Ceramic Production and Distribution An Integrated Approach EDITED BY George J. Bey III and Christopher A. Pool Westview Press BOULDER + SAN FRANCISCO + OXFORD8 Ceramic Production in Prehistoric La Mixtequilla, South-Central Veracruz, Mexico Barbara L. Stark Intzodvetion| Daring the past decade, the aquisition of tematic settlement pattern ‘data from the’ Pacific and Gull costs of Mesoamerica has provided a brouder comparaive framework for lowland societies than the lowland “Maya, who hive dominated oth scholarly and popular attention (Voorhies 1889; Bové 1989; Santley, Ort, and Pool 1987; Danecls 1988; Stark 1988), Four years of settlement pattern research in La Mixteuila, 2 region on the western edge of the Lover Papsloapan Basin in south- central Veraruz, Mexico (Figure 8.1), seve as a source of information for ‘ny evaluation of ceramic production in the economy. ‘The reyion has a relatively dense array of archaeological remains across such of the area surveyed (Figure 82)- There are scattered. domestic ‘mounds doting the landscape, interspersed with centers of varied sizes that ‘contain formal arehitecrure (Figure 63). Archacologieal remains range fom the close of the Early Precassc period (1SM-900 BC) oF the Middle Preciassic period (900-600 B.C) to colonial and histori times (after AD. 1521). In several respects, La Mistegilla settlement patterna Cera Production inPrehierc La Mitel ” fry FIGURE 82 Project sty zone and centr suey ase. Blick dots oti the ‘rey its idte pote nrg mound of edo Cees, ‘resembles that recorded in much of the Maya lowlands, yet the environ- ment is distinct. La Mistequila occupation is concentrated on rich allvil Soils near extensive estuarine mangrove swamps. Ecologically, the seting resembles that described for San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan (Coe and Dich! 1980) and La Venta (Rust and Sharer 1988), ‘The study zone within La Misteguilla i framed by the Rio Blanco as ‘it forms distributary patterns near its juncture with the AWvarado Lagoon at the mouth of the Rio Papaloapan. The slightly elevated areas farmed today are justaposed with nearby seasonal loodlands, lagoons, and swamps, Prebstoric and modern scilement i concentrated on higher levee area, although Miocene conglomerates underlying the western portion of the study area contribute 0 slightly greater elevation westward (48 high as 15 m above sea level). The study zone is a wedge of slightly higher scea between the Rios Blanco and las Poza, covering about 130 sq km and supporting a patchwork of gjdo pastures and farm fields ‘In the study zone, systematic surface collections made on individual features provide a variety of sources of economic information, Analyses of the ceramic evidence demonstrate that specialization in production vs not ‘marked, occuring. mainly in howscholi contexts. Ta this respect, the ‘organization of production appears similar to evidence recovered in the Maya lowlands. Explanations of the degree of specialization in the Maya lowlands are uallely 10 apply to the La Misteqlla area, however, and diferent factors are discussed in this chapter: dispersed seulement and & Potential for considerable household subsistence sll-sufficency, along with = TIGURE 1 Cenral and soutber Verrer, sowing seed aebaciopeal Stes and geogaphe features, Sty zoe in Lt Msteguit sted (ee Fg. 82).