A COMPOSITIONAL PERSPECTIVE OF POTTERY EXCHANGE IN ANCIENT SOUTHERN VERACRUZ

Previous research has suggested that large-scale ceramic production localities at Matacapan, Veracruz supplied the surrounding Tuxtla Mountains region with Coarse Orange jars during the Classic period. This inference has been based on the quantity of by-products at production localities. To date, no compositional studies have been conducted to identify the geographical range for the exchange of Coarse Orange pottery produced at Matacapan. This paper employs neutron activation and petrographic analysis to identify regional exchange patterns for Coarse Orange vessels in the Tuxtlas and to assess Matacapan's role in the distribution of this commodity.