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mexicon
Aktuelle Informationen und Studien zu Mesoamerika
News and studies on Mesoamerica - Noticias y contribuciones sobre Mesoamérica
Vol.XVI April1994 Nr. 2
 organizaciones campesinas e indígenas ante la problemática
ambiental del desarrollo, pp. 17-27. UACH - PAIR, Chapingo
Warman, Arturo
1988 The political project of Zapatismo. In: F. Katz (ed.): Riot,
rebellion, and revolution, pp. 321-337. Princeton University
Press, Princeton
RESUMEN: El trabajo analiza los antecedentes del conflicto armado en
Chiapas. Se hace especial hincapié en el fracaso de la reforma agraria, la falta
de estructuras políticas integrativas y el surgimiento de un movimiento
campesino e indígena.
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Analysiert werden dieVorgeschichte und die
Hintergründe des bewaffneten Konfliktes in Chiapas. Eine besondere Rolle
spielen die nicht eingeló'ste Agrarreform, das Fehlen integrativer Partei- und
Staatsstrukturen sowie das Entstehen einer unabhangigen Campesino- und
Indígena-Bewegung.
Three New Olmec sculptures
from southern Veracruz
Ann CyphersGuillén
Since 1990, the San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán Archaeological
Project has been conducting investigations in southern
Veracruz, centered on the major Olmec occupation of the San
Lorenzo plateau, as well as at several hinterland sites. Among
the many new discoveries of the project, three new Olmec
sculptures were brought to light in 1992. One comes from the
San Lorenzo plateau itself and the other two from the hinter-
land. These works of art are important additions to the corpus
of known Olmec sculptures for their exceptional beauty and
for the associated archaeological context. The purpose of the
present article is to report briefly on the finds and make
accurate Information available to Mesoamericanists.
A New Azuzul Feline
The first piece is a large feline sculpture measuring 1.65 m
high found on the Azuzul acrópolis, about 4 kilometers south
of the San Lorenzo plateau (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Large feline sculpture from the Azulul acrópolis (Height:
165 cm).
Discovered during excavations at the site, it was possible to
excávate it in situ with regard to architectural features and
associated archaeological materials. It is located only a few
meters from the three Azuzul sculptures discovered in 1987 by
local farmers, which was the focus of a salvage operation
30 conducted by León and Sánchez (1991-1992) (Fig. 2).
Fig. 2. Group of Olmec scupltures discovered by Ignacio Vasconce-
los in 1987. The sculptured feline at left has a height of 1 lOcm.
It is important to clarify that Schnell (1989) inaccurately
reported this find as Late Formative and confused the present
positioning of the sculptures with the way they were actually
found (Editor's note: In Schnell's original text the date was
given as "late Early Formative", in full agreement with Cy-
phers. mexicon regrets the accidental omission of the word
"Early"). It is well-known that several stylized forms, such as
thrones-altars and colossal heads, are recurrent in Olmec art,
yet the Azuzul sculptures now brought to a total of four with
the latest discovery are an unparalleled find because they
represent the first paired and nearly identical figures sculpted
in the round pertaining to this early art style.
Even though the identification of felines is sometimes
questioned in Olmec art, the Azuzul sculptures clearly repre-
sent stylized members of the cat family. The new feline,
formally very similar to the one discovered in 1987, is 45 cm
taller and is correspondingly voluminous. Just as the small
feline has been identified as a recarved sculpture (Guillen and
Botas, in press), the newest one presents evidence of recarving
also; the sculptural form is bound by the rigid constraint of the
stone available from the previous phase sculpture.
The large feline projects rounded lines as well as well-
defined chest musculature, all of which gives it a tremendous
feeling of power and strength. When compared to the smaller
feline, the detail shown on the face includes a more abstractly
represented mouth with less well-defined teeth and finely
traced lines on the forehead. It may be possible that a different
cat species is being represented. Yet despite these differences,
the overal formal similarities are striking. This includes the
body pose, the convention of showing the tail adhering verti-
cally to the back of the body, and the stiltedposition of the front
legs. In profile, the squeezing of the natural feline form into the
defined limits of the volcanic stone is reminiscent of the same
feeling of compression that the observer gets from the colossal
heads. Following Porter's observation that Monument 53 of
San Lorenzo was recarved from an altar-throne (1989), the
distortion of normal facial features may have been a conse-
quence of the recarving process resulting in an effect of
flatness. As extraordinary examples of recarved sculptures,
the Azuzul felines were designed as naturalistic bodies that
had to be compressed stylistically in order to fit within the
limits of the available stone.
The newly discovered sculpture, as well as the other three,
can be presently viewed at the Azuzul site itself where local
people have kept them in their custody.
 An Anthropomorphic Feline from the San
Lorenzo Plateau
Recently found eroding down into the Macaya ravine on the
southwest part of the San Lorenzo plateau, another new
sculpture presents a curious combination of anthropomorphic
and feline characteristics (Guillen 1992). An exuberant reclin-
ing feline-like body shows the previously mentioned conven-
tion of the tail flattened along the top of the back (Fig. 3).
Fig. 3. Anthropomorphic feline sculpure from the San Lorenzo
plateau (Width: ca. 70cm).
The hindquarters of the animal are clearly feline just as are the
feet. However, the front quarters, while assuming a somewhat
feline pose, are clearly anthropomorphic. Instead of front feet,
very large human hands are represented. The chest is highly
developed and prominent and has a human aspect. Viewed
from the left side, the lower part of the sculpture shows a
heaviness where the sculptor did not remove excess stone but
instead left the stone mass in place in order to achieve a more
weighty and stable sculpture. Interesting, in place of a head,
the broken área reveáis a flattened surface bounded by with
vertical sides, quite similar to the trough stones used in the
basalt aqueducts on the plateau. Since a number of aqueduct
stones were found nearby, it is entirely possible that the piece
formed part of an elevated section of aqueduct line. - This
sculpture is presently in the safe-keeping of the INAH repre-
sentative in Tenochtitlan, Veracruz, where a community mu-
seum is being built to house the sculptures still located there.
It should be noted that the presence of felines in and around
the Olmec capital of San Lorenzo is undeniable and pervasive
with a total of seven clear feline sculptures represented in the
monument corpus, the largest group of known felines repre-
sented in the Olmec heartland. Highland representations of
felines are outstanding at Chalcatzingo, Morelos, with three
previously reported felines depicted in Mons 3 and 4 (Grove
and Ángulo 1987) and a newly found representation (Arturo
Oliveros, personal communication).
A Human Torso from Xochiltepec
In November of 1992, a new sculpture was reported from the
Xochiltepec ejido which provides new clues about the use of
Olmec sculptures (Guillen 1992; 1993). A decapitated and
dismembered, but nonetheless magnificent, human torso was
recovered about 3.5 kms south of the San Lorenzo plateau
(Fig. 4). Elaborately .attired in a fancy woven tie-belt and
feathered loincloth, the seated torso wears a spoon-like pecto-
ral strikingly similar to the jade and jadeite spoons reported
from La Venta and other sites.
Fig. 4. Human torso from Xochiltepec (Height: ca. 1 lOcm).
Cióse study of the monument shows that this piece was once
a seated figure which had to have been placed upon an elevated
surface since its right leg, now broken off, was dangling in
front of it. The original posture of the figure was with the left
arm raised up high, and the right arm lifted and extended (or
flexed) horizontally in front of the chest. This posture is quite
reminiscent of that of the powerful figure painted in the
Oxtotitlan mural, which is seated above the cave mouth
(Grove 1973). Slightly inclined backwards, the figure also
seems to wear a skirt and a type of sleeveless shirt. The
sculptural technique and style (surface finish and line) are very
similar to the Azuzul twins as well as to Monuments 1,2, and
3 of Potrero Nuevo, suggesting an Early Formative dating
(1200-900 B.C.). - This sculpture may be viewed at the
present time in the Community Museum of the Xochiltepec
Ejido, located in the community of Potrero Nuevo, Texistepec
municipality, Veracruz.
References Cited
Coe, Michael D. and Richard A. Diehl
1980 In the Land of the Olmec. University of Texas Press, Austin.
Grove, David
1973 The Olmec paintings of Oxtotitlan Cave, Guerrero, México.
In Studies in Pre-Columbian Art and Archaeology, No. 6,
Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C.
Grove, David and Jorge Ángulo
1987 A Catalog and Description of Chalcatzingo's Monuments. In
Ancient Chalcatzingo, edited by D.C. Grove, pp. 114-131.
University of Texas Press, Austin.
Guillen, Ann Cyphers
1992 Rescate Arqueológico de una Escultura Humana-Felina en la
Meseta de San Lorenzo, Municipio de Texistepec, Estado de
Veracruz. Report submitted to INAH, México.
1992 Informe: Una Escultura Olmeca en el Ejido de Xochiltepec,
Municipio de Texistepec, Estado de Veracruz. Report
submitted to INAH, México.
1993 Escenas Escultóricas Olmecas. Antropológicas 6, nueva
época, pp.47-52. UNAM, México. 31
 Guillen, Ann Cyphers
in press Investigaciones Arqueológicas Recientes en San Lorenzo
Tenochtitlan, Veracruz: 1990-1992. Anales de Antropo-
logía, UNAM, México.
Guillen, Ann Cyphers and Fernando Botas
in press An Olmec Feline Sculpture from El Azuzul, Southern
Veracruz. Proceedings, American Philosophical Society.
León, Ignacio and Juan Carlos Sánchez
1991-92 Las Gemelas y el Jaguar del sitio El Azuzul. Horizonte
(Año 1) Nos. 5-6, pp.56-60.
Porter, James
1989 Olmec Colossal Heads as Recarved Thrones. Res 17/18: 23-
30.
Schnell, Antón
1989 An Olmec Group of Sculptures at El Azuzul. Mexicon
XI(6):106-107.
RESUMEN: Desde 1990 se vienen realizando excavaciones arqueológicas en
el centro olmeca de San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, ubicado en el sur del estado
mexicano de Veracruz. En el marco de este proyecto, se lograron obtener las
tres esculturas presentadas aquí.
ZUSAMMENFASUNG: Das olmekische Zentrum von San Lorenzo
Tenochtitlan im südlichen Veracruz wird seit 1990 ausführlich durch
mexikanische Grabungen erforscht. Im Rahmen dieses Projektes konnten die
drei hier vorgestellten Skulpturen geborgen werden.
Los Mascarones de
Chakanbakan
Fernando Cortés de Brasdefer
En el estado mexicano de Quintana Roo se registró en el mes
de noviembre de 1992 un saqueo arqueológico en el sitio
denominado Chakanbakan (Fig. 1), como consecuencia de la
inspección realizada por el autor del presente reporte, se logró
observar que dos de los mascarones reportados en 1980
(Cortés de Brasdefer 1980), habían sido afectados severamente
por la acción depredadora de los contrabandistas y destructores
del patrimonio cultural. Como consecuencia de esta acción
actuaron varias instituciones enfocadas a su protección: el
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, la Secretaría de
la Defensa Nacional, la Procuraduría General de la República,
el Gobierno del Estado de Quintana Roo, la Presidencia
Municipal de Chetumal, la Delegación de Nicolás Bravo y
diversos elementos del Comisariado Ejidal de Laguna Om.
¡T
Quintana Roo, México
' Tzibanché donde el saché parte de una plaza para desembocar
A uno y otro camino. El conjunto arquitectónico de la pirámide
CHAKANBAKAN
La Laguna
.|4IMt'"ll"
Guatemala
32 Fig. 1. Localización de Chakanbakan (La Laguna).
Posteriormente se prepuso el sitio arqueológico como objeto
de estudio tanto al propio Instituto Nacional de Antropología
e Historia como al Instituto Nacional Indigenista, a la Secretaría
de Turismo, al Gobierno del Estado, a la Cámara de Comercio
de Chetumal con objeto de contribuir al conocimiento de la
cultura maya del sur de Quintana Roo y al desarrollo económico
de la región. El programa denominado "Proyecto Arqueológico,
Ecológico y Turístico La Laguna" fue finalmente ejecutado en
su primera etapa a partir del mes de enero a junio del año 1993,
en el cual participan cinco etnias constituidas por nahuas,
mayas yucatecos, choles, totonacos y "ladinos". El programa
aunque enfocado a la arqueología es de enfoques sociales
debida a que la región se considera deprimida económicamente.
La investigación bibliográfica realizada hasta ahora sobre
el sitio revela ausencia de estudios anteriores, el primer
antecendente del lugar se registró cuando el autor de quien
escribe el presente trabajo visitó el lugar por primera vez en
1980 (Cortés de Brasdefer 1980). En esas notas de campo se
describe someramente el sitio en relación a su extensión y
dimensiones de las estructuras, así mismo se hace referencia
a los mascarones estucados, a las estelas y a la presencia
probable de una escalinata jeroglífica. En 1984 el propio autor
en compañía de Eduard Kurjack, quien era encargado del
proyecto Atlas Arqueológico de la Península de Yucatán,
visitamos el sitio para situarlo con exactitud en el mapa de la
Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional mediante el Geoseiver, acto
que no se consumó por ausencia del ejidatario que tenía en
custodia el área monumental del sitio. Más adelante el mismo
autor realizó visitas esporádicas al sitio, siendo hasta 1991
cuando reportó los saqueos más fuertes mediante las
inspecciones realizadas (Cortés de Brasdefer 1991a, 1991b;
Cortés de Brasdefer y Murías 1992).
El grupo arquitectónico donde están los mascarones se
encuentra al norte del centro cívico-religioso, constituye parte
del área monumental del sitio (Fig. 2). Pocos son los mo-
numentos de grandes dimensiones los que se encuentran en el
restodeasentamiento,encambiolamayorpartedelaarquitectura
se circunscribe a la doméstica y doméstica agrícola, mismas
esparcidas por la periferia exceptuando obviamente los bajos
y la laguna. De hecho el centro cívico-religioso se divide en
tres bloques de monumentos: El Conjunto de la Pirámide
Mayor, la Acrópolis y el Grupo del Sacbé (nombres provisio-
nales). Este último grupo se localiza a 350 m. de la Acrópolis
hacia el sureste, se destaca por las dimensiones de su pirámide
en cuya cima sobresale un templo con crestería semejante a las
usuales de Tzibanché. Este conjunto se encuentra unido por un
saché que parte de la Acrópolis, caso muy distinto al de
en un chultún, lo que significa uso de funciones distintas entre
donde se encuentran los mascarones lo integran una ni velación
del terreno que dio origen a una plataforma irregular en cuya
parte más extrema hacia el norte se construyó una pirámide.
Este cono truncado mide 28.50 m. desde la base de la plataforma
hacia la cima; no es fácil distinguir sus características arqui-
tectónicas por la abundancia de escombro que la cubre y sobre
todo por la selva que la envuelve, sin embargo en la primera
temporada de campo tanto la pirámide como la mayor parte del
conjunto arquitectónico fueron deshierbados en las áreas
próximas a excavar durante la segunda temporada de campo,
dejando únicamente árboles grandes y plantas de ornato.