Posted on 01/25/2007 3:20:10 PM PST by blam
Archeologists discover ancient Olmec-influenced city near Mexico City
By Mark Stevenson
ASSOCIATED PRESS
12:16 a.m. January 25, 2007
MEXICO CITY – A 2,500-year-old city influenced by the Olmecs – often referred to as the “mother culture” of Mesoamerica – has been discovered hundreds of miles away from the Olmecs' Gulf coast territory, archaeologists said.
The remains of Zazacatla are providing insight into the early arrival of advanced civilizations in central Mexico, while also providing lessons about the risks to ruins posed by modern development that now cover much of the ancient city.
Archaeologist Giselle Canto said Wednesday that two statues and architectural details at the site, 25 miles south of Mexico City, indicate that the inhabitants of Zazacatla adopted Olmec styles when they changed from a simple, egalitarian society to a more complex, hierarchical one.
“When their society became stratified, the new rulers needed emblems ... to justify their rule over people who used to be their equals,” Canto said of the inhabitants, who may not have been ethnically Olmec, but apparently revered the culture as the most prestigious.
Zazacatla covered less than one square mile between 800 B.C. and 500 B.C. But much of it has been covered by housing and commercial development extending from Cuernavaca, a city popular with tourists just seven miles north.
“There are 10 housing developments, a gas station, a highway and a commercial building on the site now,” Canto said.
Authorities hope to excavate and preserve other pre-Hispanic sites before they are forgotten or covered over.
Since excavation of Zazacatla began last year, archaeologists have unearthed six buildings, and two sculptures of what appear to be Olmec-style priests. The sculptures appear to have headdresses portraying the jaguar, which the Olmecs revered, and other symbols of status and authority.
The Olmecs dominated areas around the Gulf coast states of Veracruz and Tabasco from 1,200 B.C. to about 400 B.C.
Some had speculated that the signs of Olmec influence found at Zazacatla and other areas far from the Gulf coast might suggest Olmec settlements, conquests or missionary sites.
But Canto said the Olmecs' most famous ceremonial center, about 250 miles east, was too far for direct contact, though trade links may have existed.
GGG Ping.
when they changed from a simple, egalitarian society to a more complex, hierarchical one.
Something the demoncrats are continuing to work on even today.
They'll be digging up Freeper's houses a thousand years from now and find skeletons fixed and staring at screens and declare the people were texting the gods.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
thank you for all of the pings.... :)
I wondered about you the other day. Glad to see you're still around!
Yeah, Blam, Pharmboy, and others had a very busy day posting everything too. :')
That's a bizzare looking structure.
It's great to see you too! I think about you as well...every now and then I check your website for updates.... any new "news" wrt the appeals process?
(PS: I signed up for one ping list that has an ENOURMOUS amount of links...While I appreciate being on it....it takes up a couple of pages a day..whew...there's no way I can keep up with them.)
When I do check in the articles are interesting. There are so many things to learn about and too little time to actually study.
Take care all!
|
· join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe · |
|||
Antiquity Journal & archive Archaeologica Archaeology Archaeology Channel BAR Bronze Age Forum Discover Dogpile Eurekalert LiveScience Mirabilis.ca Nat Geographic PhysOrg Science Daily Science News Texas AM Yahoo Excerpt, or Link only? |
|
||
|
· Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword · |
|||
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
