A Glimpse of the People of Altica: Osteological and Isotopic/Radiocarbon Analysis

Abstract

Altica is a rare first-farming village site in the Basin of Mexico that has survived to modern times. Thus, it provides a glimpse into life during the Early–Middle Formative period. While valuable archaeological information on the village was recovered in excavation, only four burials comprising four individuals were recovered, a very small sample. Two individuals are older-aged females; the third, a middle-aged male, was accompanied by prestigious nonperishable goods and indicates that there are status differences even at this early date. The final individual was a young male buried in a deviant manner, suggesting possible foul play. While all individuals have indicators of periods of poor health, stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen paint a more complete picture of the types of foods these individuals consumed over their lifetime. Radiogenic strontium isotopes of tooth enamel identify one individual, the young male buried in a deviant manner, as non-native to the Altica region. Thus, there is mystery in the manner of death, but even in this small sample, the wider connections Altica had that are so evident in the artefactual analysis are found in the skeletons. In addition, accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating provides a chronology of occupation through the people.

Before Teotihuacan—altica, Exchange, Interactions, and the Origins of Complex Society in the Northeast Basin of Mexico

“…Social violence was part of early village social relations, although not much discussed for the Early and Middle Formative Basin of Mexico. Buckley's isotopic analysis (Storey et al 2019) indicates that he did not grow up locally and falls within the Sr-isotope range of the Tepexi de Rodríguez region of southwestern Puebla, the same region we propose as the source of imported white-ware ceramics at Altica.…”

“…Burials found during excavation provide the primary glimpse into social relations at Altica (Storey et al 2019). Erosion and plowing have destroyed Formative house remains, leaving behind domestic artifacts in the site's simple stratigraphy consisting of the current plow zone and a second stratum of very dark, clay soil intermixed with larger artifacts (Nichols and Stoner 2019b).…”

“…The burials that we recovered may all represent individuals of a higher status than those who would have been buried below house floors or in abandoned storage pits, but we cannot be certain on this point. Two of the burials in the cylindrical pits were women and both might have been placed in seated positions or as secondary burials (Storey et al 2019). One contained a middle-aged female (Burial 4) and Storey et al’s (2019) analysis indicates that the other woman was elderly.…”

“…Two of the burials in the cylindrical pits were women and both might have been placed in seated positions or as secondary burials (Storey et al 2019). One contained a middle-aged female (Burial 4) and Storey et al’s (2019) analysis indicates that the other woman was elderly. The elderly woman (Burial 1) was interred with a large grinding slab that was smoothed on one side but had an unfinished “ribbed” appearance on the underside with no supports.…”

Early–middle Formative Period Subsistence in the Teotihuacan Valley, Mexico: Pre-Hispanic Plant Remains From Altica

“…No starch grains were recovered from sediment adhering to a mano from the fill but not directly associated with the buried individual. Phytoliths from the same implement, however, included Agave fibers, diatom, sponge spicule fragments, and Chrysophyceae The ground stone implements recovered in the fill of Burial 4 (Feature 35) may not have been direct grave goods accompanying the female of approximately 40 years of age (Storey et al 2019). Uncarbonized macrobotanical specimens, while not abundant, represent components of the local flora.…”