Abstract
ABSTRACTOxtotitlán Cave paintings have been considered among the earliest in Mesoamerica on stylistic grounds, but confirmation of this hypothesis through absolute dating has not been attempted until now. We describe the application of advanced radiocarbon strategies developed for situations such as caves with high carbon backgrounds. Using a low-temperature plasma oxidation system, we dated both the ancient paint and the biogenic rock coatings that cover the paint layers at Oxtotitlán. Our research has significantly expanded the time frame for the production of polychrome rock paintings encompassing the Early Formative and Late Formative/Early Classic periods, statistically spanning a long era from before ca. 1500 cal B.C. to cal A.D. 600.
Highlights
Oxtotitlán Cave paintings have been considered among the earliest in Mesoamerica on stylistic grounds, but confirmation of this hypothesis through absolute dating has not been attempted until now
We ascertained in the laboratory that the rock coatings that cover the paintings are composed mainly of calcium oxalate and calcium sulfate, the former having a biogenic origin
The age of the oxalate coating next to the painting dated to 3705 ± 30 yr B.P., the oxalate in Panel C-1 occurs both above and below the paint layer and cannot constrain the age of the paint (Figure 9)
Summary
Oxtotitlán Cave paintings have been considered among the earliest in Mesoamerica on stylistic grounds, but confirmation of this hypothesis through absolute dating has not been attempted until now. Nuestras investigaciones han ampliado de manera significativa el intervalo temporal de la pintura mural policroma en Mesoamérica, abarcando los periodos del Formativo Temprano al Formativo Tardío/Clásico Temprano, desde antes de aproximadamente 1500 cal a.C. hasta 600 cal d.C. C-1, Figure 2) captured everyone’s attention. With a dramatic placement high on the cliff face above the south arm of the cave, the painting has stylistic and iconographic similarities with monuments from major urban Olmec centers on the Gulf Coast of Mexico. One of the largest but most enigmatic polychrome paintings covers a rock face (Panel C-2, Figure 3) at ground level in front of the south rockshelter entrance, directly below the enthroned figure (C-1). The shield image, previously designated as Painting 8 by Grove (1970), is not a stand-alone symbol but is part of a larger scene similar in scale to the C-1 painting
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