ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN GUADALUPE, NORTHEAST HONDURAS

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1 ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN GUADALUPE, NORTHEAST HONDURAS Markus Reindel, Franziska Fecher and Peter Fux Archaeological investigations in Honduras have focused on the western, Mesoamerican part of the country. In contrast, the cultural developments in the east are poorly studied. With the goal of increasing the base of data on the settlement history and cultural developments of this zone, archaeological excavations were realized for the first time in Guadalupe, near Trujillo, on the northeast coast of Honduras. Guadalupe is one of several important archaeological sites located immediately on the coast. Excavations in 2016 and 2017 revealed an extended settlement with a central platform, whose upper layers date to the late Postclassic or Cocal Period (AD ). The central platform, located in the local primary school s yard, was chosen for excavations. A 12 by 2 m trench was established in order to obtain information about the architectural composition and stratigraphy of the mound. Excavations uncovered an extraordinary amount of artifacts, including ceramics, obsidian, shell, bones and greenstone. Considering that large ceramic fragments are abundant and some of the vessels can be completely restored, vessels might have been deposited intentionally. These activities probably included the consumption of meals and beverages. This interpretation is supported by the high amount of faunal remains. Judging from the ceramic inventory, Guadalupe has much in common with other sites of the Cocal period that have previously been studied in northeastern Honduras. According to the current understanding, it seems as though the entire northeastern culture area shares common ceramic traits. These consist of mostly monochrome pottery with incised motifs and applications of three-dimensional elements. Vessels are often furnished with tripod supports and handles that show anthropomorphic or zoomorphic motifs. Few pieces with painted decoration mostly in black and red have been uncovered. Furthermore, numerous finds support the hypothesis that Guadalupe participated in long distance exchange networks. A surprisingly large number of finely worked obsidian blades indicate commercial relations with Mexico and Guatemala. Another piece of evidence for long distance trade is the presence of copper bells and conches, which were important trade items during the Postclassic period in Mesoamerica. The latter were surely produced in Guadalupe. The unexpected abundance of artifacts will allow us to refine the existing artifact typologies and chronologies. Further investigations in this poorly studied region of northeast Honduras can surely help to expand our understanding of trading relations during the Postclassic period in Mesoamerica and Lower Central America. Markus Reindel, Franziska Fecher and Peter Fux, German Archaeological Institute, markus.reindel@dainst.de Keywords: Honduras, Postclassic, Settlement Archaeology, Honduras, Caribbean, Atlantic Coast Permanent URI: External Links: Bounding coordinates (decimal degrees): West: North: East: South: Citation Example: Markus Reindel, Franziska Fecher and Peter Fux (2017) ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN GUADALUPE, NORTHEAST HONDURAS. SAA Current Research 314, accessed (current date) Current Research Online No: 314:1

2 Mound in the local primary school s yard (M. Reindel). Current Research Online No: 314:2

3 Excavations in 2017 (M. Reindel). Current Research Online No: 314:3

4 Ceramic concentration in the excavation trench (M. Reindel). Current Research Online No: 314:4

5 Zoomorphic appliques (M. Müller). Current Research Online No: 314:5

6 Polychrome ceramic fragment (M. Reindel). Current Research Online No: 314:6 Powered by TCPDF (