The archaeology of a Plinian eruption of the Popocatépetl volcano

Abstract

Abstract The northeastern flank of the Popocatépetl volcano in western Puebla, Mexico, has been subject to intense and destructive volcanic activity since the Terminal Preclassic period (100 BC-AD 100), and it is still one of the highest-risk sectors in the region. Between AD 50 and 100 the communities that dotted this slope, an area known locally as Tetimpa, were abruptly buried by a pumice-fall deposit that preserved the buildings, activity areas and agricultural fields but devastated the settlements and made the region uninhabitable for generations to come. It is probable that this violent eruption had an important social and ideological impact on the emerging urban centre at Cholula 15 km to the east. The Preclassic occupation of the region can be divided into the Early (700–200 BC ) and Late (50 BC-AD 100) Tetimpa phases. These appear to be separated by a short period of abandonment that might reflect an intensification of volcanic activity. This paper deals primarily with the Late Tetimpa phase, the occupation that was destroyed by a Plinian eruption in the second half of the first century. Excavations by the Universidad de las Américas-Puebla have uncovered agricultural fields with hand-made furrows interspersed with households consisting of two or three rooms on low stone platforms around an open patio. At the centre of the patio is a small shrine or altar; the themes of these shrines vary but they include volcano effigies. Architecture is simple but household patterning reflects strict adherence to rules for generating the domestic environment. Houses show little or no modification or renovation, suggesting a very short occupation. This is further supported by the fact that no burials have been located in the nine domestic areas explored to date. The evacuation of the settlement appears to have been abrupt, as many household goods, particularly large or heavy items, were left behind. We have not found any human remains under the collapsed roofs of the houses, and it would seem that the majority of the population took refuge at nearby towns and villages on the valley floor.