Coarse Orange Exchange

Since 2000, I have engaged in sourcing Coarse Orange jars that were produced in economies of scale at the Classic center of Matacapan in the Tuxtla Mountains. The Comoapan and Area 199 production facilities were among the most intensive industries in Mesoamerica at the time. Tracing the distribution of this specialized product, therefore, provides important information regarding the nature of political economy at Matacapan.

Chemical analysis (Stoner 2013) shows that Pottery produced at Matacapan, the CO1a paste recipe, was traded to many parts of the Tuxtlas including the southern foothills and the neighboring Tepango Valley. The clay necessary to produce this paste recipe does not occur in the Tepango Valley, so this is strong evidence of exchange.