Collective memory in San Sebastián Etla, Oaxaca: Bioarchaeological approaches to an Early Formative period (1400–1200 BCE) mortuary space

Abstract

Mortuary contexts with multiple interments are among the many variations on pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican burial practices. Ancient societies in Oaxaca, Mexico are well known for burying their dead in both single and multiple graves. Tombs have long been interpreted as reflecting the elevated social status of the people buried within them. Multiple burials may also reflect variations in social identity, particularly when identifiable clusters of graves demonstrate variability. Such clusters may reveal variation according to gender, age, ethnicity, and/or social class. In this paper, we apply a bioarchaeological approach to the discussion of 42 sets of human remains in 41 Early Formative period (1400–1200BCE) burial features from San Sebastián Etla in the Valley of Oaxaca. We contend that clusters of burials identified within this mortuary context reflect aspects of ancient identity and collective memory for those who produced and were interred at the site. Based on the spatial distribution of these burials, their depositional context and orientation, and the minimum number of individuals (MNI) identified at the site, the San Sebastián Etla mortuary context may represent a formal cemetery. If so, it would be among the oldest cemeteries not only in highland Oaxaca but also in all of Mesoamerica.