Abstract
In 1969, Paul Tolstoy commented that archaeological investigation at La Venta had become "a fairly long and at times tortuous story of excavation, interpretation, re-interpretation, and depredation at the famous site found by Stirling." This thesis adds to the torture by describing and illustrating the architecture, burials, offerings, and stone sculpture of La Venta Complex A in an effort to reconcile data into an accurate sequence of meaningful cultural events. The details derive from excavation reports, field notes, maps, photographs, and correspondence of the early investigators of the site. This study addressed three myopic perceptions regarding La Venta: (1) the secludedness of Complex A, in particular the Ceremonial Court, from its inception to its termination, (2) the classification and identification of real human burials in Complex A, and (3) the analytical decontextualization of objects, offerings, and monuments from connected ritual activities there.
Degree
MA
College and Department
Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Anthropology
Rights
http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Colman, Arlene, "Construction of Complex A at La Venta, Tabasco, Mexico: A History of Buildings, Burials, Offerings, and Stone Monuments" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 2145.
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2145
Date Submitted
2010-07-28
Document Type
Thesis
Handle
http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd3878
Keywords
Mesoamerica, La Venta, Burials, Offerings, Monuments, Architecture, Preclassic, Olmec, Formative
Language
English