Pacific Coast: First Signs of Civilization

These seven locations - Paso de la Amada and Izapa in Chiapas; La Blanca, El Mesak, Ocós, and Monte Alto in Guatemala; and Chalchuapa in El Salvador - appear to be the first higher culture villages in Mesoamerica. They showed signs of the impending explosion of cultures that began at about 1400 BC, with the Mayans (Mirador and Chiapa de Corzo), the Olmecs (San Lorenzo), the Zapotecs (San José Mogote), and the central Mexicans (Tlapacoya). The main cultural indicator found by archeologists are the ceramic shards, dating from 1800 BC or before, of the type that later symbolized the Olmec and early Pre-Classic Mayan era.

While previously the Olmecs of the Gulf Coast of Mexico were seen as the 'mother culture' of Mesoamerica, now historians paint a more complicated picture of multiple early cultures mutually influencing each other. In fact two early Mayan area sites had ceremonial architecture prior to any built in the Olmec area: a ballcourt built at Paso de la Amada at about 1400 BC and a temple structure at Mirador in the northern Petén of Guatemala at about the same time. In addition, the large sculptured heads at Monte Alto seem to pre-date those in the Olmec area and likely were the inspiration for the famous Olmec sculptures.

It is not known if this early Pacific coast culture spoke a proto Mayan language or a Mixe-Zoquean language like that spoken 500 years ago along the Chiapas coast and spoken by the Zapotecs in Oaxaca and, likely, the Olmecs. By 1400 BC this part of the Pacific coast would have major trade and relationships with both the Mayan interior, including Mirador, and the Zapotecs and Olmecs.

Two scientific discoveries allowed the early Pacific Coast people to begin to flourish and a third discovery would cause a revolution throughout Mesoamerica between 1500 and 1400 BC. The first discovery, somewhere between 1800 BC and 1500 BC, was that of tracking the tides and recognizing a pattern in the tides that repeated every 13 days. This allowed these early people to concentrate on hunting and agriculture on those days that the fishing and crabbing would be bad due to slack tides. This, in turn, allowed for greater population density, specialization of tasks, the creation of local hierarchies, and surplus time to devote to trade, more science, and entertainment (ball games).

Soon thereafter, they noticed a longer tidal pattern that lasted about 170 to 175 days. Every 170 days or so, there would be a period of slack tides that would last for nearly 50 consecutive days. This realization allowed these people to begin to take longer trade journeys to places as distant as Mirador, the Oaxaca highlands, or to the Olmec coast. It is about 265 miles from Chalchuapa to El Mirador, for example. Averaging 15 miles per day, one could travel there and back, allowing for a five day stay at Mirador, in 40 days, returning in time for the next set of days with high tides and good fishing.

The tracking of the tides also led to a number system with rocks and sticks, and, more than a thousand years later, a writing system. Later they also correlated the slack tides with the lunar and solar eclipses, giving a strong pretense to their sun-based religion.

The second discovery was not so much of a discovery as an accomplishment, that is, to become adept ocean voyagers. The peoples of Central America and Mexico were likely using dug-out canoes for hundreds or thousands of years before this on rivers and inland lakes. But given the spacing of villages in the map above, it becomes clear that a primary mode of travel became by ocean. If not, the expansion of culture would have continued from the Izapa - La Blanca area in an overland fashion. The skip in high culture to dis-contiguous points further southeast - Monte Alto and Chalchuapa - indicates the use of coastal canoe voyages at about this time. The ocean-going canoes became a key in the long-distance trade which began in earnest by 1400 BC.

The third discovery was the most important. But before going forward it will be necessary to go much further back. And pick up a copy of Jared Diamond on the way.

Comments

[Morgan Jones]

Don't know that you will read this Tim, I am a new viewer to this site. Very much enjoy the information that is being passed on. I'm an amateur mayanist/archaeologist and have an great interest in the origin of "it all" Have read all I can get my hands on in regards to Mesoamerican cultures, really have been in awe of the Mayan culture since I was a kid. I had'nt heard, til now, of the connection between El Salvador and the Maya. Good stuff! If you have any recommendations for furthering my education on all of the above, would be most thankful. Yours truly, Morgan

[Tim Lohrentz]

Morgan, I'm really glad that you are enjoying the blog. El Salvador gets left out of much of the discussion of the Mayan, but it shouldn't. If you are not reading Robert Sharer, I would highly recommend him generally and for his understanding of the importance of the Pacific Coast, including El Salvador. His overview, 'The Ancient Maya', is great but he also has more specific writings on Chalchuapa, etc.