| 40,000 BC - First Eurasians cross the Bering land bridge to North America. 20,000 BC - First Northern Americans arrive in Mexico. 8,000 BC - First agriculture in Mexico. 5,000 BC - First agriculture record in Los Tuxtlas. 1,400 BC or later - Olmecs occupy area around Tres Zapotes, which stays occupied till around 1,000 AD. 400 BC - 300AD - Olmec culture flowers at Tres Zapotes. 900 BC - 400 BC Unkown culture occpies various sites around Los Tuxtlas 400 AD - 1000 AD - Teotihuacan influenced peoples occupy a massive community 10 miles from Catemaco. 1465? - Aztec emperor Motecuhzoma Ilhuicamina (1440-1469) conquers the southern Veracruz area. 1867 - First Olmec head mentioned, from near Santiago Tuxtla 1938 - Mathew Stirling first excavation of Tres Zapotes |
| Isla Agaltepec - in Laguna Catemaco FAMSI - Isla Agaltepec: Postclassic Occupation in the Tuxtla Mountains, Veracruz, México Tres Zapotes near Santiago Tuxtla catemaco.info - Tres Zapotes Totogal - near Santiago FAMSI - Totógal: Investigations of Postclassic Occupation and the Aztec Frontier in the Tuxtla Mountains, Veracruz, México La Mojarra - near Angel R Cabada UTexas - La Mojarra Stela 1 El Meson - near Angel R Cabada FAMSI - Recorrido Arqueológico El Mesón El Salado abstract - Prehistoric Salt Production at El Salado Ranchoapan - near San Andres Tuxtla UNM - Ranchoapan: The "new obsidian" city of los Tuxtlas? El Tecolote & Cinco Cerros, Hueyapan de Ocampo FAMSI - The Chacalapan Geophysical Survey, Veracruz, México Laguna de los Cerros, near Acayayucan FAMSI - Laguna de Los Cerros, Una capital del periodo Clásico Terminal en la costa sur del Golfo de México. Matacapan - between Catemaco & San Andres Tuxtla Matacanela, south of Catemaco, near Zapoapan Teotepec - northwestt shore of Laguna Catemaco El Chininal - Las Margaritas -northeast shore of Laguna Catemaco Piedra Labrada - Pajapan Bezuapan - San Andres Tuxtla Llano de Jicaro, near Corral Nuevo, Acayucann |
Death Gods, Smiling Faces and Colossal Heads: Archaeology of the Mexican Gulf Lowlands by Richard Diehl - Very good overview My Photos from the Tabasco Museums 2008 El “Rub Al-Kahli” prehispánico de Los Tuxtlas: Una interpretacion del Paisaje I'm fascinated by this article, but it keeps disappearing, so I saved it. Materiales y sistemas constructivos empleados por las culturas del Golfo de Mexico, Functional overview of Veracruz archaeology, in Spanish. Famsi - Bibliography (24 listings 2009) Some Books Los Tuxtlas : nombres geográficos pipil, nahuatl, taíno y popoluca Antonio Francisco Rodríguez Alvarado Boca del Río, Veracruz : Ediciones Culturales Exclusivas, 2007, was for sale in Catemaco. The prehistory of the Tuxtlas Robert S. Santley, Albuquerque : University of New Mexico Press, 2007, the current gold standard of Tuxtlas archaeology, available on Amazon, you can also read most of it in Google books. Ranchoapan : the "New Obsidian" city of the Tuxtlas? Robert S Santley,; Albuquerque, NM : University of New Mexico, 2004. The Olmecs: America's First Civilization, Richard A. Diehl, Thames & Hudson, London 2004. Ceramic production and consumption in the Sierra de los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico Philip J Arnold; Albuquerque : University of New Mexico, Latin American Institute, 1988 Estudio sobre la antigüedad y el origen de la cabeza colosal ... del canton de los Tuxtlas José M Melgar Editorial: Veracruz, Imp. del "Progreso", 1871. |
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| links |
| local museums |
| maps |
| Punta Tepeyaga, Laguna Catemaco edge of laguna and on the point (punta) undated rock drawings pieces |
| Angel R Cabada central plaza of city stela found at El Meson |
| El Chinal, Las Margaritas private ranch above Las Margaritas archaeological ruins of possibly a ball court, and small pyramid |
| Catemaco in front of ayuntamiento (city hall) post-olmec pieces, collected near Zapoapan de Cabañas |
| San Andrés Tuxtla around central plaza post-olmec pieces, collected near San Andrés, now housed in the Regional Museum of Los Tuxtlas |
| some local views |
| Casa de Cultura, San Andres Tuxtla 8 miles from Catemaco, selection of locally found artifacts |
| Tres Zapotes Museum and archaeological zone Santiago Tuxtla 31 miles from Catemaco |
| Museo Tuxteco, Santiago Tuxtla 17 miles from Catemaco home of both the largest and smallest Olmec heads ever found |
| Museo Regional Comunidad Indigena General Emiliano Zapata Santa Rosa Loma Larga, Hueyapan de Ocampo about 16 miles south of Catemaco |
| Regional Museum of San Andres Tuxtla The newest museum in Los Tuxtlas, opening early 2008 8 miles from Catemaco |
| local museums |
| local museums |
| gone - but not forgotten |
| Museum of Anthropology, Xalapa Collection of pieces removed from Los Tuxtlas |
This fascinating map extrapolated data from aerial reconnaissance and surveys and hypothesized dozens of potential archaeological sites in the Sierra Santa Marta, that, as of now are totally unexplored. |
| draft |
| timeline |
| It is difficult to dig most anywhere in Los Tuxtlas and not find some remnants of previous cultures. Although Los Tuxtlas are famous for their Olmec heritage, much more pervasive was the presence of later people identified as being influenced by the Teotihuacan empire. They also brought their Nahuatl language which still resonates in hundreds of local place names. Olmecs Whether this culture was the mother of Mesoamerican development, African illegal immigration or just some stoned heads is for someone else to decide. There are enough sites on the web to describe the Olmecs. Check out Wikipedia - Olmecs |
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| Los Tuxtlas Archaeology |