Exploration of early archaeological sites on the central coast of Campeche

Abstract

During 2006 and 2007, a 13-km section of federal highway 180, located between San Luis Carpizo and Villamar (the route connecting Champotón and Sabancuy in west Campeche) was surveyed and excavated in a salvage archaeology project. Numerous archaeological vestiges were detected belonging to three early coastal communities, which were designated Playa Esmeralda, Villamar 1 and Villamar 2. The chronology of those Pre-Columbian settlements date to the Middle and Late Preclassic; however, ceramic evidence points to continued human occupation during Classic and Postclassic periods, although not in the same proportion as in earlier times. Most of the elements recorded were related to domestic units; their excavation yielded data on settlement patterns, architecture, function, and construction systems, which permitted a better understanding of the activities conducted by coastal populations at small sites in this area. However, four pre-Hispanic buildings stand out for their features as well as their associated cultural material.