Tlatilco

Ceramic art recovered from Tlatilco, commonly known as the "Acrobat".c. 1300- 800 BCE.

Another acrobat figurine from Tlatilco

Tlatilcowas a largepre-Columbianvillage in theValley of Mexicosituated near the modern-day town of the same name in theMexican Federal District.It was one of the first chiefdom centers to arise in the Valley, flourishing on the western shore ofLake Texcocoduring theMiddle Pre-Classic period,between the years of 1200BCEand 200 BCE.It gives its name to the "Tlatilco culture",which also included the town ofTlapacoya,on the eastern shore ofLake Chalco.

Tlatilco is noted in particular for its high quality pottery pieces, many featuring Olmec iconography, and its figurines, including Olmec-stylebaby-face figurines.Much else, however, seems to be in a native ceramic tradition.These Olmec-style artifacts have led to speculation concerning the nature ofOlmec influence on other Mesoamerican cultures.

The Tlatilco site was used in modern times as a source of clay for brick-making. By the 1930s, many of the ancient artifacts thereby uncovered made their way into the hands of collectors, includingMiguel Covarrubias,artist and ethnographer. Covarrubias led the first controlled excavation in 1942. By 1949, over 200 burials were identified at Tlatilco, leading to its categorisation as anecropolis.Two major archaeological excavations followed, with over 500 burials eventually identified, many with intact grave offerings.The last field season also undertook a systematic survey of non-burial structures, leading to the realization that these hundreds of burials were apparently located under ancient houses—although no traces of them remain - as well as among the various trash pits, and that Tlatilco was not a necropolis, but rather a major chiefdom center.

Many burials, primarily of high status individuals, show evidence of dental mutilation andartificial cranial deformation,most probably through the use ofcradleboards.

The Tlatilcans' agriculture was focused on maize, but also included beans,amaranth,and squash, and chili peppers. These plants were supplemented with various fowl, including migratory birds, wild rabbits and other smaller mammals, and deer and antelope.

Tlatilco reached its heyday during the period from 1000 to 700BCE,during the Olmechorizon.The following Zacatenco phase (700-400 BCE) saw a cessation of the use of Olmec iconography and forms.

Tlatilco figurines

Small ceramic mask from Tlatilco commonly referred to as the duality mask

Many Tlatilco figurines show deformities or other anomalies, including a "duality" mask and severaltwo-headed female figures.This has led some researchers to wonder whether Tlatilco was perhaps a cluster site for conjoined twins.

The name "Tlatilco" comes from theNahuatl language,in which it means "in the place of mounds".

References

• Adams, Richard E W (1991)Prehistoric Mesoamerica,University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma.
• Bendersky, Gordon (2000); "Tlatilco, Diprosopus, and Emergence of Medical Illustrations" inPerspectives in Biology & Medicine;Summer 2000, v43 #4, p477.
• Blanton, Richard E.; Kowalewski, Stephen A.; Feinman, Gary M.;Finsten, Laura M. (1993)Ancient Mesoamerica: A Comparison of Change in Three Regions,Cambridge University Press,ISBN0-521-44606-6.
• Diehl, Richard A. (2004)The Olmecs: America's First Civilization,Thames & Hudson, London.
• Kennedy, G. E. (2001)"The 3,000-year history of conjoined twins",Western Journal of Medicine,September 2001, 175(3): 176-177.
• Niederberger, Christine(1996) "The Basin of Mexico: a Multimillennial Development Toward Cultural Complexity", inOlmec Art of Ancient Mexico,eds. E. P. Benson and B. de la Fuente, Washington D.C.,ISBN0-89468-250-4,pp. 83–93.

External links

• (in Spanish)Information about Tlatilco.