Hamon C., Pereira G., Aubry L., Chevrel Magdalena Oryaelle, Siebe C., Quezada O., Reyes-Guzmán N.
Source
Geofisica Internacional, 2024,
63 (2), p. 929-948 ISSN 0016-7169
In the Purhepecha region of Michoacan in central-western Mexico, the village of Turicuaro has been for centuries a centre for the artisanal production of metates. There, these milling stones are crafted from andesite rocks exploited on the slopes of Hoya Urutzen and El Metate volcanoes. Surveys aimed at reconstructing the strategies adopted through time to extract the andesite were conducted in this volcanic territory with the help of some of the last metateros that still remain in Turicuaro, the Vidales family. This has allowed us to draw a map and propose a relative chronology of the quarry areas. Different types of exploitation could be recognized, from ancient quarries possibly related to Prehispanic occupations to those currently active. We observe that the morphology of the outcrops (walls, isolated blocks) partly conditioned the distribution of the quarries (flat areas, terraces, etc). From the observation of blocks, debitage, and roughouts at abandoned quarries, it was possible to reconstruct the different exploitation schemes and work organisation, offering a new perspective on Mesoamerican metate quarrying strategies.
Plan de classement
Géologie et formations superficielles [064]
;
Sociétés, développement culturel [112]
