Pre–Hispanic ceramics from the Popoloca Central Area, Mexico

Abstract

A study about pre–Hispanic ceramics (pastes and pigments) coming from archaeological sites of the Valley of Metzontla, Mexico (Iglesia Vieja San Sebastian, Coronilla Hill, Agua Socoya Hill and Metzontla Hill), from sites of the vicinity (Cutha, Teteles de Santo Nombre, and Tehuacan Viejo), and from one more distant site (Champayan) is presented. Raw materials such as clays, tempers and pigments were studied as well. Nuclear activation analyses, energy dispersion spectroscopy, and X–ray diffraction were applied. According to the chemical composition of the pastes six groups of ceramics were identified: one of them includes pre–Hispanic Popoloca Orange ceramic, one other group is similar to pre–Hispanic Brown ceramic and present–day Los Reyes Metzontla's samples, and several other exemplars were quite different to these groups. The brown ethnographic pottery of Los Reyes Metzontla town is chemically identical to those pre–Hispanic pottery; apparently raw materials have been the same for a long period of time, whereas Popoloca Orange ceramic is no longer manufactured in the region. Similarities and differences were found among the ceramics of the Metzontla Valley and those of the sites located within the Popoloca area and beyond.