The Materials of Tamtoc: A Preliminary Evaluation

Abstract

Tamtoc is located on the coastal plain of the northern Gulf of Mexico, along the winding course of the Tampaón River, in the municipality of Tamuín, San Luis Potosí The archaeological data recovered there between 2001 and 2008 have opened several lines of investigation, providing a more nuanced understanding of the pre-Hispanic history of the Huastec culture, as well as that of neighboring peoples settled along the Gulf of Mexico in northeastern Mesoamerica. The Huastec culture has been classified as marginal to Mesoamerica and as one that was heavily influenced by other groups, such as by intrusive cultures from the southeastern United States. Nevertheless, based on the new data obtained from the excavations at Tamtoc, we can assert that these classifications, resulting from a lack of archaeological investigations in the region, are vague and overly simplistic and do not properly characterize this particular cultural manifestation of ancient Mexico.