Transisthmian Ties: Epi-Olmec and Izapan Interaction

Abstract

In 1943, Matthew Stirling (1943:72) once opined, “Izapa appears to be much more closely related to the earth-mound sites of southern Veracruz … than it does with sites in the Maya area.” Since then, scholars have postulated ties of varying strength between Late Formative polities on either side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Ceramic similarities have been noted between southern Chiapas and the Gulf Coast, but discussion of Late Formative transisthmian interaction has focused primarily on sculptural similarities between Izapa and sites of the lower Papaloapan basin, including Tres Zapotes, El Mesón, and Alvarado. Indeed, Michael Coe (1965b:773) suggested that the Izapan art style may have originated on the Gulf Coast rather than on the Pacific slope. In this article, we reexamine Late Formative interaction between Izapa and Epi-Olmec polities with an expanded data set based on recent iconographic studies and archaeological investigations in and around Tres Zapotes.

The Formative to Classic Period Transition at Izapa: Updates From the Izapa Household Archaeology Project

“…First, the adoption of fine-paste pottery during the Late and Terminal Formative periods appears to be a relatively widespread phenomenon. Archaeologists have now documented the introduction of wares with fine pastes to ceramic complexes at the close of the Formative period at sites not only within the Miraflores sphere, like Chalchuapa (Sharer 1978), and Kaminaljuyu (Wetherington 1978:78–79), but also in other regions, like the Gulf Coast (Pool et al 2018; Pool and Britt 2000). It is important to acknowledge, however, that while contemporary fine-paste ceramics in Veracruz are similar in texture, pastes do not share the same white color.…”

“…It is important to acknowledge, however, that while contemporary fine-paste ceramics in Veracruz are similar in texture, pastes do not share the same white color. These ceramics may have been technologically similar but share little else in common (Pool et al 2018). As with the spread of Usulutan decoration, it is unlikely that a sweep of southeasterners migrated out in all directions bringing with them fine-paste pottery.…”

Introducing Izapa

“…The contribution by Pool, Loughlin, and Ortiz Ceballos (2018) to this Special Issue explores the nature of interaction between Late Formative polities on either side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. They present a detailed comparison of ceramic vessel decoration at both Izapa and Tres Zapotes during the last seven centuries b.c.…”

“…Public sculptures were used much longer than clay pots as demonstrated by Pool et al’s (2018) interesting discussion of Tres Zapote's Stela C as having a 600-year-long history of recarving, movement, and changing uses. The “Izapan style” narrative stelae at Izapa were first carved during the Guillén phase but the question is whether the style persisted unchanged through to the Terminal Formative (Itstapa phase, a.d. 100–300), or if later occupants reset earlier monuments.…”

Ceramic exchange networks in the south‐central Tuxtla Mountains, southern Veracruz, Mexico

“…However, the sculptural corpus at the site, especially the tradition of Classic period carved stone “boxes” or stelae bases differs considerably from most other centers in the western Tuxtlas uplands. Some stone boxes have been associated with the Formative period at Tres Zapotes, located in the western Tuxtlas foothills (Figure 1), but they are more stylistically similar to earlier Isthmian Izapa traditions and bear no similarity to the boxes at Matacanela (Pool et al, 2018). The Classic period stelae tradition is widespread in the southern foothills (Urcid & Killion, 2008), where no known bases/boxes have been recovered in the Matacanela style, and the northeast coast of the Tuxtlas (Becerra Alvarez, 2016; Budar Jiménez, 2015).…”