CURRENT RESEARCH IN THE PLEISTOCENE Vol.

27, 2010

Archaeology: Latin America

Late-Pleistocene/Early-Holocene Tropical Foragers

of Chiapas, Mexico: Recent Studies
Guillermo Acosta Ochoa
➤ Keywords: Southern Mexico, tropical environments, early foragers

Here we present the first results of an archaeological field study, which began
in 2004, to define the early occupations of the tropical and subtropical zones
of southeastern Mexico. Excavations from 2005 to 2009 have focused on three
caves in Chiapas with pre-pottery occupations: Santa Marta, La Encañada, and
Los Grifos (Figure 1A). The last two show similarities with fluted-point sites
such as Los Tapiales in Guatemala. Particularly at Los Grifos two fluted points

Figure 1A. Study area.

Guillermo Acosta Ochoa, Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Universidad Nacional

Autónoma de México, Cubículo 013, México; e-mail: acostaochoa@yahoo.com.mx

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have been identified, a Clovis (or clovisoid) and a fishtail, which make the site
the first with such characteristics in Middle America. Santa Marta, on the other
hand, not only exhibits lithic material of expedient technology but also
milling stones and botanical samples, which indicate incipient horticulture
starting at the end of the Pleistocene.
Previous dates for Los Grifos of 9540 ± 150 (I-10762), 9460 ± 150 (I-10761)
and 8930 ± 150 (I-10760) RCYBP (García-Bárcena 1980; Santamaría 1981)
suggest its fluted-point occupation occurred during the earliest Holocene.
However, the earliest occupations of the area do not correspond to fluted
point sites, but with caves like Santa Marta with expedient lithic artifacts and
elements of broad-spectrum subsistence. The initial levels at this rockshelter
are Pleistocene in age (XVII stratum), with dates around 10,460 ± 50 RCYBP
(Beta-233470), and 10,055 ± 90 RCYBP (UNAM 07-22). The upper levels of
stratum XVI are dated to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, between
9950 ± 60 (Beta-233475) and 9800 ± 50 RCYBP (Beta-233476) (Table 1).

Table 1. Late-Pleistocene/Early-Holocene dates of Santa Marta and Los Grifos, Chiapas, Mexico.

Cave Lab. number Material Context 14

C Date CALYBP (2σ) ■ Reference
Santa Marta Beta-233470 Celtis seed Capa XVII 10,460 ± 50 12,680–12,110 Present study
AMS Nivel 1
Santa Marta UNAM-07-22 charcoal Contacto Capas 10,055 ± 90 11,266–11,840 Acosta 2008
XVI-XVII
Santa Marta Beta-233476 charcoal Capa XVI, nivel 6 9950 ± 60 11,690–11,230 Present study
AMS
Santa Marta Beta-233475 Capa XVI, nivel 1 9800 ± 50 11,260–11,170 Present study
AMS
Santa Marta I-9260 charcoal Capa XVI 9330 ± 290 10,511–10,574 García-Bárcena y
Santamaría 1982
Santa Marta I-9259 charcoal Capa XVI 9280 ± 290 9672–11,241 García-Bárcena y
Santamaría 1982
Santa Marta Beta-233470 charcoal Capa XI, nivel 1 8740 ± 50 9910–9950 Present study
AMS
Santa Marta I-8955 charcoal Capa XV 8785 ± 425 8773–10,889 García-Bárcena y
Santamaría 1982
Los Grifos I-10762 charcoal Below fishtail 9540 ± 150 10,485–11,233 Santamaría 1981
occupation
Los Grifos I-10761 charcoal Below fishtai 9460 ± 150 10,299–11,182 Santamaría 1981
occupation
Los Grifos - Obsidian Below fishtail 9330 Santamaría y
hydratation occupation García-Bárcena
1989
Los Grifos I-10760 charcoal Over fishtail 8930 ± 150 9555–10,378 Santamaría 1981
occupation
■
Calibrated with Calib 6.0.1

The lithics of Santa Marta are manufactured on local flint, mainly on flakes
with marginal retouch (Figure 1B). Starch grains and microscopic signs of use-
wear on stone tools indicate they were used to work plant fiber, principally
woods of mesophiles and the tropical rainforest.
Faunal remains indicate that the collection of freshwater jute-snails
(Pachychilus sp.) was an important subsistence activity. Small and medium-
sized animals like deer (Odocoileus and Mazama), peccary (Dicotyles), and rabbit
(Silvylagus), as well as snakes (Crotalus), iguanas (Iguana), and tortoises
CRP 27, 2010 ACOSTA OCHOA 3

A B H I J

C D K L M

E F N O P

0 5
cm

G
Figure 1B. Lithics.

(Kinosternon) were the most important hunting prey. Megafaunal remains

were not found.
Santa Marta’s paleoethnobotanical results (Acosta 2008) provide evidence
of the presence of milling stones with microfossil remains (starch grains) of
Zea in levels around 9800 RCYBP, while Zea pollen (introduced teosinte is
suspected) is present in the sedimentary record starting with Pleistocene levels
(between 10,460 ± 50 and 10,050 ± 90 RCYBP), along with cocoa pollen
(Theobroma sp.), green tomato seeds (Physalis sp.), nance seeds (Byrsonima
crassifolia), and figs (Ficus cooki). Pollen analysis in association with
macrobotanical flotation results suggests that, along with species inhabiting
perturbed areas, there are several groups of forest species, including meso-
phile (Alnus), tropical rainforest (Theobroma), and deciduous forest (Ficus,
Byrsonima). These results suggest the possibility that specific tropical areas
were altered as scattered orchards, where wild and semidomesticated species
could spread out (horticulture). This process has now been detected in other
tropical areas in Colombia (Gnecco and Aceituno 2004) and Ecuador
(Piperno et al. 2000). Nevertheless, Santa Marta appears to precede both of
them by at least half a millennium, but further investigation is required.
This study has been possible thanks to the support of Programa de Apoyo a Proyectos de Investigación
e Innovación Tecnológica (PAPIIT-UNAM), a Ph.D. grant from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y
Tecnología (CONACyT), and donations from the Foundation for The Advancement of Mesoamerican
Studies (FAMSI).
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