| Tlapacoya (archaeology) |
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Information AboutTlapacoya (archaeology) |
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Indiana University Art Museum {Link without Title} ]] Tlapacoya is an important Archaeological Site in Mexico . Tlapacoya is located at the foot of the Tlapacoya volcano, southeast of Mexico City , on the former shore of Lake Chalco . Tlapacoya is known in particular for ''Tlapacoya figurines''. These sophisticated earthware figurines were generally created between 1500 and 300 BCE and are representative of the Preclassic Period . Most experts see Olmec influence in many of these figurines and artifacts, even though Tlapacoya lies well outside the Olmec Heartland . EVEN ''MORE'' ANCIENT REMAINS? In addition to the figurines and other artifacts from the 1500 - 300 BCE era, human and animal remains have been found, some of which could be as much as 25,000 years old. Silvia González et al. have published research claiming that "one Tlapacoya skull is the first directly dated human in Mexico with an age of 9730 ± 65 years BP " (before present). If confirmed, this would be the 2nd oldest human remain found in the Americas, after the Buhl Woman of Idaho. The most controversial findings in Tlapacoya are artifacts which have been dated by some researchers to as early as 25,000 BP . If verified, these would be some of the earliest dates for human habitation in the Americas and would discredit prevailing theories of the timing of settlement of the New World. The evidence for these much-earlier dates consists of the bones of black bear and two species of deer which appeared in , to between 21,250 and 25,000 years BP. These very early pre- Clovis dates have challenged by other archaeologists. The site was uncovered during the construction of a Mexico City- Puebla freeway in the 1960s and 1970s. REFERENCES
SEE ALSO Human Antiquity In Mesoamerica EXTERNAL LINKS
links to figurine photos
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