Ceramic comales at the Barillas site (cal 1255–1390 CE), central Nicaragua: Defining a local technical tradition of griddle manufacture

Abstract

This research characterizes and reconstructs clay procurement and production practices through the integration of insitu portable XRF and petrographic analysis on ancient ceramics and clay materials recovered from the Mayales river subbasin (central Nicaragua). A particular choice for this study was the largest and arguably most significant archaeological site in the area, Aguas Buenas (cal 400-1250 CE), a pre-Hispanic indigenous agglomeration consisting of 371 human-made mounds of various shapes arranged in geometric patterns. Microanalytical approaches were applied to reconstruct the use of raw mineral resources in the production of ubiquitous pottery materials found at this site and in its immediate surroundings. The resulting compositional analysis produced geochemical and mineralogical data allowing for the characterisation of distinct, geologically-based compositional groups throughout the valley, improving on the limited geological data resolution previously available. The integrated microscopic and compositional analysis (through p-XRF) of archaeological pottery materials and raw clay samples, generates a number of hypotheses and insights about the nature of the Aguas Buenas site, and its role as a shared space among groups living in the Mayales river subbasin. Additionally, this study provides a solid research framework of investigation that can be employed for more detailed and extensive future studies on pre-Hispanic human occupation in this research area or elsewhere.

The Valley of Juigalpa, Mayales River Subbasin Microregion (Chontales, Nicaragua) Date List Ii

“…Both dates were collected off-mound and at the same metric level, only a few centimeters from bedrock. These two results contrast the two organic sediment assays previously dated from construction filling excavated at mound UBI61 (Beta-443734), dated to 670 ± 30 BP, or cal AD 1265-1400 (±2σ), and a posthole trace associated to mound UBI27 (Beta-457276), which yielded 730 ± 30 BP, or cal AD 1216-1388 (±2σ) (Donner et al 2019;. Therefore, these two new samples from Barillas were both interpreted as earlier charred organic materials not indicative of the age of the mounds associated with the excavation units, with no clear relationship to the cultural sequence.…”

“…The third period took place between 730 ± 30 BP, or cal AD 1216-1388 (±2σ) and 570 ± 30 BP, or cal AD 1295-1433 (±2σ) (Donner and Geurds 2018) (AD 1250-1450) and includes two excavated contexts: the site of Barillas Donner et al 2019) and Rosa Dolores Oporta . Barillas is a mounded site with more than 100 architectural features located on a steep alluvial terrace by the Mayales river.…”

Uses of pre-Hispanic kitchenware from Central Nicaragua: implications for understanding botanical foodways

“…Our data do not validate, nor indicate, explanations of direct migration or indirect Mesoamerican "influence." The griddles and cooking pot appear to have had intentional addition of tempering materials, which has been interpreted as related to local cooking practices and the desire for adequate thermal transfer and crack resistant kitchenware (Donner et al 2019). Diachronic studies of culinary practices in the region will shed more light on the local and regional histories of food production and consumption.…”

“…The griddles recovered at Barillas are significant in light of their hitherto unseen shape, in combination with the association with the culinary practices of special food items (tortillas) not made with other types of vessels, spatially connected to centrally located mounds at the site (Donner et al 2019). Importantly, however, griddles were manufactured using the same technical sequence shared by all other fired clay kitchenware at the site (Donner, 2020).…”

“…Unit 1 was placed at the foot of a mound possibly related to shared practices performed near and/or in the site's central open space, while unit 3 was located at the foot of a possible household mound (see Fig. 2 Donner et al 2019). The offmound communal area of unit 2, in contrast, did not yield any griddle fragments.…”