 
parable figurine arrangements with which we are familiar—and the 
similarities are not very close—are the well-known Tarascan ceramic 
arrangements of figurines (cf. Spinden, 1957, pl. 48) and the scene 
portrayed by the group of clay figurines in front of tomb 103a at 
Monte Alban. The date of this find is post-Monte Alban III (Caso, 
1947 b, figs. 18-19, p. 183). 

The six celts of the offering (pl. 82) differ from the usual objects 
of this type found at this site. They are much longer and much more 
slender than other celts from La Venta that we have seen. The lengths 
vary from 954. to 1034 inches, the widths from 134, to 1% ¢ inches, and 
in thickness they range from % of an inch to 1%, of an inch. All 
six are, as may be seen, nearly of the same size and of the same general 
form. All have slightly rounded polls, curved symmetrical bits, and 
in cross section have the form of somewhat flattened ellipses. Nos. 
1 to 4 (fig. 40) are all of an opaque, light-gray jade, with here and 
there small areas of buff tones, and also small streaks of a bluish cast. 
In point of fact it is highly probable that all four of these celts were 
actually cut from the same piece of stone. Not only are they similar 


Druger, Helzer, PXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 157 


inches 


0 ! 2 
SSS 


2 3 


Ficure 40.—Decorated jade celts from Offering No. 4. 


in color and texture, but all four of the remnants have a design incised 
upon them prior to the grinding away of their present edges (fig. 40). 
In addition celt No. 4 has portions of two deep drill pits on one 
edge which were cut partly away when this stone was cut to its present 
size. It has proved impossible for us to reconstruct the original 
design, since so much of it has been ground away in rounding off the 
edges of the celts. It seems probable, however, that the original 
object was a large flat plaque. The remnants of the design appear to 


158 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


include a few parts of common Olmec design elements. Celt No. 1 
shows some parts of design, which might have formed part of a column 
of glyphs. Celt No. 2, although its design remnants suggest a rather 
rigid geometric motif, may have contained some sort of an ornamental 
border along one edge of the original plaque. Celt No. 3 appears to 
contain part of a human figure, and No. 4, which almost certainly 
joined No. 3, seems to contain the remnant of a design indicating an 
elaborate headdress. The other two celts are of different jade, No. 
5 being of a light-gray jade of a faint greenish cast, and No. 6 of a 
light grayish-blue jade. Neither of these has traces of decoration. 
They are similar to the preceding in general form, except that both 
have a slight longitudinal curve. Celt No. 5 has certain signs sug- 
gesting that it may have actually served as a working tool. The edge 
of the bit was ground off blunt before it was placed in the offering. 
It seems possible that this may have been done because the cutting 
edge was badly nicked. There are a couple of slanting cracks near 
the bit which might have been produced in the course of work, and 
there is an old transverse break about 114 inches from the poll. The 
poll itself shows some suggestion of having been battered and pounded 
upon. 

The 16 figurines in the offering are in many respects very similar, 
and are stylistically quite typical Olmec figurines (pls. 33-36). In- 
spection of them indicates, however, that there are minor points of 
difference between them. Some of this difference may be defined as 
more or less emphasis on the usual conventionalization of these speci- 
mens. Another variety of difference appears to represent better, or 
poorer, craftsmanship on the part of the makers of the pieces. All 
16 of the pieces are very near to being the same size. However, as will 
be brought out, they appear to have been selected so that they formed 
a well-matched group, but probably were not manufactured especially 
for this particular offering. In overall height they range from 654. 
inches to 7154, inches, most of them being just a little over 7 inches 
in maximum length. Many of them had traces of bright red cinnabar 
paint with which they had been decorated. As will be noted, some had 
this paint on the feet and legs, others on the faces, and only a very 
few may have been painted all over. Other points of difference 
among them included whether or not they were shown as wearing 
breechclouts, whether or not they appeared to have dental mutilations, 
and soon. A list of these minor differences will be presented below in 
table 4. It seems worthwhile, however, to give somewhat more de- 
tailed descriptions of a few of the unusual or outstanding specimens 
in the group. 

The first figurine to be described, piece No. 7 in figure 38, is the 
specimen which was made of a conglomerate, consisting chiefly of 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 159 


granitic sand. This specimen has at present a very peculiar gritty 
appearance. This, however, appears to be due to the fact that the 
original surface has deteriorated, presumably because of chemical 
action of the soil. At any rate there are a few small areas, particularly 
on the back of the specimen, and in such partially sheltered spots as 
the undersides of the arms, sides, and legs, in which there are vestiges 
of a smooth polished surface, dark buff in color. It seems most likely, 
therefore, that this specimen was originally given a finish comparable 
to those of other more usual Olmec figurines. Nevertheless it would 
have been quite conspicuous in any series of figurines because of the 
very distinctive color, which contrasted strongly with the greens, 
grays, etc., of the serpentine and jade pieces. Details of workmanship 
of the head and face, the use of drilled pits at various points, and the 
posture are all features which are treated in typical Olmec style in 
this piece. If any of the specimens in this group was specially made 
for use in this particular scene, it was likely to have been the one under 
present consideration. 

Another outstanding figurine is the piece which was assigned No. 9. 
This specimen is made of a very light grayish jade with a faint bluish 
tinge, and the material is quite hard and was given a very high polish. 
While this specimen is typical in many respects and conforms to the 
general stylistic pattern, it is one of the most highly conventionalized 
from the site, comparable in that respect to the two standing figurines 
of blue jade found in 1942. The face is proportionately larger and 
longer than average, and its head is extremely elongated. Fingers 
and toes were not indicated even in the usual sketchy fashion. The 
form and musculature of the back, which is often very skillfully 
molded in Olmec figurines, is in the case of this specimen reduced to 
a very simplified set of flattened planes and incising which continues 
up the back of the head. The slightly bent knee or slouching stance, 
which is characteristic of all La Venta stone figurines, is greatly ex- 
aggerated in this specimen. It may be noted that the figurine lacks 
the lower part of one arm. This break occurred before it was placed 
in the offering, since the arm fragment was not in the pit. 

Specimen No. 17 in this offering is of interest because of the skill- 
ful and highly realistic treatment, particularly of the musculature 
of the body. Unfortunately, the black inclusions and the spots of 
brownish color on the light gray serpentine of which this piece is made, 
make this modeling difficult to see, particularly in photographs. 
However, the musculature of the torso at front and back is carved in 
a very skillful and subtle way in low relief, and is quite realistic. 
The contrast between the workmanship of this piece and that of No. 
18, which is one of the more poorly made ones, is notable. 


160 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Piece No. 18, while in a general way conforming to the stylistic 
pattern, differs in a number of respects. The form of the face and 
head are not quite normal. There are no brow ridges indicated on 
the forehead, and the forehead bulges instead of sloping. The eyes 
are made in a sort of semilunar form. The jaws are narrower and 
more tapered than is usual. The arms and head are proportionately 
large and bulky, and their form is crudely represented. The body is 
flat and unmolded, both front and back. There is a layer of material 
left under each foot, which somehow suggests that the manufacturer 
did not quite understand how to represent feet in the conventional 
manner. There are also a number of drilled pits not ground away 
under the arms, and between the fingers and some of the toes. 

Another somewhat unusual specimen is No. 21. This piece was 
made of serpentine, containing black inclusions. It is at present a 
light greenish-gray color. The molding of the head and face of this 
piece is quite different from the usual standards. A few shallow 
horizontal channels were used instead of the usual modeling of the 
area around the eyes. The alae of the nose were completely omitted. 
The mouth differs from the usual typical Olmec representation of this 
feature in that the upper lip is flat, the mouth itself is a thin slit with 
tiny drill pits at the corner, and the lower lip is almost entirely sup- 
pressed. The body lacks modeling almost entirely and appears 
somewhat more still and clumsy than the other figures represented 
in this offering. 

Piece No. 22 is, in some respects, one of the finest of the entire lot. 
It is made of a very hard jade, of bright green color with numerous 
black spots. In general treatment, this specimen is quite typical of the 
more conventional variety of Olmec figurines. Its only really excep- 
tional feature is the flat top of the head. Despite the considerable 
stylization of this piece, the proportions are good, and realistic details 
such as musculature of the chest are skillfully done. 

This brief summary of the specimens contained in Offering No. 4 
points up some interesting conclusions. One of these concerns the 
variation among the figurines themselves. To our knowledge this is 
the largest single lot of unquestionable Olmec figurines that has ever 
been found. There obviously was considerable difference in artistic 
skill among the lapidaries who sculptured these pieces. The specimens 
pointed out in the preceding paragraphs as inferior are judged so 
because they lack details of treatment which appear to have been con- 
sidered desirable by the ancient carvers—details which are represented 
in a majority of the specimens. Admittedly, we are making a value 
judgment here, but we feel that it is one justified, for the total range of 
figurines from La Venta is now a considerable one, if we include those 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 161 


found in 1942 and 1948. The so-called inferior figurines, however, 
were nonetheless made by people who were familiar with the artistic 
standards of Olmec culture, since technologically and in many details 
they conformed with the essential patterns. This also suggests that 
we may expect in the course of time to encounter rather more stylistic 
variation in this art than we have previously anticipated. 

Another interesting aspect of this offering is the fact that some of the 
figurines and celts may have been of some antiquity at the time they 
were deposited here. The fact that four of the celts were made from 
an older object, which seems to have been an elaborately incised plaque, 
was mentioned in the course of the descriptions. Many of the figurines 
had old breaks when deposited in the offering. Some lack part of a 
foot; there are two with broken arms, etc. The corresponding pieces 
were not included in the offering. This suggests that some of these 
pieces may have been old when the offering was made, and is the basis 
for our interpretation that the lot of figurines was not especially made 
to be deposited where we found it, but was assembled from figurines 
that had been made in times past. In more general terms this interpre- 
tation indicates that we still must use considerable caution in attempt- 
ing to work out a chronology of stylistic development even in cases 
in which we can actually date the placement of one of these Olmec 
offerings. 


TaBLE 4.—Data on figurines in offering No. 4 


Tncised 
Spec. | Height Breech-| line Muti- 
No. j(inches) Material Red paint clout | across | lated Miscellaneous 
bottom] teeth 
of feet! 
7 76 | Conglomerate. ? ? No No Surface heavily eroded. 
8 67% | Serpentine..__| Feet, face, ears.______- Yes No No Left foot broken off. 
9 726 |e ade---- + eas ce i No No No Extreme stylization. 
10 76 | Serpentine..__| Hands, ears, nose___-_- Yes2| Yes No Right foot broken off, 
ll (eth eee doh e228 Bpee, neck, hands, Yes Yes Yes 
eet. 
12 {tees eae il eS rently allover__.| Yes Yes Yes Left arm broken off. 
13 723 6 | Lee ss Go. 5252 225 |e (5 (oe ae a Se eS Yes iS Yes | Drilled pit at center of 
(?) mouth, top of head, 
through top of 
breech-clout; both 
feet broken off. 

14 | ae G0. 2 52253 |e (ee Yes Yes Yes 

15 613{6|_____ Golti22ih aa: Gostaito_ 238 “eke Yes Yes Yes | This and No. 14 are 
very similar. 

16 7p 6 At anaes Goer ecs tess Feet, hands, face____-- Yes Yes Yes | Drilled pit, center of 

(?) upper teeth. 
17 6g |L dotnet .4 Meet; facelils 22. ss2ik Yes No Yes Drilled pit, center of 
(?) upper teeth, 

18 MSAG eases GoWie sss ieee Ope FETE E22) eae No No 2? Nose, mouth, chin 
broken off; crude 
bag 

19 THe]_-.-. do.........| Face, head, mneck,| Yes Yes Yes Right foot broken off. 

arms, feet. 

20 thei | eee dose =aa Apparently all over_._}| Yes Yes Yes 

21 756" |--225 doit. 2: Face, feet_....._..---- Yes No No Crude workmanship. 

22 155: «| DROSS soos eee Face, hands, feet__-___- Yes 2 No No 


1 Purpose of this line was to indicate separation of ball of foot and toes. 
32 Specimens No. 10 and No. 22 are only ones in which breechclout is indicated on back as well as front. 


162 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


OFFERING NO. 5 


Location—In Northeast Platform. 

Construction Phase-——Phase III. 

Deseription.—This offering was placed in a shallow pit, whose point 
of origin appeared to be in the next to the last structural phase of 
the platform mound. This phase corresponded to the old-rose floor 
series and its accompanying fill in the general Court area. The pit 
itself penetrated burned clay floors of the preceding structural phase 
and its base lay 1 foot deeper than that of Offering No. 4. The offering 
consisted of a series of jade objects, laid out within a rectangle out- 
lined by two rows of four small pieces of volcanic tuff (fig. 41). These 
two rows of stones defined a rectangle 2 feet 3 inches east-west and 
1 foot 1 inch north-south. 

Within the small area defined by the stones a considerable amount 
of cinnabar was sprinkled. The jade objects were laid upon this. A 
detailed description of the jade materials is given below, but here 
it may be briefly. summarized to make the layout clear. It included 
a pair of earspools and some cylindrical pieces of jade with longi- 
tudinal perforations (objects sometimes described as large tubular 
beads, but in this case probably parts of an earspool assembly), 
pendants and a string of beads among other items. As in the case of 
a number of 1943 finds, the earspools had been placed about 9 inches 
apart on a line which was at right angles to that of the rest of the 
layout. This type of deposition in an offering was interpreted by 
Stirling and Wedel as a burial, since the earspools were approximately 
in the position in which they might have been found had they been 
worn in the ears of an interred individual. However, in this offering, 
as in the case of those in 1943, there were absolutely no vestiges of 
bone material or tooth caps. It must be noted that the only certain 
burials uncovered at the site of La Venta were those within the tomb 
excavated in 1942. They included badly deteriorated but unmistak- 
able fragments of long bones, and quite well-preserved tooth caps. 
Weare, therefore, of the opinion that the offerings found by us, which 
were laid out in this manner, as well as those found during the 19438 
excavations, were not burials at all but simply offerings. The possi- 
bility exists that the ornaments such as earspools, necklaces, and the 
like, have been placed on small effigies of perishable materials, perhaps 
of wood, or matting. Another point that suggests that there was no 
actual interment may be noted in figure 41, showing Offering No. 5 
in situ. The string of beads may be observed to extend crosswise 
across the offering area with very little disarrangement, which obvi- 
ously would not have been the case had it been laid across a body. 
Certain other offerings found by us in 1955 showed similar arrange- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 163 


o 
otha 
& 
<t'S 
& 
Pil fee 
~~ 
+) 
Ou & 
vy) 
wn 
° lo) 
vo? ZB 
¢, fore) 
G3 08, MO) « a 
a. 
somnnagS 28 0005 900 3S 
e ore BIS, e 
cc) = 
=H 
3] 
4 
5 
o) 
Lal 
<a 


164 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


ments so that this was very clearly a definite pattern of arranging 
objects in offerings of jade. 

At the southeastern corner of the rectangle, just outside the perim- 
eter marked by the stones, was a small somewhat crushed flaring-side 
bowl of Brown ware in which lay a small Fine Paste Buff-Orange 
bottle (fig. 42, a). The vessel was sufficiently out of line with the’ 
rest of the offering so that it might have been considered as a separate 
offering, except for the fact that a small piece of tuff, the same mate- 
rial as the eight pieces outlining the rectangle in which the jade was 
placed, also lay to the southwest of the bow]. It may be that the 
bowl, and perhaps the pieces of tuff, formed, or were part of, an 
older offering which was cut into by the pit in which the jades were to 
be placed. The bow], as well as the rectangular area occupied by the 
jade, was covered with a coating of a compact yellow clay, very much 
like the layer that sealed off Offering No. 3. 

The specimens in this offering (pl. 37) include the following pieces: 
a maskette of dark translucent green jade, representing a conven- 
tionalized jaguar (?) face (fig. 48,@). This piece approaches a hemi- 
sphere in form. The specimen, in front view, has a nearly round 
outline 134, inches long by 1345 inches wide. The back has been 
hollowed out, and this brings out the translucent quality of the stone. 
The features of the jaguar are carved with very subtle low relief, and 
accented by thin sawed lines which outline the eyes, mouth, etc. There 
are a number of holes drilled through the edges of the object at the 
top and sides, either for suspension or for attachment. These perfo- 
rations are biconical. At the center a biconical perforation drilled 
from the rear comes out just at the center of the nose of the jaguar. 

The two small earspools of light-green jade appear to be a pair, 
although the shape of the flares is not quite identical. One of them 
is almost perfectly round in outline, the other has two straight sides 
so that it would appear to be of the subtype that approaches a rectangle 
with rounded corners. The round specimen has a diameter of 1%, 
inches; the rectanguloid one measures 15%. inches by 114. inches. 
Both pieces appear to have been cut down, the one with circular outline 
has no stem and has two holes drilled through the rim. The other piece 
has only a remnant of stem left. Associated with the earspools were 
two long cylindrical pieces of jade with longitudinal perforations 
(these may be noted in figure 41 on the left-hand side of the strung 
beads). Both objects were ringed so they have a noded appearance. 
Both are 134, of an inch long and have a maximum diameter of 7%» 
of an inch. 

Another object in this lot is a smal] jade ornament of concave-convex 
form with scalloped edges. It is reminiscent of two specimens recov- 
ered in 1942 (LV, pl. 54 c, d). This piece, however, has a large 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 165 


SCALE IN CMS. 


° b=) 10 15 20 
—_—_————<— | 


Ficure 42.—Pottery vessels from offerings. a, Offering No. 5. b, Offering No. 15. ¢, 
eerie No. 18. d, Offering No. 25. ¢, Offering No. 19. f, Offering No. 24. g, Offering 
On 22. 


166 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


iY 


CQ) (— 


Ficure 43.—Jade maskettes. a, Offering No. 5. 0, Offering No. 7. c-d, Offering No. 6. 
(Not to scale.) 


central perforation slightly off center, and four smaller perforations 
about the rim. The maximum diameter was 134, of an inch. 

An object which we class as a pendant, because of the fact that it 
was rather clearly perforated for suspension, is a small irregularly 
shaped thin piece of opaque light-green jade. It has two intersecting 
biconical perforations along its straight edge. One side is well 
smoothed and highly polished; the other side which would appear to 
be the back, is partly polished. Its dimensions are 114 inches by 114. 
inches. 

Also included in this offering were 13 complete and incomplete 
spangles. These are reminiscent of the spangles found in 1943 (LV, 
pl. 58) except that these pieces have only one or two perforations each, 
and some of them more obviously represent birdheads than do those of 
the 1943 season. One which is particularly noteworthy is quite clearly 
intended to represent the head of a duck, and has two small bits of 
crystal set into the perforations. The shortest complete specimen is 
%» of an inch long; the longest is 5g of an inch. 

At either end of the strand of beads across the offering was a 
large subspherical bead, approximately 34 of an inch in diameter. 


Drucker, Hetzer, 
and Squier} .’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 167 


One of these is perforated with a biconical hole; the other was drilled 
from one side only. The beads include 74 beads of the subspherical- 
to-pebble type, and 21 small tubular beads. Several of these latter 
show a slight constriction at the center. 

The eight stones which outline the offering, and the ninth that was 
off by itself near the bowl, all appear to be made out of the same kind 
of material, probably a coarse tuff. It was found that two of the pieces 
fit together so that there were actually eight individual fragments. 
Most of them had been smoothed down into irregular forms. One 
piece has sort of a mushroom form, consisting of a round disk with a 
short stub of a rectangular stem attached to one side. None of these 
pieces were very large. This last one mentioned, the mushroom- 
shaped one, is the largest of the lot, measuring 314 inches in diameter. 
One fragment suggests in its form that it may have been the knee or 
elbow of a small figurine. Another, which is formed by the two pieces 
that fit together, suggests a sort of topknot of a type which is more 
often seen on Olmec clay figurines than on objects of stone. It seems 
possible, therefore, that these pieces of stone are fragments of a small 
figurine which was broken up and placed in an offering. 


OFFERING NO. 6 


Location: In Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f). 

Construction Phase: Phase ITI. 

Description: This offering was placed in the bottom of a rather large 
pit which apparently originally had a roughly elliptical form. This 
pit was 4 feet 2 inches long at the top, tapering to 3 feet long at the 
base. It was oriented north and south. Its point of origin was 1 foot 4 
inches below the surface of the platform, in other words a short dis- 
tance below the contact line between the final red clay cap of the struc- 
ture and the underlying fill next to the last layer (fig. 14). The depth 
of the pit was 2 feet 2 inches so that its base was about 7 inches deeper 
than that of Offering No. 4. The east side of the pit was cut away be- 
fore it was noted by us so the east-west diameters were not observed. 
However, if we assume that the offering was laid out approximately 
at the center of the pit, we may estimate that its east-west dimension 
at the bottom must have been in the neighborhood of 214 feet and that 
at the top it was probably about 314 feet across. The pit was filled 
with clays in which brown colors predominated so that it was in 
marked contrast to the layers of fill through which it penetrated. 
At the bottom of the pit was a layer of cinnabar nearly an inch thick. 
On this cinnabar a number of objects of jade were laid (pl. 38, fig. 44). 
Over the jade was a layer of clay mixed with cinnabar, and over this 
was a 2-inch layer of compact yellow clay. 


168 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


<a 


SCALB (INCHES) 


Ficure 44.—Offering No. 6. 


oS. 
eb 
, RS) 
@ <4 
s ; \) 
Qysdo WD as gaggr ae 
a @ 3 
e 


® SP @ 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 169 


This offering was in several respects similar to the one just described. 
It also consisted of a pair of earspool assemblies, some pendants, and 
some beads (pl. 39). The earspools themselves were placed 7 or 8 
inches apart. About a foot to the south was a two-strand necklace 
of small jade beads with a large bead at either end. The general line 
of this necklace paralleled that of the earspools. In other words the 
same pseudoburial layout recurred in this offering. However, as in the 
preceding case there was not the slightest trace of bony materials, and 
in addition the area of the offering itself was quite small. We conse- 
quently do not consider this to be a burial. 

This offering, like the preceding one, included a new item in the 
La Venta cultural inventory, the jade maskette. In fact it included 
two of these objects (fig. 48, c, 7d). One is a small object of green 
jade with yellowish white spots that appears to represent a human 
face. We consider it to represent a human face because of the long 
narrow ears indicated on each side. The carving is quite stylized in 
the Olmec manner and except for the ears differs but slightly from 
the jaguar (?) in Offering No. 5. In the front view, the object is 
almost completely circular, like the one in Offering No.5. It has been 
very deeply excavated from the back so that the material is noticeably 
translucent. The maximum thickness from front to back is {%., of an 
inch; its diameter is approximately 7% of an inch. There are seven 
perforations around the rim, two at the top of the head, one at each 
ear area, and three along the lower edge. Another maskette, much 
more conventionalized, is a small almost discoidal object of whitish 
jade with streaks of light green. The maximum diameter is 265 of an 
inch, its thickness from front to back 7%, of an inch. The back is 
slightly concave. There are several drill pits suggesting eyes, nose, 
and mouth, and shallow saw cuts outlining these features of a conven- 
tionalized face. There are a number of perforations drilled com- 
pletely through the front to back, one at the very center and others 
about the rim. 

The two earspools in this offering are very obviously a pair, being of 
the same size and shape, and also being of pieces of stone very similar 
in color, possibly both having been cut from the same piece of stone. 
They conform to typical “A” earspool flares as defined by Kidder, 
Jennings, and Shook (1946). The two pieces look as though they 
were quite regular in form, but actually are just a little bit off true, 
both the outer and the inner outlines being not quite round. The 
maximum diameter of one of the objects is 1 inch and that of the other 
is 314, of an inch. The exterior diameters of the stems are 2145 and 
1945, respectively. Both objects are quite highly polished. 

431818—59—12 


170 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Associated with the earspools was a pair of pendants in the form of 
jaguar fangs. While highly conventionalized in form, there is a real- 
istic touch: the line of enamel of the fangs is clearly marked by an 
incised line across each piece. Both pieces have small conical per- 
forations at the tip for suspension and below that point two larger 
perforations which have been cut out to make one continuous one. 
Both pieces have a curious double curve. The fact that they are 
made out of what appears to be the same piece of grayish-white jade 
led us to try to match them up. On doing so it became quite clear 
that they had been cut from an earspool, the curvatures being due to 
the fact that they were cut longitudinally from the lip of a flare down 
to the stem of the earspool. 

As in the case of so many other LaVenta earspool assemblies, there 
was a pair of tubular objects associated with those in this offering. 
This pair is not at all alike in color, one being of a whitish jade with 
a few light-green streaks, the other being of green color with white and 
gray steaks. Both, however, are of the same size, 34 of an inch long 
and 545 of an inch in diameter. A third and larger cylindrical object 
is of white jade with streaks of green, 155 of an inch long and %B» of 
an inch in diameter. A set of slanting grooves along one side suggests 
a spiral ornament about the piece; however, these grooves were cut 
into one side of the specimen only . 

The two large beads which had been found at either end of the two- 
strand necklace were not alike in shape, though roughly both are the 
same in size. One was a large subspherical bead with gadrooned 
sides. It is % of an inch in diameter, 174. of an inch long, and per- 
forated by a cylindrical, or nearly cylindrical, hole. The other is rec- 
tangular with rounded corners in form, 14 inch at its longest diameter, 
and %. of an inch high. It is perforated by a comparatively small 
conical hole. 

This offering included another bead type, one which is extremely 
rare in Mesoamerica generally. This is the disk bead, the faces of 
which are ground quite smooth and polished. The sides are not 
parallel, that is to say, it does not always have a cylindrical form; 
instead the sides tend to be slightly convex. There were 15 of such 
specimens in this offering. A fairly typical example was 1% of an 
inch long and 7%» of an inch in diameter. The very common sub- 
spherical to pebble bead type is represented in this lot by 72 pieces. 
The size range runs from one specimen %p» of an inch in length and Yo 
of an inch in diameter to one 14 inch in length and 3%¢ of an inch in 
diameter. The proportions of the former specimen, as will be noted, 
differ slightly from the standard of this type which tends to be either 
the same in length and diameter, or very slightly larger in diameter. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
aad Sault" EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 171 


The unusual little “jar-shaped” type of bead noted in Offering No. 
3 was represented in this lot by one specimen. 


OFFERING NO. 7 


Location.—In Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f). 

Construction Phase.—Phase I (?). 

Description.—This offering was not laid in a pit dug to contain it, 
but appears to have been deposited in the mound fill during the process 
of Phase I construction of the platform. It was placed at a point very 
close to the levels at which Offerings Nos. 5 and 6 were laid in their 
pits. It may be noted that we have, as will be reported later on, other 
offerings which were deposited in just the same fashion. Prepared 
bed for the offering was made by mixing an orange sandy clay with 
very small amounts of cinnabar. This material was laid down so that 
it formed an irregular, approximately oval area 1 foot 3 inches north- 
south and 1 foot 1 inch east-west. The layer was a little less than 1 
inch thick. On this cinnabar and clay mixture was laid what ap- 
peared as a sketchy version of the sort of offerings found in the same 
platform close to this one. There was a maskette of jade (fig. 43, 5), 
and on either side of it two large perforated jade disks (these were 
not earspools, but they had a superficially similar appearance when 
first uncovered), a matched pair of tubular, longitudinally perforated 
jade objects, one large and one small tubular object, and a small pen- 
dant in the form of a clam shell (pl. 40). As figure 45 shows, these 
pieces were laid out in similar fashion to the major component of 
Offering No. 5 and Offering No. 6. As before, there was no indication 
whatsoever that this deposit had ever contained a burial. 

The maskette from this offering was the largest of those that have 
been recovered at La Venta. It is of translucent dark-green jade, 
which in places has faint bluish tones and a few small whitish buff 
spots. This specimen represents the face of a jaguar. The outline of 
the face itself is a rectangle. The features are indicated in several 
ways. The snout, and part of the mouth of the beast, are indicated by 
modeling in bold relief; very wide and shallow saw cuts are used to 
indicate the eyes and also the area under the eyes; wide shallow drill 
pits mark the corners of the mouth; and very lightly sawed lines 
outline the eyes, the nose, part of the mouth, and frame the sides and 
lower margin of the face. It is difficult to decide if the carving was 
actually not completely finished, or if it is to be regarded as very 
highly schematized. The surface is very highly polished. Framing 
the face on the sides and the lower edge is a flat flange. This has two 
perforations on either side, and five perforations along its lower edge. 
All but two of the perforations are biconical, with small shallow drill 


i BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Scare (cues) 


Ficure 45.—Offering No. 7. 


pits from the front side which are intersected by deep conical pits 
from the rear. One pair of pits on the lower edge of the flange failed 
to meet, so that the one from the obverse actually goes through to the 
front. There is also a biconical perforation at the very center of the 
object, perforating the area of the snout. The back of the carved 
jaguar face within the area of the flange was hollowed out. The re- 
sultant thinness of the carving brings out the translucent qualities 
of the jade. This hollowing-out process appears to have been done 
with a very large drill, being roughly reamed out subsequently, since 
the concavity still retains a certain conical form in cross section. 
The length (height) of the object is 12345 inches, the width 12%» 
inches, and the overall thickness is 2145 of an inch. The diameter of 
the concavity on the rear side is 154, inches. 

The two perforated disks are of an opaque yellowish-green poor 
quality jade with white and buff spots. The two pieces are so alike 
in appearance that it seems likely both were cut from a single piece 
of material. The central perforations of both pieces were drilled 
out in the same way as the stems and flares of certain types of ear- 


ord Saale" EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 iW 


spools, that is to say biconically. In the case of the present pieces, 
however, the drilling from the obverse sides was much shallower than 
that from the faces. There is no indication that these pieces ever 
had stems like real earspools, and in addition the flare portion is much 
too thick for them to have been cut-down earspools. One of the pieces 
was reamed out after the initial drilling with a wider tool with a more 
obtuse point than the other, so that the inner slope of the perforation 
on the face side has a wide flat angle, rather than acurve. Both speci- 
mens have a pair of intersecting biconical perforations from the edges 
and backs, widely spaced in one specimen and close together in the 
other. The faces are highly polished. The dimensions of the two 


pieces are as follows: 
Inches Inches 


Hxterior tdiameterue. Hiss at A As II ek 1\%46 12165 
Initerion diameters:eesi4) 23). ives Usooun. fh ot olis oe 5% BE 
PRRIGHTIGRS = = cht Bae ot Be Re he pce ts ae the 1380 
Spacing of pertorations: = 2. 2222 Soi ee eee 1% 46 


The function of this pair of objects is a matter of conjecture. They 
would appear to be too heavy to serve as earspools, or earspool facings, 
even if they had been mounted on backings of perishable material. 
Yet the fact that they were placed in the offering in the same manner 
in which earspools are usually placed, suggests a comparable use for 
them. It might perhaps be that they were imitation earspools made 
to be mounted on the retaining straps of some large ornamental head- 
dress. Another observation that suggests that the two perforated 
disks were intended to represent earspools at least was the fact that 
associated with them was a matched pair of tubular longitudinally 
perforated objects. Pairs of these objects have been found closely 
associated with every pair of earspools found in offerings at La Venta. 
These two specimens are small and very thin. Both are of an excep- 
tionally good quality of jade. One is of a translucent bluish-green ma- 
terial, the other of a green jade with a slightly grayish cast and tiny 
white spots. Two pieces are respectively 1945 of an inch and 144 of an 
inch in length, 7% of an inch and 34¢ of an inch in diameter. The sec- 
ond piece is actually not quite cylindrical. It has quite plainly been 
made from a blank which was sawed out so as to have a cross section 
which was approximately square. The piece was then ground down, 
but it still retains traces of two flattish planes which join at very near 
aright angle. Both of these specimens are very thin, since they were 
drilled with holes of relatively large bore. These perforations are 
somewhat unusual in that comparatively large cylindrical holes were 


174 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY. [Bull. 170 


drilled from either end, but did not quite meet at the center. They 
were joined by drilling with a very much smaller drill. 

As often occurs in offerings of this general pattern, there was a 
single large tubular, longitudinal, perforated jade object, and that 
in Offering No. 7 is much larger than usual. It was made of an 
opaque light-green jade, speckled with buff spots and whitish streaks. 
The specimen is actually not quite cylindrical for it tapers from the 
middle toward both ends. It has a very high polish on the surface. 
The dimensions are: length 3 inches, maximum diameter 1%, of an 
inch, diameter at the ends 16%, of aninch. The specimen is perforated 
longitudinally by two conical holes 1145 of an inch in diameter at each 
end, which taper rapidly to an estimated 14 of an inch at point of 
intersection. 

A fourth perforated tubular object is much smaller than the rest. 
It is of a clear emerald-green jade. Its dimensions are: length 2345 
of an inch, maximum diameter 34, of an inch. It tapers very slightly 
from one end to the other. It has a longitudinal perforation drilled 
through from the thick end to emerge at the smaller one. 

The last object in this offering is a tiny piece which we have called 
a pendant, made also of a very clear emerald-green jade. The 
piece is carved to represent a small clamshell. The front, that is 
to say the concave side, has a well-defined “hinge” along one edge. 
The specimen has a pair of intersecting biconical perforations drilled 
through from the upper edge of the hinges and from the back. 
There is also one shallow incomplete drill pit on the back. At the 
center of the object, a small conical hole was drilled all the way 
through from the back to the face. 


OFFERING NO. 8 


Location.—Centerline of the site, in fill underlying old-rose floor 
series. 

Construction Phase.—Phase ITI. 

Description.—This offering consists of three groups of celts, or 
celtlike objects, set up in a row transverse to the centerline of the 
site (fig. 46). One group was placed almost exactly on the centerline, 
the two others flank the central one on either side (pl. 41, @). The 
pieces were found set with their polls embedded in small circular 
beds of especially prepared clay, the bits upward. There were eight 
pieces in the group on the centerline. At a point 4 feet 7 inches to 
the west was a group of five celts. The corner of a deep trench, dug 
in 1943, passed close to this group, and may have removed some 


EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 175 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] 


eaPeap 


(4204) wors 


"8 ‘ON Sully OQ— oF TANI 


ay 
x 
N 
> 
3 
CY 


EW6/ U/ PafOno2x7 


176 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY | [Bull. 170 


pieces from it. The third lot of celts, eight in all, were placed 3 feet 
Y% inch east of the east edge of the central group. The placing of 
this offering is another of the many facts which corroborate the 
reality of the centerline. This line must have been of great ritual 
significance to the makers of the site. 

Most of the pieces of this offering were of serpentine which showed 
a considerable amount of deterioration, or else had never been ground 
down to compact polished surfaces. There were a few pieces of other 
materials as well. Only a few of the pieces show any finish at all. 
It is difficult to decide whether they are to be considered pseudocelts, 
or whether they are roughed-out blanks from which real celts were 
to be made. Their dimensions for the most part fall within the 
limits of ordinary celts from the site, differing in this respect from 
the pseudocelts of Offering No. 1. 

Measurements and other details of Offering No. 8 are given in 
table 5. 


TaBLE 5.—Offering No. 8 


Length} Width | Thick- Cross section Material Remarks 
ness 
Inches | Inches | Inches 
8%6 4 134 Rectangular__-__-- Serpentine________ 
954 37% 2746 | ASymmetrical____|__-_- Coke See aia “Pseudocelt”’ or blank. 
51546] 314 1546)____. dos secs ees ea hae doe tee Do. 
574 2% 154¢6| Rectangular__.--_|_..-- doksn2 aye 
10% 37% 2%6 | ASymmetrical_.__|--_-- owes Do. 
74% 274 1% Rectangular__._--|----- (slo eas ee ei Do. 
678 314 LE RI LR C6 Coa pee eel betes Ope dost hissy es. 
1374 Qe! else Wi lhipticalia222 22) 2262 dol Sonar 
133%4 46 2%e | ASymmetrical____|____- do. eee Waterworn nodule, slightly modified, 
646 3446 13{4| Rectangular..____|____- Got 2 Eee: “Pseudocelt” or blank. 
66 336 144 Asymmetrical. ___|__-_- Gon 228 ee Do. 
73% 334 15fie | ellipticales222 sess es Conia Do. 
6 21546 1346] Rectangular______|---_- GON Sea eee: Do. 
71% 334 5 Na eee (6 (oe ae ae (5 (0) Regia eee Irregular sawed-cut blank. 
654 3 ie | Blliptical...__--}-..-- ok SS sium May have been real tool. 
5 2Keo ee eee dorsi s eres ees ae Be eee Soft, coarse-grained gray stone, flat 
poll, eepers laterally from midsection 
0 bit. 
T15{6) 3'1%6] 1 Asymmetrical__..| Serpentine__...__- ““Pseudocelt”’ or blank. 
834 254 1Si6.|-22 2 GOs. sonl=e £3228 Gos eete2 alee Do. 
7 3%6 13fies |E=2-= (6 (a Vis Depa eS Cael (6 (0S SSS eA es hs Do 
8 414 oY 1} aes GO es ee ee | eee Coley papel ee aoe Do 
6lW%e} 35% |} 1 |----- Goes ieee eee Goma eras Do 


OFFERINGS NO. 9 AND NO. 11 


Offerings No. 9 and No. 11 will be discussed together because they 
were obviously a pair. ‘Their location, layout, and content make it 
quite obvious that they are duplicates. 

Location.—Centerline of site (4 feet 6 inches west and east, respec- 


tively, of centerline), in fill overlying Massive Offering 2 (Feature 
A-2-d). 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, pXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 177 


Construction Phase.—Phase IV. 

These two offerings, as indicated above, were placed just 9 feet apart. 
A line connecting their centers crosses the centerline at right angles. 
Each of the offerings contained the following objects: 

1 Concave mirror (Offering No. 9, magnetite; Offering No. 11, ilmenite). 
9 Jade and serpentine celts laid out in three rows. 

The row immediately south of the mirror contained but one celt. 
The second row and the third row each contained 4 of these objects. 
The specimens were laid with their long axes north-south, with bits 
pointing northward. To the south of the specimens just described 
was a large oval area of clay containing a few scattered bits of cinna- 
bar. There was a small concentration of this material in Offering 9 
(pl. 42, 6). On this clay, in each case a short distance south of the 
last row of celts, was a large round molded lump of purplish-red cinna- 
bar. Scattered around the surface of the clay bed in each case was 
a large number of small jade beads. These beads lay close together 
in a single layer, although in some places they were two layers deep. 
There was no indication whatsoever that they had been strung, or 
attached, in any way. It seems clear that they were thrown loose in 
the area in which they were found. In Offering 9, there were found 
895 complete beads and 12 fragmentary ones. In the corresponding 
area at the south end of Offering 11 (pl. 42, a), a total of 1,180 whole 
beads and 94 fragments were recovered. Some beads occurred scat- 
tered over and between the celts in Offering 9, but were concentrated in 
a separate area in Offering 11. Both offerings covered approximately 
the same size area, 4 feet long north-south, by 32 to 36 inches east-west 
(figs. 47, 48). 

Both offerings were placed in shallow pits about 5 inches deep, 
scooped out in the sandy fill, during the deposition of that fill. The 
objects were laid in place, then covered with a thick layer of olive 
and yellow clay from 1 to 2 inches thick. 

These two offerings were of great interest because of their relation 
to the centerline of the site. Offering No. 9, the first one found, was 
encountered in the course of cutting a shoveling platform back from 
the trench. Since by itself it was so obviously off center, we put our 
centerline hypothesis to the test by measuring off a corresponding 
point on the opposite side of the trench and excavating down to the 
level of Offering 9. Offering 11 was found exactly where measure- 
ments predicted it should be. This, we decided, is the way archeology 
ought to turn out all the time. 


[Bull. 170 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


178 


(saksni) arvos 


6 (ON SuLayYOQ—/F AUN 


Gi gett? Serer 


Cre 


‘IL ON 3ulegQO— sy AUNTY 


179 


sdv3@ agvr go 


(saHoni) atv2s 


SVAGVNNID 31dand 
“ru, 


SOSain 


EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] 


vaav 


180 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (Bull. 170 


Ficure 49.—Concave mirrors. a, Offering No. 9 (magnetite). b, Offering No. 11 (il- 
i i n in profile not exact. Com 


menite). Curvature of mirror faces show pare with plate 
a, b. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
aad Sauieey °” EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 181 


The two mirrors found in these two offerings (pls. 48, 44), we con- 
sider to be exceptional specimens in every respect (see Appendix 3). 
They are the largest mirrors of this type found at the site, although 
several smaller complete specimens and several fragments were found 
in the 1942 and 1943 seasons (fig. 50; pl. 46). Both are of pieces of 
very hard material, which were initially ground flat on both sides. 
On one side of each a central concavity was ground out, and then its 
surface and that of the surrounding flat border, was given an extremely 
high polish. The concavity of each mirror thus reflects a slightly 
magnified image (pl. 45). The workmanship appears to have been 
done with a remarkable degree of precision. 

Both mirrors were perforated along one edge (fig. 49) presumably 
for suspension. It may very well be that the large plaques, usually 
shown in form of rectangles with rounded corners which are worn by 
various personages depicted on the stone monuments, represent mirrors 
of this kind rather than plaques of jade. 

Monument 23 from La Venta (pl. 52) wears what is probably 
intended to be a concave mirror on the chest. The “mirror” is of sub- 
rectangular form with a raised edge, is very slightly concave, and is 
attached at its upper edge to a 3-strand necklace which may be intended 
to represent tubular jade beads. The attachment, indicated by the 
carving on the statue, of the “mirror” to the 3-strand necklace ap- 
pears to show the mirror lying over the necklace and suspended from 
the top strand. 

The small kneeling figure found near the jaguar mosaic mask (fig. 
63) has a concave depression in the belly which may be a mirror either 
suspended from a cord or held in the hands. Altar 5 at La Venta 
(Stirling, 1948 b, pl. 41, a, 6) bears relief sculptures of figures wear- 
ing what are probably intended to be concave mirrors in the same 
fashion as Monument 23. 

It is worth noting also that the small female figurine found in the 
tomb in 1942 was wearing a tiny round plaque of this material, which 
appears to be glued or pegged on just below her throat. Also in the 
National Museum of Mexico there are a number of Olmec type figur- 
ines from Tlatilco to which small bits of polished hematite are 
attached (Porter, 1953, pl. 4, B). The Tlatilco pieces so adorned 
that we have seen, however, have what look like odd bits and scraps 
of polished hematite rather than carefully made disks such as the 
jade figurine from La Venta wears. 

In figure 50 and plate 46 we illustrate the several mirrors recov- 
ered from La Venta in 1942 and 1948, The following tabulation gives 
data on beads from Offering 9: 


[Bull. 170 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


182 


*yOeXA JOU sad¥"j JOIIIW Jo omnqeain) *‘(2NeWIDY) A-CF61 
SuleyO™ 2 ‘(a WeuseW) Y-7H6T SULISEO P *(aqjouseut) (761) IY Z-V punopy Wo1g ‘9 ‘(ejueWyT!) N—-¢P6T Bul 
-I2YO ‘¢ ‘(eyueuw]!) q- 


CFE] SULSYO ‘v  *eUIA eT] Ie sUOSKAS CFE] PUL ZPF6T Ul PolaAOdaI sIOIMUI BAvIU0D— 


QS aunory 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker; Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 183 


Offering No. 9: Beads Number of 
specimens 

Tubular beads, short (proportions range from diam.—length to diam.= 
a mlen SEN) ee Se eS eee ae ee eee eee eee 243 


Size range: Largest: length 1549 inch, diam. 1%2 
Smallest: length %2 inch, diam. 842 inch 


Biconically, perforated sose2 = ae a oe ee 235 

Conicallyapertona ted eas as ee ee 8 
Disk beads: flat polished tacess.2. 2222 8 3 

Subspherical-to-pebble beads (proportions: diam. nearly always greater 
DEV SUT LOT) E10) aos ets a es NE ee RE 2 RL a 657 


An attempt was made to pick out a series of beads of regular shape; 
out of 48 most regular that could be found, not one was noted that did 
not have some minute irregularity. The gradual constant increase 
of irregularities joined the “pebble” beads to these in an unbroken 
series. 
Size range: Largest: length 1542 inch, diam. 1742 inch 

Smallest: length 7 inch, diam. %2 inch 


PICOMICALLY A PErLOL ALCO aa serene Pe et ee es 654 
Conically perftorated= a2 220%) 2. Boas ee a ee ee 2 
Cylindrically:;perforated=<= = 222 Se ee it 
Onejspecimen\each of following (totale =a eee eee eee 4 

Gadrooned (subspherical, with 4 deep vertical cuts equidistant about 

side) 
Pitted (subspherical, with 3 shallow drilled pits around circumfer- 

ence) 


Truncated conical (with perforation from face of maximum to that 
of minimum diam.) 

Cross-perforated subspherical (very regular subspherical form, 
perforated through longest diameter) 


Total complete or identifiable specimens______________________-- 907 


All the beads in this lot appeared to be of jade, but of rather poor 
quality (at least from our point of view). All were opaque, and colors 
tended toward muddy light greens. Table 6 gives measurements of 
and other data on celts from Offering No. 9. 


TaBLE 6.—Data on Offering No. 9: Celts! 


Length | Width | Thick- Cross section Material Remarks 
ness 


Inches | Inches | Inches 

85g 216 % | Elliptical______._- Jades:ieessee 

81346] 27% 1446) Rectangular__-__-_|_-_.- 0:22 ie Bit nicked; poll battered and cracked, 
bit straight and laterally inclined, not 
at right angles to long axis. 

8% 3% 15g | ASymmetrical__._|____- do: 2! eee Outline irregular; concave area on one 
side is original waterworn surface of 
stone. Few fine nicks in bit. 


834 2% 11346] Rectangular______]____- dose eee Bit nearly straight. 

913%{6| 2%e VAY \Eipticnl e222 3 22 8s Go. Bit shows fine nicks; piece broken off 
po. 

914 3% 13%6 | Rectangular (?)_-]_.--- Cs (1 fan ee Trace original surface shows no poll; 


biconical perforation, face-to-face, 
1342 inches from poll. 


9%6 1156) 1% | Elliptical___._....]----- do... 2-26a" 3... Traces original surface show (in un- 
polished depressions). 

976 3 134 ees Ci Pra ee Be Goh rene ses Bit nicked (nicks ap partly ground 
out); traces of battering at poll. 

71546] 22He} 1 jue. dos S222 5e22|S2228 does Bit Sientle nicked at center. 


1 Tlustrated in pl. 41, 0. 


184 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Offering No. 11: Beads 


Number 
of 
speci- 
mens 
Tubular beads, short (proportions range from diam.=length to diam.=\% 
1 sb En) fa TN Men ce a Lars Nem ET To RR ee 243 
Biconieally, pertora ted’: ot eis sere cehe ns =e ane ee 236 
Conically perforated 222 sa airs tn) arse inte seh ery een aye ees 7 
Tubular beads, long (proportions range from length=diam. to length=2X 
CO 0 eae elt Sih” een A. DAT gl id aR nel hobe habe Rats giles AR ahd oe 21 
Disk beads fat:polished* faces ati iiss an hanes lien he 4 
Subspherical-to-pebble beadsee "2. Petty. Biv Me) Oe Ue oe 802 
Biconically PErrOrated. nC ci ete oe eet eet ane een 801 
Conically ‘perforated: soe ea on, BMA AM Mn ihr enen ks nee 1 
Fragments: 
Probably tubular (shortiorlong) 2 = ee 19 
Probably subspherical=to=pebble S22 4a te Ss oe ee 2 Pee 166 
Tubular bead, circumferential groove about middle (diam. 1342 inch, 
length 57q sim Chr) sett rite enters he, eres han ire ne 1 
1, 256 


In addition, in this lot there was a group of very distinctive 
small, well-made, highly polished beads of crystalline trans- 
lucent bluish-green jade, in which the following types occurred: 


Disk beads (342 inch to % inch length, 72 inch to 4% inch diam.) ______ 9 
Subspherical beads: 2.2.0.0 .04 eg et ae ed i 2 
Barrel-shaped, beads. 2. 2 oe a ee ik 4 
Gylindricals 22 ue. 52 - =e od ee le ee eg 3 

Total... |... Sie ea a ee) re ation fee 18 


Aside from this small lot, probably all from one string, the beads 
resembled those of Offering No. 9 in material and finish. 

Table 7 gives measurements of and other data on celts from 
Offering No. 11. 


TABLE 7.—Data on Offering No. 11: Celts } 


Length} Width | Thick- Cross section Material Remarks 
ness 


——— | | | 


Inches | Inches | Inches 


7% 21Y%6| 1% | Asymmetrical__..| Serpentine (?)-___- Has ae runpelened depressions of original 
ace 

5546 27% 1544] ‘‘Elliptical’’___.__ Jadets ees Gres section elliptical with flat edges; 
upper (poll) end thin and assym- 
metric. 

61%6| 3% LY Sadun (3 0) See en ee eR doe ae Cross section elliptical with flat edges. 

634 2% 1%6 | Elliptical._______- Serpentine (?)_____ Appears to be same material as No. 1; 
poll battered (?) 

6% 2% 1947 [asses Gort ee Pfs o (: emeren «CA ape aE 

51546] 274 134) eae Go: ive = ae! GOs 

53% 213% 6 Pera WE iptica? 2. 1 |i. 2. do: ae Sci Cross section elliptical with flat sides. 

656 34% 1% | Elliptical.________ Serpentine_______- aster markedly deteriorated, bit 

unt, 
51546] 274 U5 gis WMiptical? s__.__| Jade__.o/._._-.-__- Cross section elliptical with flat edges; 


unpolished depressions on surface. 


1 Dlustrated in pl. 41, c. 


Drucker, Helzet, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 185 


and Squier 


OFFERING NO. 10 


Location.—Centerline of the site. 

Construction Phase.—Phase III. 

Enclosed in fill over Massive Offering No. 3. 

Description—This offering consisted of 38 celts of serpentine and 
jade (fig. 51), the great majority being of serpentine, laid in a cruci- 
form pattern, approximately 5 feet above the uppermost layer of 
serpentine slabs of the large “pavementlike” offering designated 
Massive Offering No. 3. All the celts were laid with their long axes 
north-south, bits pointing north (pl. 47, deft). The layout is not per- 
fectly regular. At the center there is a group of six celts laid in 
two east-west rows of three each. To the right (east) of this central 
group, separated by a space of 434 inches, there is a group of nine 
celts laid in two rows of five and four respectively. On the west side, 
71% inches away, there are two rows with three celts in each, and a 
single specimen lying immediately to the north of the group. North 
of the center of the arrangement, three celts are laid in a row with a 
wide space left between the celt on the east and the central one, which 
looks almost as though there were a missing specimen. On the south 
end of the layout there are two rows of four celts each, one row of 
three specimens, and the southernmost row of two pieces. At the 
extreme south end there was a small area covered with deep-purple 
material, which may perhaps be a pigment, or a form of cinnabar. 
The celts in this offering were laid out on a special bed of reddish- 
clay, and were plastered over with a layer of yellow sandy clay. As 
was remarked earlier, the arrangement appears to be somewhat ir- 
regular. However, there was no indication that it had been dis- 
turbed subsequent to deposition, and the layers of deposit upon which 
it was placed appeared so compact that it seems doubtful that they 
might have settled. It is at least worth considering as a possibility 
that the apparent irregularity may have been intentional, and that 
the layout actually represents some more complex symbol, and one 
which we are unable to recognize. We have pointed out above that 
there is a very definite pattern of association of cruciform celt offer- 
ings, similar to the present one, with massive offerings. 

The specimens contained in Offering 10 conform, in general, to 
the usual celt types found at La Venta. No decorated examples oc- 
curred in this lot. Table 8 lists their dimensions and other distinc- 
tive features. 

4318185913 


186 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY {Bull. 170 


TABLE 8.—Data on Offering No. 10! 


Length | Width | Thick- Cross section Material Remarks 
ness 


eee ewer | mene | weet | ee | 


Inches | Inches | Inches 


4%o 1146 1346] Elliptical.......-| J Xo (eee ee ee 

4Me 2 En Gosce th ies Serpentine_-_____- 

46 1% nia eee Ostet en aes cccleeeen 1 Edges flat. 

4%o6 154 1346|_.__- Got ees. 5 e420 Au 

415{6} 216 % dona B by Outline irregular. 

4 26 4% Asymmetrical Nearly straight bit. 

5 1% A | ek Bea (6 (oe We Asymmetric longitudinal cross section. 

3136! 2Ko 5¢ oo (0 eee ee ee . oe Irregular shape; really ‘‘pseudocelt.”’ 

414 23% 1 “Elliptical ee saleane Heavily deteriorated; asymmetric out- 
line; probably blank. 

354 26 Iie jo22.- (6 (0) 2 saps a SE Pela oss. eae Heavily deteriorated. 

4h) 214 1% Asyinmetrical____|__--- (eae ee ee Heavily deteriorated; one flat side. 

734 334 TSG FE eee done: eae hss Yadeve-- 22a’ Edges flat; one flat face with unpolished 
natural concavities. 

47% 2546 54 | Rectangular_____- Serpentine_-___.__- Flat faces, 

41346 134 146 | (No record)------- JAI es ee ee 

46 214 1546| Elliptical._....--- Serpentine. ______. Longitudinal section asymmetrical. 

574 21146 LAe oAsymmetricals 2-2/2 2-2300r-s------2.. Do. 

476 24 1SAig)i| CNoirecora))- 222242222 dolss oe t oe 

3%e 2 1%6 | ASymmetrical---__|----- GOs. see One face quite flat. 

4 244 WE eal See (c (ope Sa eae Bog eps nee do____.._------| Heavily deteriorated. 

4%o 246 1Wo6}_---- (6 {0 Sep ae ete do_............| Edges flat; bit heavily deteriorated 
and nicked; asymmetric longitudinal 
section. 

3%6 2 1.6 | Hlliptical.........|----- doses! Jul ee Bit deteriorated and nicked. 

3M 11Y%e 58 @Noirecord)e2-22- S| 222 do.............| Heavily deteriorated. 

54 1% 34 Asymmietrical____|-_--- (6 (cee Siege Pe Do. 

4% 2346 LSigi (soe GO Sree cae ee eed Ore eee a eae Heavily deteriorated; asymmetrical 
longitudinal section. 

46 246 34 @Noirecord) 222422 }22222 do.............| Heavily deteriorated; form regular. 

56 234 34 Asymmetrical. _._|----- dees aenee ee Heavily deteriorated; one face flat. 

4% 11346 1§46| (No record) .---.--|----- Co Ca paps SU ey pad 

4346 178 74. |) Elliptical:_-._.-..|:2.—. dot Be Outline elliptical. 

31546} 214 1§{6| (No record) .-.--.--|----- do.....-.....-.| Outline asymmetric. 

46 1% ei elliptical?) 2a.s\e-22002-s-e-c-6—5-= Heavily deteriorated. 

4 11%6} 14 GNotrecord) 22222 222 see3 dose eres 

4\4 1% 146 | Asymmetrical--_--_}----- C0 ae eae: Do. 

4136] 246 SG he ceeGOrssteceesces seen (Cy ee eeure 

sos 16 4 Elliptical eee pee ree bee (6 Co Peg a Sa Bit broken off. 

en 

4%e 216 7 Yl eee dos eee Owes Bevis Oa Heavily deteriorated. 

4hg 2%e %6 | ASymmetrical----_|_---- do._.-.-.-.-..-| Bit heavily nicked. 

4 Qt3fel' 9G" [Lekce (3 fo Ae ET dons Mase 

314 2% 1i6,|c2ece (3 (eee Tadex ss hss see Edges flat; bit nicked; poll battered (?) 


1The term “deteriorated” refers to a condition in which areas, or entire piece, is soft, 
chalky. According to Dr. W. Foshag (personal communication), this could result from 
effect of acid clays on porous serpentine. Serpentine is quite variable in porosity and 
hardness. Some pieces noted above have one fairly well-preserved surface ; and remainder 
{s deteriorated. ‘‘No record’: This was first lot of celts studied; Drucker neglected to 
record data on cross section consistently. 


OFFERING NO. 12 


Location.—Centerline of site. 

Construction Phase.—Phase III. 

This offering was also in the fill over Massive Offering No. 3. Its 
center was approximately 5 feet south of the center of Monument 13. 

Description —This offering lay in a small pit of roughly elliptical 
form, 1 foot 2 inches north-south by 2 feet 2 inches east-west, which 
penetrated a layer of fill consisting of yellowish clays, and whose base 
lay in the underlying layer of sandy fill. The depth of the pit was 
between 5 and 6 inches. In the bottom of the pit were two round 
masses, lens-shaped in cross section, of bright-colored materials, both 


12 


SCALE (INCHES) 


(9gt *d e0eg) 65 - O BIBTEF 


431818 O - 59 (Face p. 186) 


Figure 51.—Offering No. 


10. 


4 8 


SCALE (INCHES) 


12 


. — _ —_ —— 2 Se a —. 

wea. a eS ee, = a a a aan | a ee eee ~ — — td = za 
Lo a ee ee eek eo ve 
a apn 7 > 5 _ = Pr es ~ 


7 (o8i .oseeE) F2 =O HIBiee 


Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 187 


approximately 8 inches in diameter and three-eighths of an inch 
in maximum thickness at their centers. The pigment on the west 
was of bright green malachite, rather granular in texture. Some of 
the particles are quite fine and others are like coarse sand, and all are 
gritty with sharp edges. The material on the east was of a very 
bright purplish-red cinnabar. There were no other objects con- 
tained in the pit. A layer of yellowish clay, which probably included 
some of the material from the yellowish clayey fill into which the 
pit had been cut, was plastered over the offering. 


OFFERING NO. 18 


Location —Just east of the centerline of the site (cf. fig. 17). 

Construction Phase-—Phase III. 

Description.—This offering consisted of two celtlike objects of ser- 
pentine which may be either blanks, or pseudocelts, but in any case 
were not finished celts, which were set upright with the “bits” upper- 
most, just to the east of the site centerline, and forming a line at 
right angles to it. They were spaced just 27 inches apart. We have 
listed these objects as constituting an offering, although at the time 
they were uncovered they gave the impression that they might have 
been set up as markers to give a line of bearing out from the center- 
line toward some point in the eastern half of the Court. We are not 
altogether sure that it is simply a coincidence that a line drawn 
through them to the eastward passes through the approximate center 
of the concentration of offerings in the small platform A-1-f. There 
is also the possibility that these two pieces may be remnants of a 
larger offering, removed in 1943. Wedel (LV, p. 39) refers to find- 
ing a “dozen or so” serpentine celts in this general area, although he 
noted no orderly arrangement of them. 


OFFERING NO. 14 


Location—Northeast Platform (Feature A-1-f). 

Construction Phase-—Phase III (7%). 

Description.—This offering consisted of six pottery vessels, five of 
them nested together and in contact with the sixth (fig. 52, a). The 
position of the vessels, particularly the slight angle at which the nested 
group was inclined, suggested that they had been placed in the bottom 
of asmall pit. We were not able to define the edges of a pit, however, 
and we are therefore unable to decide whether the offering dates from 
Phase II or III. The single vessel was a small bow] of Fine Paste 
Black ware, with incurved rim and three small flat projecting lugs 
(fig. 52,e). This specimen was very badly crushed and, like the others 
in the cache, the paste had deteriorated to a point where it was impos- 


188 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY " [Bull. 170 


b e 
CMS 

frrrrerc ne PENS STEN SERPS EET 

(7 & to 1S <o 


Ficure 52.—Pottery vessels from Offering No. 14. a, Vessels in original position. b-e, 
individual vessels. 


sible to restore it. In direct contact with it was the uppermost of the 
vessels which covered the inverted lot. There were three of these 
covering vessels, nested in each other. All were shallow bowls with 
flat bases and out-leaned sides, so that they fitted over one another 
readily. These vessels were of Fine Paste Orange ware (fig. 52, 0) 
identical with the shallow bow] in Offering 5. The uppermost meas- 
ured 9 inches across the base; its slightly out-leaned sides were 214 
inches high. It had a simple direct rim, separated from the side by a 
wide shallow channel. The side itself was decorated with small 
curved punch marks. The other two nested vessels were similar in size, 
shape, and decoration. Under them, sitting upright, was a vessel of 
Fine Paste Buff ware (fig. 52,d@) of arather unusual shape. The body 
of this vessel had the form of a small incurved side bow] with recurved 
rim, about 6 inches in diameter. At one side was an elongated, shal- 
low, open spout. The diameter of the vessel from the tip of the spout 
to the opposite rim was 814 inches. The sides were fluted. It hada 
ring base 114 inches high by 314 inches in diameter. Contained within 


Drucker, Heizer, ' 5 
Druger Melzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 189 


this spouted vessel was a small Black ware effigy jar (fig. 52,c). The 
body of the effigy jar, which was of Fine Paste Black ware, had in- 
curving sides surmounted by a short recurved neck with an incurving 
rim. The body of the vessel had four equally spaced vertical creases 
that gave it a lobed effect. On the neck of the vessel there was a 
froglike face modeled in low relief. 

The vessels in this offering were in such badly deteriorated condition 
that they could not be restored. The preparators at the National 
Museum of Mexico to whom we turned over the spouted vessel, and 
its enclosed efligy vessel, made every effort to restore the former, but 
were unable to do so; not only was the specimen crushed into minute 
fragments, but the pottery had completely lost its cohesive quality 
and simply disintegrated with every attempt to remove it from the 
clay in which it was embedded. However, we were able to recognize 
the wares and vessel shapes while excavating them. We are, there- 
fore, able to say with certainty that the wares themselves are very 
definitely of types characterizing the ceramic complex of La Venta, 
as defined in Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 153 (LV, 80 ff.). 
Shapes and decorative features, while not precisely like any previously 
described, conform to known ceramic patterns. Use of punctate deco- 
ration, similar to that noted in the three covering bowls, was noted 
as occurring in a variety of Olmec wares (LV, figs. 28, 32, and passim). 
The occurrence of three lugs on the small Fine Paste Black ware bow] 
again fits the general pattern. Lugs, although not common, occurred 
in ceramics, although handles were quite scarce. The asymmetrical 
spacing of the lugs on the side has not been reported from La Venta, 
but that may be because of the scarcity of complete vessels from the 
site. Open spouts, fluted vessel sides, and ring bases, all are known 
from La Venta. The fact that they have not been reported in com- 
bination, as in the case of the Fine Paste Buff ware specimen in this 
lot, once more may be attributed to the scarcity of complete specimens 
from the La Venta site. The little effigy vessel is distinctive, but 
fragments of effigy vessels have been recovered in the past. The oc- 
currence of this lot of materials, consequently, is of considerable im- 
portance because here we have a direct and unquestionable tie-in 
between the remains found in the occupation deposits as described 
earlier (LY, passim) and those from the nearby ceremonial structures. 


OFFERING NO. 15 


Location—Northeast Platform; directly under Offering 6. 

Construction Phase.—Phase I (%). 

Description—This offering consisted of a single white-slipped 
Coarse Brown ware bowl with flat base and out-leaned walls ter- 
minating in a simple direct rim (fig. 42,6). It was lying inverted at 


190 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


a slight angle in the fill of the Northeast Platform. This bowl, al- 
though considerably broken, apparently because of the weight of the 
overburden, was in much better condition than the Fine Paste vessels 
previously described. Diameter across the mouth is 12 inches; height 
of the walls 21% inches. There was a considerable amount of char- 
coal associated with the vessel. This specimen is treated as an offer- 
ing because of the fact that it was a complete vessel and ceramic 
materials were not ordinarily included by accident in any of the 
structural layers at this site. It is considered possible that the vessel 
may have contained, or may have been inverted over, charred rem- 
nants of some burned organic offering. 


OFFERINGS NO. 16 AND 17 


Location.—Northeast Platform. 

Construction Phase.—Indeterminate, Phase I (?). 

These two offerings, each consisting of a single small vessel, occurred 
in Feature A-1-f in the vicinity of the other offerings described 
above. Since so little pottery was included in structural components 
of this site by chance, it is almost certain that these vessels were 
deliberately placed as offerings. Both were small, rectangular bowls 
of Coarse Brown ware, heavily smudged to a very dark shade. A 
few fragments of similar rectangular vessels were noted in the pot- 
tery deposits tested in 1942 (LV, pl. 17, 6), and considered to be a 
distinctive Olmec type. No discernible pits were observed in the 
case of either vessel. They were situated on approximately the same 
level as the rest of the offerings. 


OFFERING NO. 18 


Location.—In shallow pit intruded into Phase I levels at center of 
Northwest Platform. 

Construction Phase.—II (?). 

During the clearing of a shallow pit which was intruded from 
above into the Phase I levels in the center of the Northwest Plat- 
form (fig. 21) two pottery vessels were encountered. There is no 
question but that they were deliberately placed in the pit before it 
was entirely filled and we have therefore included them as offerings. 
Since they were found at some distance from one another, we have 
elected to assign them separate offering numbers. Offering 18, the 
first found, is a flat-based dish or bow] of La Venta Coarse Brown 
ware (LV, pp. 92-96) with nearly vertical walls and slightly flaring 
simple direct rim (fig. 42, c). The base and walls of the vessel are 
fairly thick, averaging one-quarter inch in cross section. The paste 
is moderately coarse and friable, with numerous grains of what ap- 
pears to be angular quartz sand. Both interior and exterior are 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 191 


smoothed. No slip appears to have been applied, but on the exterior 
there are small areas remaining of what may originally have been 
a black or dark-brown paint. The rim diameter is 714 inches; the 
vertical height is 31%4 inches. Vessels very similar to this occurred 
infrequently in the earlier excavations at La Venta (LV, pp. 110-111, 
fig. 38, ). 


OFFERING NO. 19 


Location—In shallow pit intruded into Phase I levels at center 
of Northwest Platform. 

Construction Phase—II (?). 

In the same intrusive pit in which Offering 18 occurred, lying ap- 
proximately 5 inches above and 2 feet 3 inches to the south of the 
latter, was found a vessel of the ware which Drucker (LV, p. 92) has 
termed White-Rimmed Coarse Black ware. The vessel (fig. 42, e) is 
a flat-based dish or shallow bow] with flaring sides and simple direct 
rim. Since the vessel conforms in every particular with Drucker’s 
description of this ware (LV, pp. 90-92), no detailed description 
need be given here. The rim diameter is 12%. inches; its height is 
2%6 inches. No decoration other than the special treatment of the 
rim in firing is present. Sherds of White-Rimmed ware were en- 
countered in fair numbers in Drucker’s excavations in the Olmec 
habitation areas of La Venta, but the present piece is the first to be 
recovered from the ceremonial complex. 


This completes the description of offerings found during the 1955 
excavations in clear-cut association with structural components of 
the Olmec site. A number of pottery vessels were found buried 
singly and in concentrations at various locations in the drift sands 
which accumulated after Complex A was abandoned by its builders. 
These vessels, which comprise Offerings 20 through 27, are described 
in the section which follows on the “Post-Phase IV” occupations of 
La Venta. 


MISCELLANEOUS FINDS IN COMPLEX A, 1955 


A few artifacts not associated with offerings were encountered in 
the general digging. They were very few indeed because, as has been 
pointed out before, an effort was apparently made to secure clay or 
sand fill for the structures from clean undisturbed deposits.1® Occu- 


48Jn 1955 we inspected a number of open sand and clay pits, some of them very large 
and deep, on La Venta island from which road fill was being excavated. Although gen- 
erally similar to the colored clays used anciently to construct the La Venta site, we failed 
to note a single occurrence of the particular heavy clays, sandy clays and sands which 
had been used in the site. With this limited evidence, and taking into account the Olmec 
penchant for not sparing effort to secure what they wished, it may be suggested that 
most, if not all, of the millions of cubic feet of structure fill in Complexes A and C were 
brought from some distance away from the island. No borrow pits were noted near 
the site, 


192 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


pational refuse was not used as structure fill. Some of the objects 
found by us may have come from older offerings which were disturbed 
and whose contents got mixed in later structural fill. 

Two elongated tubular jade objects, perforated longitudinally, 
were found in the Northeast Platform a little over 2 feet to the north- 
west of the center of Offering No. 5, and about 2 inches above the level 
of that offering. They were encountered outside of the pit in which 
Offering No. 5 had been deposited and could not possibly be associated 
with it. Both of these pieces were somewhat heavier in their pro- 
portions than the usual specimens of this type. One is of a light apple- 
green jade, and very highly polished (fig. 53,@). It is not cylindrical, 
but instead has two flat sides. A shallow groove rings it about the 
center. It tapers strongly from the middle toward the somewhat 
rounded-off ends. It is 114, inches long, 1%. of an inch in maximum 
diameter, and 1345 of an inch in minimum diameter (perpendicular 
to the flat sides). It is perforated with a pair of long, slender, slightly 
conical drill holes begun at either end. The companion piece (fig. 
53, 6) is of mottled green jade that also has a high polish. It is cy- 
lindrical or nearly so in form, tapering very slightly from the middle 
toward the ends. One end is cut off square and the other is slightly 
irregular. The piece is perforated by a biconical perforation which 
is slightly larger in diameter than that of the specimen first described. 
Dimensions of the piece are 114. inches in greatest length by 74, inch 
maximum diameter. 

A fragment of a polished concave metallic mirror (fig. 53, d@) was 
found in the backdirt thrown out in the excavations of previous years 
near the stone column tomb (Monument 7). The fragment has a broad 
flat rim, approximately three-quarters of an inch wide. A small part 
of the central concavity is present. The fractured edges show that the 
mirror was broken anciently. 

A small pebble of bright-green opaque jade (not illustrated) with 
one polished face and beveled sides that round off to the flat, apparently 
waterworn back was encountered in the fill over Feature A-2-d. The 
object is approximately three-quarters of an inch in maximum diame- 
ter. Itis unperforated and suggests by its form that it may originally 
have been part of a mosaic of some kind. 

Two objects made of pale-green serpentine are of interest mainly as 
further examples of the stoneworking techniques. The first (fig. 
53, €) 1s oval in cross section with one side flattened. At one end the 
specimen was ground down around three sides, leaving a projection 
% ¢ of an inch long by 5% of an inch in diameter. A conical depression 
has been drilled into this projecting end for approximately one-half 
inch. Theend of the piece around the drill hole has subsequently been 
broken away nearly all the way around the circumference of the hole. 


Drucker, Heizer, ‘ ’ 
Dia seater: EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 193 


=. 
a b 


9 
cms 
abcd ° 1 2 3 
e,f MS EL ae 
° 10 15 
g 


Ficure 53.—Objects from general digging in Complex A. a-b, Tubular jade beads. c, 
“Barrel-shaped” jade bead found inside pottery vessel of Offering No. 22. d, Fragment 


of concave magnetite(?) mirror. ¢-f, Serpentine objects of unknown use. g, Modified 
serpentine pavement block from Massive Offering No. 3. 


194 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY {Bull. 170 


The piece is polished, but no attempt was made to grind away several 
pitted areas on the surface. The purpose for which the specimen was 
intended is unknown. Perhaps it is a handle for an implement which 
was hafted on the narrow drilled end. The second serpentine speci- 
men (fig. 58, #) is a section of a once longer piece, roughly oval in 
cross section, which has been broken transversely at one end and sawed 
nearly through at the other. The sawed end shows evidence of two 
stages of sawing. A broad shallow groove was first sawed entirely 
around the piece. Then a thinner sawing implement was used to 
continue the operation. When only a central core 5 by 134. inches 
remained unsawed, the piece was broken away from its attached mem- 
ber by either a blow or hand pressure. The specimen found by us 
is undoubtedly the discarded product of the sawing operation, since 
no further attention appears to have been given to it. 

In addition to the miscellaneous pieces described above, a few frag- 
ments of black obsidian flake blades and one small brown chert 
“scraper” were found in the general digging in Complex A. The 
latter piece, a flake with part of the cortex remaining, has been chipped 
by use along a length of about 1 inch on one edge; one utilization of 
this piece for a scraping operation probably would have sufficed to 
chip the edge as it now is. 


STONE-WORKING TECHNIQUES 


Drucker (LV, pp. 146, 172) has treated with certain principles and 
techniques of stone-working evidenced in the La Venta materials. A 
few additional observations may be noted here. 

Serpentine blocks found in great numbers in the 28-layer “founda- 
tion” below the mosaic mask in the Southwest Platform appear to 
have been rough quarry blocks. ‘These may have been transported 
to La Venta from their sources with the aim of using them without 
further refinement. Or, they may represent a “stockpile” of quarry 
blanks which were intended for squaring and surfacing, to be ulti- 
mately used as facing blocks (as in the lower facing of the Southwest 
Platform and the Northeast Entryway), or elements of a jaguar 
mosaic mask, or as blocks for one of the deeply buried massive pave- 
mentlike offerings. Some of the rough blocks showed preliminary 
shaping in the form of pick or sharp gouge marks to give the surface 
an initial dressing. These pick marks are much deeper and larger 
than the usual pitting resulting from stone pecking. A few showed 
sawed grooves, either on one surface, or opposed, so as to indicate the 
intention of cutting it in two (pl. 48 a, b). This method of stone 
sawing was practiced by the Maya (Holmes, 1897, vol. 1, p. 198). 
Some of the rough serpentine blocks were chipped, the work being 
done presumably with a heavy hammer of some sort (pl. 48 c,d). The 


aad Seiecp 7’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 195 


row of lower facing blocks in the Southwest Platform was made up of 
three types of stone blocks: (1) rectangular smoothed serpentine blocks 
(pl. 48 e, f shows two; note sawed ends) ; (2) smoothed rectangular 
basalt blocks; and (3), roughly chipped, yet regularly formed, basalt 
blocks (pl. 48 g,h). The flakes struck off these latter were thin, and 
ranged from 1 to 3 inches across, and in our opinion are rather remark- 
able accomplishments of stone flaking in such amorphous material. 
The esthetic effect produced by the regular shape of these large flaked 
blocks is pleasing, and we must assume that the builders of La Venta 
also received a similar impression since they were placed in obvious 
positions and in the one case of the lower facing of the Southwest 
Platform (pl. 13), these blocks covered the ones of smoothed serpen- 
tine. The point of this is simply to argue that these chipped blocks 
are not unfinished, but are a specific La Venta form. 

Shown in plate 48, 2 is a serpentine block 13.5 inches long, 9.5 inches 
wide, and 3 inches thick. The surface apparently has been used for 
grinding, and there is an oval, concave depression with a wide, flat- 
bottomed, shallow channel subsequently incised (fig. 53, g). Since 
such soft stone could scarcely have served as a metate (note also that 
the La Venta metates were different—LV, pp. 144-145), it seems likely 
that this block was used as a polishing slab. This piece is described 
because it is unique, all other stone blocks found giving no evidence 
of having served for secondary uses.® 

Although we were on the lookout for signs of workshop debris 
in the hope of finding the location and methods of local stone work- 
ing, we found practically nothing. The top of the Phase II white 
floor series both in the east-west (bulldozed) trench which cut through 
the eastern part of the South-Central Platform across the Court and 
through the Court embankment, and along the inner, Court-facing 
margin of the Northwest Platform showed a thin layer of finely ground 
green serpentine which was used for surfacing the Court. Although 
this layer averaged only one-eighth of an inch in thickness, the quan- 
tity required to surface an extensive area (we do not know whether the 
entire Court was so surfaced at this time) was very great. Either 
this green dust was deliberately produced by crushed serpentine, 
or it represents the by-product of finishing serpentine blocks which was 
put to a useful purpose. We cannot answer the question, but we in- 
cline to the opinion that there is a nearby area, still undiscovered, 
where stone finishing was carried out. It seems improbable that the 
largest stelae (e. g., Nos. 2, 3), with their delicately sculptured sur- 
faces, could have been transported in finished forms without abrasion 
of the carvings. For these reasons, among others, we believe that 

It may be worth recording that a number of the large rectangular basalt blocks dug by 


us were carried away by local people for use as metates. These may be found again, but in 
a form and context different from their original (i. e., A. D. pre-1955). 


196 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


inches. 


Ficure 54.—Limestone slab used for celt polishing (?). From occupation area west of 
Ceremonial Court; probably of post-Phase IV date. 


a corps of artisans was attached to the site, at least at certain times 
if not on a permanent basis, to dress stone and sculpture the great 
stelae, altars, and monuments now at the site. 

On jade working we cannot add significantly to Drucker’s (LV, p. 
172) account. The incised celt with the rectangular depression 
(fig. 35, a) from Offering No. 2 is certainly a remarkable piece 
of stone sculpture, though the piece is so perfectly polished that we 
cannot say whether or not the depression was roughly excavated by 
drilling or sawing and then polished. The backs of the little apple- 
green jade maskettes (fig. 43) have been hollowed out in order to 
bring out the translucence of the material. 

The remarkable concave mirrors, two of which were found in 
1955, stand out as the most unique pieces of precision stoneworking 
of the La Venta culture (see Appendix No. 3). A total of 8 complete 
or fragmentary mirrors have been recovered from the La Venta site 
to date, and the concave metallic mirror thus appears to be a a 
tinctive Olmec trait. 

_ About 150 yards west of the Ceremonial Court on the south side 
of the airstrip we noted a large flat white limestone slab (fig. 54) 
measuring approximately 24 by 21 inches and about 4 inches thick. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
are eT EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 197 


This slab is similar to those found in 1955 near the Northeast Entry- 
way and in Mound A-5, and in 1942 in the stone column tomb, and 
beneath the drift sands in the centerline trench (LV, pp. 23, 38). 
They are undoubtedly late in the site’s history and belong to Phase 
IV. One surface of the dissociated slab is covered with long shallow 
concave grooves which appear to be celt-polishing channels. Use 
of this limestone slab may date either from Phase IV or post-Phase 
IV, as judged from similar grooves gouged into the tops of some of 
the Colossal Heads near the La Venta site (Stirling, 1943 b, p. 56, pl. 
42). It is reasonably certain that the conical cups, narrow cut 
grooves, and gouges which are to be seen on the foreheads and tops 
of the Colossal Heads at La Venta (cf. Stirling, 1943 b, pp. 56-57) are 
the result of later activity. These gougings on ancient sculptures 
may imply a lack of superstitious fear of the great heads by later 
inhabitants of the area, but at the same time it is barely possible 
that what we interpret as either vandalism, disfigurement, or casual 
tool-sharpening marks on a handy stone may in fact be signs of some 
deliberate act directed toward placation of the spirits of the ancient 
sculptures by later occupants of the area. 


STONE MONUMENTS 


Appendix No. 2 lists all monuments recovered to date from La 
Venta and indicates, so far as known, their present whereabouts. 

A total of nine complete or fragmentary stone monuments (Nos. 
19-27) were encountered by us in the course of the 1955 field season. 
These include three small monuments turned up by the oil company’s 
bulldozer in the course of building the airstrip that ran in a north- 
east-southwest direction, just outside the northwest corner of Com- 
plex A. We were not able to find out exactly where any of these 
three stones came from except that most people who claimed to have 
some knowledge of them indicated that they came from a general 
area north of Complex A, and south of the row of stone heads (Monu- 
ments 2, 3, and 4). All these monuments were assigned numbers by 
us in the sequence begun by Stirling (LV, pp. 173-184). 


MONUMENT 19 


Monument 19 (fig. 55) was an irregularly shaped light-gray basalt 
boulder, approximately 3 feet in its longest dimension, about 214 feet 
wide, and just under 2 feet thick. It has one smooth surface which 
was not completely flat, but instead slopes downward at the ends. 
The sculpture seems to have accommodated itself to the natural outline 
of the boulder.” The thick and irregular base of the stone is such 


2 Laying out this sculpture to conform to the irregular shape implies absence of con- 
vention-bound art together with great virtuosity of the artist. 


198 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (Bull. 170 


Figure 55.—Monument No. 19. 


that it is almost certain that the stone was originally partly buried 
in order to present the flat sculptured surface to view. On the flat 
upper surface in very low relief, two figures were depicted (pl. 49, 
a). One is a seated human figure shown in profile, facing to 
the left, the other figure behind and partially surrounding the first 
figure in a protective attitude is a plumed rattlesnake. The carving 
is sharp and clear and beautifully preserved. Stylistically, the carv- 
ing rendering the details and conventionalizations is most like the 
treatment of the figures on Stela 3 (LV, fig. 50). There is little 
trace of the exaggerated stylization that characterizes jade figurines, 
carvings in the full round, or engraving on jade. The human figure 
is seated with his legs extended out in front. He is shown wearing 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 199 


a headdress which represents the head of a jaguar. The mandible 
of the beast is carried downward as though it formed a chin strap, 
so that the wearer’s face is enclosed in the open mouth. This is like 
the mask worn by the bearded (right side) figure on Stela 3. The 
features of the human figure are treated realistically. He is wear- 
ing what appears to be a large bead as a nose ornament. There is 
a suggestion of a neatly trimmed beard (cf. LV, p. 196) shown behind 
the forward projection at the chin of the jaguar mask. A large ear- 
spool may be seen just behind the chin strap, and a trailer descends 
the figure’s back, behind the headdress. Above the headdress is 
a rectangular area with some fine details which no longer can be 
made out. It is not quite clear whether this is part of the headdress 
or not. Above this set of rectangles is a horizontal rod with a long 
tasseled end from which hangs a rectangular bordered banner, which 
looks very much as though it had been intended to contain some 
glyphs. The flat open center of this banner may of course have 
been painted. The banner is fastened to the tasseled rod by two 
X-shaped elements. The body of the figure is very simply shown. 
The left shoulder is depicted in somewhat clumsy perspective. The 
left elbow is slightly bent and the left hand, which lies next to the 
thigh, is turned at the wrist with the palm out. Careful inspection 
will show that this exact position of arm, wrist, and hand is anatomi- 
cally difficult or impossible. The right arm is extended, and the 
hand holds a small bag or pouch, which may be intended to represent 
a copal bag. The figure wears a wide sash, or belt, and a breech- 
clout. There appears to be some sort of pendant from the necklace 
worn over the chest, and some bands are indicated about the calf of 
the left leg. The feet are shown with peculiar pointed toes very 
much like figure 1 of Stela 3 (LY, fig. 50). Behind and surrounding 
this figure is that of the plumed rattlesnake. The upper part of the 
snake’s body is drawn back in a reverse S-curve, as though it were 
ready to strike. Surmounting the snake’s head is a flat crest with 
two ribbonlike appendages trailing back from the rear part of the 
head (pl. 49, 6). The snake’s mouth is shown open, and the fangs 
are clearly depicted. It is a strictly realistic representation, and is 
beyond a doubt one of the meanest-looking reptiles in Mesoamerican 
art. Down the middle of the snake’s body is a double line, marking 
the separation of the back and belly. A few very lightly incised 
curves indicate the belly scutes, and a few similar lines indicate scales 
on the back. The tail with three rattles and “button” is shown curled 
up in front of the human figure. 

The occurrence of the Feathered Serpent as a theme in Olmec art 
deserves some special comment. It is not a common one. In fact 
Drucker asserted (LV, pp. 208, 209, 219) that it did not occur at all 


200 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


despite the two realistic serpents depicted in carvings at the site of 
San Lorenzo (Tenochtitlan) on the Rio Chiquito. He was of course 
in error, although it still may be suggested that stylistically the Olmec 
reptiles were treated quite differently from those shown in Mayan 
art. It is worth remarking that this same Plumed Serpent, in fact 
what is probably the same combination of figures as on Monument 
19, a man wearing a jaguar headdress enclosed in the coiled body 
of a feathered serpent, is shown at the top of Stela 3 (fig. 67). Those 
figures have been visible, although obscured by props and by the angle 
at which the stela was inclined, ever since Stirling exposed it in 1941. 
As soon as we straightened up the stela the Plumed Serpent, which 
appears in the top right-hand corner of the stone, was most obvious. 


MONUMENT 20 


Monument 20 (pl. 50), which was turned up by the bulldozer during 
the construction of the airstrip, is anomalous in a number of re- 
spects. We believe that it is a very stylized representation of a 
cetacean. It is made of greenish metamorphic stone, probably gneiss. 
The sculpture is 6 feet and 6 inches long, 1 foot 10 inches maximum 
width, and 1 foot 6 inches thick (fig. 56). Part of the underside has 
cracked off and been lost. This break appears to be quite old. The 
modeling of the distinguishing features of the whale, or whatever 
the animal is, is minimum. There is a rather large blunted head and 
elongated body, tapering toward the rear to what appear to be wide 
tail flukes. On the middle line down the back are two low pro- 
tuberances, which may have been intended to represent a blowhole 
and the dorsal “fin.” The eyes and mouth are indicated by incising. 
There is an angular incised ornament over the back and sides. This 
is the part of the carving which is most unusual since it is quite unlike 
any decorative motifs known to occur at La Venta. The treatment 
of the figure itself, and particularly this incised ornamentation con- 
sisting of angular designs, suggests that this specimen may have been 
brought to the site already carved. It is possible that Monument 20 
is of non-Olmec origin, though it must be remembered that our 
knowledge of La Venta period sites is limited, and also that other 
marine elements are known to occur at La Venta (LV, p. 196). 


MONUMENT 21 


Monument 21 (pl. 51, a) is a mutilated human figure in a seated 
posture with both arms resting on a thick flat-surfaced object which 
may be a box or a table or an altar (fig. 57). The figure, made of 
light-colored, fine-grained basalt, is considerably weathered so that 
most details are lost. The feet and legs are not shown, and the heavy 
tenoned base is roughly worked. Like Monument 19, it was probably 


aid Sudip’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 201 


Ficure 56.—Monument No. 20. Length 78 inches 


buried in the ground with the carved surfaces visible. The arms 


which are rather angular, are only sketchily indicated. Stylistically 
Monument 21 is reminiscent of Altar No. 6. 


This piece was recovered by the oil company while making the 
airstrip just north of Mound A-2. 


431818—59——14 


202 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Ficure 57.—Monument No. 21. 


MONUMENT 22 


Monument 22 is represented by two fragments of green schist, or 
gneiss, with remnants of what must have been a very elaborate design 
carved in low relief. The first fragment found (pl. 51, 6) was an 
irregularly shaped splinter of stone, 2 feet 1 inch long, tapering from 
its maximum width of 11 inches, and 7 inches thick. It was found 
at the base of the gray drift sand, lying directly on the eroded sur- 
face of the red clay cap at the southeast corner of Feature A-l-e 
(Southwest Platform). Another fragment which is considered as 
being a piece of the same monument was found in a comparable posi- 
tion on the red-clay structure surface near the southwest corner of 
the same structure. This indicates that this monument was broken 
up at or shortly after the end of Phase IV at La Venta. 


MONUMENT 23 


Monument 23 (fig. 58) is the mutilated human statue which was 
lying beneath the upper drift sands on a limestone slab on the clay 


Drucker, Heizer, r 4 
and Squier)’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 203 


Ficure 58.—Monument No. 23. 


surface of Mound A-5. This figure represents approximately a life- 
size human figure seated in a cross-legged posture. The carving is 
quite characteristic of the best Olmec sculpture. The cross-legged 
position is, of course, a common one in this art style (LV, figs. 51, 52, 
pls. 46, 59, 60). Head and arms and one foot of the figure are miss- 
ing, having been broken off sometime in the distant past. The breaks 
are not fresh and sharp, but rounded and eroded. The figure wears 
what appears to have been a 3-strand necklace of large beads about its 
neck, from which depended a plaque (pl. 52, 6). This plaque was nearly 
rectangular with rounded ends, and its outer surface was concave. In 
all probability it represents one of the metallic mirrors of the sort 
found in Offerings 9 and 11. About its waist the figure wears a wide 
double sash, or belt. On the front, a narrow band seems to pass 
through, or be fastened to, a sort of rectangular buckle. The flowing 
ends of the sash extend out sideways and continue trailing forward 


204 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


along the thighs. On the back, this narrow band is tied in a very 
complicated knot (pl. 52, a). The back view also shows, just below 
the edge of the break, the square-cut edge of a mass which may have 
been the trailing bottom of a headdress, or else the figure’s long hair. 
Back and torso of the figure are realistically modeled. The only 
conspicuous exaggeration may be noted in the proportions of the 
thighs and knees (pl. 52, c) which are disproportionately heavy. This 
was probably done intentionally to provide sufficient weight so that 
the figure would sit up and not topple over backward. In the front 
view this exaggeration is scarcely noticeable. It is worth noting that 
this figure was in all probability deliberately smashed. The head 
could have been knocked off only with great difficulty. The remnant 
of hair, or end of the headdress that remains on the back, makes it 
obvious that the carving was originally quite thick and massive at 
this point, that is, from the back to the front just above the necklace. 
The arms likewise are battered off close to the torso. We were not 
able to find any additional fragments of this statue in our digging 
in that vicinity. 
MONUMENT 24 


Monument 24 (pl. 52, d) is a more or less rectangular block of green 
gneiss, one corner of which had been cut away longitudinally to pro- 
duce a thick L-shaped cross section. There was no indication of any 
attempt at ornamentation. However, the piece must have been of 
some significance. It was placed very carefully with the hollow or 
concave side downward, at right angles to the centerline of the site 
and intersecting that line, just north of the tomb of basalt columns. 
There had been considerable disturbance, apparently associated with 
Phase IV construction and fill in this area. We believe, however, 
that Monument 24 was put in place during Phase IV. This stone is 
3 feet 10 inches long, 1 foot 2 inches wide, and 814 inches thick across 
the foot of the L. It is smooth, but not polished. The only pieces re- 
motely like it that come to mind, and the similarity is not very close, 
are the conduitlike blocks of stone with U-shaped cross section found 
at San Lorenzo, Tenochtitlan (Stirling, 1955). 


MONUMENT 25 


Monument 25 (pl. 53, deft) was made of a large slab of a finely 
laminated green stone which appeared to us to be schist. The original 
shape and size of the piece cannot now be determined. What remains 
of it is rather irregular. One side only is partially squared off and 
almost all the others appear to have been broken subsequent to carv- 
ing. In its present form it approaches a wedge shape, wide at the 
top, tapering gradually toward the base, with the base itself 
tapering abruptly into an irregular point. The dimensions of 


amd Sealer" EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 205 


Figure 59.—Monument No. 25. 


206 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


this fragment are: height 7 feet 11 inches, maximum width 5 feet 
3 inches, thickness from 6 to 10 inches. The front of this piece of 
stone was probably fairly smooth when first imported by the La 
Ventans. There are some slight irregularities that indicate that it 
was not ground down to a prepared fiat surface prior to carving. On 
this original surface a large jaguar mask, in conventional Olmec 
style, was carved in low relief (fig. 59). Shallow areas were carved 
into the surface of the stone in such a way as to leave the important 
element of the mask standing out as low flat planes. When found by 
us, the upper portion of the mask had been broken off. This frac- 
ture was very heavily weathered and must have occurred a long time 
ago. Just below the edge of the fracture the nostrils and the square 
thick upper lip of the jaguar can be seen. Long fangs depend from 
the upper jaw across the open mouth and apparently extended over 
the upper-curved lower lip. On the viewer's right there are sugges- 
tions of former carvings below the level of the mouth and next to the 
edge of the stone. It may be that earspools were indicated here. 
Below the jaguar mask itself, is a peculiar arrangement of three 
wide, flat, horizontal bands, which appear to be fastened together 
by two vertical strips, running behind them. The two upper horizon- 
tal bands appear each to be marked off into four narrow ribbonlike 
strips, the lowest band of three. Where the horizontal bands cross 
over the vertical ones there are indications of carvings which may 
have represented knots, tying these elements together. A good deal 
of detail has been lost all over the carving because of the softness of the 
stone, and its tendency to flake off. 

Two limestone flakes serving as shims under Monument 25 suggest 
that the setting of this sculpture dates from Phase IV. 


MONUMENT 26 


Monument 26 (pl. 53, 7ight) is also of laminated green stone, similar 
to the preceding, which is much softer or which has deteriorated even 
more than that of the monument just described. It, too, is incomplete. 
In this case, at least as we interpret the carving, it is the base, or most 
of the base, which has broken off. The part that remains appears to 
include all the upper part of the design. As remarked elsewhere, we 
found it was upside down. This carving (fig. 60, 77ght) also represents 
a jaguar mask conventionalized in this case to an extreme degree. The 
combination of this conventicnalization and the damage which the 
monument has suffered, due to the scaling off of loose chips and flakes 
of stone all over its surface, make it almost unrecognizable. The 
jaguar in this case is shown with either a headdress or plumes, on top 
of its head. At the center is a set of three small pointed elements with 
rounded bases. These rise out of a top of what appears as the remnants 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier] 


EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 


207 


Right, Monument No. 26. 


Left, Monument No. 27. 


Ficure 60.—Monuments. 


208 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 - 


of a rectangle with rounded corners, the lower part of which is missing. 
This figure was given a border by having a shallow line engraved 
around the inside of its perimeter. Flanking it, on either side, are a 
pair of similarly shaped elements, which, however, are slightly more 
rounded off and give more of a plumelike effect. At the extreme edges, 
close to the edge of the stone, there are on either side remnants of a 
rounded figure which may have been the terminal part of this head- 
dress, or otherwise the ears of the jaguar. Just below the central one 
of these figures are the remnants of a small “Y-shaped” element with 
pointed tips, which suggests the notch in the head of the stylized Olmec 
representation of the jaguar. On either side of this are long, narrow 
rectangular eyes. The upper borders of the eyes cannot be seen, but 
their lower edges are quite clear, cut into the outline of the side flat 
band which represents the upper lip and nose. The nose is very clearly 
marked off and was actually the first recognizable clue to the figure. 
The lower jaw is either missing, or cannot be recognized. There ap- 
pear to be two flat horizontal bands, running across just below the 
mouth, with a suggestion of vertical cross elements. Underneath the 
lower band are the remnants of two curved flowing elements which 
cannot be interpreted. It is of course quite possible that there was 
more carving below this point, on the part of the stone which is now 
missing. The height of the monument, or the portion which remains, 
is 6 feet 10 inches; the maximum width is 6 feet 1 inch. A diagonal line 
connecting the two projecting parts of the stone gives a maximum 
diameter of 7 feet 10 inches. Places on the edge of the stone which 
seem to be less weathered and broken indicate an average thickness of 
about 8 inches around the edges and maximum thickness of 10 or 11 
inches. 
MONUMENT 27 


Monument 27 (pl. 54) was made from a block of light-colored faintly 
greenish gneiss. Unlike the soft material from which Monuments 25 
and 26 were made, the stone of Monument 27 was extremely hard. The 
carving on it is so shallow, and the relief so very low, that it is quite 
difficult to see. It represents, however, a jaguar mask just like the two 
companion stones (fig. 60, eft). As in the case of Monument 26, this 
monument also is upside down in its present situation. There is a 
horizontal band across the face of the stone, and indications of some 
faint elements above it, which may have been intended to represent a 
headdress. The eyes are very clearly indicated as elongated ellipses. 
The rectangular outline of the mouth, with an upcurved lower 
lip, can be made out. <A flat horizontal band runs across the bottom of 
the mask, finishing it off. There appear to be two vertical elements 
running downward from this horizontal band to the base of the stone. 


ker, Heizer, ‘ 
ee Sader et EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 209 


The dimensions of this piece are: length, 9 feet 3 inches; width, 4 
feet 6 inches; average thickness, 1 foot 3 inches. 

No facilities were available to remove these stones at the time they 
were found, and Monuments 25 and 26 were unquestionably destined to 
be damaged if left exposed in their present deteriorated condition. 
Consequently all three of these monuments were reburied when we 
closed down our dig. 


FRAGMENT OF MONUMENT 


Among the limestone slabs that formed part of the Northeast Entry- 
way was a flat green schist piece bearing traces of curvilinear incising, 
perhaps representing feathers (fig. 61). It is not part of any monu- 
ment now known from La Venta, and on account of its small size and 
fragmentary nature it does not appear worth numbering as a monu- 
ment. 

The edges of the fragment have been reworked by crude chipping, 
and this indicates that an older monument was broken up and put to 
a common (i. e., profane) use during or perhaps after the Phase IV 
period at La Venta. 


SMALL STONE CARVINGS 


In addition to the stone carvings just described we found various 
small fragments, some of which could be identified and some of which 
could not. The distinctive thing about these pieces is that most of 
them are small carvings in stone. They might have been classed as 
monuments, but because of their small size we group them separately. 
The most outstanding of these pieces is a plaque (Plaque 1) of basalt 
of elliptical shape, measuring 1734 by 1514 inches with a maximum 
thickness of 33¢ inches (figure 62). The surface is flat and bears 
the design. The back is convex, rounding off on the edges to the flat 
front surface. This specimen was also uncovered by the bulldozer 
during the airstrip construction, and one corner of the design was 
slightly damaged. However, it appears to have been broken along 
the lower edge long before the bulldozer ever found it. Around the 
edge of the flat surface is a narrow border about an inch wide which 
was left standing out in low relief when parts of the adjacent areas 
were ground away. The design consists of a very typical conven- 
tionalized jaguar mask. The long narrow eyes, which are wider at 
their outer edges, are surmounted by plumed or notched eyebrows in the 
usual fashion. Two curved, sweeping elements indicate a wide notch 
which narrows downward toward the muzzle. The nostrils of the 
beast are indicated by two circular pits. Most of the mouth has been 
eroded, or broken away, but there is a small element at the center 
which probably represented a small forked tongue, similar to that 
shown in the Tres Zapotes Stela C (LV, fig. 62). Unfortunately we 


[Bull. 170 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


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yasuay] “aovzins A] aseyg uo AemANUY Isvay ON Jvau punoy (posaquinuun) JuawnuoU ysiyos uIVI3 jo Jase] J—' [9 ANNI 


Drucker; Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 211 


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cms. 


Ficure 62.—Plaque No. 1. Hachured areas are sculptured out; lower margin broken 
or eroded. 


have no idea of the original location of this specimen, nor do we know 
how it was used. It could very easily have been set into the clay of the 
structure as a sort of architectural ornament, similar to those em- 
bedded in the walls of the Palace corridors at Palenque. 

In the fill, immediately overlying the olive clay envelope of the 
jaguar mask mosaic in structure A-l-e, we found a small broken 
stone figure which had represented a kneeling personage (fig. 63). 
The figure, made of a coarse, granular basalt, was approximately 7 
inches tall. The head was broken off before it was deposited in the 
fill where we found it, and it showed signs of being considerably 
weathered. The proportions of the figure are somewhat crudely por- 
trayed. It is quite wide through the shoulders and quite thick so 
it has a pot-bellied appearance. There is a large shallow depression 
on the front of the belly which may have been intended to represent 
& concave mirror worn as an ornament. The back shows some sug- 


JAZ, BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Ficure 63.—Small sculptured kneeling figure of basalt found near southwest corner of 
mask mosaic in Southwest Platform. Height 7 inches. 


gestion of modeling. The head was broken at the base of the neck, 
and the figure suffered some erosion so that the edges of the break are 
rounded off. There is nothing very distinctive about this figure which 
would enable us to place it stylistically. 


ADDITIONAL NOTES ON EARLIER FINDS AT LA VENTA 


The serpentine figurine found in Offering 1943-G in Mound A-3 
and designated by Drucker (LV, pl. 52, center, pp. 159-160) as 
figurine No. 12 is poorly illustrated in the original report and is 
shown here in figure 64, sight. The additional observations worth 
noting are the engraved ellipses on each cheek and both upper thighs, 
the “armbands,” the engraved circle at a point just above the navel, 
‘and the teardrop-shaped element (possibly representing a pendant 
or mirror?) on the upper chest. In addition there is a shallow drilled 
pit in the upper arm just below the shoulder on each side. These 
notes modify Drucker’s statement that no superfluous decoration 
occurs on figurines (LV, p. 187). 


Drucker. Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 213 


and Squier] 


Figure 64.—Figurines. Left, Serpentine figurine 8 from Offering 1943-M. 
Right, Serpentine figurine 12 from Offering 1943-G. 


The figurine from Offering 1943-M designated as figurine No. 8 
(LY, pp. 157-158, pl. 50, No. 8) also bears engraved decorative 
elements (fig. 64, /eft, this report). High on the chest are two sub- 
triangular elements and on the belly are two more, rather like those 
shown on the thighs of figurine No. 12 described above. 

A restudy of two of the three engraved jade celts found in Offering 
1942-C shows some features not mentioned in the previous report 
(LV, pp. 165-166, fig. 47, a, d). The reverse surfaces are not en- 
graved, and show faceting not apparent in any of the other celts 
recovered from the La Venta site. The peculiar combination of the 
engraving and faceted reverse surfaces of these pieces may indicate 
an outland origin for these specimens. The faceting is shown here 
in figure 65. 


214 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Ficure 65.—Faceted celts from Offering 1942-C. 


A reinspection of the Red on Coarse Brown ware vessel shown by 
Drucker (LV, fig. 41, a’) enables us to add further details on the en- 
graved design shown at the right end of the figure. This consists of 
three incised “hearts” surrounding a solid red painted circle (fig. 66). 

In 1955 with the help of the Pemex bulldozer we were able to set 
Stela 3 upright and to bring to full view the sculptured surface which 
faced north. That portion of the sculptured designs which can be 
determined with accuracy are shown here in figure 67. Sr. E. Contreras 
has allowed his artistic fancy full rein, and has produced (fig. 68) a 
version of the original appearance of the stela. It is scarcely necessary 
to warn the reader that this reconstruction must not be taken literally. 
The present appearance of Stela 3 is shown in plate 55. Drucker (LV, 
fig. 50) presents a drawing made from photographs of the stela made 
while it lay tipped on its face. This is now superseded by the present 
illustrations. We call attention specifically to the figures at the upper 
right (figs. Nos. 6 and 7 in LV, fig. 50) which represent a masked and 


pega} "” EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 215 


Ficure 66.—Incised design on Red on Coarse Brown ware bowl fround in 1942 at La Venta 
(Correction of illustration in LV, fig. 41a’.) 


belted human behind whom is depicted an animal with open jaws and 
body curved in nearly a full circle. The end of the tail bears what 
appear to be rattles of the rattlesnake, but the elements which appear 
to be legs suggest that this may be a saurian. The fanged mouth also 
suggests the rattlesnake, but the profile of the head might represent 
another animal, perhaps the jaguar or alligator. The animal is, at any 
rate, reptilian, and provides another instance of this generic motif in 
Olmec sculptured art. Not the least interesting aspect of these two 
figures is the perspective shown by the human figure in front and the 
reptilian figure behind it. The two central human figures are standing 
in front of what appears to be an arched opening very much like those 
depicted on the altars at La Venta (Stirling, 1943 b, pls. 37, a, 38, ¢, 39, 
a,40). Incidentally, the left figure wears shoes and the right person is 
barefooted. A careful inspection of Stela 3 showed no traces of 
colored paint. 

Plate 56 shows Stela 1 and Altar 4 which were discovered earlier 
(Stirling, 1943 b). 

Wedel (LV, p. 34) incorrectly calls Stela 5, which lies near the 
southwest corner of the Southwest Platform, basalt. It is a green 
gneiss. 

POST-PHASE IV MATERIALS FROM LA VENTA 


One of our aims during the 1955 season was to pay particular atten- 
tion to any indications of occupations or use of the site which could be 
attributed to successors of the Olmec builders. Drucker recognized no 
evidence of such occupations during his excavations here in 1942. In 
1943 Wedel noted a few ceramic finds in Complex A which by their 
stratigraphic position were later than the La Venta horizon proper 


216 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Figure 67.—Sculpture on Stela 3 which can be actually determined with accuracy. 


217 


Ficure 68.—Restoration of sculpture on Stela 3. (This should not be taken as reliable, but 
it probably indicates the approximate original details.) 
431818—59——_15 


218 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (Bull. 170 


(LV, pp. 38, 76). We have grouped these materials as Offerings 1943- 
A and 1943-0 in Appendix 1. In addition, Wedel found an offering of 
serpentine celts and one concave mirror in the drift sands at the north 
flank of the Pyramid (LV, pp. 75-76). This we have called Offering 
1943-N in Appendix 1 and indicated as questionably post-Phase IV in 
age. Numerous instances of damage or destruction of the stone monu- 
ments have been recorded from the earlier investigations at La Venta 
(Stirling, 1948 b; LV). Most of this damage almost certainly dates 
from post-Phase IV times. 

In the course of our work in 1955 we encountered several more de- 
posits of pottery which from their nature and stratigraphic position 
we interpret as offerings of post-Phase IV date. Additional evidences 
of the displacement and destruction of Olmec stone monuments were 
found as well. We shall first describe the offerings of pottery. This 
will be followed by a summary of the evidence of other post-Phase IV 
activities in Complexes A and C. Several finds of materials from other 
sites on La Venta island which clearly postdate the principal Olmec 
occupation will then be described. 


POST-PHASE IV OFFERINGS 


The offering numbers used below are in continuation of the number 
series begun earlier in this report for the offerings from the La Venta 
horizon structures. 


OFFERING NO. 20 


Location.—20 feet south of the basalt columns of the Southwest 
Platform, 18 feet west of the southeast corner. 

This offering was encountered at a depth of 3 feet 7 inches below the 
modern surface of the drift sands, its base extending to about 4 feet 
10 inches. It consisted of 20 complete and fragmentary vessels. There 
were 7 pairs of vessels nested together and a quantity of sherds, from 
which 6 vessels could be restored. The 7 pairs of vessels were turned 
upside down or stood on edge, giving the impression that they had 
been empty when deposited (pl. 47, @). The offering probably was 
placed in a shallow pit which was dug in the drift sand, but it was not 
possible to determine the size of the pit nor its point of origin. The 
sand covering the vessels was indistinguishable from the mass of the 
drift sands. 


1In a paper read by R. J. Squier at the Fifty-fifth Annual Meeting of the American 
Anthropological Association in Santa Monica, Calif. (December 30, 1956), the term ‘‘Post- 
Olmec”’ was used to designate the post-Phase IV materials from La Venta. This term 
was used in the field to differentiate the obviously later materials from those from our 
excavations in the La Venta horizon structures. The term ‘‘Post-Olmec,” like the “post- 
Phase IV” of the present report, is a cultural, not a genetic, designation. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker; Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 219 


All of the complete and restorable vessels are of the same ware and 
form. This ware has been designated as “Crude Reddish-buff ware.” 
It is characterized by a paste of light reddish-buff color, in most 
cases very friable and apparently poorly fired. The paste contains 
a moderate amount of what appears to be medium-fine sand temper- 
ing material. The cores of many sherds are of a dark olive-buff 
color. The surfaces of a few specimens of this ware suggest that 
completed vessels were given a light wash of the same clay which 
served for the paste. Most pieces, however, lack even this finishing 
touch. The characteristic surface color is a dull reddish-buff shade. 
In a few vessels the interior gives evidences of smudging to a dark 
grayish color. Most characteristic of this ware is the finish of the 
surface, which typically is extremely rough. No attempt was made 
to smooth off work marks or small lumps or irregularities in the clay, 
particularly on the exteriors. Vessel interiors tend to be a little 
smoother but still show tool marks and are rough. There is no deco- 
ration on any of the vessels of this ware which we have recovered. 
Nearly all of the pieces of determinable form of this ware found in 
this and similar offerings were variants of the same basic shape, a 
flat-based bow] with outleaning to slightly flaring sides (pl. 57). 
Rims in most cases are simple and direct. The principal variation 
noted is that in a few cases the rim has been slightly thickened and 
given a slight outward curve. Two vessels were noted in which the 
rim has a somewhat angular form, as though the edge had been 
broken off square before it had entirely dried. A very unusual fea- 
ture was noted in the case of three of these small bowls. The sides 
had been shaped and the bases had been formed separately and then 
welded on, producing very sharply defined cleavage planes. This 
was noted because the bases put on in this way tended to separate 
from the sides of the vessels. This trait suggests that these vessels 
may have been made strictly for ceremonial purposes; it is question- 
able whether bowls of such obviously weak construction could have 
been used for utilitarian purposes. The extremely rough finish of 
the vessels also suggests a nonutilitarian purpose. One vessel departs 
in several respects from the general pattern as just described. It is 
the largest bowl of the lot, with an estimated rim diameter of 13 
inches, a base diameter of 55¢ inches, and a depth of 55 inches. 
This specimen appears to be made of essentially the same paste as 
the other bowls in the offering, but is notably smoother and much 
better fired. Its shape, too, is somewhat more esthetic with the sides 
flaring more strongly to the slightly thickened, rounded rim. In 
these respects it is superior to its companion pieces and reinforces 
the idea that most of the latter probably were made hastily to be 
used as offerings. 


230 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 
OFFERING NO. 21 


Location —25 feet south, 3 feet east, of southeast corner of columns 
of the Southwest Platform. 

This lot of materials was encountered at a depth of 3 to 4 feet in 
the drift sands south of Feature A-1-e (pl. 58, a). As in the case of 
Offering 20, no pit could be discerned. ‘This lot consists of 22 vessels, 
some of which appear to have been incomplete. There are also a 
good many fragments of other vessels, most of which unfortunately 
are so small that vessel shapes cannot be determined. All of the 
determinable pieces in this lot, save one, are bowls of the kind de- 
scribed from Offering 20 and are of the same Crude Reddish-buff 
ware (pl. 59). The one exception is a bowl, or small jar, with a 
sharply incurved side and restricted mouth. The rim is returned. 
The material from which this vessel was made is a medium-brown 
paste with a considerable quantity of sand tempering. It is compara- 
tively thin and well fired. The exterior surface was only casually 
smoothed. The interior surface, particularly around the shoulder, 
still retains the finger marks that were pressed into it when the vessel 
was given its shape. Apparently very little effort was made to 
smooth out these work marks. 


OFFERING NO. 22 


Location.—17 feet south of southwest corner of columns of the 
Southwest Platform. 

Ata depth of 3 feet in the gray drift sand south of Feature A-1-e 
a large jar containing a jade bead was found. The vessel shattered 
when struck with the shovel during discovery and was subsequently 
restored in the laboratory. The paste is olive buff in color, moder- 
ately tempered with what appears with the hand lens to be quartz 
sand inclusions of medium size with an occasional coarse-size grain. 
Large areas of the vessel are clouded with dark, almost black, firing 
clouds. The texture of the paste is rather dense; sherds break cleanly 
and at a sharp angle to the surface. The fractured surface is rough 
and granular. Surface color is the same as that of the paste. The 
exterior surface is well smoothed and polished, with numerous fine 
parallel striations. The interior is smoothed but not polished below 
the neck. Surface texture is medium granular because of the numer- 
ous protruding temper grains. The surface is uniformly lusterless. 
In form, the vessel is flat-based with a sharp basal angle, slightly in- 
curved sides, and gently flaring rim (fig. 42, 7). The vessel height 
is 1214 inches. The base diameter is 834 inches and the rim diameter 
is 814, inches. The maximum wall thickness is 14 inch. 

The bead found in the vessel is a large, definitely “barrel-shaped” 
piece, symmetrical in form with squared-off, polished ends (fig. 


Drucker, Heizer, > 
and Squier} .’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 221 


58, c). It is made of a dark-green opaque jade which differs mark- 
edly from the general run of the jade found in the Olmec offer- 
ings of the site. Length of the piece is 2745 inch; maximum diameter 


is also 2%» inch. 
OFFERING NO. 23 


Location.—2 feet south, 11 feet west of southeast corner of columns 
of the Southwest Platform. 

This offering consisted of a single pottery specimen, which was 
found placed upright in the drift sands. Its base was at a depth of 
3 feet 9 inches below the modern surface. It was a shattered but 
restorable vessel of Red-slipped Buff ware, with post-firing incised 
design. This specimen is the most distinctive in many respects of 
all the vessels which we found and which we have assigned to the 
post-Phase IV period of occupation. The paste of the vessel is of a 
light yellowish-buff color, with no visible aplastic. The material is 
similar to, but apparently not as well fired as, the typical paste of the 
Fine Paste wares of La Venta (LV, 101-103). It had been coated 
with a fairly heavy wash of the same clay as used in the paste. In 
form, the vessel is a tall bowl with a flat base which is rounded up 
slightly to form the juncture of the base and sides. It has slightly 
incurved and strongly recurved side walls, and a simple rim which 
continues the direction of curve of the upper part of the sides (pl. 58, 
lower left). The vessel, when restored, measures 1014 inches high, 
with a diameter at the base of 105g inches and a rim diameter of 12 
inches. From the turn of the base to the inner lip of the rim it is 
coated with a red paint which in all probability consists of specular 
hematite. The paint is of a strong red color, and contains a large 
quantity of minute, shiny black plaques. An elaborate design was 
incised through this paint (fig. 69). There are a number of note- 
worthy features in this incised decoration. In the first place, it con- 
sists of two motifs irregularly repeated, and secondly, the motifs are 
simultaneously complex and very carelessly or poorly executed. 

The sides of the vessel are divided into three horizontal zones, 
separated from each other by two groups of triple circumferential 
lines. The zones thus laid off are not exactly equal in height from 
top to bottom. They measure 21% inches, 2%¢ inches, and 25 inches 
in height. Each zone is marked off into a number of panels by 
vertical incised lines. One of the motifs which was used consists of 
several vertical elements, each with one straight and one zigzag side, 
filled with irregular fracture. In most cases, three or four of these 
units are drawn in each panel. It appears probable that the orig- 
inal intent was to alternate panels of these elements, according to a 
vertically symmetrical arrangement. However, this was not con- 
sistently carried out, for most of the panels are drawn with the wide 


222 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (Bull. 170 


ma AIM dh as 
i ce 


 SELIELIS nacre NRT PRONE UN HTT 


A Ay 


RUN ENTE Ml 


yl 
ZE 


Ficure 69.—Engraved pottery vessel, Offering No. 23. 


portions of the zigzag, or stepped elements at the bottom, but here 
and there is one drawn with the wide areas at the top. At irregular 
intervals among these panels of stepped elements a small figure is 
drawn which suggests some sort of a building with a gabled roof. 
During the period of its use the vessel had suffered a small break and 
had been repaired. A sherd had been broken out of the rim and 
refastened by means of four pairs of mending holes. 

The small gabled structure depicted on the vessel may represent a 
thatched house, or possibly a temple. Representations of temples 
as an element in pottery decoration occur fairly commonly at Teo- 
tihuacin (Von Winning, 1947). It is interesting to note also that a 
design very similar to the stepped element on this post-Phase IV La 
Venta vessel is found on a vessel from Pollinapan in the Tuxtlas 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Suuier}) ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 223 


district in southern Veracruz which Valenzuela (1945 b, p. 87, fig. 16) 
attributes to Classic Maya influence. 


OFFERING NO. 24 


Location.—Approximately 30 feet south, 2 feet west of southeast 
corner of columns of the Southwest Platform. 

This solitary specimen was found in the drift sands at a depth of 
approximately 4 feet from the surface. The specimen is a flat-bot- 
tomed jar with strongly recurved sides and outcurved rim (fig. 42, f). 
It was found in a shattered condition and later partially restored in 
the laboratory. The vessel stands approximately 734, inches high and 
has a base diameter of 214 inches and a rim diameter of 6%g inches. 
Our notes on the paste and surface treatment of the vessel are unfor- 
tunately incomplete. We recorded only that the paste composition, 
texture and color, and the treatment of the surface in general are very 
similar to these aspects of the vessel in Offering 22. 


OFFERING NO. 25 


Location.—Pit in Phase IV surface of Northeast Platform (Feature 
A-1-f). 

This offering, a single pottery vessel, was found in a shallow pit in 
the eroded red clay surface of the Northeast Platform. The pit was 
located very near to the midpoint of the platform. Approximately 3 
feet of drift sand covered the offering and platform. The surface 
of the platform was so badly eroded that it was impossible to 
determine whether the small pit had actually been dug to receive 
the offering, or the vessel had simply been deposited in a pit formed 
by natural erosive forces. No trace of a pit in the overlying drift sand 
could be detected. 

The vessel is a bowl with slightly incurved sides and a shallow 
concave base (fig. 42, d). The rim form is simple and direct. Two 
shallow grooves encircle the vessel just below the rim. The paste is 
a compact gray material with very few inclusions visible in the hand 
lens. These inclusions are minute whitish lumps which may be com- 
posed of crushed tuff. The fracture is clean and sharp, leaving a fine, 
gritty-appearing fractured surface. Both interior and exterior sur- 
faces are badly affected by exposure in the soil. We cannot be certain 
that any of the surface remains in anything like its original condition. 
The present surfaces are of the same color as the paste and in texture 
have the same gritty appearance and feel as the paste in the cross 
sections. The vessel is 55g inches in height, with a rim diameter of 
814, inches and a base diameter of approximately 534, inches. 

Offering 25 conforms to a striking degree with the La Venta Fine 
Paste Gray ware as described by Drucker (LV, pp. 102-103). It is 
possible that we have here an actual specimen of that ware which was 
deposited in the shallow pit on top of the Olmec structure shortly 


224 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


after the original abandonment of the site. Its position at the bottom 
of the drift-sand layer is a point in favor of this argument. We have 
no evidence, on the other hand, against the possibility that the produc- 
tion of this or a closely similar ware may have persisted in the Olmec 
area long after the abandonment of La Venta by its Olmec builders. 
The vessel could have been buried in the drift sand some time after 
a considerable layer of that material had accumulated over the plat- 
form, leaving no trace of an intrusive pit. 


OFFERING NO. 26 


Location—In Platform C-2 on north flank of the Pyramid. 

In the course of our excavations in the north platform of the Pyr- 
amid a large complete pottery jar was found (pl. 58, lower right). 
This occurred at a depth of approximately 3 feet from the present 
surface in an area of the platform in which we found it difficult to 
interpret the stratigraphy. The original clay platform had under- 
gone extensive erosion, leaving in the area in which the vessel was 
found large washed-out depressions which had later been filled with 
drift sands. Considerable mixing of the platform clays and drift 
sands apparently had occurred during the filling of these depressions 
and the resulting clayey sands filling them were densely compacted, 
giving the appearance of much greater age than that of the overlying 
unmixed drift sands. Offering 26 was found in one of these depres- — 
sions entirely covered by the mixed clay and sand. No signs of a pit 
into this clayey sand mixture or in the thin layer of drift sand which 
covered it could be detected. We are assigning the vessel to the post- 
Phase IV period of activity at the site because of our belief that the 
matrix in which it lay was the result of later natural forces and 
because of the condition of the vessel, which differed strikingly from 
that of the badly leached sherds from the platform clays proper. 

The vessel is a large jar with rounded base and narrowly restricted 
orifice. The paste appears to be identical to that of the crude vessels 
from Offering 20, which we have termed “Crude Reddish-buff ware,” 
but better fired than was the usual case in the Offering 20 vessels. The 
surface is very poorly smoothed; numerous coarse grains of the sand 
tempering material protrude from the surface and work marks are 
visible over the entire vessel. In a number of places, especially on the 
lower part of the vessel, wide shallow grooves left by the smoothing 
tool may be seen. The vessel stands approximately 1814 inches high. 


OFFERING NO. 27 


Location.—Near base of post-Phase IV drift sands, approximately 
40 feet west of northeast corner of Ceremonial Court. 

This offering consisted of a single pottery vessel found in frag- 
ments which were lying together in a pocket in the drift sands. Over- 


mad Sauiesy °" EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 225 


Figure 70.—Offering No. 27 bowl from upper drift sands in Ceremonial Court. 


lying the vessel fragments were a number of chunks of what appeared 
to be burned clay flooring. We can offer no explanation for the 
association of the vessel and the burned flooring; nothing similar to 
this was encountered elsewhere in the drift-sand layer. 

The vessel is a low dish or plate with a pedestal base, gently curv- 
ing sides and thickened rim (fig. 70). The bottom is flat and fairly 
heavy, averaging 5g of an inch thick. The wall thickness decreases 
from the bottom to a point just below the rim, where it averages 
32 of an inch. From this point it again thickens by the addition 
of clay on the interior of the rim to a maximum rim thickness of 
% of an inch. The height of the pedestal base is 17%, inches; the 
diameter of the base is 6 inches. The vessel stands 3154, inches high 
at the rim, and the maximum rim diameter is 1414 inches. Decora- 
tion of any kind is lacking. The paste color ranges from pinkish 
buff to gray black over different parts of the vessel, owing to uneven 
oxidation during firmg. The tempering material appears to be 
angular grains of quartz sand, fine to medium in size, and extremely 
abundant. Aplastic materials making up 50 percent, or perhaps 
slightly more, of the volume of the paste are visible with the hand 
lens. The surfaces, both exterior and interior, are well compacted 
and smooth to the touch. Numerous fine striations left by the polish- 
ing tool are visible. 

Curved-side dishes with thickened rims almost identical to Offer- 
ing 27, but lacking pedestal bases, were found in fair frequency in 
the Olmec habitation areas at La Venta (LV, p. 111, fig. 38, c). A 
number of low annular bases were found, however, which may have 
come from vessels of this type (LV, p. 112). This offering may rep- 
resent, therefore, a continuation in form if not certainly in paste 
of the ceramic tradition in force during the major Olmec occupa- 
tion of the site. It is of course possible that the vessel may have 
come from the Phase IV level in the Ceremonial Court, perhaps 
torn out of its original position during the looting which very likely 
followed the abandonment of the site by its builders. It will be re- 
called that numerous pits were found in the Phase IV surface which 
suggested looting by later inhabitants of the island. We found no 


226 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


traces, burned or otherwise, of the original Phase IV clay surfacing 
in the Ceremonial Court. Al] evidence indicated that the Phase IV 
surface had been entirely eroded away before the drift sands accumu- 
lated to any depth. We find it difficult to believe, therefore, that 
this vessel and the associated burned floor fragments could have come 
from the Phase IV level. 


OTHER POST-PHASE IV MATERIALS FROM COMPLEX A 


During the removal of the upper drift sands prior to and during 
the excavation of the various Olmec structures occasional sherds were 
encountered. Such finds were rarely made except in the area just 
south of the Southwest Platform where sherds in fair numbers oc- 
curred. These were scattered through the sand to a depth of 4 or 
5 feet from the surface. Here too were found several isolated com- 
plete or nearly complete vessels of the ware found in Offerings 20 
and 21 which we have termed “Crude Reddish-buff ware.” Exam- 
ples of the sherds and the complete or restorable vessels are shown 
in figure 71. From this same area came the majority of the post- 
Phase IV offerings of pottery described above. The complete ves- 
sels and probably many of the sherds, most of which appear to be 
of the same Crude Reddish-buff ware, are very likely the remnants 
of offerings like those we have described from this area. Such offer- 
ings may have been broken up and scattered about by people who 
were themselves placing offerings in the sands here, or perhaps they 
were maliciously destroyed. The appearance of the deposit in this 
area did not suggest that this was habitation refuse. 

One small sherd of Plumbate ware was found in the upper drift 
sands during the clearing of the eastern half of the Ceremonial 
Court. This specimen was not observed in situ but was recovered 
from the backdirt pile. It is known, however, that the sherd origi- 
nally lay in the uppermost levels of the sand layer since we had 
excavated no deeper than 2 feet in this part of the Court at the time 
the sherd was discovered. A careful watch was kept for other speci- 
mens of this ware, but none were turned up. 

The occurrence of small dressed serpentine blocks in the drift sands 
overlying the Ceremonial Court has been mentioned in the section on 
excavations in the Northeast Platform. Many of these were found, 
lying singly or stacked in groups (pl. 5), in the lower level of the 
drift sand accumulation throughout the Court. The majority of such 
blocks found by us were in the northeast Court area, but one pile of 
neatly dressed blocks was found in our long trench extending east 
from the centerline in the southern part of the Court, and occasional 
blocks were noted in the sands around the Northwest and Southwest 
Platforms. Wedel observed similar dressed stones in the drift sand 


Drucker, Heizer, 
eri Gaaier) "’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 227 


Ficure 71.—Miscellaneous restored vessels and sherds from upper drift sands south of 
Southwest Platform. a, Rim diameter 18.7 cm. 6, Rim diameter 19.5 cm. c, Rim 
diameter 10.5 cm. d, Strap handle, length 10.8 cm. e¢-p, Rim profiles. 


layer during the 1943 excavations in the eastern part of the Court 
(LY, p. 45). 

It is difficult to suggest the source from which these blocks might 
have come. Some of them may originally have been part of the 
mosaic mask (Pavement 2) found in 1948 south of Mound A-38 
(LV, fig. 24). Approximately 60 blocks are missing from this mosaic, 
assuming of course that it once was complete. We recorded many 
more than this number lying in the drift sands over the Court, how- 
ever, and another source is clearly needed to account for them. We 
have no reason to believe that they may have been brought in from 
a distant source; it seems clear that they were removed from an 
existing feature in Complex A. As we have remarked earlier, it is 
possible that a row of such blocks may once have formed an orna- 


228 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


mental facing along the interior base of the Court wall, but our 
evidence for this is slight. No evidence of the use for which they 
were intended, after their removal from whatever location they orig- 
inally occupied, was noted in the Court area. However, dressed ser- 
pentine blocks were accidentally discovered by us in a structure lying 
some distance northeast of the Ceremonial Court. Materials found 
associated suggest that this structure is of post-Phase IV date. This 
find, which we have designated the “North Pavement Area,” will 
be described below. 

We have several times earlier in this report mentioned the occur- 
rence of fragments of basalt columns in locations indicating post- 
Phase IV activity. Along both the inside and outside of the east 
wall of the Ceremonial Court broken column sections were found 
in great numbers in the drift sands (pl. 5, c), often at such distances 
from the wall as to preclude the possibility of their having simply 
rolled there. A similar situation pertained in the drift sands around 
and south of the Southwest Platform. Here column sections were 
found as far as 40 feet from the south row of standing basalt columns. 
Also in the Southwest Platform were the three deep pits extending 
from the surface of the Phase IV red clay cap which contained nu- 
merous fragments of serpentine blocks and spalls of basalt columns. 
In the drift sands a few feet south of the southern end of the Fore- 
court were found more broken column sections. These occurrences 
together with those of the shaped serpentine blocks found at various 
locations in the drift sands covering the Ceremonial Court point to 
a fairly large-scale effort in post-abandonment times to despoil the 
Olmec center. How soon after the abandonment this effort began 
is of course very difficult to estimate. Purely from the stratigraphic 
position of the column sections and serpentine blocks in the drift 
sand layer, we may suggest that such activity began relatively soon 
after the abandonment and that it may represent the earliest evidence 
of post-Phase IV activity in the Ceremonial Court area. 

Very little evidence of constructive use of the presumably pillaged 
basalt columns and column sections has been found in La Venta. 
Drucker has mentioned two areas on the island (LV, pp. 9-10) where 
columns occur similar to those in the Ceremonial Court. These are at 
the east side of the island and in the area south of the Pyramid (fig. 2). 
Both of these locations represent possible uses of salvaged basalt 
columns. Wedel (LV, pp. 60-61) in 1948 recorded a row of columns 
standing in the drift sand layer just to the east of the Southeast 
Platform (fig. 4). What relationship these bear to structures in the 
Ceremonial Court is not clear, but it is very likely that they were 
erected in post-Phase IV times. We observed a similar use of large 
column sections in the vicinity of the Southwest Platform. Here a 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier} EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 229 


row of column sections, entirely embedded in the drift sands, extended 
eastward for a short distance from the northeast corner of the Olmec 
structure (fig. 4). One of these column sections rested directly on 
the line of Phase IV facing blocks which ran along the east side of 
the platform. Our impression at the time of excavation was that 
these column fragments must have been placed in position long after 
the Olmec abandonment of the site, since a fairly deep accumulation 
of drift sands would have been required to hold them in place. We 
excavated the entire area surrounding this row of columns but found 
nothing to indicate the purpose for which they were erected. 


MUTILATION AND DISPLACEMENT OF LA VENTA STONE MONUMENTS 


In Appendix 2 are listed all of the monumental stone works from 
La Venta which to this time have been given numbers and assigned 
to one or another category of monuments, i. e. stelae, altars, plaques, 
and monuments. The total number of pieces of all categories is 40. 
This number includes some but not all of the fragments of monu- 
ments known from this site; several undecorated or only slightly 
decorated fragments of monuments which have been found have not 
been given numbers as monuments. The locations of the monu- 
ments are shown in figures 2, 4, and 5. 

The extent to which the stone monuments of La Venta have been 
intentionally mutilated and moved about is truly impressive. Prob- 
ably none but the largest pieces were in their original locations when 
discovered in recent years. The majority of the monuments have 
suffered some degree of damage. We have counted 24 clear-cut cases 
of intentional mutilation out of the total of 40 monuments; several 
others are so badly eroded as to prevent determination of this, and 
we lack data on a few others. The damage ranges from cases where 
only a single area of the monument has suffered, as in Altar 6, to total 
destruction, as in Monuments 15 and 22. The situation is very 
similar to that at Tres Zapotes where Stirling (1943 b, p. 11) noted 
that all of the stone monuments had suffered mutilation in some 
degree, probably at the hands, he suggests, of an invading people. 

It is worth note that only three of the pieces found in the Cere- 
monial Court area which have been designated as stone monuments 
were entirely covered by clay structural material. These are Monu- 
ment 6 (the sandstone coffer), Monument 7 (the basalt column tomb), 
and Monument 24 (the shaped basalt slab north of the stone tomb) ; 
these were all buried in the Phase IV structural clay of Mound A-2. 
All of the others from this area lay entirely above the Phase IV clay 
surface or were mounted in clay but protruded for most of their 
length above the clay surface. Thus it appears that the usual Olmec 


230 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


practice at La Venta was to raise and reerect the stone monuments 
when the periodic alterations were made to the site. This practice 
apparently was followed during Phase IV, leaving all of the monu- 
ments fully exposed when the site was abandoned except those few 
which were intentionally buried. We may with reasonable certainty, 
therefore, attribute the mutilation of the stone monuments in the 
Court area either to the Phase IV site builders themselves or to later 
occupants of the island. The Phase IV Olmec do not appear to be 
good prospects on whom to lay the blame. We must remember that 
a large part of the jades which have been found at La Venta have 
come from the Phase IV levels. (See Appendix 1 and the section 
above on small dedicatory offerings.) If the intention of the Phase 
IV people had been to deface their own ceremonial center, we might 
expect them to have looted their rich jade caches in the process. The 
mutilation of the monuments in the Ceremonial Court area, and 
inferentially of those throughout the entire site, was most probably 
the work of post-Phase IV inhabitants of the island. Most of this 
destructive activity must have occurred in antiquity since nearly all 
of the monuments were until their recent discovery completely 
covered by the thick mantle of drift sands which covers the entire 
site. The smaller monuments which have been found in situ in the 
drift sands overlying Complex A have occurred at or near the bottom 
of the drift sand layer, suggesting that the damage they have suffered 
must have been inflicted early in post-abandonment times. 

The amount of energy required to perform the mutilation of the 
various monuments must have been considerable. Most of them are 
made of very hard stone and the damage they have sustained was 
done mainly by battering with heavy tools. This required energy and 
determination and suggests strongly that its perpetrators were intent 
on destroying the works of art of their predecessors. The parallel 
with similar activities in Mexico following the Conquest is most strik- 
ing and may provide an insight into post-Phase IV conditions in the 
La Venta region when the later periods are better known. We have 
no way of determining, of course, whether the destruction of these 
monuments was carried out in a single period or during several re- 
occupations of the island. Nor can we know why certain monuments 
which lay in the Court area (e. g. Stela 1, Monuments 5, 12, 13, 14, 19, 
and several others removed in recent times) were spared mutilation. 
The fact that they did escape, however, may be an argument for a 
single and relatively brief period during which the La Venta monu- 
ments were mutilated; the ones which are untouched may have been 
hidden by jungle growth and so missed during the period when the 
despoliation was carried out. 


Drucker, Hetzer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 231 


OTHER MATERIALS FROM LA VENTA ISLAND 


During our 1955 work at La Venta the island was undergoing a 
transformation from its former jungle-covered and isolated state. 
New roads were being built on the island and across the swamplands 
to the east and west to connect with roads being pushed toward La 
Venta from these directions. Large areas of the jungle were being 
cleared for the construction of workers’ camps and private homes. 
An airstrip was built adjacent to Complex A. Certain areas of the 
island were being utilized for earth for road fill, including some of 
the mound groups which were known but have never been investi- 
gated. Most of this activity was in connection with the recent dis- 
coveries of oil in this part of Mexico. The opening up of previously 
thickly overgrown areas has, as one might expect, brought to light 
archeological materials which up to this time were unknown from La 
Venta. We shall briefly describe a jade figurine and three small lots 
of other materials from different areas of the island all of which 
appear to postdate the principal Olmec occupation. We are in- 
debted to Dr. William L. Quade of the Department of Geology, Uni- 
versity of California, for assistance in identifying the tempering 
materials in the pottery from the post-Phase IV sites to be described. 


JADE FIGURINE 


During excavation of earth for road fill in a mound group south 
of the Olmec center a figurine of pale-green jade was found by one 
of the workmen. The specimen was subsequently given to Dr. Juan 
Téllez R. of Petroleos Mexicanos who kindly brought it to our atten- 
tion and later supplied us with photographs. Dr. Téllez was unable 
to obtain specific information on the original location of the figurine; 
it came from a destroyed mound somewhere in the south-central part 
of the island (fig. 2). The jade is pale green in color, mottled with 
numerous small whitish and dark inclusions. The figure is probably 
that of a male who is wearing a skirtlike garment and a peaked cap 
(fig. 72; pl. 60). It is carved in low relief and with a minimum of 
anatomical detail. The cap is pulled well down on the head with 
its bottom level with the top of the nose. A cord or band attached 
at either end to the cap runs around the face and from this is sus- 
pended a subrectangular pendant. A strand of hair, or possibly a 
band attached to the cap, is shown lying over the top of each shoulder. 
The face is round with features crudely depicted. The eyes are 
formed by simple incised lines, lenticular in outline with the points 
to the outside. The nose is a triangle formed by sawed lines. Three 
horizontal sawed lines represent the mouth. No integumental lip is 
shown. The head is set directly on the body with no attempt to 


23? BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Ficure 72.—Jade figurine. From La Venta island, probably from mound group south of 
main La Venta site. Height 6.3 inches (16 cm.). 


represent the neck. ‘The arms are shown folded across the belly with 
wrists touching one another but with no hands represented. It may 
be that the intention was to depict a person with both hands ampu- 
tated. ‘The arms and legs are formed by broad shallow sawed lines 
rounded off by subsequent polishing. The feet are crudely repre- 
sented with vertical incised lines to indicate the toes. The figure is 
standing on a low flat pedestal formed by a shallow sawed line. Over- 
all height of the figurine is 6.8 inches. 


pra Saieye °” EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 233 


With its short legs and neckless body, the figurine has a hunched, 
dumpy appearance. Despite this, the general effect is pleasing to the 
eye. What detail is shown is well executed and the piece was given 
a moderately high polish. The peaked cap is similar to the headdress 
shown on some Olmec figures (Stirling, 1943 b; pls. 39, 40) but in 
other respects the figurine is entirely outside of the Olmec art tradi- 
tion (cf. LV, pp. 154-160, 185-189). In certain details it conforms 
to styles represented by some of the stone figurines from the large 
Cerro de las Mesas offering (Drucker, 1955; pls. 31-35) but in others 
it differs significantly. We are unable to assign this presumably late 
La Venta figurine to any particular art style, and it is presented here 
principally to place it on record. 


NORTH PAVEMENT AREA 


While we were excavating in the Ceremonial Court at La Venta, a 
narrow drainage ditch leading from the newly built airstrip was dug 
by the oil company north of the Court area. In walking along this 
ditch we discovered that it had cut through a prepared clay founda- 
tion upon which had been laid an arrangement of shaped serpentine 
blocks identical to those we had found lying in the drift sand layer 
above the Court. Many of the blocks had been thrown out of place 
and were lying in the backdirt of the ditch. Those remaining in 
place in the sidewalls of the ditch suggested that this was a pave- 
ment, approximately 20 feet wide and 3 feet below the present surface, 
similar to the massive offering pavements in the Court. This im- 
portant find was made too late in the season to allow diversion of our 
labor force for its investigation. We called the location the “North 
Pavement area” (fig. 2) and from the sidewalls and backdirt of the 
ditch collected a few sherds and figurine fragments and one serpen- 
tine pendant. Despite its small size, the collection indicates that the 
North Pavement area is an important site, deserving of further 
investigation. 

Five fragments of solid figurines are included in the collection. 
Three are body fragments; the others are limb fragments. All are 
made of a coarse reddish paste which is heavily tempered with rounded 
grains, medium to coarse in size, of quartzsand. They are poorly fired 
and have suffered considerable erosion in the clay soils in which they 
were embedded. Another figurine fragment is the leg or arm of a 
large hollow figurine. The paste of this specimen is reddish orange in 
color and moderately tempered with fragmented tuff; no other inclu- 
sions are present. The piece is incompletely fired, with a dark core 
which is approximately 40 percent of the wall thickness. The frag- 
ments of solid figurines from this site match well with the illustra- 
tions of La Venta Olmec figurines from the 1942 excavations (LV, 

43181859 16 


234. BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


pls. 31-41), but they are too badly eroded to attempt to fit them into 
specific types. The hollow figurine fragment may very well be from a 
large figurine of the “baby-face” class (Drucker’s type III-A-2). Its 
appearance and paste characteristics are in agreement with this type 
(LV, p. 184). 

Two objects which are almost certainly hollow vessel supports came 
from the North Pavement locality. Both are made of a fine buff paste 
which is poorly fired, leaving the interior half of the wall incompletely 
oxidized. One is conical in shape. The temper material of this piece 
consists of heavy amounts of very angular glass fragments, probably 
from fragmented tuff, and rare inclusions of very fine to fine angular 
quartz grains. The other specimen is probably an elongated hollow 
vessel leg. It is tempered with moderate amounts of fine subangular 
and angular quartz grains and sparse amounts of angular glass frag- 
ments. The surface of this piece is worn and pitted by erosion. Hol- 
low vessel supports are otherwise virtually unknown from La Venta. 
One example was found in the 1942 excavations, but it is of question- 
able Olmec origin (LV, p. 125). 

A small subconical solid vessel support was found. The paste is 
grayish white and heavily tempered with medium and coarse rounded 
quartz grains. A protrusion at the bottom of the piece gives it the 
appearance of a crude mammiform support. We cannot be certain 
that it actually was intended to be mammiform in shape; it may be 
simply a crudely formed subconical knob. 

One small polychrome sherd with a flattened lip was recovered from 
the sidewall of the drainage ditch. The paste is grayish white in 
color and dense in texture, sparsely tempered with angular quartz and 
feldspar inclusions of fine and medium size. Both interior and ex- 
terior are smoothly polished. The exterior has been given a thin slip, 
apparently of the same material as the paste. The interior bears a 
thin cream slip. A curvilinear design in black paint, outlined in red, 
is drawn on the exterior surface. A band in red paint one-half of 
an inch wide extends around the interior below the lip. The rim 
profile shows that the vessel had strongly incurving walls. The rim 
diameter is approximately 7 inches and the rim thickness is three- 
sixteenths of an inch. True polychrome pottery is unknown from the 
earlier excavations in the Olmec deposits at La Venta. 

A large rim sherd which agrees in its characteristics with Drucker’s 
description of La Venta Brown Lacquer ware (LV, pp. 97-98) is in 
the collection. The sherd is from a large vessel with a flaring neck 
and strongly everted rim. Its massiveness suggests that the vessel 
may have been a wide-mouth storage jar. The diameter of the orifice 
was approximately 13 inches and the maximum rim diameter ap- 
proximately 1614 inches. Average thickness of the rim is nine- 


Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 235 


Ficure 73.—Serpentine ornament from North Pavement area east of Ceremonial Court. 


sixteenths of an inch. The paste is pinkish cinnamon in color and 
fairly friable in texture. It is tempered with sparse fine and very fine 
angular grains of quartz and angular magnetite grains. A reddish- 
brown slip covers both the exterior and interior surfaces. This slip 
is marked by a pronounced crazing over both surfaces, leaving thou- 
sands of scales averaging one-eighth of an inch in diameter outlined 
by cracks. The cracks are deeper on the exterior surface and here 
many of the scales of slip have spalled off. Three wide shallow grooves 
encircle the top of the rim. 

Several coarse ware body sherds which were picked up from the 
backdirt of the drainage ditch are so badly eroded as to prevent ade- 
quate description. These range from buff to brown in paste color 
and are tempered with moderate to heavy amounts of what appears 
to be medium to coarse rounded quartz grains. 

The pendant is made of dark-green serpentine with some lighter 
colored areas. A human head in profile is incised at one end of the 
specimen (fig. 73). Overall dimensions of the piece are: maximum 
length, 2545 inches; maximum width, 184 inches; maximum thick- 
ness, 74g inch. Two small biconically drilled holes, 1 inch apart, are 
spaced a short distance in from the top edge. The human figure wears 
a netlike headdress, which is drawn in finely incised lines. <A fore- 
head ornament consisting of a circular element with a centrally 


936 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


drilled pit, surmounted by a tall triangular element, is affixed to the 
headdress. <A circular earspool is shown at the bottom of the head- 
dress. The eye is an elongated depression formed by drilling over- 
lapping pits. Two tiny pits are drilled, one at either end, in the bot- 
tom of the depression. It is probable that an inlay of some mineral 
originally filled the eye depression. The mouth is somewhat crudely 
depicted by a double incised line, the outer element of which does not 
extend all the way forward along the upper lip. A drilled pit on 
the cheek probably once held an inlaid cheek ornament. Higher on 
the face is a crescent-shaped design with two notches which may be a 
glyph element. It is similar to the “double yoke” design which had 
a wide distribution in Mesoamerica in the Early Classic and later 
(Smith, 1955, p. 63). A neck ornament of some sort may be repre- 
sented by the three vertical incised lines on the throat of the figure. 

The head incised on the pendant from this site bears some re- 
semblances to a number of specimens from sites scattered throughout 
Mesoamerica, but its closest similarities appear to lie with an art 
style in the early Monte Alban horizons, particularly with the style 
depicted in the Danzante figures at that site. The treatment of the 
mouth, nose, headdress, and the vertical lines depending from the 
chin of our figure are remarkably similar to these features in certain 
of the Danzante figures (Kelemen, 1943, vol. 2, pls. 57 a, 91 b; Villa- 
gra, 1947, figs. 2, 6). It is quite clear that the figure is not closely 
related to the Olmec art tradition as known from La Venta. 

The small size of our collection from the North Pavement area 
places a limit on what we may conclude concerning the relation- 
ships of this site either with the Olmec materials known from La 
Venta itself or with the materials from other areas. We actually 
have only a few tantalizing hints with which to work. To begin 
with the Olmec side of the coin, we may note that the use of serpen- 
tine blocks in pavementlike structures, the solid figurines and large 
hollow figurine, the use of volcanic tempering materials, and the 
sherd having close aflinities with La Venta Brown Lacquer ware 
are all Olmec traits and point to a fairly close relationship with 
the La Venta cultural tradition. On the other hand, the hollow 
vessel supports, the sherd of polychrome ware, and the serpentine 
pendant with Danzante-like stylistic features do not conform to the 
pattern of Olmec traits as now known from La Venta. The picture 
that is suggested by this mixture of Olmec and non-Olmec traits, if 
anything can be drawn from the small sample of materials, is one 
of culture change, of a culture which had acquired new traits through 
external contacts while perhaps at the same time giving up some 
formerly well-established traits. The North Pavement area, in other 
words, may represent a reoccupation of La Venta by an Olmec group. 


or er eczer EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 237 


The hiatus between the original abandonment of La Venta and the 
reoccupation by this North Pavement group need not have been 
long, perhaps no greater than two or three centuries. In our dis- 
cussion of the occurrence of dressed serpentine blocks and broken 
basalt column sections in the Ceremonial Court area we noted that 
some of these appeared to have been deposited in the drift sand 
layer not long after the Olmec abandonment of the Court. If the 
serpentine blocks found in the North Pavement area were taken 
from the Ceremonial Court, and it is quite possible that they were, 
we may have a link here between the florescent phase of La Venta 
Olmec culture and later manifestations of this culture. We put 
this idea forward only as a suggestion; only more excavation can 
settle the question. 


CERRO DEL ENCANTO 


The Cerro del Encanto mound group (fig. 2) has been known 
since Stirling’s initial exploration of La Venta in 1940. A knobbed 
schist (?) column mounted at the base of the main mound has 
been described (Stirling, 1943 b, p. 60) and another monument is 
reported from there but has not been located (LV, p. 10). No ex- 
cavations have been carried out in this part of the island. Late in the 
1955 season we learned that the mound group was being disturbed 
for road fill. Accordingly, one of us visited the locality and made a 
small collection of the finer wares from a sherd-bearing area which 
was exposed. The mound group had been extensively disturbed at 
that time; large parts of it may be entirely destroyed by now. 

The materials collected are divided here entirely on the basis of 
paste characteristics. Our series is too small to permit us to attempt 
any finer division. The paste of the first group (fig. 74, e, f, A-k) 
ranges in color from gray through buff to orange. Some sherds show 
incomplete firing, with dark gray cores composing from 25 to 40 
percent of the thickness. One sherd in this group has a gray core 
which is 60 percent of the thickness. The aplastic materials consist 
of moderate amounts of fine and medium-size angular and rounded 
grains of pink and colorless quartz. Sparse grains of iron-stained, 
reddish rock fragments (magnetic) and magnetite are also present. 
The paste has a definite gritty quality; sherds break cleanly and 
nearly at right angles to the surface. Some pieces are unslipped. 
This is especially so in those sherds having grayish paste colors. 
Others have an orange or cream slip on the exterior and a white slip 
on the interior. One sherd (fig. 74, ¢) with an orange paste color is 
unslipped on the interior surface but has a cream-slipped exterior 
over which is added an orange slip. The decoration in brown and 
red is painted over this second slip layer. The undercoat of cream 


938 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


0) 


Cream 


NED 


site i 


Co. 


YYy ype 


II 
Vy Oy, 
Ye 


Ficure 74.—Restored vessel, sherds, vessel foot, and moldmade spindle whorl, Cerro del 
Encanto site. Rim diameter of a, 1,816 cm.; height 2.8 cm. b-k, Not to same scale. 


aad Siar’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 239 


color is visible in eroded areas of this sherd. Colors used for deco- 
rative painting in our small sample are red and brown (fig. 74, e, f, h, 
z). The painting appears to favor arrangements of parallel lines 
and simple curvilinear designs. The painted lines are broad and 
smoothly drawn. No fine-line decoration was observed in our sample. 
One sherd (fig. 74, ) has a shallow groove on the exterior just below 
the rim. 

We have a few sherds, possibly all from the same vessel, which are 
generally similar to those just described but differ sufficiently in paste 
to warrant setting them apart. The paste color is a light buff with a 
thin olive-colored core. The temper consists of very sparse inclusions 
of very fine and fine angular and subrounded quartz grains. Some 
limonitic stain is present in the paste. The exterior surface is un- 
slipped. A cream-colored slip covers the interior and the decoration 
in brown and reddish-orange (fig. 74, 6) is painted over this. These 
sherds have been badly weathered and the painted designs were re- 
stored only with difficulty. A general similarity in surface treatment 
of the two groups of sherds described above with part of the Upper 
Tres Zapotes polychrome ware (Drucker, 1943 a, pp. 36-47) is ap- 
parent. The paste characteristics, however, are not the same at the 
two sites. Valenzuela (1945 a, pp. 98-94) has described materials 
from the upper levels of Mound 1 at the site of Matacapan, in the Tux- 
tlas district, which are very similar to our Cerro del Encanto materials 
in paste and surface decoration. 

Two sherds in our collection are the same in paste composition but 
differ markedly in color. The paste is a very fine, compact clay in 
which are found rare inclusions of very fine angular quartz grains. 
It is possible that the aplastic materials occurred naturally in the clay. 
One sherd has a light buff paste with a thick black core. A thin cream 
slip covers both interior and exterior surfaces. This sherd included a 
section of both rim and base, permitting an approximate restoration 
(fig. 74, @). The other sherd has a black paste color and thick black 
slip overall (fig. 74, 7). Both are dense in texture and break crisply 
and evenly. ‘The rim form is the same in the two sherds. Both are 
highly polished and glossy to the touch. The difference in paste color 
is very likely a function of the different firing techniques employed. 

One conical solid vessel support was found (fig. 74,¢c). This is made 
of an extremely fine paste, orange in color, with no purposefully added 
aplastic materials. The specimen was considerably eroded and in a 
very softened condition when found. A fragmentary moldmade 
spindle whorl (fig. 74, @) from this site is apparently made of the same 
paste as the solid vessel support. A black painted band on both top and 
bottom surfaces encircles the central perforation. 


YAOD BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


The few materials which we collected from the Cerro del Encanto 
locality do not provide a sufficient range for comparison with collec- 
tions from other sites. In January 1957, the writers inspected the col- 
lections made by Valenzuela in the Tuxtlas district. The strong simi- 
larity of part of our collection from the Cerro del Encanto with some 
of Valenzuela’s material from the Matacapan site was clear, as we have 
noted above. The Cerro del Encanto site shared in the late Veracruz 
coast ceramic tradition, of this we feel sure, but as to how close the 
affinities were between our site and the site of Matacapan, and other 
sites in this general region, we cannot say. Only excavation in the 
Cerro del Encanto site can settle this question. Nor, lacking strati- 
graphic evidence, can we be sure that the entire Cerro del Encanto 
mound group belongs to this late complex. 


TORRES SITE 


In clearing an approach for the new airstrip at La Venta, a small and 
apparently shallow surface occupation site adjacent to our 1955 field 
camp (fig. 2) was destroyed by the bulldozer. We discovered that this 
site had contained polychrome pottery and made an effort to collect 
as many sherds of this as was possible from the disturbed area. 
Several figurine fragments and other objects were collected as well. 
We have named the site after its owner, Don Sebastian Torres, to 
distinguish it from the other archeological complexes at La Venta. 

The polychrome sherds (figs. 75, 76) appear to be from bowls and 
jars with simple direct rims. They apparently fall into a single paste 
group. Thisisa very fine clay matrix in which are visible sparse angu- 
lar grains, very fine to fine in size, of quartz and feldspar. The paste 
is hard and densely textured, fracturing cleanly and at right angles to 
the surface. Asa correlate of the paste hardness, vessel walls tend to 
be thin. The paste color ordinarily is a light buff but a few sherds are 
fired to a pale orange color and one is nearly white. It was noted that 
those sherds having the darker paste color also contain a greater quan- 
tity of aplastic materials. Most of the sherds have a dark core, ranging 
in thickness from 15 to 50 percent of the wall thickness. The surfaces 
of nearly all are well polished. Some of the sherds apparently have 
been given a thin wash of the same clay as the paste and the decoration 
is painted directly on this. Most, however, have a thin slip of cream, 
orange, or white color. The colors used for decoration are red, orange, 
blackish brown, black and white. Orange appears to have been an es- 
pecially favored color. Both angular geometric and curvilinear de- 
signs are used. Some of the latter are possibly representative designs, 
but the small size of the sherds prevents us from determining this point. 
Rows of red dots and reds dots used as fillers occur on several sherds. 


Drucker, Heizer, 2 
and Squier] EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 241 


Red Brown Orange Black Cream or 
white 


Figure 75.—Polychrome sherds, Torres site. 


Outlining of figures in red or black is common. Nucleated circles (red 
outlined in black) and S-shaped elements are used fairly frequently. 
The use of parallel lines to set off solid color or design-filled zones is 
seen on many of the sherds. Incising appears to have been extremely 
rare; only one of our sherds showed incising and this consisted of a 
single line just below the lip. 

It is difficult to find materials from other sites which are truly 
comparable with this Torres site polychrome ware. Perhaps the 
nearest parallels are with the painted wares from the site of Cerro 
de las Mesas, particularly with the Complicated Polychrome ware 
from the Upper I horizon of this site (Drucker, 1943 b; pp. 48-49, 


242 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY (Bull. 170 


fr jj 


LL Vj 


& 


THANAHGAKK \\ Re XI 


Figure 76.—Polychrome sherds, Torres site. 


pls. i, 2). The published illustrations of this ware show many 
similarities with the materials from the Torres site. There are a 
number of differences, however, and the Upper I horizon at Cerro de 
las Mesas is characterized by numerous other ceramic traits which 
were not found in this La Venta site. 

A number of strap handles (fig. 77, a-e) are in our collection. 
Their size and curvatures indicate that they came from fairly large 


Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 243 


SS 


~ WS 


KLIK KGUV)oe”_, 


Qt 
SN CE 


Ficure 77.—Strap handles and bichrome sherds, Torres site. 


244 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Ficure 78.—Figurine head, Torres site. \ 


vessels. Several are attached to body sherds so that the method of 
attachment to the vessel wall may be seen. Most are quite thin in 
cross section, with square or slightly rounded edges. Nearly all are 
made of the same fine paste as was used in the polychrome pottery at 
this site. One piece (fig. 77, 6) is attached to a body sherd which 
shows traces of an elaborate curvilinear design in red, black, white 
and orange on the interior surface. One specimen (fig. 77, d) is made 
of a coarser paste containing a moderate amount of angular and sub- 
rounded quartz grains fine to medium in size. One side and the 
squared edges of this piece are painted with a thin coat of cream 
color over which is painted a double meandering line decoration in 
red. 

No loop handles were seen at this site. Strap handles are known 
in small quantities from the La Venta Phase Olmec habitation areas 
at La Venta (LV, p. 122). They were not found in the Lower to 
Upper sequence at Tres Zapotes, occurring at this site only in the 
very late intrusive burial offerings (Drucker, 1943 a, p. 106). At 
Cerro de las Mesas strap handles occurred in the Lower II and Upper 
I horizons (Drucker, 1943 b, p. 76). However they are accompanied 
in these levels by numerous ceramic features which appeared to be 
entirely lacking at the Torres site. 

One specimen may be a fragmentary and poorly made solid slab 
vessel support (fig. 77, 7). This is made of a rather loosely com- 
pacted light-buff paste with moderate amounts of angular and sub- 
rounded quartz grains, fine to medium in size. The piece is un- 
slipped and has poorly smoothed surfaces. One side is painted in 
three horizontal bands of red. No other types of vessel supports 
were recovered from the Torres site. 

The figurine fragments from this site (fig. 78; pl. 61, a—f) are all 
from solid handmade figurines. They appear to conform very well 
to Drucker’s figurine typology for the La Venta Phase Olmec fig- 


Drucker, Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 245 


urines from La Venta and so will not be described in detail here. 
The heads are all made of a coarse paste, light gray to reddish brown 
in color, which is heavily tempered with medium and coarse sand 
grains. Most of these pieces would fit easily into Drucker’s Class I-B 
figurines; two (fig. 78; pl. 61, ¢) may be his type I-B-3 and two 
others (pl. 61, a, 6) may be his type I-B-4 (LV, pp. 185-186). One 
head (pl. 61, d) is too badly eroded to determine its characteristic 
features. The small tenoned skull (pl. 61, ¢) is much like a speci- 
men found mounted in a small vessel in an Olmec habitation area 
(LV, p. 188, pl. 48, 6) which Drucker assigns to his Class III-B, 
an aberrant figurine class. The fragment of a small crouching figu- 
rine (pl. 61, f) is made of a very fine dark-gray paste with no visible 
inclusions. It may when complete have been a crouching baby 
figure similar to the serpentine piece found in 1943 in Mound A-3 
(LV, p. 159, figurine 11, pl. 51) in the Olmec ceremonial center. 

Several spindle whorls are in our collection from this site (pl. 
61,¢). All of these are simple handmade specimens. No moldmade 
spindle whorls were found. Spindle whorls and perforated potsherd 
disks are unknown from the Olmec habitation deposits at La Venta 
(LV, pp. 143-144). At Tres Zapotes, perforated sherd disks occurred 
beginning with the earliest horizon and moldmade spindle whorls 
appeared first in the Upper horizon (Drucker, 1943 a, pp. 86-87). 
Perforated sherd disks apparently occurred from earliest times at 
Cerro de las Mesas, and moldmade spindle whorls began here in the 
Lower II horizon (Drucker, 1943 b, pp. 66,76). It is not clear from 
the published reports when simple handmade spindle whorls first 
came into use at either Tres Zapotes or Cerro de las Mesas. 

A clay object which is grooved along both axes was found at this 
site (pl. 61,2). Several specimens identical with this were found in 
the Olmec refuse deposits at La Venta (LV, p. 142, pl. 42, left). 
Drucker suggests that these may have been used as weights for fishing 
gear or as loom weights. 

The Torres site materials present us with something of an anomaly. 
On the one hand, we have polychrome pottery which bears strong 
resemblances in its color combinations and design elements to late 
ceramic complexes of Mixtecan genre while at the same time our 
site appears to be lacking in the other elements of that elaborate 
ceramic tradition. The figurines, on the other hand, are of types 
which were at home in the cultural inventory of the demonstrably 
early La Venta horizon of Olmec culture. It is, of course, possible 
that in the destruction of the site by the bulldozer, early and much 
later materials became mixed together. But if this were so, we 
should still expect to find some traces of the highly elaborated ceramic 
elements which normally would accompany our polychrome pottery: 


246 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


the ornate vessel bases and supports, the moldmade figurines, the 
elaborate incised and modeled wares and many other things. We 
found none of these nor have we seen anything of this kind on La 
Venta island. 

Our campsite and the adjacent Torres site were located on a clay 
ridge which was covered with a layer of drift sands several feet in 
thickness, much like the location of the Olmec ceremonial center. In 
clearing away the forest the bulldozer did little more in some places 
than scrape away the surface. Yet in poking through the earth re- 
moved from these places we found both polychrome sherds and solid 
handmade figurines of Olmec type. If the figurines were from an 
earlier occupation, we would expect them to have been lying at a 
greater depth in the drift sands and to have remained undisturbed 
by the bulldozer in these scraped areas. 

We do not wish to make too much of this apparently anomalous 
association of early and late traits. The type of salvage archeology 
we performed at the Torres sites does not lead readily to the solution 
of such problems. Excavation in an undisturbed site of this Torres 
polychrome complex is obviously needed. 

The Torres site appears to us at the moment to represent an intru- 
sion of highland ceramic influence into the La Venta region. 
Whether this was carried by trade or by actual movement of peoples 
we of course cannot determine at present. If the handmade figurines 
were before the disturbance of the site in actual association with the 
polychrome pottery, we may have a case of the persistence of certain 
ceramic traits in this region to the exclusion of, or at least in pref- 
erence to, their later equivalents. The persistence of Olmec figurines 
in this general area is well documented. Drucker found them along- 
side moldmade figurines in the Upper horizon at Tres Zapotes 
(Drucker, 1943 a, p. 116), and Sanders reports finding classic baby- 
face figurines associated with Late Classic figurines of the Jaina type 
in a site in the upper Tonala drainage (Sanders, 1956, p. 487). 


SUMMARY OF POST-PHASE IV ACTIVITIES AT LA VENTA 


The history of events at La Venta following its abandonment by 
the builders of the great ceremonial center is still very little known. 
Our corpus of data on this long post-abandonment period is lament- 
ably small and confusing. What the few data on this period have 
suggested to us may be summarized briefly as follows. After the 
withdrawal from the Olmec ceremonial center by its Phase IV occu- 
pants, the island appears to have been totally unoccupied for a short 
time. During this time the surfaces of the Olmec structures were 
eroded and drift sands began to accumulate over the site. The 
cleared areas were swiftly overgrown by tropical vegetation. Then 


Drucker, Heizer, : . arf 
nd Saaler) EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 247 


the island appears to have been reoccupied, for how long we do not 
know, by a people who began to plunder the ceremonial center. 
Ornamental stones were removed from the Olmec structures and pits 
were dug at various places, perhaps in the search for jades and other 
Olmec treasure. Possibly during this time many of the stone monu- 
ments were mutilated and moved about. 

We have no good evidence as to the cultural identity of the group 
which began the despoliation of the Olmec ceremonial center. It is 
possible that it was the work of a group of the Olmec culture itself 
which, having suffered a breakdown of the theocracy or some other 
kind of cultural upheaval, had turned upon itself and set about to 
despoil the religious works of its ancestors. The scant evidence from 
the North Pavement area might be interpreted in this way. We 
have seen nothing to indicate that the ravaging of the site was done 
by invading people completely alien to the Olmec cultural tradition, 
but this may be due simply to the scarcity of our present data. It 
does seem to be clear, however, that La Venta never again became 
a great religious center of the florescent, or La Venta phase, of Olmec 
culture. 

A period of some length seems to have followed this initial reoccu- 
pation of La Venta during which very little appears to have hap- 
pened. It was possibly during this time that the offerings of pottery 
were deposited in the drift sands overlying the ceremonial center. 
These offerings seem to us to indicate an attitude quite different from 
that associated with the mutilation of the site. They appear to re- 
flect an attitude of awe and reverence toward the ancient structures. 
This is suggested by the offerings found along the site centerline in 
1943 and by those found by us south of the Southwest Platform and 
at various other locations in Complex A. The identity of the bearers 
of these offerings is unknown. They may have been brought by 
small groups living in the vicinity who came periodically to pay 
homage to the departed builders of the site. Perhaps associated with 
this activity were the group of standing basalt columns erected to 
the east of the Southeast Platform and those we found in the drift 
sands just east of the Southwest Platform. 

At some time in the latter half of the total span of time now known 
to be represented culturally at La Venta, influences from the high- 
lands of Mexico and from the Veracruz coastal cultures began to make 
themselves strongly felt at La Venta. Such influences may have 
come predominantly by way of southern Veracruz but it is also likely 
that some contacts were established by way of the upper tributaries 
of the Tonala River. Some of the smaller mound groups at La Venta 
almost certainly date from these later occupations of the island. 
We have some evidence, largely negative to be sure, that highland 


DAS BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


influences were received selectively and that there was a persistence 
of certain archaic traits during this time. This suggests the interest- 
ing possibility that Olmec culture may have retained at least. some 
vestiges of its cultural identity and perhaps to a limited extent its 
territoriality in the Olmec heartland for a very long time during the 
Classic horizon in Mexico. Some support for this idea is provided 
by other sites in the general Olmec region. 

The element of conservatism appears to have become established 
early in Olmec culture. We cannot say that it was primarily due to 
the location of the culture in the lowland jungles, but certainly it 
was fostered by this semiisolation. It should, at any rate, serve to 
warn against too easily reaching conclusions concerning the develop- 
ment of Olmec culture in its earlier periods as well as later. 

We cannot account for the absence in our late La Venta sites of 
definite evidences of Lowland Maya influence. The situation may 
be due simply to accident of discovery, but it is surprising that our 
post-Phase IV materials show none of the diagnostic features of the 
ceramic complexes found just a short distance to the east of La Venta 
(Berlin, 1953, 1956). We may speculate that the inhospitable natu- 
ral conditions of the Tonala drainage discouraged further westward 
expansion of Lowland Maya influence in the Classic and post-Classic, 
but still we might expect to find some trade materials of Maya affinity. 
It is possible that the late cultures of the La Venta region acted as 
a barrier to Maya expansion during this time. The collections made 
by Drucker and Contreras in 1953 from sites in the eastern Olmec 
area, now being studied in Berkeley, may provide an answer to this 
problem. 

The above brief review is obviously speculative, pieced together 
out of scattered bits of evidence. We have simply attempted to set 
forth the framework which our few data on the long postabandon- 
ment period have suggested to us. We probably have overstepped 
at several points the limits set by our data; this we must leave for 
the reader to judge. Future excavations in the Olmec area may 
radically alter the sketchy picture of post-Phase IV events at 
La Venta which we have presented. Certainly the need for further 
work in the area has been made clear. 


RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: CULTURAL . AND 
CHRONOLOGICAL POSITION OF LA VENTA 


HISTORICAL RESUME 


This section will present a summary of opinions to date on the 
chronological position of Olmec culture. These opinions are given 
here in the order of their appearance in the literature, and thus re- 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 249 


flect the development of ideas concerning the Olmec, as well as of 
Olmec affinities with other Mesoamerican cultures. 

Before the term “Olmec” was used by Vaillant (1932) to desig- 
nate a limited range of cultural items whose nature and distribution 
are still only partially known, a number of finds of this distinctive 
art style had been described (Blom and La Farge, 1926; Joyce and 
Knox, 1931; Melgar, 1869, 1871; Saville, 1900, 1929 a, 1929 b; Weyer- 
stall, 1932). Saville and Vaillant were the first to recognize the 
Olmec assemblage (as then known) as a distinctive cultural mani- 
festation. 

In 1925 Blom and La Farge (1926, vol. 1, pp. 78-90) visited the 
La Venta site, described and illustrated certain stone monuments, 
and concluded tentatively that the affiliations of the site were mainly 
with the Maya culture, but at the same time recognized similarities 
with non-Maya materials seen earlier by them in the nearby region 
of Los Tuxtlas not far to the northwest. Beginning in late 1938 
M. W. Stirling instituted the combined Smithsonian Institution- 
National Geographic Society investigations of the archeology of the 
southern Veracruz-Tabasco Gulf Coast region with the first excava- 
tions at Tres Zapotes (Stirling, 1939, 1940 a, 1943 a). 

A great impetus to study of Olmec culture came with the Second 
Mesa Redonda, held in Tuxtla Gutierrez in 1942. By this time Tres 
Zapotes had been excavated and Drucker’s ceramic testing at 
La Venta had been accomplished. Stirling was able, at this con- 
ference, to report on the newly found jade offerings recovered at 
La Venta. Covarrubias there presented his definition of the Olmec 
art style, basing his classification upon the materials from the 
La Venta and Tres Zapotes sites, as well as upon the numerous Olmec- 
type specimens in private collections (Covarrubias, 1942, pp. 46-49). 
Among the conclusions of the conference, as indicated in the chrono- 
logical chart (Mayas y Olmecas, 1942, p. 76), La Venta is classed as 
Archaic, falling into the same “horizon” as Mamon, Monte Alban I, 
Ticoman and Zacatenco. Jimeriez Moreno’s expansion (1942 b, pp. 
113-145) of his contribution to the Mesa Redonda report (1942 a, 
p. 19-23) was an attempt to identify the Olmec of the Conquest pe- 
riod who are mentioned by Sahagun, to project backward through 
time in the Olmec area the language and culture, and to establish 
the Olmec as the basic Mesoamerican culture. 

At about this same time the site of Tlatilco, at the foot of the Cerro 
de los Remedios on the outskirts of Mexico City, came to the atten- 
tion first of private collectors and subsequently of trained archeolo- 
gists. In a preliminary notice, Covarrubias (1943) clearly recog- 
nizes certain Olmec influences in the ceramic and stone materials from 

4318185917 


250 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


this site. This is the first definite statement of Olmec influence in 
the Mexican Highland. 

Drucker (1943 a) presented the ceramic sequence at Tres Zapotes 
and equated the Lower Tres Zapotes period with early Uaxactun 
(Mamom). Smith (1955, vol. 1, p. 7), on the limited evidence of two 
Tres Zapotes sherds, notes that although of different clay and temper 
from Mamom pottery, they are practically identical in shape, deco- 
ration, and general aspects to Mamom flaring-side orange plates, and 
suggests that they are copies. His interpretation therefore is, by 
implication, that the flow of cultural influence was from the Petén 
Mamom to the Olmec area. <A limited number of other ceramic cor- 
respondences between Uaxactun and Tres Zapotes have been noted 
by Smith (ibid., pp. 113, 116, 120, 122-123), but he does not indicate 
that he regards these as pointing to any close relationship between 
the two sites. Middle Tres Zapotes was equated by Drucker (1948 a) 
with the Tzakol period at Uaxactun; the beginning of the Middle 
Tres Zapotes period is assigned as contemporaneous with Uaxactun IT 
or Holmul I. 

Covarrubias (1944, p. 27) proposed that the Olmec culture con- 
stituted the mother culture from which other Mesoamerican cultures 
later derived. He employs the term ”Early Olmec” to designate 
the La Venta phase of Olmec culture, “Middle Olmec” for the later 
Classic period culture, and “Late Olmec” for the later prehistoric and 
protohistoric culture. This scheme allows no place for Lower Tres 
Zapotes which, if Drucker’s appraisal of its position turns out to 
be correct, should represent a culture horizon prior to and ancestral 
to La Venta. 

In 1946 Covarrubias (1946 a, 1946 b) again took up the general 
subject of the Olmec art style, reviewed a large corpus of individual 
specimens, factored out distinctive Olmec elements (cf. LV, pp. 197- 
204) and indicated in specific terms the nature and charactertistics 
of the Olmec art complex. 

Ekholm’s report on the Huasteca (1944, table 5, pp. 423-426) as- 
signs early (that is, Lower) Tres Zapotes ceramics to an early mono- 
chrome horizon equivalent in time and general type to Mamom and 
Chicanel of Uaxactun and Monte Albin I and II. This conclusion 
was anticipated by Drucker (19438 a, 118-120) who suggested an early 
ceramic pattern extending through the lowland from Honduras 
(cf. Strong et al., 1938) to the Huasteca. More recently MacNeish 
(1954, p. 624) has extended these correlations to the Panuco area, 
and equates the Ponce period to Lower Tres Zapotes and Mamom and 
sees “. . . in the Village Formative stage, a culture area extend- 
ing from Panuco to at least the Peten.” Caso (1947 b, p. 32) holds 
a similar opinion. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Heizer, RXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 251 


Kidder, Jennings, and Shook (1946, p. 257) recognize no direct 
Olmec influence at Kaminaljuyu, but in their discussion of the La 
Venta culture incline to its placing in the Early Classic period, while 
at the same time recognizing the existence of La Venta type figurines 
at Tlatilco in the Valley of Mexico which is a site of Middle Cul- 
ture (i. e., Preclassic or Formative) date.” 

The delayed publication of the full report on La Venta was partly 
compensated for by Drucker’s (1947) brief discussion of the ceramic 
complex and its general implications. In this paper Drucker pro- 
posed the equivalence of Middle Tres Zapotes and La Venta. He 
indicated his opinion that there was an “ancient and firm establish- 
ment of Olmec culture in the zone in which these sites were situated,” 
defined, insofar as the data permitted, the geographical extent of 
Olmec culture, and suggested that sculptural reliefs in Guatemala 
and at Chalcatzingo in Morelos were to be explained as evidence of 
the presence of detached Olmec outposts or colonies in these areas. 

In his more recent writings, Thompson has considerably altered 
the opinion which he set forth in 1941 on the temporal position of 
the Olmec culture. He has accepted the notion, mentioned above, 
which was first proposed by Drucker and Ekholm and more recently 
enlarged upon by MacNeish, of a basic cultural substratum extend- 
ing through the lowlands from the Huasteca to the Maya region in 
the Formative (Thompson, 1953, p. 448; 1954, p. 53). This ancient 
connection, Thompson has proposed (1953, p. 449), may have been 
the result of the northward migration of the Huastecan Maya, which 
he believes to have occurred approximately 2,000 years ago. The 
Olmec culture, by this argument, was simply a manifestation of 
Huastecan Maya culture on its movement to the north. This sug- 
gestion is put forth only tentatively by Thompson and has met with 
no enthusiastic response from other archeologists. The evidence from 
glottochronology pushes the date of Yucatec-Huastec divergence 
much further back in time than Thompson proposes, to approxi- 
mately 38,200 years ago (Swadesh, 1953, 1954). Thompson’s sug- 
gestion of an intimate genetic relationship between the Olmec and 
Huastecs, with, of course, the parental homeland being among the 
Yucatecan Maya, is not supported by recent archeological research. 
The problem of the divergence of the Huastecan Maya from the 
parental stock and their possible relationship to the development of 
Olmec culture in the lowland region presents questions which can 
only be answered by future work (cf. Jiménez Moreno, 1942 a, 1942 b; 
Nicholson, 1955). 


*2We do not cite all of the opinions in print on assignment of the La Venta period 
culture to either the Formative (e. g., Armillas, 1948, table 6; Caso, 1953, p. 233) or to 
the Classic (e. g., Willey and Phillips, 1955, p. 779). 


252 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Wauchope (1950, p. 287) classes Drucker’s Lower Tres Zapotes 
period, on the basis of the ceramics, as Village Formative (1. e., Early 
or Lower Formative). In a more recent paper Wauchope (1954, 
p. 29) repeats his opinion that Lower Tres Zapotes is on a Village 
Formative horizon and gives his reasons for concluding that La 
Venta and Middle Tres Zapotes are Late Formative rather than 
Early Classic. He would place the Middle Tres Zapotes period late 
in the Village Formative horizon, on the Protoclassic time level 
which, according to radiocarbon dates available to him at the time 
of writing, covered a time span of 826 B. C. to 127 B.C. 

In his 1947 preliminary report on La Venta, Drucker (1947, p. 6) 
equates La Venta with the Middle period at Tres Zapotes. Differences 
in the ceramic inventories between La Venta and Middle Tres Zapotes 
led Drucker to conclude (ibid., p. 6) that “chronologically the 
La Venta occupation likely overlapped the Upper Tres Zapotes pe- 
riod slightly, or, to put it another way, that the Middle Tres Zapotes- 
La Venta period persisted a little longer at La Venta.” In his 1947 
and 1952 reports Drucker places the Middle Tres Zapotes-La Venta 
period on the time level of the Tzakol period in the Petén (1947, p. 6; 
LV, p. 150). This derives from his earlier analysis of the Tres Za- 
potes ceramics (1943 a, p. 120, fn. 483), in which he correlated tempo- 
rally Lower Tres Zapotes with the Mamom and Chicanel periods at 
Uaxactun.”? In view of the apparent continuity of the Tres Zapotes 
occupation, Middle Tres Zapotes would necessarily then fall into the 
Tzakol time level. The absence of Tzakol ceramic types in Middle 
Tres Zapotes, Drucker explains (1943 a, p. 120) as due to the isolation 
of Tres Zapotes during the period of Tzakol development (see also 
Vs, pe 150)! 

Drucker’s view of the Tres Zapotes and La Venta site occupations 
may be summarized in the following quotation: 

In short, all the evidence, when critically reveiwed, indicates that the Middle 
phase at Tres Zapotes was a continuum, with gradual development and change 
in ceramics, but no break whatsoever... What this means, in terms of 
Wauchope’s (1950) synthesis, is simply that the Tres Zapotes [and the La 
Venta] region—the Olmec area, as I prefer to call it—was culturally isolated 
during this [Middle Tres Zapotes-La Venta period] time, pursuing its own 
trends in ceramics in response to internal stimuli only. The Protoclassic pat- 
terns never reached it [see also Drucker, 1943 a, p. 120], so that in effect the 
culture jumped from a prolonged Urban Formative [terminating with the end 


of Middle Tres Zapotes-La Venta] into a full-blown Classic pattern [beginning 
with Upper Tres Zapotes]. [LYV, p. 260.] 


*% Smith (1955, vol. 1, p. 114) calls attention to one definite Mamom vessel shape which 
was reported from La Venta in Drucker’s preliminary report (1947, pl. 2, d). Additional 
similarities would undoubtedly result from a careful comparison of the final reports on 
the ceramics of the two sites (Smith, 1955; Drucker, 1952 a). 


Drucker, Heizer, 
and Squier} ’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 253 


In Drucker’s report (1955, p. 30), on the Cerro de las Mesas jade 
offering, he refers to the “Pre-Classic Middle Tres Zapotes-La Venta 
horizon (a prolonged Urban Formative phase immediately preceding 
the Classic Upper Tres Zapotes).” 

The difficulty of equating the Olmec culture sequence, known from 
Tres Zapotes and La Venta, with the Maya area is very great. What 
resemblances can be detected between the two areas on the Formative 
level appear to be generic. The two areas appear to have been essen- 
tially out of contact with each other, so specific diffusion as evi- 
denced by trade wares and the like is lacking or, at best, extremely 
rare. In the light of this opinion, and in view of the absence of 
direct Middle Tres Zapotes-La Venta connections with Tzakol, it is 
clear that Drucker’s temporal equation of the Olmec and Uaxactun 
sequences was questionable from the start. This conclusion is rein- 
forced by both the radiocarbon dates from La Venta and the strong 
Olmec influences beginning in Middle Preclassic times (as at Tla- 
tilco) in the Highland of Mexico. When Drucker was writing the 
La Venta report he was hampered by lack of sufficient comparative 
data from the then recently discovered site of Tlatilco. In 1957, 
some 9 years later, we are in a better position to fit at least part of the 
Olmec culture sequence into the better defined culture series in the 
central Mexico Highland. 


GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF OLMEC CULTURE 


The matter of the geographical extension of Olmec culture, a 
reasonably simple one when dealing with most other Mesoamerican 
cultures, bristles with problems. Drucker (1947, p. 8) defined the 
Olmec heartland as situated in the Gulf lowlands lying between the 
Papaloapan and Tonala-Blasillo Rivers, never extending into the 
foothills to the south. A much more precise geographic delimitation 
of the eastern and southern borders of Olmec territory was drawn by 
Drucker and Contreras (1953) in a later survey. This survey 
strongly supported earlier impressions of restricted distribution of 
Olmec sites per se, showing that these are limited to the coastal low- 
land regions. Beyond this so-called heartland, there is the problem 
of accounting for a variety of what are clearly direct Olmec influ- 
ences far distant from the Veracruz-Tabasco coastal plain. Among 
these evidences are the low relief petroglyphs at San Isidro Piedra 
Parada in southeast Quentzaltenago, Guatemala (Thompson, 1943, 
p. 111, fig. a; Covarrubias, 1946 a, p. 171), the petroglyphs at the 
Las Victorias Group, Chalchuapa Archaeological Zone, El Salvador 
(Boggs, 1950), and the reliefs carved on the cliffs and the seated 
statuette at Chalcatzingo near Jonacatepec, Morelos, which were first 
adequately described by Guzman (1934). Preliminary excavation of 


254 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


the Chalcatzingo site was carried out in 1953 by Roman Pinta Chan 
(1955 a). In his report are shown photographs and drawings of the 
reliefs of the masked figures carrying staffs. Two of the figures with 
eagle-jaguar faces closely resemble the figure from San Isidro Piedra 
Parada. 

These reliefs clearly indicate, it seems to us, direct Olmec influence 
in regions far removed from the heartland of Olmec culture. Drucker 
(LV, pp. 228, 228-229, 232) is inclined to regard these sculptures as 
possibly deriving from Olmec “outposts” (or “centers” or “colonies”) 
in these regions (see also Drucker, 1947, pp. 7-8). 

Covarrubias (1948, 1956) has proposed that Olmec-style pieces, 
some of which are illustrated in his earlier publications (1942, 1946 a), 
are so common around Zumpango and San Jeronimo on the Pacific 
coast above Acapulco in the State of Guerrero that they seem to indi- 
cate “an ancient Olmec occupation which marks the western frontier 
of the Olmec belt from the Pacific to the Gulf coasts” (1956, p. 15). 
He further believes that the Guerrero Olmec pieces “have a certain 
archaic style while those of the Gulf coast appear to be more developed 
and elaborate.” Covarrubias has contributed measurably to our 
understanding of the nature of the Olmec art complex. However, 
whether stylistic analysis alone, unaccompanied by archeological and 
stratigraphic evidence, is a reliable means of determining the origin 
and development of the Olmec culture is open to doubt. Covarrubias 
(1956) calls attention to the fact that no large Olmec monuments or 
sculptures such as are notably abundant at La Venta, Tres Zapotes, 
and the Rio Chiquito sites are known from Guerrero. To him this 
suggests, if we interpret his reasoning correctly, that the Guerrero 
evidence dates from a period preceding the development of monu- 
mental sculpture and that therefore the Pacific Olmec occupation was 
earlier than that in the coastal lowlands of the Gulf side. In another 
paper (1954), Covarrubias presents a chronological chart of Meso- 
america in which the “Olmeca” culture is shown as Preclassic and 
early Classic, Lower and Middle Tres Zapotes are combined, and 
La Venta is indicated as belonging to the later span of the Lower- 
Middle Tres Zapotes period. The combined Lower-Middle Tres 
Zapotes is indicated as extending from about 800 B. C. to about the 
first century A. D. This assignment is approximately the same as 
that reached by the Fifth Mesa Redonda conference (Huastecos, 
Totonacos y Sus Vecinos, p. 535 and table at end). 

We have deliberately refrained from citing the numerous instances 
of undoubted specimens of portable Olmec carved stone art, especially 
figurines, found outside the Olmec heartland. Many of these speci- 
mens are of doubtful, unknown, or, at best, approximate provenience, 
and in nearly every instance lack archeological context, and, as 


Drucker, Heizer, i 
Drucker, Helzer, pXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 255 


Drucker and others (e. g., Shook and Kidder, 1952, p. 121) have 
suggested, the small, beautifully carved jade figurines were probably 
anciently collector’s items which may have been treasured heirlooms 
and were ultimately lost or deliberately buried as part of a grave 
offering or dedicatory cache by people far removed in distance and 
time from those who made the specimens. In illustration of this, we 
note the distinctive minority of Olmec jades in the Cerro de las Mesas 
jade cache (Drucker, 1955, p. 66). The head of the semiportable 
jade figure (with an estimated original height of 30 inches) from 
near Santa Lucia Cotzumalhuapa, Department of Escuintla, Guate- 
mala, reported by Shook (1956) may be, to use the British term, 
another “wayfarer,” and the Olmec figurines from Teotihuacan are 
to be considered as curios possessed by the builders of that site (Rubin 
de la Borbolla, 1947). 

When Drucker’s La Venta final report went to press in 1951, the 
Tlatilco site in the Valley of Mexico had only recently become known. 
On the basis of a brief inspection of a part of the Tlatilco materials, in 
which Olmec influence is unmistakable, Drucker stated: 

From the point of view of relative chronology, the Tlatilco-Olmec material 
which stylistically is surely referable to the La Venta-Middle Tres Zapotes hori- 
zon hints that one side or the other of our time scale is wrong. That is to say, 
either the beginning of La Venta-Middle Tres Zapotes must be put two or three 
centuries, at least, farther back, or we must assume that Olmec art actually 
attained its peak in the Lower Tres Zapotes period—a suggestion for which 
there is little eveidence as yet, even though we have only a relatively small 
sample of ceramics from that horizon. To revise the dates of the Valley Archaic 
upward in time scarcely seems reasonable, as an alternative. [LV, p. 229.] 

Pina Chan has been particularly concerned with the Preclassic 
sequence in the Valley of Mexico (Pifia Chan, 1955 b). With the 
exception of Porter’s (1953) monograph on the site of Tlatilco, most of 
what we know about this site is due to Piia Chan’s efforts. Ina paper 
published in 1952, Pina Chan critically examined the cultural sequence 
in the Valley, which rested primarily upon the early work of Vaillant, 
and realined the position of the site of Zacatenco in this sequence. 
In his study of the Tlatilco assemblage, Pia Chan (1955 b, pp. 103- 
107) suggests three culture periods. He concludes that Olmec in- 
fluence appears at the beginning of his Transitional or Middle Tlatilco 
phase, which is Middle Preclassic in time. On the basis of his com- 
parative trait analysis, he assigns (1955 b, pp. 104-105) to the Lower 
Preclassic the following sites, which he dates from 1350 B. C. to 850 
B. C.: El Arbolillo I, Lower Tlatilco, and Lower Zacatenco. To the 
Middle Preclassic, dating from 850 B. C. to 450 B. C., he assigns El 
Arbolillo II, Upper Tlatilco, Middle Zacatenco, Copilco, Gualupita I, 
Chalcatzingo, Monte Alban I, Lower Tres Zapotes, El Trapiche, El 
Opefio, and the Mamom period at Uaxactun. The Upper Preclassic 


256 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


(ibid., p. 106), dating from 450 B. C. to 150 B. C., includes Upper 
Zacatenco, Ticoman, Cuicuilco, Cerro del Tepalcate, Teotihuacan I, 
Gualupita II, Chicanel, Middle Tres Zapotes, and La Venta. We are 
not concerned here with the details of his temporal and cultural place- 
ment of the various Mesoamerican site phases and will limit ourselves 
to a consideration of Pina Chan’s Valley of Mexico sequence only 
insofar as it concerns his views on the nature and time of Olmec 
influence in the Highland. 

Pina Chan proposes that the oldest Olmec manifestations known 
from the Valley of Mexico appear in the Middle Preclassic sites. 
The traits marking this appearance are as follows: black pottery in 
the form of flat-bottomed vessels ornamented with feline motifs ex- 
cised and incised (“excavados” and “raspados”), gray pottery, black 
pottery with white rims or mottled white areas, rocker stamp decora- 
tion, fine-paste ware (“caolin’”) vessels, hematite mirrors, feline 
(“Tigre”) masks, dental mutilation, cranial deformation, hollow clay 
figurines with jaguar (“atigradas”) mouths, beads and “colmillos” 
of jade, jade figurines, Vaillant’s type A clay figurines with punched 
eyes, and small stone yokes. In the same Preclassic period, but of 
non-Olmec “peasant” manufacture, are a number of pottery types, 
such as white on red, polished red, yellowish white, red on white, red 
on yellow, white “laca,” incised thin black, yellow “laca,” and figurines 
of the following types: F, B, C5, K, D1, D2, hollow C9, “olmecoid” 
(ibid., pl. 42), “baby face” (ibid., pl. 41), stirrup-handled bottles. 
Porter (1953, pp. 31-32) gives essentially the same list, but does not 
specify jade figurines, mentions one polished dark-green serpentine 
figurine (illustrated in Covarrubias, 1948, p. 48), and “football-type” 
headdress on type D figurines. She (1956, p. 569) also states that 
Late Middle Zacatenco is marked by “intrusion of elements foreign 
to highland Mexico, but quite at home on the Gulf Coast,” and in- 
cluded in this intrusive complex she lists scarcity of painted wares, 
clay stamps, masks, stirrup spouts, alfresco painting, and “so-called 
Olmec influence in figurines, design and style.” She (1958, p. 28) 
repeats here her earlier opinion that Tlatilco bridges the lacuna which 
Vaillant suggested between Middle and Late Zacatenco. 

We may note here that Porter (1953, p. 31) regards the Olmec 
influence at Tlatilco as a manifestation of an already well-developed 
Olmec culture, of unknown origin. In treating La Venta as a Classic 
period site, Porter implies that Tlatileco precedes La Venta in time. 
The alternate possibility that Tlatilco and La Venta are contempo- 
raneous is suggested by Willey (1956) in his review of Porter’s 
monograph. 

Pina Chan summarizes his views (1955 a, pp. 26-27; 1955 b, pp. 
106-107) of highland Mexican culture history in relation to Olmec 


ra Geiee et EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 257 


culture, if we interpret him correctly, by saying that the oldest evi- 
dence of Olmec culture (“‘olmecas arcaicos”) is to be found in the State 
of Morelos, with a possible earlier center located in the conjunction of 
the States of Puebla, Morelos, and Guerrero. In Morelos this earliest 
evidence is to be seen at the sites of Chalcatzingo, Atlihuayan, El Cor- 
tez, Gualupita, Tlayacoapan, and Olintipec. Little or nothing in the 
way of detail is published on most of these sites and it is impossible to 
determine the specific nature of the relationships alluded to by him. 
From the assumed early Morelos seat Olmec people and influences 
passed to the Valley of Mexico, registering first in sites in the southern 
part of the basin (Tlapacoya, e. g.) and arriving later in the western 
region, as at Tlatilco. At about the same time (Middle phase of the 
Preclassic, 900-850 to 500-450 B. C.) as the Olmec intrusion into the 
Valley, movement in other directions accounts for the existence of sites 
such as Lower Tres Zapotes, Monte Alban I, and Panuco (MacNeish’s 
Pavon and Aguilar periods). Once established in the Veracruz and 
Tabasco coast lowland region, these populations survived up to the 
historic period. 

Pifia Chan differs in his interpretation of the origin of Olmec cul- 
ture from Covarrubias (see above) and from that of the present 
authors who, while not pointing to a specific location where the Olmec 
culture generated, nevertheless feel that the culture is of tropical origin 
in the Veracruz-Tabasco lowland area (see Coe, 1957, pp. 608-609; 
Drucker and Contreras, 1953, pp. 395-396; LV, p. 228; Sanders, 
1956) 2 

While it is not yet possible to make a detailed comparison of lowland 
Olmec traits with Tlatilco, since the final detailed report by Pina 
Chan and his colleagues has not yet been published, some pertinent 
observations in this regard are nevertheless possible on the basis of 
preliminary accounts and a hurried inspection of the Tlatilco mate- 
rials in January 1957, at the Museo Nacional. 

We may recognize three categories of traits which help to throw the 
similarities and differences between the Tlatilco and La Venta sites 
in sharp contrast : 


24 We can present no concrete evidence bearing upon the locus of origin of the Olmec cul- 
ture. We see no merit in Covarrubias’ proposal of a Pacific coast (Guerrero) homeland of 
the Olmec, nor do we see any indications of origins in the altiplano. The great impor- 
tance of the jaguar to the Olmec would indicate the development of this idea in an area 
where that animal was abundant. Appendix 5 treats with the present distribution of the 
jaguar. Dr. Leopold states that the range of the jaguar was essentially the same three 
thousand years ago except for the Gulf Coast, where recent destruction of the jungle has 
somewhat reduced the range (personal communication). We are in agreement with 
Shook (1956, p. 262) who says that the jaguar deity ‘‘so permeates Olmec art that it 
bespeaks a long tradition in this culture, developed possibly through the close association 
of man and beast in a jungle habitat.” This, taken together with the restricted dis- 
tribution of Olmeec sites (Drucker, 1947, p. 6; Drucker and Contreras, 1953), provides 
some basis for suggesting that the beginnings of Olmec culture should be looked for in the 
lowland area between the Laguna del Carmen and the mouth of the Papaloapan River. 


258 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


(1) Specific Traits Shared by La Venta and Tlatilco 


Pottery vessel forms (shallow bowls, spouted “trays,” cylindrical jars, bottles 
with gadrooned sides). 

Ceramic features (annular bases, loop handles, strap handles, main emphasis on 
monochrome wares, incised wares common, white-rimmed ware, zoned or pan- 
eled decorations, rocker stamped decoration, punctate dot design filler, bands 
of hatched incised triangles, stamped are pattern or complicated unit design 
in interior bottoms of shallow bowls). 

Small solid hand-molded clay figurines, usually female. 

Large hollow baby-face clay figurines, type III-A-2 (LV, pp. 138, 228-229). 

Miniature hematite mirrors attached to the chest of figurines (Tlatilco, clay 
figurines; La Venta, stone figurines). 

Representations of adults holding infants in their arms (of probable ritual 
significance). 

Use of cinnabar. 


(2) Traits Rare or Absent (*) at La Venta and Common at Tlatilco 


*Representations of ball players. 
*Obsidian projectile points. 

*Clay figurines with burials. 

*Resist painting. 

*Stirrup spout vessels. 

*Long solid cylindrical tripod vessel feet. 
*Two-headed clay figurines. 

*Mlat clay stamps. 

*Dual representations (human-animal in figurines). 
Painted pottery decoration. 

Miniature pottery vessels. 

Animal effigy vessels. 

Excised pottery decoration. 

Cylindrical (roller) seals (stamps). 


(3) Traits Common at La Venta and Rare or Absent (*) at Tlatilco 


*Representation of plumed serpent (rare at La Venta). 
*Dressed stones used as construction features. 
*Work in jade (beads, figurines, earspools, etc.). 
*Carved stone monuments, stelae, altars, ete. 
*Pyramid-mound-plaza ceremonial site layout. 
*Representation of jaguar deity. 
*Large concave metallic mirrors. 
*Dedicatory caches or offerings (massive pavements, figurines, celts, etc.). 
*Stone cists, coffers, column tombs. 
*Unfired adobe bricks. 

Stone figurines. 


Tt must be kept in mind that the nature of the La Venta and Tlatilco 
sites are different. Tlatilco is primarily a burial site with a large 
number of richly endowed graves containing pottery. Some of the 
pottery is clearly funerary and nonutilitarian. La Venta, on the 
other hand, is strictly a ceremonial site which was kept free of refuse, 


Drucker, Heizer, 
ori Sauiect °"’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 259 


contains only a few special interments (tombs), and produced a very 
limited amount of pottery. If we are given full information in the 
Tlatilco report on the materials from the trash deposits (of Zacatenco 
type?) we could then compare these with the materials from Drucker’s 
1942 stratipits at La Venta. 


LA VENTA IN RELATION TO THE OLMEC SEQUENCE 


In our opinion, La Venta represents a culturally “floating” mani- 
festation of classic (or florescent) Olmec culture which at the present 
time is not firmly anchored to other sites or culture periods either 
at its beginning orend.” In other words, there must be pre- and post- 
La Venta sites and phases which mark the earlier developing and later 
continuing manifestations of this culture. At the time of the found- 
ing of the La Venta site the development of social organization and 
engineering was already in full flower, as indicated by the magnitude, 
precision, and elaborateness of the site layout and the ability of its 
founders to handle both the constructional and logistic problems 
involved in its building. As regards technology in stoneworking, 
we have the strong probability that a dressed serpentine block pave- 
ment offering (like Feature A-1-h) is evidenced from Phase I of 
Complex A by the block-filled trench (h-2 in fig. 10) lying over 
the perimeter of the Phase III 6-layer pavement offering (Feature 
A-1-h). In addition there is the strong probability that some of the 
jade offerings in the Northeast Platform are of Phase I date. Finally, 
the small clay pedestallike platforms, which have proved difficult to 
interpret, may have served as mounts for sculptured stone monuments. 
As improvements were made these sculptures may have been removed 
and reset in other locations and the remnants of the clay mounts may 
have become incorporated into later structures on the same spot. Due 
to repositioning of monuments in antiquity and to disturbances by 
modern excavators in exposing the sculptures for photography, it is 
not possible to assign any of the stone monuments at La Venta to one 
specific site construction phase. This does not mean, of course, that 
we have any doubts as to their relationship to La Venta culture in 
general. For Phase II we have abundant evidence of developed stone 
technology in the Southeast and Southwest Platforms (jaguar mask 
mosaics, undressed stone “foundation” layers [offerings?] and lower 
course of basalt and serpentine facing stones), the basalt facing blocks 
along the inner toe of the wall encircling the Ceremonial Court, and 
jade offerings. From Phases III and IV similar evidence is also 
abundant. 


* This does not deny Lower Tres Zapotes as antecedent to the Middle Tres Zapotes-La 
Venta period; it means only that we know so little about Lower Tres Zapotes that we can 
tie it to La Venta only by ceramic comparisons. The San Lorenzo Tenochtitlin site, while 
obviously related to La Venta, has not been studied. 


260 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


In view of the above it appears that the culture represented by the 
structures investigated at La Venta derives from an earlier time and 
place or places in which this pattern was developed. This pre- 
La Venta site source may have been on the island of La Venta itself 
or anywhere within the larger lowland Olmec heartland. Drucker, 
on the basis of ceramic comparisons, believed Lower Tres Zapotes to 
be earlier and generically ancestral to La Venta, but recovered no 
data whatsoever on structural features that could have been fore- 
runners of those from La Venta. Looked at this way, it is not correct 
to regard the classic development of Olmec culture (La Venta phase) 
as represented only by what we now know from the La Venta site. 
In other words, the La Venta site probably represents but a part of 
the total duration of the florescent development of Olmec culture. 
By the same token, although Phase IV at La Venta represents in 
minor measure a departure from the preceding phase pattern, Olmec 
culture in its florescent pattern was transferred at the end of Phase IV 
to the site(s) which was its successor as a ritual center for the local 
population. The jade pieces in the basalt column tomb, the bathtub- 
like stone coffer just south of the tomb, and the stone cist in Mound 
A-3, as well as the other centerline jade offerings from this phase, 
clearly indicate the maintenance to the very end of use of the site 
by its builders of the main traditional patterns. Our interpretation 
is that the basic master plan of La Venta was adhered to (with only 
minor modifications) from Phases I to IV. It is therefore to be 
anticipated that a post-La Venta site of this classic period will some 
day be found.”® It is conceivable that the site of San Lorenzo Tenoch- 
titl4n on the Rio Chiquito (Stirling, 1955) may be just such a site. 
The test of this gratuitous and unsupported suggestion will come with 
the analysis of the San Lorenzo materials, which are now in Berkeley. 


SIGNIFICANCE OF C-14 DATES IN RELATION TO MAYA AND OTHER 
CULTURAL PATTERNS OF MESOAMERICA 


Our review of earlier work shows that there have been three main 
opinions expressed regarding La Venta, and Olmec culture in general, 
in relation to the Mesoamerican scene: 

(1) Olmec was the oldest highly developed Mesoamerican culture and ancestral 
to all others (Covarrubias and others). 

(2) Olmec was a late minor variant of Mayan culture (Morley, Thompson, etc.). 

(3) Olmec was one of a series of roughly contemporary local cultures, each of 
which specialized along similar but distinctive lines (Drucker). 

The C-14 dates presented here indicate that Drucker’s estimate of 
the chronological position of the La Venta horizon was wrong; the 


*6 Drucker (1947, 1952 a) says La Venta is a one-period site. This does not mean, how- 
ever, that La Venta encompasses the whole of florescent Olmec development. 

27'This statement does not mean that we are certain that the radiocarbon dates are in 
fact accurate and correct, but merely that we accept them at this writing as correct. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker; Heizer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 261 


Mayan specialists who placed it even later were likewise in -error. 
This leaves us with two alternatives. Either opinion No. 1, above, 
must be accepted, or else other Preclassic Mesoamerican horizons—in 
Yucatan, in the Petén, at Monte Alban, etc., must be pushed back ear- 
lier than the dates usually attributed to them. That these horizons 
probably were actually quite early is suggested by the three radiocar- 
bon dates from Preclassic mounds at Kaminaljuyu (samples C-884, C- 
886, C-887), which give ages of 3,142--240, 2,970+200, and 2,490+300 
years, and the Monte Alban I date (sample C-424) of 2,600-+170 years. 
The Kaminaljuyu mounds, assigned to the Majadas and Miraflores 
Phases, therefore, were approximately contemporaneous with Com- 
plex A at La Venta. Construction of clay platform mounds in the 
Formative period in Mesoamerica appears to have been widespread. 
It is not possible at this time to determine the area where this trait 
appears. The earliest known occurrences are at Kaminaljuyu in 
Mound E-III-3, Miraflores Phase (Shook and Kidder, 1952; Shook, 
1951), and at La Venta. Porter’s (1953, p. 84) offhand remark on 
clay platform mounds at Tlatilco remains only that, since no informa- 
tion has been published on the size, construction or stratigraphic posi- 
tion of these structures—they would be, in the light of radiocarbon 
dates, of approximately the same age as the La Venta and Kaminaljuyu 
mounds. Elsewhere in Preclassic levels they are noted at Panuco 
(MacNeish, 1954) and in Yucatan (Brainerd, 1951). Clay platform 
mounds have recently been found at Cuicuilco, the horizon being Late 
Formative. Discussions of Preclassic platform mounds have been 
presented by Wauchope (1950) and Willey (1955, pp. 578, 582-583). 

A corollary proposition is that if our view of the advanced develop- 
ment of La Venta is correct—in brief, that it was not the beginning but 
a full-blown culture which must have had simpler antecedents, then the 
horizon from which it developed must have dated back prior to 814 
B. C.—our average computed for La Venta construction Phase I. 
Drucker correlated La Venta and Middle Tres Zapotes on the basis 
of ceramics and figurines, and therefore came to the conclusion that 
Lower Tres Zapotes was earlier than, and represented a horizon ances- 
tral to, La Venta. This hypothesis is subject to three possibilities: 
(a) it might be correct; (>) it might be in error in regard to the La 
Venta-Middle Tres Zapotes correlation; (¢) it might be in error as re- 
gards the Tres Zapotes stratigraphic sequence. At present there are 
no data whatsoever in support of 6 andc. Therefore we must assume 
that the earliest Olmec horizon known, Lower Tres Zapotes, ran its 
course prior to the 9th century B. C., in other words somewhat earlier 
than currently accepted estimates of the beginnings of other Meso- 
american cultures—Yucatecan Maya, Petén Maya, Highland Maya, 
Zapotecan, etc. This points up the need for a critical review of 


262 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


materials from all early Mesoamerican horizons, and for a definite 
program of collecting datable carbon samples from them. Either all 
were earlier than is now generally conceded, or hypotheses such as that 
of Covarrubias—that Olmec culture was the earliest developed Meso- 
american culture and the source of stimulus to all the others—must be 
seriously considered. We object to the Covarrubias statement on the 
following grounds: 


(1) Olmee culture (aside from such “outposts” as Tlatilco which was on the 
La Venta time level) appears to have been restricted to a small geo- 
graphical region, which was a sort of cul-de-sac, ringed by swamps and 
uninhabitable savannas. 

(2) Despite reasonably thorough exploration only three major sites have ever 
been found in this region (though there are hundreds of minor ones) : Tres 
Zapotes, La Venta, and San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, and these we believe 
to have overlapped temporally. 

(8) While there are a few widespread Mesoamerican art motifs for which an 
Olmec source can be argued (although Drucker, 1952, proposed that most 
of these may have derived from a basic widespread pre-Formative hori- 
zon), there are actually very few specific traits in early and/or developed 
Mesoamerican -patterns which are of certain Olmec origin. 

Therefore, we believe, until new and more precise data affirm or 
refute our stand, that carefully selected samples of carbon from con- 
trolled excavations will show that early Mayan, early Zapotecan, as 
well as early Olmec horizons date back into the second millenium B. C. 


SIGNIFICANCE OF C-14 DATES IN RELATION TO VALLEY OF MEXICO 
AND ADJACENT HIGHLAND REGIONS 


The nature of the Olmec similarities in the Tlatilco site, insofar as 
it is possible to judge these on the basis of presently available informa- 
tion, indicates in our opinion that the Tlatilco site was being strongly 
and directly influenced by the La Venta period of Olmec culture. In 
saying this we do not imply that it was necessarily the La Venta site 
itself which was the source of the influence. Our conclusion is con- 
trary to the historical reconstruction proposed by Pina Chan as de- 
tailed above. Our belief in the lowland origin and development of 
Olmec culture therefore indicates Olmec influence in the Highland (as 
at Gualupita, Chalcatzingo, and Tlatilco) as introduced from the 
coastal region (cf. Sanders, 1956). 

The radiocarbon date from Tlatilco based on “charcoal from vari- 
ous burials at different depths” determined some years ago at Chicago 
(sample C-199) yielded a date of 3,407 + 250 years ago (B. C. 1456 
+ 250). It is not certain, however, whether all or parts of this sample 
came from Tlatilco deposits or from adjacent pre-Tlatilco layers. In 
January 1957, we excavated a burial with abundant offerings at the 
Tlatileco site and collected a substantial charcoal sample from the 


Drucker, Heizer, 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 263 


earth in the grave pit. The burial was at a depth of 1 meter from the 
present surface. The pottery and other burial objects have been 
studied and classified by Pifia Chan, whose opinion is that the burial 
refers to the final stage of the Middle Preclassic. He suggested at 
the time the carbon was collected a date of 700 to 500 B. C. for this 
stage (personal communication). The age of this carbon sample 
(M-660) has been determined by the Michigan laboratory as 2,525 + 
250 years (B. C. 568 + 250). A second Tlatilco carbon sample was 
collected several years ago and was supplied for dating by Pina Chan. 
The charcoal was found in a brown ware engraved bow] accompany- 
ing burial number 193, found at a depth of 1.66 meters from the pres- 
ent surface of the site. According to Pina Chan, the pottery belongs 
to the latter half of the Middle Preclassic, which he estimates as dat- 
ing from approximately 700 to 500 B. C. The age of this sample 
(M-661) is 2,940 + 250 years (B. C. 983 + 250). The arithmetic 
average of samples M-660 and M-661 is 2,783 + 250 years old (B.C. 
776 + 250). If we accept as correct the two recent Tlatilco deter- 
minations and the nine dates from La Venta, the only conclusion pos- 
sible is that the two sites were contemporaneous. This is consistent 
with the conclusion already reached by us on the basis of the cultural 
similarities at the two sites. The tantalizing reference which Porter 
(1953, p. 84) makes to platform mounds in the Tlatilco deposits sug- 
gests that Tlatilco shares in an early, widespread platform mound 
complex in Mesoamerica.”® 


SIGNIFICANCE OF C-14 DATES IN RELATION TO “CALENDAR,” 
GLYPHS, AND OTHER FEATURES 


The most notable single discovery at Tres Zapotes was Stela C, a 
fragmentary monument bearing, according to Stirling (1939, 1940 a), 
an Initial Series date which in the Goodman-Martinez-Thompson cor- 
relation of the Maya calendar calculates 31 B. C. and by the Spinden 
correlation 291 B. C. Both Stirling (1940 a, p. 5) and Drucker 
(1943 a, p. 118) indicate that it is not possible to attribute Stela C 
from Tres Zapotes to a definite stratigraphic and ceramic horizon at 
the site. Drucker (LV, pp. 208, 211) later assumed a Lower Tres 
Zapotes provenience for the stela. 

Thompson (1941; 1954, p. 50) does not agree with Stirling’s read- 
ing of the Stela C date and assigns the Olmec style to a much later 
period. Morley (1946, pp. 40-42) shares Thompson’s doubts not only 


231t should be noted that Pifla Chdn, who was in charge of the excavations at Tlatilco, 
contradicts Porter’s statement as to the occurrence of platform mounds at this site (per- 
sonal communication). This disagreement, although bearing on a matter of great im- 
portance to the picture of cultural development in the Valley of Mexico and adjacent 
regions, in no way affects our conclusion as to the temporal equivalence of La Venta and 
Tlatileo. 


264 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


on the reading of the date of Stela C at Tres Zapotes but also the con- 
temporaneity of the stela and its date. 

In view of the recent radiocarbon dates for the La Venta site (see 
below) it seems probable that Stela C, even if dated by the Spinden 
correlation at 291 B. C. (rather than by the Goodman-Martinez- 
Thompson correlation), is too late for Lower Tres Zapotes. On the 
other hand, if Stela C belongs to the Middle Tres Zapotes period and 
is therefore roughly contemporaneous with La Venta, we are faced 
with the paradox that no monuments or stelae with calendrical glyphs 
in the Stela C style are known to occur at La Venta. Stela C at Tres 
Zapotes therefore may be late Middle or early Upper Tres Zapotes in 
time. The real problem concerning Stela C is that this is the only 
monument from the Olmec area done in the classic Olmec style which 
bears a carved date. A further problem is that the reading of this 
date, because of the fragmentary nature of the stela, is itself not 
certain. 

RADIOCARBON DATES 


Nine radiocarbon. dates have been determined for the La Venta site 
(Drucker, Heizer, and Squier, 1957). All samples are of wood char- 
coal collected in the 1955 season, after we had determined the basic 
stratigraphy of the site. The laboratory determinations were made 
at the University Memorial-Phoenix Project Radiocarbon Laboratory 
(University of Michigan) under the direction of H. R. Crane. We 
wish to acknowledge the help of Dr. J. B. Griffin in handling the 
samples. Laboratory costs were defrayed by the National Geographic 
Society. The samples may be described as follows: 


Sample M-535: Charcoal from Phase I water-sorted floors at northeast 
corner of Southwest Platform. Age 3,110 + 300 years (B. C. 1154 + 300). 

Sample M-529: Charcoal from Phase I stage at midpoint of Northeast Plat- 
form in vicinity of Offering No. 15. Date may or may not refer to time of 
offering, but was collected to indicate age of Phase I platform fill. Age 2,860 + 
300 years (B. C. 904 + 300). 

Sample M-530: Charcoal from bottom of Phase II pit 68 inches below sur- 
face of Northwest Platform (see fig. 21). Age 2,760 + 300 years (B. C. 804 
+ 300). 

Sample M-534: Charcoal from depth of 120 inches below surface at center 
of Northwest Platform (see fig. 21). This sample is from fill layer underlying 
and contemporaneous with Phase I floors elsewhere in the Court area. Age 2,670 
+ 800 years (B. C. 714 + 300). 

Sample M-5382: Charcoal from earliest (Phase I) construction layers in 
Mound A-2 collected from j-3 and j—5 (see fig. 10) components. Age 2,650 = 
300 years (B. C. 694 + 300). 

Sample M-531: Charcoal from leveling fill for Phase I platform in Mound 
A-2 (see fig. 10). This sample immediately predates stratigraphically Sample 
M-532. Age 2,560 + 300 years (B. C. 604 + 300). 

Sample M-536: Charcoal from bottom of trench cut into North Platform of 
the Great Pyramid. Charcoal-bearing level consisted of white sands mixed 


Drucker, Heizer, , 
ei getiey EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 265 


with La Venta Coarse Paste Buff Ware and Coarse Paste Brown Ware sherds. 
Phase attribution of this layer is unknown since we were unable to correiate the 
Pyramid construction layers with those in the Ceremonial Court. Age 2,530 — 
300 years (B. C. 574 = 300). 

Sample M-528: Charcoal from lower margin of post-Phase IV windblown sands 
in vicinity of Northeast Entryway (see fig. 24). This is definitely of post- 
Complex A date marking a time immediately following abandonment of the site 
by the Phase IV occupants. Age 2,400 + 250 years (B. C. 444 + 250). 

Sample M-533: Charcoal from burned area lying on disturbed Phase IV red 
clay surface just west of limestone slab paving near Northeast Entryway. Prob- 
ably refers to early post-Complex A activity of people following abandonment 
of site by its builders. Age 2,130 + 300 years (B. C. 174 + 300). 

The radiocarbon dates are shown schematically in the bar chart 
(fig. 79). The dates are arranged in this figure according to their 
cultural significance, and each date is represented within one standard 
error. 

Five of the nine samples (Nos. M-535, M-529, M-534, M-532, and 
M-531) come from levels which belong stratigraphically to Phase I. 
The dates (disregarding the plus or minus error) range from 3,110 
to 2,560 years ago (B. C. 1154 to B. C. 604). There are several altern- 
ative ways in which a series of single period dates may be judged 
for their chronological significance. With reference to the five Phase 
I dates, it can be pointed out that the maximum range within one sigma 
runs from 1454 B. C. to 304 B. C. Alternatively, one can view the 
five Phase I dates as showing a significant overlap by the process of 
subtracting the sigma of error from the maximum date (854 B. C.) 
and adding cne sigma to the minimum date (904 B. C.), with the re- 
sult that an overlap of 50 years between the two extremes can be shown. 
We are not convinced that by such manipulations we arrive at accurate 
or meaningful dates. Our own inclination is to assume that no im- 
portant laboratory errors exist in the determinations, and, further, 
since stratigraphically the samples are contemporaneous, the proper 
way to judge the five dates is as a group and that the arithmetic aver- 
age of the five dates which is 2,770 *° years, or 814 B.C., is a close ap- 
proximation to the actual age of the Phase I constructions at La Venta. 
The application of the formula for determining the error of the aver- 
age (Wauchope, 1954 pp. 19-20) yields a plus or minus error of 134 
years. There isa better than even chance that the true date for Phase 
I lies between 680 B. C. and 948 B. C., or 2,636 and 2,904 years ago. 
We therefore select the round number date of 800 B. C. (2,756 years 
ago) for the Phase I constructions at the La Venta site. 

The single Phase II sample (M-530) gives a date (2,760 + 300 
years or 804 B. C. + 300) which is not significantly different from the 


2 This figure was erroneously given as 2,700 years in an earlier publication of the 
La Venta radiocarbon dates (Drucker, Heizer, and Squier, 1957, p. 72). 


431818—59——_18 


266 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


Phase IV 


Poste 


Phase | 
Phase (?) 


Phase | 


@ 
7) 
ro] 
=} 
a 


M-532 


M-530 


Ficure 79.—La Venta radiocarbon dates. Each date shown with one sigma range. 


average for the five Phase I dates. We note that this date falls in the 
mid-range of the five Phase I dates; this is not necessarily significant 
as to the actual age of the Phase II sample, but it is not out of line with 
its expectable date according to its stratigraphic position. 

The sample (M-536) taken from the base of the Great Pyramid 
cannot be directly related to the construction phase sequence worked 
out in the Ceremonial Court. The Pyramid stands isolated from the 
Court and there is no direct stratigraphic connection between the two 
components. The long trench dug by us through the North Platform 
of the Pyramid could not be carried to the base of the structure. Fur- 
thermore, it is our impression that the trench was excavated into what 
may be considered the outermost shell of the Pyramid, that is to say a 


Drucker, Heizer, 
vad Suuies} “"’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 267 


late stage of enlargement rather than the hearting of the original struc- 
ture. This impression depends upon the assumption that the Pyra- 
mid, like other structures in the site, was built up in a series of 
enlargements, but of this we have no direct evidence. The date of 
sample M-536 is 2,530 + 300 years ago (B. C. 574 + 300) and is gen- 
erally agreeable with the latter rather than the earlier half of the site’s 
history. This might indicate a Phase III or IV activity represented 
by this layer. 

No charcoal samples definitely attributable to Phase III or IV were 
collected. We are, however, in a position to provide an estimated 
date for Phase IV. Two samples (M-528 and M-533) were collected 
from the lowermost levels of the surface drift sand overlying the 
Ceremonial Court constructions. The charcoal samples contained in 
the upper drift sand appear to have been deposited shortly after the 
drift sand began to accumulate without interruption. The arithmetic 
average of samples M-528 and M-533 is 2,265 years ago (309 B. C.). 
Using the method of determining the weighted average (Wauchope, 
1954), we derive the figure 2,289 + 195 years ago (B. C. 383 + 195). 
We estimate that about a century intervened between the end of the 
Phase IV occupation and the deposition of the charcoal in the thin lay- 
er of drift sands which had by now accumulated. We therefore place 
the end of Phase IV as falling within the period 450 to 325 B. C., 
probably near the early part of that span. In round numbers, we 
have selected the date 400 B. C. as marking the termination of the use 
of the Ceremonial Court by its builders. The radiocarbon dates from 
La Venta are interpreted by us as indicating that Complex A was con- 
structed and used during approximately the period 800 B. C. to 
400 B.C. 


POSSIBLE SOCIOPOLITICAL SITUATION AT LA VENTA 


The island of La Venta which lies in the swamp lowland of the lower 
reaches of the Tonala River can scarcely be considered a particularly 
desirable location for habitation. Among the reasons why La Venta 
island was selected as the site of the ceremonial center of the district 
may have been precisely its remoteness and general isolation. The 
elevated area running along the banks of the Tonalaé River from Agua 
Dulce to the river’s mouth, or the higher country to the north beyond 
the potreros surrounding La Venta, or the mouths of the Tonala and 
Coatzacoalcos Rivers would seem to have been much more convenient 
areas which were more central to the districts holding large numbers 
of people. La Venta was not cluttered up by people. It was a spot 
where the great ceremonial seat could be placed, and where the im- 
portant rituals could be conducted by the elite without interference. 
Although we are accustomed to thinking of the great cathedrals and 


268 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


religious centers of Europe (e. g., Cologne, Rheims, and the Vatican) 
as associated with large population centers, there may have been a 
less intimate connection between economic factors, population numbers 
and religion in Mesoamerica in Preclassic times. Thus, thesla de los 
Sacrificios just off the city of Veracruz (Nuttall, 1910) seems to have 
been one of these isolated ceremonial centers which was ringed by 
water, yet lay within relatively easy reach of communication with the 
nearby occupied districts of the mainland.” Thus, it can be argued 
that La Venta was chosen as a site for ceremonialism because of its 
relative isolation. However, it will be recalled that in the fill of the 
earliest constructions we found fragments of colored clay flooring 
layers which must have come from destroyed pre-Phase I structures 
in the general vicinity. These fragments indicate the earlier use of 
the locale as a ceremonial site. Thus, if the island had already 
achieved a significance in ceremonial and ritual, the erection of the 
La Venta structures we excavated may have been a continuation of 
the religious regard for the locale comparable to the Christian churches 
and chapels built atop the mound at Cholula (although probably 
without the culture change involved in this example). Unfortunately, 
we cannot even hazard an informed guess as to the nature or location 
of the pre-Phase I structures, though the series of thin colored clay 
layers suggests that they came from floors or platform facings of 
the same general type as the A-2 mound and the various platforms 
in the Court interior. Our present guess, and it can be no more, is 
that they were probably small, haphazardly arranged platform mounds 
in the site area, and that they were destroyed to make room for the 
integrated plan of Complex A. In other words, it seems likely they 
were the result of essentially the same religious and ceremonial and 
even social pattern in a somewhat simpler stage. 

It is tempting to speculate on the nature of the society which con- 
ceived, planned, built and maintained for four centuries the great 
La Venta center. The authors of this imposing site we have called 
“Olmec,” but as to who they really were we must confess very little 
knowledge. Our knowledge of the Olmec of La Venta is limited to 
the site itself and its contents, and to the results secured by Drucker 
in 1942 while investigating the scattered deposits of trash accumulation 
in the vicinity of the site, the excavation of Tres Zapotes and the 1953 
Olmec territory survey. The available information, though large in 
bulk, is mostly limited to one or another aspect of the ritual activities 


30 Another parallel in a completely different culture context is the island of Mbau just 
off Viti Levu in the Fiji group. Here, as observed by Williams (1858, vol. 1, p. 7) “is con- 
centrated the chief political [and religious] power of Fiji.”’ See also, on Mbau, Henderson, 
1931, p. 38, pl. opp. p. 38; Gifford, 1952, pl. 80. Compare, also, nearer at hand, the island 
site of Jaina. 


Drucker, Heizer, 
erga ” EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 269 


of a vanished people. Our interpretations are admittedly limited, 
but we here attempt to breathe a little life into our dead data. 

Our assignment of La Venta to the Formative or Preclassic period 
(Wauchope’s “Urban Formative”) of Mesoamerica is not in agreement 
with the opinion of some earlier writers who believed that elaborate 
systems of sociopolitical or socioreligious controls, as manifested by 
major construction projects, did not come into being until the Classic 
period. Since 1948, however, evidence has been accumulating that 
substantial social, economic, and architectural achievements were real- 
ized during the Preclassic period (Shook and Kidder, 1952, p. 123; 
Willey, 1955, pp. 573-575 ; Wauchope, 1950). Drucker (1947, pp. 2-3) 
has outlined a reconstruction of La Venta’s past which proposes that 
the ceremonial center was operated by a small resident group of priests, 
or priest rulers, and their personal servants, the support of this aggre- 
gate deriving in the form of tribute from villages in the general 
vicinity, and with the labor force for the major building efforts being 
recruited from these villages. Since the island of La Venta is small, 
containing only 2 square miles of inhabitable and tillable surface, 
Drucker’s proposal seems reasonable, since a definite limit of self- 
sufficient numbers is imposed by the restricted area, and we cannot 
_ suppose that the site was left unattended. We remind the reader of 
the evidence for frequent resurfacing of structures and the lack of 
evidence of erosion of surfaces of structures until post-Phase IV times. 

To make it possible for a religious elite to maintain the center; to 
mine the great quantities of serpentine (like those in the “sub-plat- 
form offerings” of the Southwest and Southeast Platforms) ; to trans- 
port the stones to the site, and to dress them into the surfaced blocks 
for use in the jaguar mosaic “masks” and the pavementlike massive 
offerings; to quarry, transport, and sculpture the numerous altars, 
stelae, and monuments; to carry in the carefully selected colored clay 
fills and surfacing materials—in short, the totality of manpower prob- 
lems posed, and successfully solved, by the sheer effort of building the 
site with its varied contents, does probably indicate, as Drucker 
(1947, p. 3) states, “considerable centralization of authority and an 
elaborate [social] organization.” ™ 

The fact that the site was in continuous use for about 400 years is 
a clear indication of quite extraordinary cultural stability and single- 
ness of purpose. The Olmec religion must, at the time of the begin- 


71 An alternative situation might be argued. Southall (1956, p. 261) says, “Ritual su- 
premacy is often accepted where political control is not, and segmentary states may char- 
acteristically be more highly centralized ritually than politically.’’ In one sense Southall’s 
statement is pure semantics. It does not apply in socioreligious systems which called for 
labor to construct ritual sites—a tenate of pink clay weighs exactly as much whether a 
“king” or a “high priest’? who has the authority says, “Put it on your back and carry it 
forty kilometers to La Venta Island.” 


270 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


ning of the site, have already been a well-worked-out system which 
had sufficient meaning, tradition, and purpose to insure its continuance 
for nearly half a millennium. If we employ the familiar analogy of a 
hierarchial society in the form of a pyramid with the peasant laborers 
forming the broad base and supporting the priest rulers at the apex, 
we can imagine that we would have a situation which, as far as our 
evidence goes, fits the Olmec La Venta case. Unfortunately, so little 
is known about other Olmec lowland sites that nothing concrete can 
be cited to support the proposition. That the society which built and 
gloried in the La Venta site had an agricultural economy seems quite 
likely, although we have no direct evidence. That is to say, no actual 
remains of maize have been found, although the mano and metate, 
usually associated with maize agriculture, do occur. That this culture 
group had master artisans who could sculpture basalt, work jade, and 
polish the concave metallic mirrors is established; that some small 
and select group or class acted as caretakers of the ceremonial site 
seems very probable,” and that large numbers of workers engaged in 
the hard labor of excavation, transportation of materials, and con- 
struction of mounds can be safely inferred—all this tells us little else 
than the fact that there was differentiation of labor skills and that 
some rather elaborate sociopolitical or socioreligious organization was 
in existence. The trash deposits excavated in 1942 at La Venta can be 
intrepreted as the living refuse of the construction workers and site 
attendants which was laid down through the time the La Venta site 
was being built and used. Such ceramics as were found as offerings 
in the Phase I-IV layers of the site are similar to pottery found in the 
midden deposits in the near vicinity. The variety of stone materials 
present in the site (see Appendix 4) is a clear indication of a farflung 
network of communications and trade by means of which special mate- 
rials (jade, cinnabar, magnetite, etc.) and building stone (basalt, 
limestone, greenschist, etc.) were procured in large quantity. Al- 
though we can offer no proof, it seems probable that the presence of 
actual Olmec peoples in the Valley of Mexico (at Tlatilco) and in 
Morelos State (at Chalecatzingo) may be explained as deriving from a 
procurement and trading settlement. What commodities these out- 
posts (“trade consulates”) were securing can only be guessed at, but 


821f the jade and serpentine figurines in Offering 4 represent priests, and this seems 
probable in view of the obvious attempt to represent a solemn scene which can be inter- 
preted as a ceremonial event, it occurs to us that the La Venta priests may have been 
eunuchs. ‘The general body shape and deemphasis of sexual characteristics make these 
persons appear less vigorously masculine than, for example, the costumed priests in Maya 
reliefs or the Bonampak murals. Alternatively, the La Venta figurine style may be simply 
a conventionalization which is peculiar to the culture, although the obvious portrayal of 
artificially deformed heads, and representation of tooth mutilation argues for an attempt 
to delineate actual, not ideal, characteristics. 


Drucker, Heizer, é 
and Sauier} ©’ EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 271 


rare minerals such as jade, malachite and cinnabar, or obsidian flake 
knives, or women, or perishable items serving for ritual paraphernalia 
(feathers, skins, etc.) may be suggested. Who knows but that the 
babies held in the arms of priests as depicted on the La Venta altars 
may not have been sacrificial victims secured from distant peoples? An 
even more complex rationalization than infants as offerings may likely 
be true—compare, for example, the legendary account of the birth 
of Christ or the still surviving belief in the selection of the Dalai 
Lama in Tibet for religious concepts surrounding infants. 

The numerous offerings and sculptured stones (stelae, altars and 
monuments) at La Venta indicate, by themselves, the sanctity and 
ceremonial nature of the site. The systems of belief of the society 
that planned and built this sacred site are architecturally expressed, 
but the systems themselves elude identification.** With more excava- 
tion in Olmec sites and with an effort made to gain insight into patterns 
of belief and behavior, the future will doubtless provide answers which 
at present we must admit we are unable to recognize. 


33In illustration we cite the deeply buried serpentine slab ‘‘pavements” and the deep 
stone layers in the Southeast and Southwest Platforms. We are convinced that these are 
offerings whose placement was a highly ritualized activity. Is it possible that the under- 
lying motivation was to make an offering which was in the form of a tremendous ex- 
penditure of human Jabor? These pavements were never intended to be constructions to 
be admired by the public or cult devotees, since the evidence is clear that they were 
covered over aS soon as they were deposited. They are not made of precious materials 
which required deep burial to prevent or discourage their spoliation, nor are they tombs 
of eminent persons which required protection. They are, in our view, deliberate attempts 
to deposit in great pits whose excavation and filling required great amounts of labor, 
impressively large amounts of material which had to be secured at great pains from dis- 
tant sources. Further, each is associated with the beginning of a major construction 
phase at La Venta. Taking all these points together, a pattern is obvious, but what the 
sociological, behavioral and ideological significance of the offering complex was to the 
Olmec group is in the realm of inference into which our present data do not permit us 
to venture. 


[Bull. 170 


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Drucker, Heizer, 
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APPENDIX 3 
TECHNICAL NOTES ON CONCAVE MIRRORS 


By Jonas E. GuLLBERG 


Some of the physical characteristics of the concave mirrors from 
La Venta are presented in table 1. The mineral identifications given 
in this table are taken from the determinations presented in Appendix 
4. 

No verbal description can convey the remarkable technical and 
artistic quality of the La Venta mirrors. All of the specimens studied 
are essentially similar, indicating that they must represent a deliberate, 
tradition-directed form. The dimensions and focal lengths produced 
were probably influenced to some extent by the blocks of mineral from 
which they were made. In spite of the diversity in size and curva- 
tures, the uniformity in this group of mirrors is very impressive. 

The polish of the specimens is excellent and probably represents the 
limit of perfection that the material will allow. An attempt to estab- 
lish the character of the grinding method by microscopic examination 
failed to show any clear trace of abrasion marks but did show that 
the polishing method used brings out the microstructure of the min- 
eral. In modern technology, this fine structure is only revealed when 
polishing and etching are combined. It is possible that polishing by 
an extremely slow and laborious technique could produce this micro- 
crystalline detail. The photomicrographs, a sample of which are 
shown in plate 62, e-g, show areas of fine and coarse components that 
determine the quality of reflection for any area. 

On superficial examination the mirrors appeared to be spherical 
and the writer’s first assumption was that wooden tools charged with 
abrasive or a polishing agent were used to produce the concavity. 
However, a careful study of the curvatures soon revealed a changing 
radius of curvature from the center to the outer edge of each mirror. 
The radius of curvature becomes progressively greater as the edge is 
approached (pl. 62, a-c). The effect is almost identical with the 
modern practice of parabolizing optical reflectors. This outer local 
flattening improves the performance of a reflector that focuses radi- 
ant energy. Such parabolizing is done along both the major and 
minor axes of the mirrors, so a description of the surfaces must take 
into account changing curvatures in at least two directions. This 


280 


™ BXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 281 


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431818—is9—_19 


282 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


subtle and almost unbelievable molding of the surface either shows 
a high degree of sophistication or it inadvertently followed from 
the type of stroke and pressure used in the hand grinding and polish- 
ing. ‘The theory that a characteristic handstroke explains the lesser 
curvature in the outer zones is contradicted by the sharp clarity of 
the beginning of the borders of the mirrors (pls. 48-46). The re- 
versed border curvature on these mirrors would seem to demand the 
use of a tool for grinding and polishing the relatively narrow borders. 
There are minute, local irregularities in the curvature of the surfaces 
which suggest that the grinding and polishing were done on small 
areas at a time. These imperfections detract very little from the 
general optical quality. 

When the focal length of the major and minor axes are quite 
different, each behaves to some extent as a cylindrical mirror. This 
is shown in plate 63, where parallel ight is focused approximately as 
a line. The curvature of this line is proportional to the off-axis 
projection. The number of specimens studied and the similarity in 
all the curves excludes the possibility of chance accounting for the 
form of the mirrors. In a culture that lacked metals, the selection of 
these minerals for the making of mirrors would point to a deliberate 
choice justified by the favorable semimetallic characteristics of the 
materials. If the kidney stone form of hematite had been known to 
these people, its convex curvatures and high degree of smoothness 
might have served as a model for part of this craft. With the direct 
evidence available to us, it is impossible to reconstruct the technique 
used in making these concave mirrors. 

After handling these specimens for many hours, the writer feels 
that they had a very significant place in the culture to which they 
belonged. They have a gracefulness, dignity, and perfection that 
makes it hard to think of them as incidental or even only ornamental. 
The concave side has received a care that would seem to go beyond 
the standards of even superb lapidaries. The reverse curvature bevel 
framing the mirrors probably was added to satisfy the esthetic stand- 
ards of the craftsmen. The backs vary from what might be called 
a utilitarian finish to polished patches just short of the quality of the 
mirror surfaces proper. 

Since these seem to be optical devices, how were they used? With 
the sunlight in the Tropics, these mirrors are probably capable of 
igniting tinder. The smaller mirror (from Offering 1943-E) has 
the reduced focal length required to maintain the aperture ratio. 
The question might be asked why these people did not grind a mirror 
of shorter radius in their larger blocks. But, if the writer’s suppo- 
sition is correct (that they were used to light fires), there is a real 
physical advantage in not having too short a focal length. 


Drucker, Heizer, ‘a 
Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 283 


An even more fantastic use could have been as a “camera obscura.” 
These mirrors can throw a picture of the landscape on a surface 
placed near the principal focus. All that is required is some shading 
of the screen on which the picture is to be projected. In this case, 
a mirror of longer focal length would be advantageous. In all 
speculation on function, it is essential to think in terms of short 
distance applications. Plane mirrors with sunlight are capable of 
action at a great distance but these short foci, concave mirrors are 
only impressive when used near their focal length. The interesting 
focal patterns and the blotchy patterns projected at greater distances 
by the varying reflectivity of the mirror surfaces are startling and 
may have been given some significance by the users of the mirrors. 
But in the writer’s opinion it would be best to regard these capacities 
of the mirrors as incidental concomitants of certain curvatures and 
specular powers. With the kind of mastery these people showed in 
their technique, these focal patterns and reflections would have had a 
less random character if they were intended for a specific use. 

Any concave mirror, when held close to the face, acts as a magnify- 
ing device. These mirrors differ somewhat in their effectiveness in 
forming an image. The mirror from Offering 11, which has a large 
difference in focal lengths for the major and minor axes, produces a 
mildly distorted image. The mirror from Offering 1943-E has such a 
short focal length that it returns little more than a magnified image 
of the observer’s eye. 

During a recent visit to Europe the writer examined the obsidian 
and pyritic mirrors in the British Museum and the Trocadero (Musée 
de 1’Homme) in Paris and discussed with specialists in these institu- 
tions the specimens of similar nature in other European museums. 
All of the specimens listed by Nordenskidld (1926) were personally 
examined. The obsidian mirrors are massive rectangular blocks and 
all are convex. The pyrite mirrors are generally small and convex. 
It is debatable whether some of the pyrite objects should even be 
classified as mirrors. No mirror seen or reported to me in Europe 
even remotely resembles the concave mirrors from La Venta. 


431818—59—_20 


APPENDIX 4 


THE PETROLOGY OF ARTIFACTS AND ARCHITECTURAL 
STONE AT LA VENTA 


By Garniss H. Curtis 


The materials used for artifacts and construction stone at La Venta 
may be readily categorized into three principal rock types: meta- 
morphic, volcanic, and sedimentary. 

A wide variety of textural types occur in the metamorphic group, 
but previous to metamorphism most of these rocks were of igneous 
origin. Some of them, because of their coarse-grain size, might once 
have been intrusive rocks—serpentine certainly was—but most are 
fine-grained and probably of extrusive volcanic origin. The miner- 
alogy of these metavolcanic rocks is simple. Most are composed of 
aggregates of varying proportions of not more than three minerals 
from the following group: albite, epidote, zoisite, actinolite, ferro- 
tremolite, chlorite, muscovite, antigorite, pumpellyite, and stilpno- 
melane (?). This mineral assemblage as a whole is indicative of 
metamorphism under uniform physical conditions of low intensity. 
Rocks that have been recrystallized under such conditions belong to 
the greenschist facies of regional metamorphic type. Nephrite and 
jadeite, from which some of the artifacts were made, indicate condi- 
tions of higher grade metamorphism or perhaps of metasomatism. It 
is probable, however, that these too came from the same general area 
of metamorphic rocks as the other specimens. Similar occurrences of 
Jadeite and nephrite in greenschist provinces are to be found else- 
where in the world, California being an example. 

In terms of the location of the source of these rocks, some though 
not much significance attaches to this restricted grouping of meta- 
morphic type. Metamorphic rocks belonging to the greenschist facies 
usually occur in narrow (20—30 km.) belts that are elongated (hun- 
dreds of kilometers) parallel to the axes of fold-mountains. Deep 
denudation is required to expose them, hence they are generally pre- 
Tertiary in age. Such a belt of metamorphic rocks, including asso- 
ciated granitic intrusions, occurs in Mexico starting approximately 
100 kilometers south of La Venta and extending westward almost 600 
kilometers. These rocks are believed to be Paleozoic in age. 


284 


Drager Belzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 285 


The principal volcanic rock used at La Venta is olivine basalt, 
often hornblende bearing. Hornblende pyroxene andesite was also 
used, though sparingly. In all of the olivine basalts, augite is a 
major constituent, and it is also present in the one specimen of horn- 
blende andesite examined. In only one of the basalts observed is 
olivine sufficiently abundant to classify the rock as picrite. Plagio- 
clase is, of course, present in all of the volcanic rocks, but it forms 
large well-defined phenocrysts only in the hornblende andesite. 

Marly limestone, friable micaceous feldspathic sandstone, and black 
quartzite comprise the sedimentary rocks utilized. 

Most of the rocks examined show more or less effect of weathering. 
In some specimens weathering has converted all of the primary sili- 
cate minerals to clay minerals to a depth of 1.2 mm. Such surface 
alteration is apparently of postoccupation date at La Venta, 1. e., has 
occurred in the last 2 millennia. 

There would appear to be nothing unusual about the utilization 
of the various rock types by the La Ventans were it not for the fact 
that two of them, the metamorphic and volcanic, are not to be found 
within a distance of many kilometers from La Venta. The local 
limestone and sandstone of Miocene age outcropping in the vicinity 
of La Venta should have been satisfactory for some constructional 
needs, although it is reasonable that the La Ventans would seek more 
durable material than the poorly consolidated local rock for their 
tools. The marly limestone used for flagging (in Mound A-5, the 
Northeast Entryway, and elsewhere) has been identified by Ing. 
Hugo Contreras of Petroleos Mexicanos as being without doubt from 
the Chinameca limestone outcropping in a small hill east of the vil- 
lage of Chinameca, 60 km. west of La Venta (fig. 80). The surpris- 
ing thing is that not only did the La Ventans have to go great dis- 
tances for their two harder rock types, and to two widely separated 
localities for each of them, but they brought back tremendous quan- 
tities of both. The nearest volcanic rocks to La Venta outcrop 60 km. 
to the west in the vicinity of San Martin Tuxtla, where eruptions of 
basaltic lavas have occurred in historic times; while the nearest meta- 
morphic rocks outcrop in the hills due south of La Venta almost 100 
km. away. Only near Oaxaca, 290 km. to the southwest, do both 
volcanic and metamorphic rocks occur in proximity. Mystery sur- 
rounds the sources of both rock types but particularly the volcanic 
rocks when it is learned that the olivine basalt lavas at San Martin 
Tuxtla are essentially hornblende-free. Friedlaender and Sonder 
(1924) in their description of the lavas in the vicinity of San Mar- 
tin Tuxtla mention only one locality near Lake Catemaco where 
hornblende andesites occur, and here the rocks are all highly altered 
and clearly not the source of the material at La Venta. As a further 


286 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


v 2 7 PANTRY 
=e Le fore we Wee Aa 
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Vorcanic SEDIMENTARY METAMORPHIC PLUTONIC 


Ficure 80.—Geologic map of southeastern Mexico. 


check on this likely source locality, five specimens were collected 
from the general region by Ing. Hugo Contreras which all proved 
to be pyroxene-rich olivine basalts similar to those described by 
Friedlaender and Sonder. Specimens E and N in the series examined 
by the late William F. Foshag, a list of which is appended at the 
end of this report, may have had their source in this region but prob- 
ably no others of the ones examined. 

The next nearest source of volcanic rocks to La Venta is at Volcan 
de la Union on the Mescalapa River, 125 km. southeast. Six samples 
collected from this locality by Ing. Hugo Contreras proved to be 
coarse-grained hornblende andesites containing no trace of olivine 
or pyroxene. Despite the lack of pyroxene, these rocks are similar 
in general appearance to the hornblende andesite from Monument 14 
and it is possible that this monument, at least, came from there, but 
the source of the hornblende basalts must be elsewhere. 


Drucker, Heizer, - ; I TaN 
Drucker, Heizer, pXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 287 


As to why the La Ventans desired or needed two hard and durable 
types of rock for monuments and construction, there are no obvious 
geologic reasons. The metamorphic rocks are somewhat more fib- 
rous than the basalts, hence are probably tougher and less brittle. 
However, the basalts are composed of harder minerals, which might 
for many purposes be a more desirable characteristic. Probably 
esthetic reasons dictated the two choices: the basalts are equigranular 
and gray to black, while the metamorphic rocks are generally streaked 
in texture and are varicolored shades of green. 

The metallic parabolically concave mirrors of superb polish and 
craftsmanship almost certainly had their origin in deposits within 
the metamorphic and granitic province to the south. They were 
carved from large pieces, 3 to 6 inches in diameter, of ores of iron 
and titanium. The unpolished sides of the mirrors have the appear- 
ance of stream rounded boulders, and it is probable that the La 
Ventans obtained their material from streams after it had been eroded 
from its primary source. Optical and Knoop hardness tests (Robert- 
son and Van Meter, 1951) were used to identify the minerals com- 
posing the mirrors whose descriptions follow. Further data on the 
optical qualities of these mirrors are given in Appendix 3. (For 
information on the other artifacts in the offering from which the 
mirrors came, see the description of Offerings 9 and 11 in the main 
body of the present report and Appendix 1.) 


From 
Offering 
No. Description 
Oe Se Sa This is a coarse-grained aggregate of 3 minerals: magnetite, 


hematite, and ilmenite, of which magnetite is the most 
abundant and hematite the least. The hematite occurs 
in streaks which envelop grains of magnetite, suggesting 
that the specimen is of hydrothermal, i. e., vein origin. 
The Knoop hardness number of the ilmenite is 740-920, 
of the magnetite 525-555, of the hematite 330-465. 

papel eA de le Composed of a fine-grained aggregate of optically aniso- 
tropic crystals which are weakly magnetic (ilmenite). 
Under high magnification exsolution intergrowths of 
hematite comprising about 10 percent of the specimen 
may be observed. Knoop hardness number of the ilme- 
nite is 740-780, of the hematite 480. 

G4 Awe ee or The specimen is highly magnetic and is composed almost 
entirely of coarse grains of magnetite whose Knoop 
hardness number is 525. 


Mound A-2 fill Same as specimen from Offering 1942—A although the lower 

(1942). Knoop hardness number of the magnetite (485) suggests 
that they were not cut from the same block. 

14S = Hy eee ele} Lamellar blades of hematite constitute the entire specimen. 


Knoop hardness number of the hematite is 600. 


I8s BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


From 
Offering 
No. Description 
TOSS RVs 2 seo aa, Composed of a fine-grained aggregate of optically aniso- 
tropic crystals which are weakly magnetic and have a 
Knoop hardness number of 680 (ilmenite). Under high 
magnification exsolution intergrowths of hematite com- 
prising about 10 percent of the specimen may be ob- 
served. Very similar in properties to the specimen from 
Offering 11 although grain size of the hematite is smaller. 
1O43=Niaeee ee eee Same as the specimen from Offering 11 though grain size is 
coarser. Knoop hardness number of the ilmenite is 
870-920. 


Identification was made of the materials from which a number of 
the nonjade celts found in 1955 in Offering 2 were manufactured. 
These are given in the following descriptions. Specimens bearing 
the prefix 4A occurred in the upper layer of celts in Offering 2; 
those numbered 4B were found in the lower layer of celts. 


Field . 
catalog 
No. Description 
ora Lae el ll a eal Greenschist: composed essentially of pumpellyite. 
Bee Nie a nee ES el Pyroxene andesite: composed of phenocrysts of plagioclase, 


augite and hypersthene in a glassy matrix. Weathering 
extends to a depth of 1.2 mm. 

AA Be ee Lue a Metaandesite or metadiorite: fine-grained equigranular 
rock composed of approximately equal amounts of albite, 
actinolite, and chlorite. 


PAS tiles ee Serpentine: almost wholly composed of antigorite. 

BUA Burt OW ew ow Metaandesite or metadiorite: similar to 4A-3. 

AA ON has ee ae Serpentine: antigorite. 

(2 TNS eee ae is Se Metaandesite tuff: small fragments of andesite in a matrix 
of crystals of plagioclase, quartz, chlorite. 

AB piesa sen Metadiorite: large phenocrysts of albite in a finer grained 
matrix of ferrotremolite and white mica (muscovite ? 
2V=0). 

2) bio bya Ste eee eee Metadiorite: similar to 4B—-15 except there is no mica and 


albite is greatly in excess of ferrotremolite. 


A series of rock specimens taken from La Venta monuments and 
stone constructions were submitted for identification to the late Wil- 
ham F. Foshag of the United States National Museum by Philip 
Druker. It was originally planned that Dr. Foshag would report on 
these materials himself. After Dr. Foshag’s untimely death, his pre- 
liminary list of identifications was turned over to me for use in this 
report. Iam reproducing his list here in its original form. 


Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 289 


Specimen Description 
J \ EN Pere ee Rock from “rough stone pavements” underlying the jaguar 
mosaic mask in the Southwest Platform. Metadiorite: 
albite-zoisite, actinolite. 
| Beate hh ls PRD oe ea Monument 14. Hornblende andesite: phenocrysts of pla- 
gioclase, black hornblende and green augite in a fine- 
grained ground mass. 


(Oe ee Limestone “flagging” in Mound A-5. Marly limestone; 
could be from coastal plain nearby. 
i]s) eis eo Stone cist (Feature A-3-a) in Mound A-3. Micaceous 


sandstone: angular grains of feldspars and quartz with 
both black and white mica. 

1 pte ee ee Basalt column in Southwest Platform. Picrite: an olivine 
basalt with abundant phenocrysts of olivine in a fine 
grained ground mass of pyroxene and plagioclase. 

NS Sa ee ee ee Squared basalt facing block from Southwest Platform. 
Basalt or andesite: abundant plagioclase and hornblende 
phenocrysts, some pyroxene. The hornblende is altered. 


(Oh aA LS we ee tk OES Monument 22. Metadiorite: albite, epidote, chlorite, mus- 
covite. 

i 6 fae Ee es oe, roe Phase II facing block in Southwest Platform. Muscovite- 
actinolite schist, a metamorphic rock. 

ee Rock from “rough stone pavements” underlying the jaguar 


mosaic mask in the Southwest Platform. Metadiorite: 
mostly composed of albite with minor amounts of musco- 
vite and actinolite. 

jpn eee eS Rock from “rough stone pavements” underlying the jaguar 
mosaic mask in the Southwest Platform. Actinolite- 
epidote gneiss, a metamorphic rock. 

kee so PE Rock from “rough stone pavements” underlying the jaguar 
mosaic mask in the Southwest Platform. Black quart- 
zite: angular and poorly sorted grains of quartz. 

| bye SLA ae 2 ee Rock from “rough stone pavements” underlying the jaguar 
mosaic mask in the Southwest Platform. Actinolite am- 
phibolite: almost wholly composed of actinolite. <A 
metamorphic rock. 

1) eee ee Se as ee Rock from “rough stone pavements” underlying the jaguar 
mosaic mask in the Southwest Platform. Muscovite- 
actinolite schist, a metamorphic rock. 

NEAR Plaque recovered from road fill approximately one mile 
south of Pyramid. Olivine basalt: large phenocrysts 
of augite, abundant phenocrysts of plagioclase, dark mi- 
crocrystalline ground mass. The olivine is altered 
around edges to iddingsite. 

Oe ASS EARS Rock from “rough stone pavements” underlying the jaguar 
mosaic mask in the Southwest Platform. Metadiorite?: 
albite, chlorite, epidote. 


APPENDIX 5 


THE RANGE OF THE JAGUAR IN MEXICO 
By A. Srarker Leopotp 


The jaguar (Yelis onca) is a resident of the tropical forests of 
Mexico. Records of occurrence, and the presumed normal range of 
the species, are shown in the accompanying map (fig. 81). 

It will be noted that jaguars have been recorded far from their 
normal range, in the temperate interior and on the northwestern 
deserts. These extralimital occurrences represent wandering males 
that take off from home, for reasons unknown, and travel through 
unfriendly terrain presumably until death. Such vagrant male 
jaguars have been recorded in all the southwestern states of 
the United States, as well as in temperate Mexico. But their oc- 
currence should not obscure the normal or natural pattern of distri- 
bution. 


Ficure 81.—Distribution of the jaguar in Mexico. Normal range is hachured area; 
solid spots are recorded occurrences. 


The realm of the jaguar is the dense tropical monte. The big cat 
is most at home in the tall, cool forests along streams and water- 


290 


D k , Hei , y ¥ T I 
Drucker Brie EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 291 


courses that traverse the coastal lowlands. Highest densities of 
jaguars encountered during the Mexican game survey (conducted in- 
termittently, 1944-57) were along the heavily forested flatlands and 
foothills of southern Sinaloa, the swamps of coastal Nayarit, the 
remaining uncut forests along the Gulf Coast as far east as central 
Campeche, and the great rain forests of northern Chiapas, Pre- 
sumably other parts of the coastal lowlands, now cleared, sustained 
equal numbers of jaguars originally. 


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ADDENDUM 


We append here a few belated thoughts on the La Venta site and 
refer to a limited number of relevant publications which have ap- 
peared in print after the main report was in press. 

With reference to the La Venta site, we must note recent reports 
from Mexico that parts of the site have been disturbed by removal of 
nearly all of the sculptured stelae and altars to the “Parque Olmeca” 
at Villahermosa, Tabasco. Available photographs show that the La 
Venta sculptures, with the exception of Stela 3 which was broken into 
three pieces during transit, have not suffered, and although these 
sculptures will not be so easily accessible for study, there is no doubt 
but that they will be more carefully guarded against vandalism and 
accidental damage. Thus, the reader can read “Villahermosa” for 
“La Venta” in nearly all cases in the right hand column of Appendix 
2. Known exceptions are Stela 5 and Monuments 25, 26, 27 which 
are presumed to still be at La Venta. 

The excellently conceived and beautifully illustrated synthesis by 
Miguel Covarrubias entitled, “Indian Art of Mexico and Central 
America” (New York, 1957) appeared while the present report was 
in press. In this volume Covarrubias presents in full his concept of 
Olmec as the cultura madre of Mesoamerican civilization, his belief 
in the origin of Olmec in the Guerrero-Oaxaca region of Mexico, and 
his idea that the “last redoubt” of Olmec culture was at La Venta and 
other sites in this region. There is no need to repeat here our judg- 
ment of Covarrubias’ position with respect to Olmec cultural develop- 
ment; this has been set forth in detail in the foregoing pages. Cova- 
rrubias has not changed in this most recent volume from the position 
presented in several of his earlier works. 

Several times while writing the main report we discussed the possi- 
bility that the Ceremonial Court might, as a unit, represent a gigantic 
jaguar mask. We finally decided that the idea was not worth serious 
proposal and failed to mention it. It occurs to us now that others 
may have the same idea (as, indeed, Stirling recently writes that he 
and Wedel discussed the possibility in 1943) and we mention it here 
only to say that we cannot propose it seriously. The same may be 
said for the idea that the interior of the Ceremonial Court may have 
been an Olmec ballecourt—we have discussed the possibility and can- 
not see any evidence for it. 


297 


298 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


A point not made clear in the description of Mound A-2 is that we 
do not know the form of this structure. In the main trench where 
we cut into the remnant of the older constructions which remained 
after the c-1 and h-1 cuts (shown in fig. 10) were made, the purple- 
painted edges of the treads ran straight, not curved. We have as- 
sumed, though not before so stated, that the A—2 structure was square 
or rectangular. It is unlikely, judging even from our limited evi- 
dence, that it was oval or round. The impression one gets of the 
A-2 mound from the surface is that it is round, but this shape clearly 
can derive from the Phase IV red clay cap that was dumped over 
the older construction. If the A—2 mound is in fact square, we should 
have checked the corners for clay masks of the E~-VIJ-Sub Uaxactun 
type. 

If the A-2 mound should be excavated again, it occurs to us that 
other sections of the structure may produce interesting new finds. We 
suggest this with the idea in mind that although we have continually 
emphasized the centerline as a locus for dedicatory caches, the A-2 
mound clearly contained some off-centerline offerings (e. g., Offerings 
9 and 11 and the large gray sand-filled pits shown as b-5 and b-7 in 
fig. 12) and the presumption is that lateral trenches in this area run- 
ning at right angles to the centerline might yield finds of interest. 

The rectangular serpentine blocks employed in the massive offerings 
and the jaguar mosaic masks, and the dressed rectangular basalt fac- 
ing blocks stand as the only suggestions of stone used as construction 
elements. La Venta site is, of course, a site built of earth, and the 
dressed stones that occur here strike an off-key note. The paving and 
facing blocks at La Venta may represent either the beginning of the 
use of stone in ritual construction among the lowland Olmec, or (and 
more probably) a special use of dressed stones which were in use else- 
where in the Olmec area as primary construction elements. Whether 
these hypothetical sites in which stone masonry or dressed stone-faced 
structures precede or are contemporaneous with La Venta in time 
cannot be decided, but the fact that such stone blocks are present 
surely by Phase II times and probably in Phase I (as evidenced by 
the block-filled trench lying over Feature A-1-h) suggests that when 
the site was built the manufacture and utilization of such blocks was 
already well established. 

Another speculation which we did not originally consider suffi- 
ciently probable to state, but now mention because it may occur to 
some readers, is that each building phase was associated with the in- 
stallation of a jaguar mask mosaic. The two masks built presumbly 
at the same time in the Southwest and Southeast Platforms date from 
Phase II. The isolated and disturbed mosaic mask found by Stirling 
and Wedel in 1943 (LV, pp. 56-59) between Mound A-3 and the 


Drucker, Helzer, EXCAVATIONS AT LA VENTA, TABASCO, 1955 299 


Pyramid is a second such occurrence, though its phase dating in the 
site is in doubt. We think it possible that two more such mosaic 
masks may lie buried in the area north of the Pyramid. These two 
hypothetical mosaic masks, together with the pair in the platforms 
and Wedel’s Pavement No. 2, would perhaps prove to be assignable to 
each of Phases I-IV. The tenuousness of the hypothesis is now ap- 
parent. At the same time, the known practice of the builders of the 
La Venta site in making a massive offering at the beginning of each 
phase does suggest an element of periodicity for the mosaic masks, and 
it is this possibility which we belatedly mention here. If the La 
Venta site could have one final season’s excavation most of the prob- 
lems mentioned in the report could be solved, and the result would 
be that the site would become one of the best known in Mesoamerica. 

We have noted in the report that La Venta has not thus far yielded 
any pieces suggestive of the great “votive axes” which are obviously 
Olmec inspired (cf. Saville, 1929 a, 1929 b; Judd, 1951), and have 
concluded that this type postdates the La Venta site occupation. This 
is pure inference, but has at least the logical basis that since such axes 
come from the Veracruz-Tabasco area and do not occur at La Venta 
in the offerings which comprise, in part, collections of jade and other 
hard stone celts of diverse forms and condition, we might expect at 
least one sculptured votive ax to have been incorporated in an offering 
if they were currently being made and used. A similar situation may 
exist with regard to the stone “masks,” from 4 to 8 inches high, and 
which are clearly of Olmec inspiration (cf. Covarrubias, 1957, fig. 35, 
pls. 9-10; Kelemen, 1948, pl. 248). Had such items been at all com- 
mon in the Gulf lowland region when La Venta was being built and 
used, one would expect that examples would have got placed in the 
offerings in the Northeast Platform or along the site centerline. Since 
they were not, and also because these “masks” are suggestive of those 
made at a later time and usually ascribed to Teotihuacan, we believe 
that such masks, if and when found in context by reliable excavators, 
will prove to come from sites of post-La Venta date. 

In the report under “Additional Notes on Earlier Finds at La 
Venta” we mention features noted on two of the three engraved celts 
found in Offering 1942-C. The third celt of this trio could not be 
located in the Museo Nacional in January 1957, but is shown by 
Covarrubias (1957, fig. 34, center) and, like the other two, exhibits 
concave faceting. The three celts can now be said to stand as a unique 
group because of their engraved ornamentation and the curious con- 
cave faceting that is suggestive of the concave ground surfaces of 
the hematite mirrors from Offerings 9 and 11. On the celt shown 
by Covarrubias, just referred to, compare the lower element (“knuckle- 
duster” is Drucker’s term in LY, p. 166) to the objects held in the 


300 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 170 


hands of the sculptured figure from San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan shown 
by Stirling (1955, pl. 15, 6) and Covarrubias (1957, fig. 32, upper). 
Covarrubias’ drawing, incidentally, contains minor inaccuracies, as 
comparison with Stirling’s photograph will show. It seems worth- 
while to here call attention to certain errors of specimen provenience 
or description that occur in Covarrubias’ “Indian Art of Mexico and 
Central America” (1957). Figure 19 in Covarrubias (1957) is Monu- 
ment 15 from La Venta, and is shown as a complete piece. This 
monument was recovered in two pieces and a reconstruction was pro- 
posed by Drucker (LV, fig. 54). Since size and layout are problem- 
atical, Covarrubias’ sketch, which is based on Drucker’s reconstruction, 
should be treated as such. The sculptured monument shown by 
Covarrubias in plate 15, lower left, is not Altar “B” from La Venta, 
as stated in the legend, but is Monument 2 from the Potrero Nuevo 
site near San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan (Stirling, 1955, pl. 23). The 
sculpture shown by Covarrubias in his plate 18, lower, is, of course, 
Monument 19 from La Venta and is not from Piedra Parada, Guate- 
mala,asstated. The error probably derives from substitution of illus- 
trations and failure to correct the legend. These are errors which 
Covarrubias would no doubt have corrected had he lived to read proof 
of his book. 

Recent work by one of the authors with the archeological materials 
collected in the 1958 survey that was aimed at defining the southern 
and eastern boundaries of the Olmec area (Drucker and Contreras, 
1953) has established that many of the sites located during this survey 
do not belong to the La Venta or Lower-Middle Tres Zapotes phases 
of Olmec culture. A large number of the sites located date from a 
somewhat later time; none of them can with certainty be assigned 
to a period antedating the La Venta site. In view of these findings 
it can be stated that the tentative classification of Olmec sites sug- 
gested by Drucker and Contreras must be revised. It is our opinion 
also that further work must be done before we can be certain of the 
boundaries of Oimec territory in the Gulf coastal belt during any 
of the several phases of Olmec history. 

Berkeley, California 
May 6, 1958 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 1 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


“Q0BpINS oY] dAoqe pepnijoid suuinjoo ay} FO autos fo sdo} yep oy Ayu ‘spurs 
Vylup Joddn jo [vAOUWa1 s10fog 


*yAnNO-) jo opis 1sea Buole Sun [OS \[eseq jo MO fo Je 


“a nov) [PIUOUTeI13) 


170 PLATE 2 


BULLETIN 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


‘puno1Za10j Ul gy] JUOUINUOCTY pue Yous) ¢F6T poly Apsed o10N  “pluresAg 0} aul[sJoJUI. Suoje Y NOs 
‘yymois gp3unf Suliesjd Joye YW xeydurod jo MaIA [elousL) 


Sulyoo] 7-V punoyy uo quo} fo do} wolf usye1 ydeisojoyg 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 3 


East face of South-central Platform. a, Old-rose floor series. 06, Platform face. c, White 
sandy floor series. d, Water-sorted floors. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 4 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


UNIO} SVOYION fo JSOM SO 


I 


ie 


3 


‘devo AY] pol Al oSeUd UM duly JOeJUOS 5UIMOY 
Ss OO 9SO1-p]O jo dnosoyy “ "jseo Sule] “WIOFE] | [BU 99-YINOSg 


one 
he. 


3 


Ss 
jo 


yilou ysnt yoo}q AP] Ul 


Souo]s JO JUZWIASURLIY ‘Dv 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 5 


43 


q 


Piles of serpentine blocks lying in lower drift sands in east half of Court. a, Selected pile 
of complete blocks. 6, Reject (?) pile of broken blocks. c, Same as b showing column 
row and broken column ends lying inside Court enclosure. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 6 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


“oINQINAS fO INOJUOD doe fINs Al 9seud pure 


UONPABIXI jo poyjoul Bulmoys “WIOFIe | SBIYIION 


— 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 7 


ntryway, looking southeast from slope of Mound A-2. 


Northeast F 


My 
ce 
a 
m 
> 
Cc 
0 


F AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 8 


Pete 


Southwest Platform. a, Upper surface of platform after removal of upper drift sands 
(looking north). 6, Same, looking northeast. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 9 


Southwest Platform. a, Crew hauling out basalt column with rope slings and poles. 
b, Basalt column “‘steps” at southeast corner of platform. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 10 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


"Ysvo Suryoo] ‘aureg ‘4g 


"youal] AT aseyg JO 93pa YOU syIVU POI KIPeys FO Ifo] O2 aUT] pa1o0dg 


“SyOO]q-suloey jpeseq JO MO joddn *suUIN|Oo [BIN10A pue je yUuOoZTIOY 910N 


"GQsom 3 UTYOOT) s0eF YWON ‘v 


“WIOFe | JSOMYINOG 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 11 


Southwest Platform. a, East side of platform showing basalt columns in situ and upper 
(Phase IV) facing stone arrangement. 3, One level of adobe in brickwork platform 
cleared (facing east). Dark rectangle at top of pick handle is test pit dug by Drucker 
in 1942. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 12 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


‘Jem Ivor ul posodxe YIOMYIIUIG pur ][eM [OIUOD dIYdeISVeNS YINOS-YyIOU 9ION *WIOF eI 
JO 1OOJ J] aseydg SUIYAVU d[BURIDII YO[G-sulovy ouljuedios pur qeseg 


“Yytou BULYOO| “UIOFe] JSOMYINOS 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 13 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


pesn SYIO[G JO Solos 9014 3uIMOYs SUIDPT jo IQUIOS TSIMYINOS “q “YeIUIq SyIO]q ouljuedias 


yeseq peddiys saddn 


9ulOg 


MOI Sur Oo} YI suljuedias pure }pLeseq Il aseud JO 19UIOD 1sevoy 


Bes atte 


MOYS O} PeAOCUWII U 


{nos fo [req 


9q ‘2 


*MOI BUIDeT ul 
aAPY SyooIq 


99q 


ULI¢ 


pr 


dis 


IMY INC 


Js) 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 14 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


“wo; ie] d 
YIOMYIUIG pur [[y Avjo yuld papiow SulAjJaAO puv diesou YseU SUIMOYS “}svoy1IOU Suloey “WIOfe[g samy Nog 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 15 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


pure |[y Avpo yurd pepjour 910K 


“SeUul IIAO 
“nats ul stesoul 


YOM YING 


yseu lense 


{ 


U 


| 


11IOU 


SuUIDvy “WIO;e[q IsamyINog 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 16 


Jaguar mask mosaic in Southwest Platform (looking south). Compare with identical mask 
in Southeast Platform found in 1943 (LV, pl. 10). 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 17 


Southwest Platform. a, Mask mosaic exposed and top course of rough serpentine blocks 
partly exposed (looking northwest). 6, Top course of rough stone paving under the 
mosaic mask (looking northwest). Top of earth wall marks level of mask. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 18 


social 


ee 


Southwest Platform. a, Rough serpentine block structure underlying mask mosaic, partly 
cleared to show layering. 6, Rough serpentine block layers in west side of excavation. 
Deep excavation to base shows in foreground. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 19 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


Av] Jouuy 


‘ 


q 


“IOAR 


I uole 


a) 


puno} auoys Y 


oll 


‘ 


os IOO}} ay AA Pp 


S8noi ysoutstaddn fo Jousos 1sevoy 


“DUBS JSUIBSE IIe 
I ! Il 


ynog ‘0 


ich 


M SZuturejoi Avy I 


*I9UIOS Jsvoy ANOS 


91NQ “2 


Je you 


[jem 


“ 


J 


ot} UOTSU 


oe ul 


oe) 


21X90 fo jem YON 


si 
- 
ee 


ss 


“ULIOFIL]¢ 


[ JSOMY INOS 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 20 


Mound A-5 and Massive Offering No. 2 (Feature A-2-d). a, Limestone slabs exposed. 
Monument 23 rested on second slab from left in farthest row. Slabs in foreground were 
set against walls of large pit. , Feature A-2—d exposed in bottom of north-south trench. 
Length of section of exposed blocks is 6 feet 8 inches. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 21 


Main north-south trench. In foreground, Massive Offering No. 3 (Feature A—I—h); in 
background stone column tomb (Monument 7). Upper 5 feet of deposit (mainly red 
clay cap) has been removed alongside trench to lighten overburden along deep trench. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 22 


Massive Offering No. 3 (Feature A-I-h). a, Serpentine blocks removed to show 6 layers 
separated by clay mortar. 6, Upper surface of pavement, looking north. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 23 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


“Youol) yynos-yys1ou uleul ul G pue T ‘SON ssULIOO 
Ins YIUdT] JUoIOUe Ul posodxa SyIO[G auljuediag ‘D 


‘(=lEVW 91n}vo J) ¢ ‘ON SULIDO dAISSe\, SUIpUNO: 


170 PLATE 24 


BULLETIN 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


“raAv] Joddn 


WO} $1]99 ‘Z ‘ON SULIDBO 


AM 
mite 


BUREAU 


OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 


25 


Note 4 incised celts. 


Offering No. 2, celts from lower layer. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 26 


Jade figurines from Offering No. 3. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 27 


fe) | 2 
cms. 


Jade objects from Offering No. 3. a, Ornament representing a bird. b, Obverse and 
reverse of rectangular canoe-shaped ornament. c—e, Like b. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 28 


e ¢ 
i 
is 
Ld 
ae 


Jade and rock crystal beads and ornaments from Offering No. 3. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 29 


td 


3 


Jade beads from Offering No. 3. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 30 


Arrangement of figurines and celts (facing west). 


Offering No. 4. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 31 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


-oid 


ol DeWWPISeIG “1YBUy ‘ouUITINO yId 9 
bu1422/0 


wee 


Wit Apuos 
mee -umolg 


“yoy 01 ydes 


AIST UT SuIMOYs Pp 


syuny2 5 11400 4 
SS See 
Sy 


[ere LO0/f 9SO4 P/O 


sojoyd ul uMoys Aydvisiiesys JO uolNejuas 


osodxoa 


s1ooy esol todd, 


“A 


IOAOSSIP J9qpe APIIOU 


1 


Ss ude} 


ydeisojoyg ‘oT 


‘fF ON B8uLlDyO 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 32 


6 


avn é d ‘ 0: sole Be 


Offering No. 4. Upper, Arrangement of figurines and celts, facing north. Lower, Celts 
from Offering No. 4. Numbers are those used for descriptive purposes in text. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 33 


Jade and serpentine figurines from Offering No. 4. Numbers are those of individual 
figurines as treated in text. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 34 


Jade and serpentine figurines from Offering No. 4. Numbers are those of individual figurines 
as treated in text. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 35 


= _& Post st 


at D i 


Jade and serpentine figurines from Offering No. 4. Numbers are those of individual 
figurines as treated in text. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 36 


Jade and serpentine figurines from Offering No. 4. Numbers are those of individual figurines 
as treated in text. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 37 


Obverse (a) and reverse (4) views of jade objects from Offering No. 5. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 38 


in situ. 


Offering No. 6 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 39 


/ 


pg PAYAL IA | jihas , posse alae 


4 


£ (4 
marae 


ee, ee; IT ms 
en nn UA EEE a te ae Re 


te 


~ ep0ATi 53 IA 9 ia, lsdot Wale 


Jade objects from Offering No. 6. a, Obverse. 5, Reverse. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 40 


Jade objects from Offering No. 7. a, Obverse. 5b, Reverse. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 41 


Offering No. 8 and jade celts from Offerings Nos. 9 and 11. a, Offering No. 8 (looking 
south). 0b, Jade celts with Offering No. 9. c, Jade celts with Offering No. 11. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 42 


Offerings Nos.9 and 11. a. Offering No. 11 (arrow points north). 0, Offering No. 9 (arrow 
points north). Note scattered small jade beads in upper right corner. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 43 


= 
— 
— 


2 


fs 
5 = 


Concave magnetite mirror, Offering No. 9. a, Obverse. 6, Reverse surface. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 44 


2 3 | 4 5 
suuuuuuue u | Li Rt 


Concave ilmenite mirror, Offering No. 11. a, Obverse. b, Reverse surface. (Scale in cm.). 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 45 


i 


F 


Concave mirrors from Offerings 9 and 11. Oblique photographs of upper polished surfaces 
to show concavity. a, From Offering No. 9. 6, From Offering No. 11. (Scale in cm.). 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 46 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


SuLlaye ‘2 


(ayuowt!) J-EFET BULEYO “P “(epeuBeut) Y-7HET 3ULEHO 2? 


‘(aquatu{!) N-fF61 BULIOHO WD “suoneortqnd Jol[ied ul Peqtosop A 


I 


ajenbopeul 


‘(oueWay) Y-LF6T 


“(ouausew) ZF6T ‘TY Z-V PUNO WoL “4 


“CHEI pue Cr6l ul PetsAOIo1 SIOTITUT dABIUOT) 


* Le eh ee 


‘spurs }jlip toddn ul QZ ‘ON SulloyO “4 *(Yyqou sjulod MOlIv) Q] ‘ON SUIIOYO 99 WAOplONID ‘y  *sBULIOYO 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 47 


> 
U) 
10) 
a 
O 
Z 
© 
ke 
W 
z 
< 
2 
ra 
WW 
= 
< 
ue 
O 
= 
< 
W 
ir 
=) 
0 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 48 


Serpentine and basalt blocks. a—b, length 8 inches. c—d, length 9 inches. e-—f, length 
9 inches. g—-h, length 94 inches. 7, length 133 inches. For description, see ‘‘Stone- 
working Techniques.” 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 49 


=. Se —- 


Monument No. 19. a, Whole sculpture showing conformity of figures to natural outline 
of basalt boulder. 5, Detail of head of Plumed Serpent. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 50 


> [Io 


= Pane toe 


Monument 20. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 51 


La Venta stone monuments. a, Monument 21 representing a seated human figure with 
right arm against chest and left arm on what is apparently a table (or altar ?). b, Frag- 
ment of Monument 22 from surface of Southwest Platform at southeast corner. Length 
25 inches. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 52 


La Venta stone monuments. a, Dorsal view of Monument 23. Note knot in breechclout. 
b, Front view of Monument 23. Note concave mirror (?) on chest, and breechclout. 
c, Side view of Monument 23. d, Monument 24. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 53 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


‘QZ JuoWINUOT\ 7y31y7 


Si 


C 


} 


uowinuoyyy ‘7/27 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 54 


Monument 27. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 55 


= 


Stela 3, looking south. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 56 


La Venta stone monuments. a, Stela 1. 5, Altar 4. Both monuments are described in 
Stirling, 1943 b. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 57 


cms. 
cms. 


20. 


from Offering No. 


vessels 


Pottery 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 58 


Pottery offerings. Upper, Offering No. 21 in situ. Lower left, Offering No. 23. Lower 
right, Offering No. 26. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 59 


ad 


Pottery vessels from Offering No. 21, a and } to same scale. 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 60 


Jade figurine from La Venta island, probably from mound group south of main La Venta 
site. Height 6.3 inches (16.0 cm.). 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 61 


Figurine fragments, spindle whorls, and clay weight from Torres site. 


BULLETIN 170 PLATE 62 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY 


‘S—# 10} sy]peipuny ul palenpels a[vos JoLOWIT[IW oud *Y  “eANIONAIs 
QuIJeIsAIOIIIUI sUY PUR asIKOD 94} MOYS OF JOLIN W-ZF6] BuUeYO JO svaie JUslspIp fo sydeizo191Ul 
-010Yg ‘8-2 *I—M JO} SIOOUIIT]TUT UT BTBIG ‘p “IOI —-CF6] BULIDYQ ‘9 “JOIN [] BULIOYO “9 “JOLITU 6 
SULIDTOQ ‘vy “sexe iofeur 3uoje ainzeaind MOYs 0} as polysieiys uolsisoid ev YIM poydeisojoyd ‘punols 
uolsisaid pue yey Ul INd sIe YSTYM s7svd JO ore Sa]YOlg "SIOIIIUI aAvdUOd Jo sydeisosstmojoyd pure sojyoig 


BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY BULLETIN 170 PLATE 63 


Focal spots of concave mirrors; image ot sun projected ona black matte surface. (16 
Compromise focus between the two focal leneths. a, Offering 9 mirror. 6, Mirror from 
Mound A-—2 fill (1942). c, Offering 1943-N mirror. d, e, Foci of Offering 1943-E mir- 
ror: d,short,e,long. f, Long focus of Offering 1943-F mirror. _ g, Scale in millimeters 
for a-f. h, i, Foci of Offering 11 mirror; A, short, 7, long. 7, Short focus of Offering 
1942—A mirror. &, Scale in millimeters for h-7. 


INDEX 


A 


Accretion, found on serpentine blocks, 
93 


Actinolite, contained in metamorphic 
rock, 284 

Adobes, unfired bricks, 21, 27, 73, 80, 90, 
106 


in clay mortar, 90-92, 122 (table), 
123 (table), 125 
Adobe grade sticks, 115 
Agua Dulce, 267 
Albite, contained in metamorphic rock, 
284 
Altars, 196, 215, 271 
Altar, B, 277 (references), 3800 
See also Altar 5. 
Altar 1, 276 (references), 277 
See also Stela 3. 
Altar 2, 14, 121, 276 (references), 
277 
Altar 3, 14, 121, 277 (references) 
Altar 4, 14, 215, 272, 277 (refer- 
ences ) 
Altar 5, 14, 144, 181, 277 (refer- 
ences ) 
Altar 6, 14, 201, 229, 277 (refer- 
ences) 
Altar 7, 277 (references) 
Amber pendant, see Pendants. 
Antigorite, contained in metamorphic 
rock, 284 
“Apron,” 38, 42, 45 
Armbands, shown on figure, 212, 213 


(fig.) 
Art, non-Olmec, 236 
Olmec, 140, 142, 143 (figs.), 144, 
148, 152, 158, 159, 160, 169, 181, 
199-200, 203, 206, 208, 215, 238, 
236, 249 
Artifacts and architectural stone, pet- 
rology of, at La Venta, 284-289 
Artifacts, stone, 270 
Artisans, work of, 270 
Asphalt, accretion wrongly identified 
as, 93 
Atlihuaydn, Morelos, Mexico, 257 
Aveleyra de Anda, Dr. Luis, 3 
“Awl handle,” jade 272 
Ax, Olmec, missing, 144, 299 
Simojovel, 144 (fig.), 145 
Axes, votive, 299 


B 


“Baby face’ monument, see Monument 
5 


Bag, shown on figure, 199 


431818—59——21 


Banner on rod, shown in figure, 198, 199 
Basalt 270, 287 
blocks) 16; 22" 26; 021, ol, 725,46, 
85-86, 88, 89, 122 (table), 125, 
195, 259, 289 (analysis), 298 
boulders, carvings on, 198 (fig.) 
columns, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 16, 25, 43, 
50; 51) 54; WMS TO (ie) 280; 
S15 83; 106; 107, 108. dd) 122 
(table), 128 (table), 126, 228, 
247, 273, 289 (analysis) 
human figure, 95, 104, 200-202 
(fig.), 211, 212 (fig.) 
olivine, 285, 286 
plaque, 209-210, 211 (fig.) 
stones, 120, 259 
Beads, 147, 149, 151, 152, 170, 183 
(table), 184 (table), 199, 220 
amethyst, 272 
“parrel-shaped,” 151, 184 (table), 
194 (fig.), 220-221 
cylindrical, 151, 184 (table), 272, 
274 
disk, 170, 183 (table), 184 (table), 
273 
double biconically perforated, 273, 
274 
“radrooned,” 152, 170, 188 (table), 
273, 274 
jade, 151, 162, 167, 169, 177, 183 
(table), 184 (table), 220, 256, 
272, 273, 274 
subspherical, 151, 152, 167, 170, 183 
(table), 184 (table), 272, 278, 
274 
tubular, 167, 181, 183 (table), 184 
(table), 193 (fig.), 274 
vessel-shaped, 152, 171 
Belt or sash, shown on figure, 199, 203 
Bernal, Dr. Ignacio, 3 
Blades, black obsidian flake, 194 
Blocks, basalt, 8, 76, 79 (fig.), 85-86, 
88, 89, 125, 195, 259 
facing, 85-86, 88, 89, 91, 125, 194, 
195, 229, 259, 289 (analysis), 298 
pink and white clay, 65, 70 
serpentine, 4, 10, 48, 46, 52, 54, 58, 
76, 77, 88-89, 93-95, 97, 125, 129, 
130-131, 132, 195, 226-228, 233, 
236, 237, 259, 298 
Bottles, Fine Paste Buff-Orange, 164, 
165 (fig.) 
stirrup-handled, 256 
Bowls, Brown ware, 164, 165 (fig.), 263 
Coarse Brown ware, 190 
Fine Paste Black ware, 187, 188 
(fig.), 189 


301 


302 


Bowls—Continued 
flat-based, 190, 219, 221, 222 (fig.) 
incurved sides and concave base, 
223 
white-slipped Coarse Brown ware, 
189-190 
Breechclout, indicated on figurines, 147, 
148, 158, 161 (table), 199 
Bureau of American Ethnology, 3, 189 
Burning, evidences of, 115 
“Buttress,” mixed sandy clay, 33, 39, 67 


Cc 


Cache, cruciform celt (Offering No. 10), 
40, 129 
Calendar, Maya, 263 
Olmec, 14 
Cap, peaked, shown on figure, 231, 232 
(fig.), 233 
Carbon samples, 263 
need for, 262 
C-14 dates, relation to “calendar,” 
glyphs, and other features, 263- 
264 
relation to Maya and other cultural 
patterns of Mesoamerica, 260-262 
relation to Valley of Mexico and 
adjacent highland regions, 262-— 
263 
Carvings, small stone, 209-212 
Celts, 127, 129, 137, 188 (fig.), 189 
(list), 145 (table), 146 (table), 
152, 153, 155 (fig.), 156, 174-176 
(table), 177,178 (fig.), 179 (fig.), 
183 (table), 184 (table) 
brownish tuff, 141-142 
eruciform layout (Monument No. 
10), 132, 185-186 (table) 
decorated, 140, 141 (fig.), 142, 148 
(fig.), 144, 157 (figs.), 299 
incised, 196 
jade, 135, 1389, 140, 152, 156, 157 
(figs) 15% WSS; 21s) Qi (hes), 
272, 273, 274 
nonjade, materials identified, 288— 
289 (table) 
serpentine, 132, 135, 1389, 140, 152, 
174-176 (table), 185, 187, 218, 
273, 274, 275 
Ceramic patterns, 189, 258 (list) 
Olmeg, 189, 190, 225 
Ceramics, scarcity of, 270 
Ceremonial Court (Feature A-1-b), 17, 
85,'. 133;' 196," 225, -228)'°233;''237, 
297 
area, 4, 8, 15, 17, 20, 50, 75, 109, 
121, 124, 127, 228, 229, 230 
central section, 34-438, 47 (list) 
construction of, 8, 16, 17-27, 28 
(fig.), 30-31 (profile), 38-39, 44, 
97, 116, 121-127 
contour layers, 86 (list) 
floors, 10, 17, 20, 22, 32-33, 39, 87, 
126 
northeast entryway, 73 (fig.) 
palisaded border, 25 


INDEX 


Ceremonial Court—Continued 
wall (Feature A-1-a), 17, 18 (fig.), 
21, 54, 71, 228 
Cerro de las Mesas offerings, 233, 241, 
242, 244, 245, 255 
Cerro del Encanto (mound group), 
237-240 
Cerro del Tepalcate site, 256 
Cetacean (Monument 20), 
(fig.) 
Chaleatzingo, near Jonacatepec, More- 
los, figures at, 258, 254, 255, 257, 
262, 270 
Charcoal, 65, 77, 105, 118, 119, 190, 262, 
263, 264 
found in pit, 24, 26, 29, 37, 68, 101, 
116, 117 
samples, report on, 264-265, 266 
(table), 267 
significance of, 31, 262 
Chicanel site, 256 
Chinameca limestone, used for flagging, 


200, 201 


Chin strap, shown in carving, 198, 199 
Chlorite, contained in metamorphic 
rock, 284 
Chronology, 27-29, 44-46, 50, 61-638, 70— 
71, 77-78, 107-108, 115-118 
Cinnabar, bed of, 146, 162, 167, 171, 179 
(fig. ) 
ore, 271 
paint, red, 158, 162, 177 
purplish-red, 187 
use of, 258 (list), 270 ' 
Cist, sandstone (Feature A-3-a), 112, 
116, 117, 118, 126, 127, 260, 274 
(contents), 289 (diagnosis) 
Classic period, 256, 269 
Classic Upper Tres Zapotes horizon, 253 
Clay subsoil, 82, 129 
See also Fills. 
Coatzacoalecos River, 267 
Coffer, sandstone (Monument No. 6), 
47, 49, 50, 117, 123 (table), 126, 
127, 229, 260, 278 (references) 
Colossal Heads, 197 
Columns, basalt, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, 16, 25, 
43, 50, 51, 54, 71, \%8) SOedigs): 
80, 81, 83, 106, 107, 108, 126, 228, 
247 
sehist, knobbed, 237 
Comalealco, Tabasco, 278 
Complex A, La Venta, 8, 9 (map), 10, 
26, 46, 47, 70, 75,.79, 83, 100, 102, 
104, 109, 112, 118, 119,, 121,122 
(table), 427, 133,, 191,, 19/7) 25; 
230, 231, 247, 259, 261, 267 (car- 
bon dates), 268 
correlation of constructions, 121- 
127 
miscellaneous finds in, 191-194, 227 
North-South centerline trench 
through, 29-30, 34, 37, 46-50, 60 


other Post-phase IV materials 
from, 226-229 
Complex A-1 (Ceremonial Court), 49, 
78 


INDEX 


Complex © (The Pyramid), 

(map), 29, 191 
excavations in, 118-121 

Complex C-2 (platform), 119, 224 

Complex C-4 (east-west platform), 120 

Complex C—5 (north-south platform), 
120, 121 

Construction 
(table) 

Contreras, Ing. Eduarde, 2, 3, 248, 257 

special projects supervised by, 4, 6 

Contreras, Ing. Hugo, 3, 285, 286 

Copal bag, shown on figure, 199 

Copileo site, 255 

Court floor (Feature A-1-b), 15, 122 
(table), 152 

Court wall (Feature A-l-a), 15, 21, 
72 (fig.), 122 (table) 

Coyarrubias, Miguel, quotations from, 
249, 250, 254, 257, 260, 262, 297, 
299, 300 

Crane, H. R., 264 

Cuicuilco site, 256, 261 

Curtis, Garniss H.: Petrology of arti- 
facts and architectural stone at 
la Venta, 284-289 


ia ya 


phases, 34, 122-123 


D 


Danzante figures, Monte Alban _ hori- 
zOnS, 236 
Datum 1 (Feature A-2-a), 5, 130 
Datum 2, northwest of (Feature 
A-l-e), 5 
Datum 3, on top of Mound A-3, 5 
Datum points, locations triangulated 
from, 5 
Davalos, Dr. Eusebio, 2, 3 
Deformation, cranial, 256 
Dishes, curved-side, 225 
pedestal-based, 225 (fig.) 
Disks, jade, 171, 172 (fig.), 178, 272, 
273, 274 
obsidian, 272 
pottery, perforated, 245 
Drucker, Philip, duties of, 3, 4, 75 
excavations by, 30, 32, 248, 249 
quotations from, 13, 16, 30, 191, 194, 
196, 199-200, 212, 214, 215, 223, 
228, 233, 234, 239, 241, 244, 245, 
250; 251, 252, 253, 254, 255; 257, 
260, 261, 263, 268, 269, 299, 300 


E 


Early Classie Period, 251, 254 
Early Formative Period, 252 
Early Mayan sites, 262 
Early Olmec, 250 
Early Zapotecan sites, 262 
Farspools, jade, 149, 162, 164, 169, 170, 
272, 273, 274 
shown in carving, 199, 235 (fig.), 
236 
type “A,” 169 
Earth Embankment A-5, 109 
See also Mound A-5. 
“Hast Trench, A—1,” 16 


303 


Echeverria, Ing. J., 3 
Effigy jar, Black ware, 188 (fig.), 189 
Ekholm, Gordon F., quotation from, 
250, 251 
Il Arbolillo I horizon, 255 
Hl Arbolillo II horizon, 255 
1 Cortez, Morelos, Mexico, 257 
E11 Openo site, 255 
1 Trapiche site, 255 
Embankment, red clay, 27 
Engineering, 106-107 
Englesby, T. H., 2 
Hpidote, contained 
rock, 284 
Excavations in Mound A-38, 112-118 
in Mound A-5, 109-112 
made in 1955, 15 
methods of, 2, 4, 5 


in metamorphic 


r 


Features : 

A-1 (Hast Trench), 11, 44, 47 

A-l-—a (Ceremonial Court, wall), 
10, 15, 21, 106, 122 (table) 

A-1l—b (Ceremonial Court floor), 
10, 11, 15, 17, 122 (table) 

A-1-e (Southcentral Platform), 11, 
14, 17, 27, 29, 30, 122 (table) 
A-1-d (Southeast Platform), 11, 
14, 23, 26, 30, 39, 54, 78, 80, 85, 

89, 93, 128, 132 

A-1l-e (Southwest Platform), 5, 6, 
1, 14, 15, 22523526, 30:39. (6, 
78-108, 122 (table), 128, 130, 132, 
202, 211, 220 

Functions of 101-106 

A-1-f (Northeast Platform), 11, 
14, 24, 30, 50-63, 51 (fig.), 53 
(fig:), 55 sist). 56v Cig.) 57 
(fig.), 58, 59, 68, 122 (table), 167, 
ii ale alse Te eas: 

A-1-g (Northwest Platform), 11, 
14, 24, 30, 37, 68-71, 64 (fig.), 71, 
104, 123 (table) 

A-1-h (buried offering), 11, 13, 23, 
31, 32, 34, 39-40, 45, 46, 56, 58, 
59, 61, 68, 108, 124, 125, 130-133, 
259, 298 

A-1-i (Northeast Entryway), 11, 
16, 21, 22, 71-78, 123 (table) 

A-1-j, 25 

A-2 (Mound), 29, 34, 35 (fig.), 37, 
59, 41, 48, 44, 45, 47, 48, 50, 77, 
124 

A-—2-a, basalt column tomb, 5, 11, 
1B} lay Gisy alalys 

A-2-b (stone columns), 11, 50, 117, 
273 (list) 

A-2-¢, 11 

A-2-d (offering pit), 11, 13, 23, 34, 
35 (fig.), 39, 42, 438, 45, 46, 48, 
49, 50, 125, 128, 176, 192 

A-3 (Mound), 11, 13, 245 

A-3-a (sandstone cist), 112, 113, 
116, 118, 127, 274 (contents), 289 

A-4 (Mound), 11 

A-5 (Mound), 11 


304 INDEX 


Feet, pointed-toed, shown on figure, 199 | Fills—Continued 


Feldspar, used for tempering, 234, 240 purple and tan, 42 
Felis onca (jaguar), range in Mexico, red, purple and pink clay, 27-29, 
290 32, 33 
Ferrotremolite, contained in metamor- red and brown sandy clay, 73, 77 
phie rock, 284 red and white clay, 42, 44, 100 
Figurine head, 244 (fig.), 245 red and yellow clay, 438, 56, 60, 61, 
Figurine No. 8, serpentine, 213 (fig.) 63, 66 
Figurine No. 12, serpentine, 212, 213 red clay cap of, 438, 49, 50, 51, 54, 
( fig.) 60, 68, 76, 77, 80, 82-87, 88, 97, 
Figurines, 127, 147, 152, 153 (fig.), 155 108} d13) 14S a) SD 
(fig.), 156, 158-161 (table), 236, (table), 123 (table), 167, 202, 228 
245 reddish-brown sand, 152 
“baby-face” class, 234, 256, 258 red-orange, 49 
(list) red sandy clay, 129, 185 
Class I-B, 245 rose-buff-rose series, 101, 107 
Class I-BH4, 245 tan-white, 44 
Class III-B, 245 wall-like of specially colored clays, 
clay, 258 98-99, 103 
clay, at Monte Alban, 156 white, brown and red-brown clayey 
clay, with punched eyes, 256 sand, 101, 107 
female, 181, 258 (list) yellow and brown, 75 
fragments of, 233-234, 240, 244 yellow clay, 164, 167, 185, 187 
( fig.) yellow clayey sand, 32, 40, 43, 60, 
granite, 155, 159 61, 66, 146 
green jade, 160, 231, 232 (fig.), 233 yellowish-red clay, 87-90 
handmade, 245 - Finca San Vicente, Tabasco, 278 
hollow clay, 256 Floors, 22-23, 27, 31-32, 35 (fig.), 36-37 
hollow C9 type, 256 (list), 41 
jade, 147, 198, 231, 232 (fig.)—233, brown, orange and yellow series, 
255, 256, 272 87-90 
jaguar-mouthed, 256 brown sandy, 43, 75 
light-gray jade, 147, 148, 159 buff and brown sandy series, 100- 
Mesoamerican, 156 101, 107, 118 
Olmec, 147, 158-159, 160, 181, 246, construction of, 42, 61 
254 drainage problem, 23-24, 58 
Olmecoid, 256 earlier white sandy, 32 
pottery, 233-234. gray sand, 33 
serpentine, 155, 160, 245, 256, 270, green serpentine, 66, 70, 71 
272, 278, 274, 275 light red clay, 33 
Terascan ceramic, 156 “old rose series,” 23, 24, 29, 33, 
type B, 256 40-41, 45, 60, 68, 66, 69 (fig.), 69, 
type C5, 256 75, 77, 87, 108, 117, 122 (table), 
type D1, 256 1255131) 133, 1525154 vbb an (hies)e 
type D2, 256 162, 174 
type I, 256 See also “tierra bonita.” 
type K, 256 olive and yellowish-brown clay, 43 
Fills, blood-red clayey sand, 43 olive-colored clay, 93, 95-97, 133 
brown clay, 167 orange and white sandy clay, 113, 
brown sandy laminated deposit, 56, 114, 115, 118, 124, 171 
58, 59, 60, 65, 66, 67, 68, 70, 121 pinkish-red and gray sandy clay, 38 
ginger-colored clayey sand, 40 pink sand, 61 
gray and brown sand, 40 purple, 38, 40, 44, 48, 49, 50, 70, 116, 
grayish-tan sandy clay, 48, 46, 48 118 
green clay, 99, 103, 130 purple-brown, 76, 77 
light-gray sand, 119 red and yellow clay, 1138, 118 
miscellaneous between clay-and- red clay layer, 24, 25, 33, 34, 46, 48, 
stone base and subsoil, 97-98 50, 51, 55, 68, 69, 70, 75, 76, T7, 
olive and blue clays with rough 78, 117, 120, 123 (table), 223 


reddish-brown clayey sand, 48 

reddish sandy clay, 38 

reddish-yellow sandy clays with 
small white particles, 87 


stone blocks, 95-97, 99, 128 
olive and yellow clay, 177 
orange-red clay, 121 


peach, white and yellow, 38 salmon-colored sand, 37 

pinkish-tan sandy clay, 42 sandy clay, 42, 45 

pink mottled clay, 56, 58, 60, 68, 91, sequence of colors, 23, 27, 32, 36-37 
92-98, 98, 99, 100, 101, 103, 104 (list), 38, 41, 42, 58, 60, 66, 81 


106, 108, 115 (list) 


INDEX 


Floors—Continued 
surface washings, 44-45 
tan sandy clay, 37, 41, 44 
water-sorted, 44, 56, 58, 61, 65, 70, 
73, 100-101, 105, 107, 118, 115, 
122 (table), 123 (table), 124 
white sandy series, 27, 33, 37, 38, 
39, 58, 59, 61, 66, 68, 70, 75, 90, 
91, 92, 101, 106, 116, 122 (table), 
123 (table), 125, 195 
yellow and red, 58, 61, 75, 77, 118, 
115, 118 
yellowish-brown sandy clay, 43, 67, 
75, 119 
“Flutes,” jade, 150 
“Forecourt,’’ Ceremonial Court, 8, 10, 
30, 228 
Formative period, 261, 268, 269 
Foshag, William F., rocks identified by, 
286, 288 
“Foundation” layers, stone, 259 
Friedlander and Sonder, quotations on 


rocks, 285 
G 

Garment, skirtlike, shown on figure, 231, 
232 (fig.) 

Geologic map of Southeastern Mexico, 
286 

Glyph element, shown on figure, 235 
(fig.), 236 


Glyphs, calendrical, 263, 264 

Gneiss, 204, 208, 215 

Goodman-Martinez-Thompson correla- 
tion, dates rated by, 268, 264 

Grade sticks, adobe, 115 

Green stone, laminated, 206 

Greenschist, 126, 270, 284 

Griffin, Dr. J. B., help given by, 264 

Gualupita I site, 255, 262 

Gualupita II site, 256, 257 

Guerrero, Mexico, sites in, 254 

Gullberg, Jonas H.: Technical notes on 
coneave mirrors, 280-283 


H 


Headdress, “foot-ball type,’ on figu- 
rines, 256 
worn by figure, 199, 235 (fig.) 
Heads, stone, 197 
Heizer, Robert F., 3, 75 
Hematite, 181, 221, 282 
concave mirror of, 281 (table) 
Hornblende pyroxene andesite, constit- 
uents of, 285, 286 
Huasteca, horizon of, 250, 251 
Huastecan Maya, migration of, 251 
Human figure, carvings of, 198 (fig.), 
199 
fine-grained basalt, 95, 104, 147, 181 
kneeling, 211, 212 (fig.) 
mutilated (Monument No. 21), 200— 
202 (fig.) 
mutilated (Monument No. 23), 203 
( fig.) 
serpentine, 235 


305 
I 


Idol 1, see Monument 8 (references). 

Ilmenite, mirror made from, 177, 179, 
180, 181, 182, 196, 281 (table) 

Infants, religious concepts surrounding, 
271 

Iron ore, used for mirrors, 287 

Isla de los Sacrificios, near Vera Cruz, 
268 

Island structure, 8, 9 (map) 


J 


Jade, 33, 102, 132, 146, 162, 164, 192, 230, 
247, 270, 271 
beads, 151, 162, 167, 169, 177, 183 
(table), 184 (table), 220-221, 
256, 272, 273, 274 
celts, 135, 189, 140, 152, 156, 157 
(fies) Wea e215 214 (het ates 
273, 274 
disks, 171, 172, (fig.), 173, 272, 278, 
274 
D-shaped objects, 272 
ear pendants, 272, 278, 274 
earspools, 149, 162, 164, 169, 170, 
272, 273, 274 
figurines, 147, 231, 232 (fig.)—233, 
255, 256, 272 
“flutes,” 150 
hands, 272 
heart-shaped object, 272 
mosaie plaque (?), 274 
offerings, 45, 52, 55, 68, 102, 116, 
117, 118, 133, 249, 253, 260 
ornaments, 148, 149, 151 
pendants, 162, 166, 169, 170, 171, 
174, 272, 273, 274 
plaque, 148 (fig.), 144 
punch or awl, 272, 274 
rectangles, 272 
skull, 273 
spangles, 166, 274 
stingray-tail tip, 272 
tubular objects, 171, 172 (fig.), 173, 
174, 192, 272 
working, 196, 198 
zooform object, 272 
Jadeite, 284 
Jaguar, carvings of, 198 (fig.), 199, 205 
(fig.), 206 
importance in Olmee art, 257 
mask earvings, 120, 208, 209, 211 
(fig. ) 
maskette, 164, 166 (fig.), 171-172 
mask mosaic, 117, 118, 125, 181, 211, 
259, 269, 289, 298 
range of in Mexico, 290, 291 (map) 
serpentine mosaic of, 10, 28, 68, 93, 
94 (fig.), 95, 96 
“Jaguar altar,” see Altar 1. 
“Jaguar monster,” see Monument No. 
nial 


Jaguar-mouthed figurines, 256 
Jar, flat-based, 220, 223 
pottery, 220, 224 
rounded base, 224 
Johnson, Mrs. Irmgard Weitlaner, 3 


306 


K 


Kaminaljuyu, site, 251, 261 

Knives, obsidian flake, 271 

Knoop test, applied to minerals, 287— 
288 


L 


Late Formative horizon, 252, 261 
Late Middle Zacatenco horizon, 256 
Late Olmec, 250 
Late Zacatenco horizon, 256 
La Venta, abandonment of, 43, 224, 228, 
229, 230, 237 
additional notes on earlier finds, 
212-215 
caretakers of, 33, 55, 270 
ceramic complex of, 189, 244, 251 
chronology, 27-29, 4446, 50, 61-63, 
70-71, 77-78, 107-108 
cultural and chronological position 
of, 248-271 
figurines, 251 
historical résumé, 248-252 
monuments located at, 276-279, 297 
(note) - 
petrology of artifacts and architec- 
tural stone at, 284-289 
possible sociopolitical situation at, 
267-271 
post-Olmec period at, 27 
post-Phase IV materials from, 215-— 
246 
relation to Olmec sequence, 259— 
260, 297 
site of, 6-15, 44, 101, 127, 132, 191, 
200, 254, 260, 262, 267-268 
La Venta island, 27, 44, 191, 246, 260, 
267 
other materials from, 281-246, 258 
(lists ) 
Lens, white sand elliptical, 154 
Lens-shaped masses, 186-187 
Leonard, Mrs. Carmen Cook de, 3 
Leopold, A. Starker: The range of the 
jaguar in Mexico, 290 
Limestone, 270, 285 
flakes, 206 
slabs, 34, 72 (fig.), 84, 108, 122 
(table), 123 (table), 126 
waterworn, 109, 111, 120 
Literature cited, 290-296 
Lower-Middle Tres Zapotes, 254 
Lower Preclassie horizon, 255 
Lower Tlatilco horizon, 255 
Lower Tres Zapotes, 250, 252, 254, 255, 
257, 259, 260, 261, 263, 264, 300 
Lower Zacatenco horizon, 255 
Lowland Maya influence, absence of, 


248 
M 
MacNeish, Richard §., quotations from, 
250, 251 


Magnetite, 270 
grains, used for tempering, 235, 237 
mirror made from, 177, 178, 180, 
181, 182 (fig.), 196, 281 (table) 


INDEX 


Majadas Phase, 261 
Malachite, green, 187, 271 
Mamon, culture of, 249, 250 
Mano, use of, 270 
Marquina, Arq. Ignacio, 2 
Maskette, green jade, 164, 166 (fig.), 
169, 171, 196 
Masks, 256 
jaguar, 206, 207 (fig.), 208, 209, 211 
(fig.) , 256, 259 
jaguar mosaic, 6, 10, 23, 68, 93, 94 
(fig.), 95, 96, 102, 117, 118, 128, 
132, 181, 194, 227, 259, 269, 299 
stone, 299 
zoomorphiec, 127 
Massive Monument No. 
A-1-h), 103 
Massive offerings, 127, 128-133 
No. 1 (1942-E), 102, 107, 118, 122 
(table), 123 (table), 128, 182 
No. 2 (Feature A-2-d), 123 (table), 
125, 128-129, 130, 132, 176 
No. 3 (Feature A-1-h), 122 (table), 
125, 129, 180-133, 185 
Massive red clay cap, 82-87, 91 
Matacapan, Tuxlas district, pottery, 
from, 239, 240 
Maya, Highland, 261 
Huastecan, 251 
Maya, influence of, lacking in La Venta, 
248, 253 
Petén, 261 
stone-working, technique of, 194, 
200 
Yucatan, 251, 261 
Mayan culture, significance of C-14 
dates in relation to, 260-262 
Mesoamerica, significance of C-14 dates 
in relation to Maya and other cul- 
tural patterns of, 260—262 
Mesoamerican cultures, Olmec affinities 
with, 249, 262, 297 
Mesoamerican figurines, 156, 199, 236 
Mesoamerican site phases, 256, 262, 268, 
299 
Metates, 195, 270 
Methodology, 3-6 
Mexican Oil Company, bulldozer bor- 
rowed from, 4 
Middle Culture, 251 
Middle Olmee, 250 
Middle Preclassic, 255, 256, 257, 263 
Middle Tlatileo horizon, 255 
Middle Tres Zapotes, 251, 252, 253, 254, 
255, 256, 259, 261, 264 
Middle Zacatenco horizon, 255, 256 
Mineral aggregates, list, 284 
Miraflores Phase, 261 
Mirrors, coneave, 218, 270, 272, 273, 
275, 280, 281 (table), 287 
concave hematite, 281 (table) 
concave ilmenite, 177, 179 (fig.), 
180 (fig.), 181, 182 (fig.), 196, 
281 (table) 
coneave magnetite, 177, 178 (fig.), 
180 (fig.), 181, 182 (fig.), 196, 
281 (table) 
concave metallic, 192, 193 (fig.) 


3 (Feature 


INDEX 


Mirrors—Continued 

concave, technical notes on, 280- 
283 

grinding of, 281-282 

hematite, 256, 258 (list) 

obsidian, comparison with, 283 

optical and Knoop hardness tests 
used on, 287 

pyritic, comparison with, 283 

use of, 282-283 

“Monkey man,’ see Monument 12. 

“Monkey statue,” see Monument 12. 

Monte Alban I horizon, 249, 255, 257, 
261 

Monte Alban II horizon, 250 

Monte Albin horizons, Danzante figures 
from, 236 

Monument, unnumbered, fragment of, 
209; 210) °( fig), .214, 212 (fig.) 

Monumentos Prehispanicos, 3 

Monuments, 196, 197-212, 247, 259, 271 

A, see Monument 1. 

No. 1 (Colossal Head), 121, 277 
(references) 

No. 2 (stone head), 197, 277 (vefer- 
ences) 

No. 3 (stone head), 197, 277 (refer- 
ences ) 

No. 4 (stone head), 197, 278 (refer- 
ences ) 

No. 5, 280, 278 (references) 

No. 6 (sandstone coffer), 47, 49, 50, 
117, 126, 127, 229, 272 (contents), 
278 (references) 

No. 7 (basalt column tomb), 13, 
47, 48, 49, 50, 117, 126, 127, 192, 
229, 272 (contents), 278 (refer- 
ences ) 

No. 8, 278 (references) 

No. 9, 278 (references) 

No. 10 (cruciform layout of celts), 
132, 278 (references) 

No. 11, 278 (references) 

No. 12, 34, 230, 278 (references) 

No. 18 (The Ambassador), 13, 40, 
41, 43, 46, 132, 183, 134, 230, 278 
(references) 

No. 14, 230, 279 (references), 286, 
289 (analysis of stone) 

No. 15, 229, 279 (references), 300 

No. 16, 126, 279 (references) 

No. 17, 126, 279 (references) 

No. 18, 126, 279 (references) 

No. 19 (carved basalt boulder), 6, 
144, 197, 198 (fig.)—200, 230, 279 
(references), 300 

No. 20 (cetacean). 200, 201 (fig.), 
279 (references) 

No. 21 (mutilated human figure), 
200-202 (fig.), 279 (references) 

No. 22 (carved schist fragments), 
77, 126, 202, 229, 279 (refer- 
ences), 289 (analysis) 

No. 23 (seated human figure), 6, 
111, 142, 181, 202-204, 203 (fig.), 
279 (references) 

No. 24 (green gneiss), 13, 47, 49 
126, 204, 229, 279 (references) 


307 


Monuments—Continued 

No. 25 (Carved green stone), 120, 
126, 204-205 (fig.), 206, 208, 209, 
279 (references), 297 

No. 26 (laminated green stone), 
120, 206, 207 (fig.)-208, 209, 279 
(references), 297 

No. 27 (carved greenish gneiss), 
120, 208-209, 279 (references), 
297 

stone, 197-212 


stone, from La Venta, 276-280 
(list) 

stone, mutilation and displacement 
of, 229-230 


Morelos, sites in, 257, 270 
Moreno, Jimenez, quotation from, 249 
Morley, 8S. G., quotations from, 263 
Mortar, red clay, 90, 91 
Mosaic, jade ‘‘plaque,” 274 
Jaguar mask, 117, 127, 132, 194, 211, 
2K 
serpentine blocks, 80, 94 (fig.), 95, 
102, 104, 128 
Mounds: 
A-2 (North platform mound), 6, 8, 
10, 14, 34, 35 (fig.), 836-387 (list), 
46 (phases), 77, 108, 116, 117, 
118, 123 (table), 124, 125, 126, 
127, 138, 134, 182, 201, 229, 268, 
287 (Knoop test), 298 
A-3, 5, 29, 39, 106, 108, 109, 112 
(fig.), 112-118, 123 (table), 124, 
126, 127, 212, 227, 260, 298 
A-4, 14, 109, 111, 126, 127 
A-5, 14, 106, 109-112 (excava- 
tions), 110° (figs)> 12 1t3) W238 
(table), 126, 127, 197, 2038, 285, 
289 (analysis of stone) 
E-III-3, Kaminaljuyu, 261 
Mound group, Cerro del Encanto, 237- 
240 


Muscovite, contained in metamorphic 
rock, 284 

Museo Nacional de Antropologia, per- 
mits arranged by, 2, 3 

Museo Nacional de Mexico, 6, 257, 278, 


279, 299 
Mutilations, dental, 256 
N 
National Geographie Society, funds 
provided by, 2, 3, 264 
National Museum of Mexico, help 


offered by, 189 

Necklace, shown on figure, 199, 203, 236 

Necklaces, jade, 162, 168 (fig.), 169, 
181 

Nephrite, 284 

Nettel Flores, Ing. J. J.,3 

Noguera, Dr. Eduardo, 2 

Northeast Entryway (Feature A-—1-i), 
16, 71-78, 72 (fig.), 74 (fig.), 123 
table), 125, 126, 194, 196-197, 209, 
285 

Northern section, profile constituents, 
47-48, 50 


308 


North Pavement area, 228, 233-237, 247 
North Platform mound (Mound A-2), 
124 
Northwest Platform 
67-68 
(east edge), 68-70 
(northern end), 64-67, 65 (fig.), 66 
(fig. ) 
(north-south profile), 69 (fig.) 
Nose ornament, bead, 199 


(central part), 


O 


Obsidian core, deconaled, 274 
Obsidian disks, 272 
Offering : 
No. 1 (pseudocelts), 40, 41, 45, 125, 
133, 184 (fig.)—1385, 1387, 146 
No. 2 (Feature A-2-d), 35 (fig.), 
41, 42, 45, 125, 135, 136 (fig.), 
138 (fig.), 141 (fig.)-145 (table), 
146, 196, 288 
No. 2A (celts), 41, 42, 45, 136 (fig.), 
145-146 (table) 
No. 3 (Massive Offering), 22, 39, 
56, 61, 122 (table), 125, 146-152, 
Al 
No. 4 (figurines and celts), 59, 61, 
63, 125, 152-162, 167 
No. 5 (jade objects), 58 (fig.), 61, 
63, 125, 127, 162-167, 163 (fig.), 
166 (fig.), 169, 171, 188, 192 
No. 6 (jade objects), 58 (fig.), 61, 
63, 125, 127, 166 (fig.), 167, 168 
(fig.)-171, 189 
No. 7 (jade offerings), 53 (fig.), 61, 


124, | 127, ..;166., (fig.), 101," 12 
(fig. )-174 
No. 8 (celts), 40, 125, 174-176 


(table), 175 (fig.) 

No. 9 (mirror and celts), 49, 125, 
129, 176, 178 (fig.), 180 (fig.)- 
183 (table), 2038, 287 (Knoop 
test), 298, 299 

No. 10 (cruciform celt cache), 40, 
125, 132, 185-186 (table) 

No. 11 (mirror and celts), 49, 125, 
129, 177, 179 (fig.), 180 (fig. ), 
184 (tables), 203, 288, 287 (Knoop 
test), 298, 299 

No. 12 (lens-shaped masses), 125, 
186-187 

No. 13 (2 serpentine pseudocelts), 
40, 60, 63, 125 

No. 14 (pottery vessels), 53 (fig.), 
61, 63, 125, 187-189 

No. 15 (brown ware bowl), 61, 124, 
165 (fig.), 189-190 

No. 16 (small vessel), 53 (fig.), 61, 
124, 190 

No. 17 (small vessel), 61, 124, 190 

No. 18 (pottery vessel), 68, 125, 165 
(fig.), 190-191 

No. 19 (pottery vessel), 68, 125, 165 

fi 


(fig. ) 
No. 20 (pottery vessels), 218-220, 
224 


INDEX 


Offering—Continued 
No. 21 (pottery vessels), 220 
No. 22 (pottery jar with bead), 165 
(fig.), 220-221, 223 
No. 23 (pottery specimen), 221, 222 
(fig.), 223 
No. 24 (flat-bottomed jar), 
(fig.), 223 
No. 25 (pottery vessel), 165 (fig.), 
223-224 
No. 26 (pottery jar), 224 
No. 27 (large pottery vessel), 224, 
225 (fig.)—-226 
1940-A, 272 (list) 
1942-A, 50, 123 (table), 
(list), 287 (Knoop test) 
1942-B, 123 (table), 272 (list) 
1942-C, 49, 123 (table), 125, 129, 
132, 141, 213) 22 eGust)e 299 
1942-D, 50, 123 (table), 273 (list) 
1942-K (Massive Offering No. 1), 
122 (table), 125, 273 (list), 283 
1943-A, 218, 247, 273 (list) 
1943-B, 438, 46, 123 (table), 273 
(list) 
1943-C, 125, 273 (list) 
1943-D, 40, 45, 125, 2738 
1948-E (cruciform celt), 125, 132, 
273 (list), 282, 287 (Knoop test) 
1943-F, 49, 123 (table), 182, 2738 
(list), 288 (Knoop test) 
1943-G (jade offerings), 
(table), 212, 274 (list) 
1943-H, 123 (table), 274 (list) 
1943-I, 123 (table), 274 (list) 
1943-J, 123 (table), 274 (list) 
1943-K, 123 (table), 274 (list) 
1943-L, 123 (table), 127, 274 (list) 
1943-M, 123 (table), 213 (fig.), 275 
(list) 
1943-N (celts and concave mirror), 
218, 275 (list), 288 (Knoop test) 
1943-O, 218, 275 (list) 
Offering pit (Feature A-2-d), 
48, 49, 50 
Offerings, 127-191, 247, 271 
jade, 45, 52, 55, 63, 102, 116, 117, 
118, 133, 249, 253, 260 
list of, recovered at La Venta in 
1940-48, 272-275 
religious, 102 
removal of, 33 
small dedicatory, 183-191 
“Old-rose floor series,’ 28, 33 
Olintipec, Morelos, Mexico, 257 
Olmec, builders of La Venta ruins, 26, 
27, 59, 98, 94, 102, 106, 124, 215, 
224, 228, 230, 231, 268 
Olmee area, defined by Drucker, 253, 
300 
work needed in, 248 
Olmec art, see Art. 
Olmec culture, 132, 140, 142, 161, 196, 
245, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251, 260, 
262, 297, 300 
geographic distribution of, 253-259 


165 


182,272 


116, 123 


34, 46, 


INDEX 


Olmec influence, spread of, 250, 251 
Olmec religion, ideas on, 270 
Olmec sequence, La Venta in relation 
to the, 259-260 
Ornaments, 127 
forehead, shown on figure, 
(fig.), 236 
jade, 148, 149, 151 
rock crystal, 147, 149, 150 (fig.) 
serpentine, 235 (fig. )—236 


P 


235 


Paint, red, 221 
Palenque, Palace corridors, 211 
Panuco horizon, 257, 261 
“Parque Olmeca,” Villahermosa, Ta- 
basco, removal of specimens to, 
297 
Pavement, rough stone, 289 (analysis 
of stone) 
serpentine block or mosaic, 43, 59, 
(HR PSRY ae, eri 
“Pavement No. 2,” Wedel designation, 
117, 123 (table), 128, 227, 299 
Payne, Melvin M., help from, 2, 3 
Pendants, amber, 274 
clam-sheli shaped, 174 
ear, jade, 272, 273, 274 
jade, 162, 166, 169, 170, 171, 174, 
1 OPA EAC 
serpentine, 238, 235 (fig.)-236 
“turtle carapace,” jade, 274 
water bird, 147, 148 
worn by figure, 199, 212, 213 (fig.), 
231, 232 (fig. ) 
Petroglyphs, 253 
Petréleos Mexicanos, favors granted by, 
3, 285 
Phase I (water-sorted floor period), 
discussion, 27, 31, 34, 87, 38, 44, 
AD WAS OO) Glew Op (aL, 2G Geilo; LOC, 
108, 115, 116, 117, 118, 122-123 
(table), 124-125, 171, 189, 190, 
259, 261, 265 (carbon dates), 298 
Phase II (white floor period), 27, 29, 
34, 44-45, 46, 48, 50, 61, 70-71, 
77, 78, 107-108, 116, 118, 122-123 
(table), 126, 146, 190, 191, 195, 
259, 265-266 (carbon dates), 273, 
298 
Phase II—a, 1067-108 
Phase II-b, 108 
Phase III (rose floor period), 27-29, 
34, 45, 46, 48, 50, 61-63, 71, 77, 
78, 108, 117, 118, 122-123 (table), 
125, 134 135; 145, 152) 162., 167; 
174, 185, 186, 187, 259, 267 (car- 
bon dates), 273 
Phase IV (red clay cap period), 29, 34, 
45-46, 48, 49, 50, 63, 71, 78, 79, 
108, 111, 117, 118, 122-123 
(table), 125-127, 134, 177, 197, 
202, 204, 206, 209, 223, 225, 226, 
228, 229, 280, 246, 259, 260, 267 
(carbon dates), 272, 273, 274, 275, 
298 


309 


Pina Chan, Mrs. Beatriz Barba de, 3 
Pina Chan, Roman, quotations from, 
255, 256, 257, 262, 263 
Pit No. 1, 68, 70 
Pit No. 2, 68 
Pit No. 3, 68 
Pit No. 4, 68 
Pits, dug in floor, 24, 26, 32, 33, 39, 40, 
41, 42, 48, 45, 46, 48, 50, 52, 53 
(fig.), 54, 58, 60, 61, 63, 68, 69 
(fet), MOP AIG TGs SILFBSI 91 92) 
95, 99-100, 105, 107, 111, 114, 116- 
117, 125, 128-129, 1380, 135, 146, 
154, 162, 164, 167, 177, 186-187, 
190, 191, 223, 225, 228, 247, 271, 
298 
Plagioclase, found in voleanie rocks, 
285 
Plaque No. 1, basalt, 209-210, 211 (fig.), 
277 (references) 
Plaques, basalt, 209-210, 211 (fig.) 
engraved, 143 (fig.), 144, 161, 289 
(analysis) 
jade, 181 
shown on figure, 203 
Platform, adobe, 107, 108 
alterations, 22-23 
construction of, 32-38, 45, 56, 105, 
ibs le4 
front or ‘‘apron,” 42, 45 
pedestallike, 259 
Platform mound (Feature A-2), 11, 
27, 42, 45, 124 
clay, 261, 263, 268 
Platforms: 
East—west (C-+), 120 
Northeast (Feature A-1-f), 10, 30, 
31, 32, 37, 48, 50-63, 51 (fig.), 53 
(fiss)), "SDP CliSh) pep, (liga) ame 
(fig.), 58, 60, 62 (fig.), 68, 122 
(table), 124, 125, 152, 162, 167, 
171, 187, 189, 190, 223, 226, 259, 
299 
North-south (C-5), 121 
Northwest (Feature A-1-g), 10, 30, 
32) 33). 31... 43, 63—ia,, 104, 125 
(table), 124, 125, 190, 191, 226 
South-Central (Feature A—1-c), 17, 
19 (HE), Loe 2o oO ais. 
34, 37, 43, 122 (table), 124, 125 
146 
Southwest (Feature A—-l-e), 10, 26, 
30, 39, 43, 76, 78-108, 79 (fig.), 
107, 118, 122 (table), 125, 126, 
194, 195, 202,212) 215, 218, 220) 
QA 22S ee Ome easy Els LOO) 
269, 271, 273, 289 
Southeast (Feature A-1-d), 10, 26, 
30, 39, 54, 85, 89, 118, 125, 126, 
228, 247, 259, 269, 271, 298 
Plumed serpent, shown on figure, 200 
Points, location by triangulation, 5 
Porter, Muriel Noé, quotations from, 
255, 256, 261, 263 
Post-Complex A, 83 
Post-Olmece Phase, see Post-Phase IV. 


310 


INDEX 


Post-Phase IV, 78, 191, 197, 218-226, | Pre-Phase I, 38, 44, 70, 121, 268 


226-229, 230, 231, 278, 275 
summary of activities at La Venta, 
246-248, 269 
Posts, probable, 40-41, 48, 45, 52, 54, 


5] 
Pottery, bichrome, 243 (figs.) 
black and white, 240, 256 
blackish-brown, 240 
black paste, 239, 256 
black with white rims, 256 
Brown Lacquer ware, 234-235, 236 
coarse reddish paste, 233 
Complicated Polychrome ware, 241 
Crude Reddish-buff ware, 219, 220, 
224, 226 
decorated, 234, 236, 238 (figs.), 239, 
241 (figs.), 248 (figs.), 244 
figurines, fragments, 238-234, 244 
(fig.), 245 
fine buff paste, 234 
Fine Paste Buff-Orange, 31, 221 
Fine Paste Gray ware, 223 
fine-paste ware, 256 
grayish-white, 234 
gray paste, 223, 237, 256 
gray through buff to orange paste, 
OR 
incised, 222 (fig.), 241, 256 
incised thin black, 256 
light buff paste, 239, 240, 244, 245 
loop handles, 244 
medium-brown paste, 220 
non-Olmeec, 256 
offerings, 63, 68, 127 
Olmec, 226, 233 
orange, 240 
orange or cream slip, 237, 239, 240 
orange paste, 237, 240 
ornamented, 256 
painted, 240, 243 (figs.), 244 
pinkish cinnamon paste, 235 
polished surfaces, 240, 256 
polychrome, 234, 236, 240, 
(fig.), 242 (fig.), 245, 246 
red, 240, 256 
reddish-brown paste, 245 
reddish-brown slip, 235 
reddish-orange paste, 233 
red on white, 256 
red on yellow, 256 
red-slipped buff ware, 221 
rocker-stamped, 256 
sand tempered, 219, 220, 245 
strap handles, 242, 2438 (fig.)—-244 
vessels of, 68, 125, 165 (fig.), 187, 
188 (fig.), 190, 218-220, 221, 222 
(fig.), 223, 227 (fig.), 268 (list), 
2738, 274, 275 
white “laca,” 256 
white paste, 240 
yellowish buff, 221 
yellowish white, 256 
yellow “laca,” 256 
Preclassie culture, 254, 255, 257, 261, 
269 
Precomplex A evidences, 123 (table) 
Preconstruction, gray sand, 82 


241 


Pre-Phase IV, 50 

Profile A, Wedel’s excavations, 32 

Profile Mound A-3, 112 (fig.) 

Profile Mound A-5, 110 (fig.) 

Protoclassic time level, 252 

Pseudocelts, Serpentine (Offering No. 
1), 183-135, 137 

Pumpellyite, contained in metamorphic 
rock, 284 

Punch (or awl), jade, 272, 274 

Pyramid (Complex ‘C), 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 
15, 29, 118-121, 124, 218, 224, 228, 
266-267 (carbon dates), 299 

Pyroxene, not in hornblende andesites, 


286 
Q 
Quade, Dr. William L., assistance from, 
231 


Quartz sand, used in pottery, 190, 220, 
225, 233, 234, 235, 237, 239, 240, 
244 

“Quintuplet altar,” see Altar 5. 


R 


Radiocarbon dates, 264-266 (table), 267 
significance of, 260, 262, 264-267 
Radiocarbon dating, 77 
Rattlesnake, plumed, shown on figure, 
199, 215, 217 (fig.) 
“Rattlesnake monument,” 
ment No. 19. 
Rio Chiquito sites, 254 
Rock erystal, objects of, 274 
Rocks, effects of weathering, 285 
metamorphic, 284, 285, 286 (map), 
287 


see Monu- 


7 
plutonic, 286 (map) 
sedimentary, 284, 285, 286 (map) 
utilization of, 285 
voleanic, 284, 285, 286 (map) 
tod, tasseled, support for banner, 198 
(fig.), 199 
Rodriguez Montes, Ing. Roberto, 3 


s 


Sand, gray drift, surface layer, 81-82 
postoceupation drift, 113 
used for tempering, 219, 220, 237 
water-washed, deposit of, 40 
Sanders, William T., quotation from, 
246, 257 
Sand lenses, 59, 60, 154 
Sandstone, 285 
unworked, 49 
Sandstone cist (Feature A-3-a), 112, 
116, 117, 118, 126, 127, 260 
Sandstone “vessel,” 274 
San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan site, 
260, 262, 300 
earvings, 200, 204 
San Martin Tuxtle, voleanice rock from, 
285 
Schist fragments, carved, 202, 205, 206 
(fig.), 206, 209, 210 (fig.) 


259, 


INDEX 


Seraper, brown chert, 194 
Serpent, feathered, shown on figures, 
200 


Serpentine, 269, 284 

blocks, 4, 10, 43, 46, 52, 54, 58, 76, 
77, 88-89, 938-95, 97, 103, 122 
(table), 128 (table), 125, 127, 
129, 180-131, 132, 193 (fig.), 195, 
226-228, 233, 236, 237, 259, 298 

blocks, jaguar mask of, 23, 39, 132, 
298 

blocks, mosaic of, 80, 93, 94 (fig.), 
95 


blocks, trench filled with, 39, 46, 52, 
54, 58, 271 
celts, 132, 135, 139, 140; 152, 174— 
176 (table), 185, 187, 218, 273, 
274, 275 
court floor of, 23, 27, 66, 70, 71, 125 
figurines, 155, 160, 245, 256, 270, 
272, 273, 274, 275 
pendant, 233, 235 (fig.)—2386 
pseudocelts (Offering No. 1), 183- 
135 
substitute for jade ?, 102, 1382 
unworked chunks, 95, 192, 194 
Shark tooth, 272 
Sherds, Plumbate ware, 226 
polychrome, 234, 236, 240, 
(figs.), 242 (figs.) 
pottery, 119, 218, 227 (fig.), 235, 
237, 238 (fig.) 
White-Rimmed ware, 191 
Shims, limestone, 206 
Shook, Edwin M., quotations from, 257 
Sites, southeastern Mexico, mentioned 
in text, 7 (map), 8 
Skull, jade, 273 
Slabs, gneiss or green schist, 76, 78, 95 
limestone used for celt polishing, 
196 (fig.), 197 
stone, 76, 77, 78 
white limestone, 76, 78, 126, 196— 
197 
Smith, Robert E., quotations from, 250 
Smithsonian Institution, contributions 
to project, 2 
Sociopolitical situation at La Venta, 
possible, 267-271 
Southall, A. W., quotations from, 269 
South-Central Platform, east half of 
(Feature A-1-c), 15, 16, 17 
Southeastern Mexico, sites of, 7 (map) 
Southeast Platform (Feature A-1l-e), 
15 
Southern section, profile constituents, 
30-31 
Spangles, 147 
jade, 166, 274 
Spindle whorls, handmade, 245 
moldmade, 238 (fig.), 289, 245 
Spouts, stirrup, 256 
Squier, Robert J., University of Cali- 
fornia, 2 
maps and diagrams made by, 4, 75 
Stamps, clay, 256 
Stela A, see Stela 2. 


241 


311 


C, Tres Zapotes site, 263, 264, 

276 (references) 

Stela 1, 215, 230, 276 (references) 

Stela 2, 121, 195, 276 (references) 

Stela 3, 6, 126, 195, 198, 199, 200, 214, 
215, 216 (fig), 217 (fig:), 276 
(references), 297 

Stela 4, 276 (references) 

Stela 5, 126, 215, 276 (references), 297 

Stelae, 195, 196, 271 

Stilpnomelane, contained in metamor- 
phic rock, 284 

Stingray-tail tips, 272 

stirling, Dr. M. W.; 3;.126,., 137,162, 
197; 200; 215, 229, 233, 237, 249, 
268, 272, 273, 274, 275, 298, 300 

Stones, basalt, 31 

schist, 120 
serpentine, 31 

Stone-working techniques, 194-197 

Sub-unit A-1, 10, 11, 25, 34 

Sub-unit A-2, 25 

Sub-unit A-3, 14 

Sub-unit C-1, 11, 13 

Sub-unit C-2, 13, 14 

Sub-unit C-3, 13. 

Sub-unit C-4, 13 

Sub-unit C-—5, 13, 14 


T 


Taylor, Dr. Walter, 3 
Teeth, mutilated, 161 (table) 
Téllez, Dr. Juan, help from, 231 
Tempering materials, 190, 219, 220, 225, 
233, 234, 235, 236, 287, 239, 240, 
244, 245 
Teotihuacan, mosaic masks ascribed to, 
299 
Teotihuacan I, pottery from, 222, 255, 
256 
Terrace, lower, 111 
possible, 87, 90 
second, 111 
Test pit “A,” 120 
Test pit “B,” 120 
Test pit “C,’ 120 
“The Ambassador” (Offering No. 138), 
40 
Thompson, J. Eric §., quotations from, 
251, 260, 263 
Ticoman horizon, 249, 256 
“Tierra bonita,” “old rose” floor series, 
isl: 
See aiso Floors, “old-rose series.” 
Tlapacoya, sites at, 257 
Tlatilco, excavations at, 249, 251, 253, 
255, 256, 257, 259 (lists), 261, 262, 
263, 270 
Tlayacoapan, Morelos, Mexico, 257 
Tomb, basalt column (Feature A-2-a), 
5, 15, 25, 29, 47, 48, 50, 117, 126, 
197, 229, 260 
Tomb A, 126, 278 (references) 
See also Monument 7. 
Tomb B, 278 (references) 
See also Monument 6. 
Tomb C, (Feature A-3-a), 113 


Stela 


312 


Tomb D, contents, 274 (list) 
Tomb BH, contents, 273 
Tonala drainage, pottery from, 246, 247, 


248 

Tonala River, site of La Venta island, 
267 

Torres, Don Sebastian, owner of site, 
240 


Torres site, 240-246 
Totanium ores, used for mirrors, 287 
Trailer, worn by figure, 199 
Traits common at La Venta and rare 
or absent at Tlatilco, 258 (list) 
rare or absent at La Venta and 
common at Tlatileo, 258 (list) 
shared by La Venta and Tlatilco, 
258 (list) 
Trenches, block-filled, 45, 59, 91, 131, 
259 
eut to receive columns, 26, 106 
difficulty with, 5-6, 102 
east-west, 43, 60, 110 (fig.), 111, 114 
filled with serpentine blocks, 39, 46, 
58, 59, 61, 108, 124 
north-south, 112, 114, 117, 128 
North-south centerline, Central sec- 
tion, 3446 
North-south centerline, 
section, 46-50 
North-south centerline, 
section, 30-34 
possibly early, 43 
unexplained, 46, 75-76, 77, 86, 87, 
90 
Tres Zapotes, excavations at, 249, 250, 
258, 254, 261, 262, 268, 264, 268 
monuments at, 229 
polychrome ware, 239 
pottery from, 244, 245, 246 
Stella C, 209 
Tubular objects, jade, 171, 172 (fig.), 
173, 174, 192 
Tuff, offering outlined by, 164, 167 
used for tempering, 223, 233, 234 
Tuxtlas district, 239, 240 
Tzakol period in the Petén, 252, 253 


Northern 


Southern 


U 


Uaxactun (Mamon) culture, 250, 252, 
2538, 255 

University Memorial-Phoenix Project 
Radiocarbon Laboratory, dates 
determined at, 264 

University of California, help provided 
by, 2,201 

University of California Archaeologi- 
cal Survey, 3 

“Unworked boulder,’ 276 (references) 

See also Stela 5. 

Upper Preclassiec horizon, 255 

Upper Tlatileo horizon, 255 

Upper Tres Zapotes, 264 

Upper Zacatenco site, 256 


INDEX 


V 
Valenzuela, Juan, quotations from, 239, 
40 


Valley Archaic period, 255 
Valley of Mexico sites, 256, 270 
Vera Cruz-Tabasco coastal plain, Ol- 
mec area, 253, 257, 299 
Vessel supports, hollow, 234, 236 
solid, 288 (fig.), 239, 244 
Vessels, ceremonial, 219 
Fine Paste Buff ware, 188 (fig.) 
Fine Paste Orange ware, 188 
(figs. ) 
flat-bottomed, 256 
from Pollinapan in Tuxtlas dis- 
trict, Veracruz, 222 
incised, 221, 222 (fig.) 
pottery, 68, 125, 165 (fig.), 187, 188 
(fig.), 190, 218-220, 221, 222 
(fig.) , 223,227 | (figs). n268n(ist). 
273, 274, 275 
Red on Coarse Brown ware, 214, 
215 (fig.) 
red-slipped buff, 221-223 
sandstone, 274 
White-Rimmed Coarse Black ware, 
191 
Village Formative horizon, 252 
Villahermosa, Tabasco, 277, 278, 297 
Volean de la Union, source of volcanic 
rock, 286 


WwW 


Wall, adobe brick, 74 (fig.), 77, 88 
buried brickwork, 8, 16, 22, 27, 73, 
74 (fig.), 75, 76, 77, 124, 125 
clay, 10, 21, 25, 26, 102 
Hast, 52 
“marker,” 98-99, 107, 108 
retaining, against sand, 99, 102, 
103, 105, 107 
serpentine block, 103 
Water-bird pendant, 147, 148 
Wauchope, Robert, quotations from, 
252 
Wedel, Waldo R., excavations by, 30, 
32, 85, 104, 128, 187, 218, 227 
quotations from, 15, 16, 30, 33, 34, 
41, 49, 54, 72, 78, 112, 118, 114, 
117, 126, 162, 187, 215, 228 
Weights, clay, 245 
“West Trench, A-1,” 16 
“White sandy floor series”, 22, 25, 33 


Y 
Yucatan sites, 261 
Z 


Zacatenco horizon, 249, 255, 259 

Zavala Torres, Ing. Ignacio, 3 

Zoisite, contained in metamorphic rock, 
284 

Zooform object, jade, 272 


O 


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