Multi-isotopic analysis of domestic burials from sin Cabezas, Escuintla, Guatemala

We present the results from the stable isotope measurements of strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) and oxygen (δ 18 O) in tooth enamel from 36 individuals from the site of Sin Cabezas, Escuintla, Guatemala. This is the first contribution of isotopic proveniencing from the Pacific Coast of Guatemala and offers new solid baseline reference data from a large archaeological sample. Although some outlier cases are identified, the high homogeneity is the most evident feature in the sample. Based on this homogeneity, we discuss a critical issue of baseline data between Teotihuacan and the Pacific Coast, where the material culture has indicated intimate cultural interactions. A critical overlap for both strontium and oxygen reference between the Mexican metropolis and the coastal region is pointed out. This is why detecting human movement between both regions is still elusive. A case study of a possible Mexican individual is introduced. We also assess the outlier cases in terms of proveniencing and add several osteobiographic notes for the most relevant cases whose origin could be seen among the Northern-Eastern part of the Guatemalan Highlands, the Soconusco border region, or Central Honduras.

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jasrep Multi-isotopic analysis of domestic burials from sin Cabezas, Escuintla, Guatemala Shintaro Suzuki a, *, Tomás Barrientos b, Héctor Mejía c, T. Douglas Price d a Research Institute for the Dynamics of Civilizations, Okayama University, Japan Centro de Investigaciones Arqueológicas y Antropológicas, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala c Transportadora de Energía de Centroamérica, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala d University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA b A B S T R A C T We present the results from the stable isotope measurements of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ 18O) in tooth enamel from 36 individuals from the site of Sin Cabezas, Escuintla, Guatemala. This is the first contribution of isotopic proveniencing from the Pacific Coast of Guatemala and offers new solid baseline reference data from a large archaeological sample. Although some outlier cases are identified, the high homogeneity is the most evident feature in the sample. Based on this homogeneity, we discuss a critical issue of baseline data between Teotihuacan and the Pacific Coast, where the material culture has indicated intimate cultural interactions. A critical overlap for both strontium and oxygen reference between the Mexican metropolis and the coastal region is pointed out. This is why detecting human movement between both regions is still elusive. A case study of a possible Mexican individual is introduced. We also assess the outlier cases in terms of proveniencing and add several osteobiographic notes for the most relevant cases whose origin could be seen among the Northern - Eastern part of the Guatemalan Highlands, the Soconusco border region, or Central Honduras. 1. Introduction The use of isotopes is already a standard practice of bioarchaeological studies, especially in the Maya area. Since the 1980 s, researchers have considered several elements to address diets and migration of human societies in the past (cf. Katzenberg and Waters-Rist 2019). Isotopic proveniencing has become one of the most discussed topics of Maya bioarchaeology in the last two decades (Buikstra et al., 2004; Miller, 2015; Miller-Wolf and Freiwald, 2018; Patterson and Freiwald, 2016; Price et al., 2008, 2010, 2014; Sierra Sosa et al., 2014; Wright, 2005, 2012; Wright et al., 2010; Wrobel et al., 2017). Among the most recent papers we can mention: Ortega-Muñoz et al. (2019) worked on the Late Postclassic coastal trader settlements of El Meco, El Rey, and Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico; Price et al. studied the high elites of Classic Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico (Price et al., 2018), and the sacrificial victims from the Sacred Cenote of Chichén Itzá, Yucatán, Mexico (Price et al., 2019); Suzuki et al. (2020) analyzed the household individuals from a Classic Copán residential group, Honduras; Freiwald et al. (2020) investigated Early Colonial specimens from the mission church of San Bernabé, Petén, Guatemala; Ortega-Muñoz et al. (2021) examined the specimens from Oxtankah, a long-history port site from Quintana Roo, Mexico; and Halperin et al. (2021) targeted a sample from Terminal Classic Ucanal, Petén, Guatemala, a site that was possibly invaded by so-called Putun/Chontal people from the Gulf Coast. It should be noted that all these recent studies were conducted using measurements from different isotopes, mostly strontium and oxygen isotopes. Specific research subjects of these studies are naturally diverse; however, the most assessed topic undoubtedly concerns the political and cultural interactions between Central Mexico, specifically Teotihuacan, and the Maya area (e.g., Buikstra et al., 2004; Price et al., 2008,2010,2014; Wright, 2005,2012; Wright et al., 2010): one of Mesoamerican archaeology’s most essential and traditional research problems. There is growing epigraphic data and recent archaeological evidence, especially in the Peten, for example, at Tikal (Houston et al., 2021), and there is much interest in the possibility that isotopic proveniencing might offer new answers to the problem of on tracing “real” human movements. Although the isotopy could do it in some specific cases, for example, the origin of the mysterious Teotihuacan-related Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ from Copán dynasty (Price et al., 2010), such “real” human movements between Teotihuacan and the Maya area have proven still elusive. The Guatemalan Pacific Coast constitutes one of the regions where much Teotihuacan-related archaeological evidence has been reported * Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: ssuzuki@okayama-u.ac.jp (S. Suzuki), tbarrientos@uvg.edu.gt (T. Barrientos), 70hectormejia@gmail.com (H. Mejía), tdprice@wisc.edu (T.D. Price). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.104348 Received 20 July 2023; Received in revised form 5 December 2023; Accepted 7 December 2023 Available online 22 December 2023 2352-409X/© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 (Berlo, 1984; Clark and Lee, 2018; García-Des Lauriers, 2020; Headrick et al., 2023; Hellmuth, 1975; Bove and Medrano, 2003; Chinchilla Mazariegos, 2019; Popenoe de Hatch, 2023; Reents-Budet et al., 2017). The links between the Maya area and Central Mexico began through the Pacific Coast since the Terminal Preclassic, long before specific political interactions with Teotihuacan emerged as a major theme in the Petén for the 4th century (e.g., Houston et al., 2021). Furthermore, more household-level movements have been also recognized at the Pacific Coast (Bove and Medrano 2003; Roche et al., 2022). While the Guatemalan Pacific Coast has not received as much attention as the Peten perhaps due to the practical absence of epigraphic records, we believe the Coast has a unique perspective for researching human movements between Teotihuacan and the Maya. In this paper, we present the results of the stable isotope measurements of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ 18O) in tooth enamel from 36 individuals from the site of Sin Cabezas, Escuintla, Guatemala. This is the first contribution of isotopic proveniencing from the Pacific Coast, based on a large archaeological sample. Through the present study, we will provide a solid and broad baseline reference so that diverse human movements, including Teotihuacan-related ones, can be assessed adequately, and the Guatemalan Pacific Coast can be integrated into the whole research corpus of the ancient Maya movement. We also offer several new insights into the specific migratory dynamics on the Terminal Preclassic Pacific Coast in terms of outlier osteobiography. The name of the site (“without heads”) derives from the presence of four seated potbelly-style anthropomorphic pedestal stone sculptures that were found decapitated (Parsons, 1986:41; Shook 1950a; Whitley and Beaudry 1989:84-97) (Fig. 3). The timing of the sculpture mutilation is still unknown, although it was once thought to be attributed to the Late Classic period (600–900 CE) (Beaudry and Whitley, 1989: 26), long after the apogee of the site. 2.2. Previous studies The site was first reported by Edwin Shook in 1949 (Shook 1950a,1950b), and a few decades later, in 1982–1983, it was formally explored by the Tiquisate Project of the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala under the direction of Frederick Bove and Marion Popenoe de Hatch (Bove, 1989; Chinchilla, 1989; Popenoe de Hatch, 1987 ). Finally, systematic excavations were carried out as part of the Tiquisate Archaeological Zone Project by the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1986, under the direction of Marilyn BeaudryCorbett. This exploration yielded the human remains analyzed in this study. The excavations were conducted for four seasons from 1986 to 1988 and in 1992 (Beaudry and Whitley, 1989; Beaudry-Corbett, 1990a,1991,1992a,b,1993,1995,2002; Beaudry-Corbett and Robinson, 1991; Whitley and Beaudry, 1989,1991). Although the project surveyed three farms in the area: Finca San Carlos, Finca Limón and Finca Laurel, only the first one was formally excavated (31 mounds in total). The recovered ceramics and radiocarbon analyses indicated that the site was mainly occupied during the Late and Terminal Preclassic Period (300 BCE-250 CE), extending into the Early and Late Classic (250–900 CE). The Classic population seems relatively small and dispersed on the site’s western side (Beaudry-Corbett 1992b:341; Beaudry-Corbett and Robinson 1991:41-42). Unlike many coastal sites of the Escuintla region, Sin Cabezas lacks a previous occupation dated from the Early or Middle Preclassic (BeaudryCorbett, 2002:95–96), thus suggesting that it was founded sometime during the Late Preclassic. Given its size, cultural features, and strategic location, Sin Cabezas has been identified as the most important center of the Tiquisate region during the Late Preclassic period (Beaudry-Corbett, 1990a,1995), probably populated by a complex society with a chiefdomtype organization, craft specialization, and even socioeconomic level 2. Sin Cabezas 2.1. Archaeological site Sin Cabezas is in the southern area of the Municipality of Tiquisate, Escuintla, Guatemala, 4 km east of the Nahualate River, and 11 km from the seashore, at 17 m above sea level (Fig. 1). The region of Tiquisate, defined naturally between the Nahualate and Madre Vieja rivers, was a highly populated area, with more than 35 archaeological sites. Sin Cabezas contains more than 200 mounds of different sizes and is considered one of the two largest sites of the Tiquisate zone (BeaudryCorbett, 2002:77). Its epicenter includes a plaza group with an acropolis compound (Groups F and G), and its surrounding settlement is denser on its western side (Fig. 2). Fig. 1. Map of the Pacific Coast of Guatemala with major archaeological sites and geological landmarks. By S. Suzuki based on the drawing by Chinchilla (Chinchilla Mazariegos, 2020: Fig.1). 2 S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 Fig. 2. Plan of Sin Cabezas’s main part (Beaudry and Whitley, 1989: Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B). divisions (Chinchilla, 1989:10: Whitley and Beaudry, 1989,1991). Its location near the Nahualate River Basin made Sin Cabezas a strategic site connecting with the Lake Atitlan Basin. The river trade gave its leaders access to highland products such as obsidian, basalt, and other minerals, probably exchanged for highly valued marine resources like salt and shells. 2.3. Sin Cabezas in the regional history During the Late Preclassic (300 BCE-150 BCE), other nearby coastal sites like Monte Alto, Reynosa, and Balberta were abandoned. Dramatic political changes took place at piedmont and highland sites like Chocolá, Tak’alik Ab’aj, and Kaminaljuyu, where stone sculptures (especially 3 S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 (Hellmuth, 1975,1993). “Theater Style” censers, typical of Teotihuacan, also are common features (Berlo, 1984; Chinchilla Mazariegos 2019; Headrick et al., 2023). It is even postulated that the “Theater Style” censers were produced in the Tiquisate zone. Although all specimens –except one– of these censers have been looted, some have been reported to come from the sites of La Ceiba and Narciso (Hellmuth, 1975:56; Reents-Budet et al., 2017), respectively located north and northeast of Sin Cabezas. The intrusion of Teotihuacan-related elements throughout the Early Classic period should have involved deep political and demographic changes in the region; however, whether the archaeological evidence corresponds to a direct migration of people from the Mexican Central Highlands, just economic trading, or ideological influence is unknown. In any case, the archaeological evidence suggests that the population of Sin Cabezas declined during this time and the site was no longer the main focus of political activity, probably due to the rise of new centers more closely related to Teotihuacan, such as Los Chatos - Montana (Bove and Medrano, 2003: see also Estrada et al., 2022), and Río Seco (Sánchez et al., 2015), during the Early Classic. Later on, at some point during the Late Classic period (600–900 CE), Sin Cabezas was gradually abandoned, while Ixtepeque emerged as the new and larger regional capital of the Tiquisate region (Bove, 1989). Since the influence both from Teotihuacan and Naranjo Tradition had disappeared by the 7th century CE, Popenoe de Hatch (2023) suggests that the original local population of the region, now settled at Ixtepeque, had retaken political control. 3. Skeletal individuals 3.1. Background The excavations carried out by the UCLA project retrieved a large quantity of human remains, one of the largest skeletal collections of the Pacific Coast. Susan Colby (Colby, 1989,1991a,1991b,1993) previously analyzed the remains and offered a first osteological approximation. After establishing the first sex and age-at-death table, she inferred high infant mortality (Colby 1991b), similar to that at other large Classic cities such as Copán. Colby also evaluated pathological expressions, both skeletal and dental, and reported a maize-dependent diet, with severe nutritional deficiencies, for example, animal protein, calcium, and vitamin C. The constant combination of porotic hyperostosis, hemorrhagic periostosis, and enamel hypoplasia allowed her to conclude generalized malnutrition from the Late Preclassic to the Early Classic. Since this first study, the skeletal sample has never been the subject of additional bioarchaeological studies, except for archaeometric investigations by Oswaldo Chinchilla (1989, 1996), even though it is almost the only large skeletal sample on the Pacific Coast. After more than 30 years of “abandonment,” we consider the material needs to be systematically re-visited and updated under the new methods of the XXI Century (cf. Katzenberg and Grauer, 2019; White et al., 2011). Therefore, we located the skeletal collection in the warehouse of the Instituto de Antropología e Historia (IDAEH), the Guatemalan governmental authority that safeguards all the archaeological material after the excavation projects are finished and moved the collection to the archaeological laboratory at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. There, we re-examined the whole sample with the permission of IDAEH. Based on this, always properly cross-checked with what was reported by Colby, we selected 36 individuals (Table 1) to address the question of migratory dynamics. Fig. 3. Sin Cabezas Monument 1. By E. Shook. (Edwin M. Shook Archive, ADS-UVG). those portraying rulers) were deliberately mutilated (Fahsen, 2002; Popenoe de Hatch, 2023:193). Popenoe de Hatch (1989, 1993, 2023) has explained based on her longstanding and meticulous research on the ceramics from the region that these political and demographic changes were somehow the results of the intrusion of a population from the west, denominated “Naranjo Tradition”. The group could be identified by a particular set of ceramic wares whose distributions were changing in accordance with specific times and sites. The Naranjo population may have arrived at the Tiquisate zone during the Late Preclassic and founded Sin Cabezas, as seen by the sudden apogee of the site (BeaudryCorbett, 2002:96). Sin Cabezas thus became one of the main centers of the territory controlled by the Naranjo group and went on expanding to the east, into what is now the department of Escuintla, during the transitional time known as Terminal Preclassic or Protoclassic (150–250 CE), probably by violent means (Popenoe de Hatch, 2023). During the Early Classic period (250–600 CE), the Tiquisate region became one of the main foci of activities related to Teotihuacan (GarcíaDes Lauriers, 2020; Bove and Medrano, 2003; Popenoe de Hatch, 2023; Reents-Budet et al., 2017), as evidenced by a relatively high frequency of Teotihuacan-style ceramics found at sites like Tolimán, Moyuta, Zunil and Ipala, all the sites located west of Sin Cabezas (Roche et al., 2022). Among these ceramics, the tripod vessels carved with scenes and symbols associated with Central Mexican Highland iconography are relevant 3.2. Inclusion criteria Inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) There were teeth from early ontogenesis. e.g., first molars, canines, or central incisors in the case of permanent dentition; and molars or canines for deciduous. These teeth form roughly in parallel throughout the 4 5 Burial / Feature Structure Rough Chronology Excavation Osteological Sex Macroscopic Age at Death Offering Tooth Sample 87 δ18O Reference Burial 1 Feature 65 B6-8 C4 J46 J44-264 Adult Mature Adult (45–55) Adult Lower Left 1st Molar Lower Left Canine 0.7049 0.7062 −6.0 −5.4 Colby, 1989 Colby, 1989 C4 1 knife, 1 stone Upper Left 1st Molar 0.7049 −5.4 Colby, 1989 Feature 63 C4 J44-248 Probably Male Probably Female Probably Female Not identified 2 ceramic vessels? 1 necklace Feature 64A 2nd. Infancy (2–4) 2 ceramic vessels, pigment −5.9 Colby, 1989 C4 J44-263 Not identified 1 ceramic vessel 0.7051 −6.0 Colby, 1989 Feature 60 C4 J44-262 Not identified 0.7051 −5.7 Colby, 1989 Feature 57A C4 J44-245 Probably Male 0.7050 −5.8 Colby, 1989 Feature 57B C4 J44-245 Not identified 1st. Infancy (0.5–1.5) 1st. Infancy (0.5–1.5) Older Adult (more than 55) Adult Upper Right 1st Molar Upper Right 1st Molar (Deciduos) Upper Right 1st Molar (Deciduos) Lower Left 1st Molar 0.7052 Feature 62 Upper Left 1st Molar 0.7049 −5.8 Feature 56 C4 J44-249 Probably Male −5.8 C4 J44-250 Not identified Upper Left Central Incisor Lower Left 1st Molar 0.7054 Feature 55C 0.7053 −5.4 Feature 53 C4 J44-243 Upper Left 1st Molar 0.7047 −4.4 Identified in this study by duplicated element (teeth) Colby, 1989 Feature 49 C4 −5.5 Colby, 1989 C4 Lower Right 1st Molar Upper Left 1st Molar 0.7060 Feature 45 0.7056 −6.0 Colby, 1989 Feature 36 C4 −5.7 Colby, 1989 C4 Lower Left 2nd Molar (Deciduous) Lower Left 1st Molar 0.7049 Feature 27 0.7045 −5.3 Colby, 1989 Feature 21 C4 −5.6 Colby, 1989 C4 2 ceramic vessels? Lower Right Central Incisor Lower Left 1st Molar 0.7057 Feature 12A 0.7051 −5.4 Colby, 1989 Feature 11 C4 Burial 5, Feature 1 +5 Burial 2, Feature 2 Burial 10, Feature 10 Burial 2 C4 Late Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic J44-247 6 ceramic vessels, 1 knife, 1 olla with pigment 1 “jade” bead Unknown: this individual was identified osteologically in the lab. None Sr/86Sr Identified in this study by duplicated element (scapula) Colby, 1989 Unknown: this individual was identified osteologically in the lab. 1 knife, pigment J44-195 Probably Male Adult Pigment J44-220 Male 1 ceramic vessel, mica J44-210 Not identified Mature Adult (40–50) 1st. Infancy (1–2) J44-166 Probably Female Male Sub-adult (15–20) None 1 knife J44-149 Probably Female Probably Male Middle Adult (35–45) Middle Adult (30–45) Adult 1 Mano Upper Left 1st Molar 0.7052 −5.5 Colby, 1989 J44-142 Not identified 2nd. Infancy (2–4) 2 ceramic vessels Upper Right Canine (Deciduous) 0.7049 −5.6 Colby, 1989 J44-140 Adult None −5.2 Colby, 1989 2 ceramic vessels? 0.7049 −6.1 Colby, 1989 J46 Female None Upper Left 1st Molar 0.7055 −5.6 Colby, 1989 Feature 5 E1 Late Preclassic Buena Vista 5 ceramic vessels, mano fragments Lower Left 1st Molar 0.7058 −5.6 Colby, 1993 Feature 4 E1 Late Preclassic Buena Vista Young Adult 4 ceramic vessels −6.1 Colby, 1993 E14-7 Late Preclassic J46 2nd. Infancy (2–4) 0.7055 −5.5 Colby, 1989 E18-1 Late Preclassic 3 ceramic vessels, 1 knife, 1 “jade” bead: but probably dedicated to Burial 1. None Lower Right 1st Molar Lower Left 2nd Molar (Deciduous) Lower Left 2nd Molar (Deciduous) 0.7054 Burial 2, Feature 1 Burial 1, Feature 1 Probably Female Probably Female Not identified Middle Adult (35–45) Middle Adult (35–45) Sub-adult (15–20) Upper Right 1st Molar Upper Left 1st Molar 0.7056 J44-148 Probably Female Probably Male D8-3 Late - Terminal Preclassic Late - Terminal Preclassic Early Classic 0.7048 −5.3 Colby, 1993 C4 C4 J44-160 J44-151 Not identified 1st. Infancy (0.5–1) (continued on next page) Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 Not identified Adoleccent (10–14) Adoleccent (10–15) Sub-adult (15–20) None S. Suzuki et al. Table 1 Burials analyzed isotopically in this study. −5.5 0.7054 0.7062 Lower Right 1st Molar Lower Left 1st Molar Colby, 1989 −5.5 0.7044 Upper Left Canine −4.4 No reference. We had just a little info. marked on the plastic bags. No reference. We had just a little info. marked on the plastic bags. Colby, 1989 −3.9 0.7044 Upper Right 1st Molar Pigment Adult Probably Male J43N-287 2 ceramic vessels? Adult Not identified J43L-278 Combining isotopic measurements of different elements in bioarchaeological investigations of human movements is common. Even though lead (Sharpe et al., 2016) and, more recently, sulfur (Ebert et al., 2021; Rand et al., 2020, 2021)) are becoming powerful tools, the most considered are strontium and oxygen. The detailed chemical mechanism and analytical procedure can be found elsewhere in the broad literature (e.g., Burton and Hahn, 2016; Burton and Katzenberg, 2019; Katzenberg and Waters-Rist, 2019; Price, 2023; Price et al., 2015; Price and Burton, 2011; Price and Freiwald, 2022). The Geochronology and Isotope Geochemistry Lab at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, under the direction of Paul Fullagar, was in charge of the strontium isotopes measurement. Samples of enamel powder were dissolved in nitric acid and the strontium fraction purified by ion selective chromatography (Eichrom Sr resin), prior to analysis by TIMS on a VG Sector 54 mass spectrometer run in dynamic mode. Internal precision in the laboratory is consistently around 0.0007 % standard error (or 1σ = 0.00006 in the ratio of a particular sample). Long-term, repeated measurements of SRM-987 are around 0.710260—an acceptable difference from the recognized value of 0.710250—and raw sample values from individual runs are standardized to the recognized value of SRM-987. The teeth samples were chemically cleaned using the following procedure for oxygen isotope measurements. Enamel samples were placed in approximately 2 mL of 2–3 % (v/v) solution of bleach for 8 h and rinsed three times with deionized water, centrifuging the tubes between each rinse. Then, 0.1 mL/mg of 0.1 M acetic acid was added to each tube for exactly 4 h, and the samples were rinsed again three times with deionized water before being freeze-dried for analysis. Analysis of the enamel powder was done in the Environmental Isotope Laboratory (Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona) using a Kiel device attached to a Finnigan MAT252 ratio mass spectrometer. Samples were treated with dehydrated 70 ◦ C phosphoric acid to release CO2, which was then analyzed for its oxygen isotope compositions. External precision, as calculated from repeated measurements of standard reference materials (NBS-18 & NBS-19), was ± 0.1 ‰ for δ 18O. C4 or F4? F4 F4? Torso 1, Feature 18 Burial 11 Feature 43 Late - Terminal Preclassic, Classic? Late - Terminal Preclassic, Classic? Unknown Adult Probably Male J43? J43, J44? Preclassic - Classic? C4 or F4? Torso 2, Feature 18 Preclassic - Classic? Unknown Middle Adult (40–45) None Sub-adult (15–20) Probably Female Male 3B + D Feature 6 E16-10/ 11 F2 Late Preclassic Sub-adult (15–20) Probably Male J46-804 first year of life (Schaefer et al., 2009), and the ancient Maya introduced solid maize food before the two years age, habitually continuing to drink breast milk until much later (Wright and Schwarcz, 1998; Wright et al., 2010; Negrete et al., 2020). Thus, these early ontogenetic teeth allow us to evaluate the nature of the mother’s foods and water during lactation, i.e., the primary source of isotopic variation of the first year of life, so a good proxy for the origin of the individual. The chemical elements integrated by the mother transfer to the baby, naturally filtered by maternal organisms (Krachler et al., 1999). Therefore these teeth have been the most widely considered in bioarchaeological proveniencing. 2) Documented archaeological context. After three decades of “abandonment,” the mortuary sample experienced multiple relocations in various storage spaces. Despite the good intention and admirable efforts by the IDAEH, some cases presented severe confusion about the labels and boxes, making it difficult to determine the original archaeological context of the preserved bones and teeth. We, therefore, gave preference to the archaeological context rather than osteological preservation. We preferred the definite cases where we could associate the bones and teeth, even if poorly preserved, with the specific mound/structure where they were excavated. It should be noted that we did not find any graphic material on the burials among the reports and formal publications to date. We lack taphonomic information for each case. 3) Chronological control by stratigraphy is available, as well as the associated material, mostly ceramic vessels. 4. Technical procedure Feature 13 Late Classic? −5.3 0.7043 Lower Left 1st Molar Colby, 1993 Colby, 1991a −5.7 0.7055 −5.7 0.7060 1 complete obsidian knife, 1 obsidian knife fragment, 3 obsidian flakes, 1 earspool fragment None Late Classic E1612.13 J46-312 Not identified 1st. Infancy (0.5–1) Adult Not identified Late Preclassic E16-21 J46-824, Lower Left 1st Molar Colby, 1991a Colby, 1991a −6.1 0.7044 Colby, 1991a −5.2 0.7049 Late Preclassic E16-21 Burial 7, Feature 19 Burial 6, Feature 19 Burial 10, Feature 15 J46 Not identified 1st. Infancy (1–2) Upper Right 2nd Molar (Deciduous) Lower Right 2nd Molar (Deciduous) Upper Right 1st Molar Colby, 1991a −6.2 0.7051 Lower Left Canine 6 ceramic vessels, 3 carved stones, 9 fragments of obsidian knifes, 3 green stone beads, pigment 4 ceramic vessels, 1 complete obsidian knife Mature Adult (40–50) Probably Male Late Preclassic E16-10/ 15 Burial 8, Feature 20 J46 87 Sr/86Sr δ18O Tooth Sample Macroscopic Age at Death Osteological Sex Excavation Rough Chronology Structure Burial / Feature Table 1 (continued ) Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 Offering Reference S. Suzuki et al. 5. General description of results All raw results are broken down individually in Table 1. 6 S. Suzuki et al. 5.1. 87 Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 Sr/86Sr here are native to the Pacific Coast. The sea salt issue should be mentioned. There are also unexpected references toward Soconusco region, e.g., Pijijiapan, Chiapas, where three local modern dogs were measured between 0.7072 and 0.7078 (Price and Freiwald, 2022:498). They are probably due to the salt intake that could introduce outlier signals unrelated to different provenience (Wright, 2012:340). For example, Sipacate saltwork, one of the saltworks distributed along the Pacific Coast, has been reported with a value of 0.709172 (Freiwald et al., 2019). However, sea salt has little impact in our study, as Fenner, 2014 once supposed. Our sample does not see such unexpected high 87Sr/86Sr values where the sea salt intake could be the case. The results of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) measurements (n = 36) are graphed in Fig. 4. The highest value was 0.7062, and the minimum was 0.7043, with an average of 0.7051 and a standard deviation 0.0005. There are only 2 cases outside the average +/-2σ, indicating a homogeneous sample. Given that modern agricultural activities on the site are massive, making it difficult to access, we could not include any samples of modern fauna collected around the site. However, previous studies provide a good reference to interpret our results in terms of proveniencing. Based on modern fauna, several baseline data have been reported on the Pacific Coast of Mexico (see Price and Freiwald, 2022:498). Averages are known: 0.7048 for the Paso de la Amada site; 0.7051 for Chilo, 0.7046 for Ojo d Agua; and 0.7047 for Izapa. In Guatemala, a similar range, around 0.7040, is known at Takalik Abaj. La Victoria, Retalhuleu, was characterized by a value of 0.7059 based on modern faunal teeth measurements. Our parallel work (Suzuki et al., 2023) on 20 Preclassic individuals from the Reynosa site, Escuintla, near Balberta, has also shown a very homogeneous strontium value with an average of 0.7043, a standard deviation of 0.0002. Furthermore, a range between 0.7037–––0.7044 was recognized in El Salvador in the modern faunal sample collected from 10 archaeological sites (Suzuki et al., 2016). We believe, therefore, it is possible to establish a general range covering a wide area of the southern coastal strip roughly between 0.7040 and 0.7060. Our results from 36 measurements of archaeological individuals with an average of 0.7051 with a standard deviation 0.0005 fit perfectly into this perspective. It is quite likely that most of the individuals studied 5.2. δ18O The descriptive statistics of the oxygen (δ18O) measurement are as follows: max. −3.9, min. −6.2, average −5.5, standard deviation 0.48. Fig. 5 shows again a heavy concentration of data around the average. Since the pattern of oxygen integration in organisms varies depending on the species (cf. Sharpe et al., 2022), references to interpret δ18O can be sought among water geochemical studies (e.g. Wassenaar et al., 2009; Lachniet and Patterson, 2009) and measurements of carbonates from human archaeological samples. While modern waterbased references are reported in comparison with Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water, VSMOW, and human archaeological carbonates are compared with Peedee Belemnite, PDB, these references can be roughly compared through some mathematical equations (cf. Chenery et al., 2012). On this basis, Price et al. (2019) and Price and Freiwald (2022) provide broad comparative overviews (see also Freiwald 2023:77-78; Fig. 4. Strontium isotope measurement. 7 S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 the sample is again evident. No case is in the upper right white area, which indicates the outlier, outside the range of average +/-2σ in the two measurements. Our outliers, thus, are limited to three cases with more positive δ18O and two with higher 87Sr/86Sr, which will be discussed below. 5.3. Overall perspective After reviewing the overall results, the high homogeneity of the results stands out. The standard deviation of the strontium data (0.0005) in this sample is not even half of that observed in Classic Copán (0.0013). Together with few outliers in oxygen measurements, it is quite convincing that the migratory network around Sin Cabezas was considerably reduced from the Terminal Preclassic to the Early Classic. At least the integration of migrants, for example, from the Northern Yucatán Coast, whose isotopic signs are characterized by a range between 0.7070 and 0.7090 (Price and Freiwald, 2022), was practically null. 6. Teotihuacan and the Pacific Coast Fig. 5. Histogram of oxygen isotope measurement. 6.1. Baseline issue Ortega-Muñoz et al., 2021:7; Halperin et al., 2021:13). According to them, there are positive trends for the Lowlands (-2 to −4 PDB) including from the North Coast to the Petén, and a negative one for the Highlands and Pacific Coast (-4 to −7 PDB). The negative range for the Pacific Coast is probably due to water temperature rather than the distance from the coast or altitude (Lachniet and Patterson, 2009). Our results fall in the range for the Pacific Coast and are, in fact, very similar to that reported for the Paso de la Amada site (average of −5.76 with a standard deviation of 0.38) (Price and Freiwald, 2022:497). Most Sin Cabezas individuals studied here are likely native to the Pacific Coast. We plotted δ18O along with 87Sr/86Sr (Fig. 6). The homogeneity of Teotihuacan is known with a baseline 87Sr/86Sr around 0.7046 through hundreds of measurements (Nado, 2017; Solís Pichardo et al., 2017; Price et al., 2000, 2021). Mazapan, a Postclassic site located near Teotihuacan, has also been characterized by a range between 0.7046 and 0.7047 based on the faunal sample. Some new baselines obtained for different points in the Basin of Mexico based on modern plants and water samples have yielded a similar range between 0.7045–––0.7050 (Pacheco-Forés et al., 2020). Thus, the strontium baseline of Central Mexico, mainly represented by Teotihuacan, fall exactly into the local range of the Pacific Coast. Despite the problems (Lightfoot and O’Connell, 2016; Freiwald, 2023), oxygen might be the key considering the altitude difference Fig. 6. Scatterplot of strontium and oxygen isotopes measurements. Gray bands cover the range of average +/-2σ. 8 S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 whose isotopic signature is as follows (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7044, δ18O = -6.1). In this case, the 87Sr/86Sr is in the regional range of the Pacific Coast, and the negative oxygen signature is not extraordinary. The individual must be native to Sin Cabezas or somewhere on the Pacific Coast in the traditional interpretation; nonetheless, we now believe it relevant at least to evaluate an alternative based on the abovementioned isotopic overlap and its archaeological context. Burial 6 Feature 19 contained poorly preserved remains of an indeterminate sex infant, less than one-year-old. The recognizable elements were only 30 %. It was found together with Burial 7 Feature 19 in Mound E16, located in the western part of the site where materials related to Teotihuacan were concentrated. Burial 7 Feature 19 is another slightly older infant, between one and two years old. According to the report (Colby, 1991a; Rose, 1990), the interment of Burials 6 and 7 was a simultaneous event belonging to the Late - Terminal Preclassic period, although the occupation of the structure is thought to continue until the Classic. The skeletons were found with four vessels of the Jícaro phase (detailed ceramic style classification is as follows, Vessel 1, Group Río Santiago Doble Engobe; Río Santiago Usultan: Variety Canchun, Vessel 2, Type pintado de rojo y con patron inciso sobre engobe anaranajado, Vessel 3, Group Río Santiago Usultán Doble Engobe; Canlaj anaranjado sobre crema: Variety Canlaj, Vessel 4, Group Río Santiago Usultán Doble Engobe; Canlaj anaranajado sobre crema: Variety Canlaj, see Beaudry 1990a:31,52–53) and a complete obsidian blade. The report does not mention the obsidian blade’s provenience or lithic characteristics. Rather, it is of great interest that Mound E-16 is the structure where a total of 124 green obsidian sequins (lentejuelas) were found (BeaudryCorbett 1990b). Among all the excavated mounds in the site, the finding is limited to Mound E-16. The UCLA Project carried out physical and chemical analyses at the time, and it was recognized that the raw material of the sequins was from Pachuca, Mexico (Clark, 1991). The sequins were found in various parts of the mound (Rose, 1990), from the sieving of the surface soil to the deepest levels. Also, some of them were possibly associated with specific burial contexts: Burials 3, 9, 10, and 11. Unfortunately, we failed to identify the remains of Burial 9 throughout our revisit to the mortuary collection, and Burial 3 and 11 did not yield a suitable sample for our isotopic analysis. Burial 3 was found in very poor preservation, and Burial 11 lacked teeth, although the skeleton was relatively well preserved. Burial 10 was not a statistical outlier, although its isotopic signals could also resemble migrants (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7060, δ18O = -5.7), assimilating to the cases of Features 43 and 65, whose origin could be sought beyond the Highlands. Now, it is striking that Burial 6 Feature 19, with an isotopic signature typically local but also overlapped to the Teotihuacan range, was precisely found in the mound where a connection with Teotihuacan has been archaeologically suspected due to the massive amount of green between the coast and the highlands. However, the measurements are again very similar. In Central Mexico, oxygen isotopes have initially been measured from bone phosphate in reference to the VSMOW standard (see White et al., 1998, 2002). Several mathematical conversions (cf. Price et al., 2019:106) were done, and a range between −6.0 and −8.0 has been argued (cf. Wright, 2012: Wright et al., 2010). Recent studies have measured oxygen isotopes from enamel carbonate and referenced the PDB standard, which is the same protocol as ours. On 30 sacrificed individuals from the Moon Pyramid, White et al. (2007) showed an average of −4.8 with a standard deviation of 0.7, ranging from −6.0 to −3.3. Casar et al., (2017) presented a similar range from −7.7 to −0.8 with an average of −5.5 and a standard deviation of 1.5 from 44 individuals at an elite barrio of Teopancazco. Most recently, Price et al., (2021) studied 24 sacrificial victims and 15 teeth from the trophy jaws around the “soldier’s” necks. The authors respectively found an average of −4.8 with a standard deviation of 0.7 varying from −6.0 to −3.3, and an average of −5.1 with a standard deviation of 0.9 ranging from −6.8 to −4.1. Even though a considerable portion of non-local people should be included in all these previous studies, it is convincing to suppose a very similar local range of δ18Ocarbonate between Central Mexico and the Pacific Coast (Fig. 7). Nearby site Mazapan was characterized by an average of −5.3 with a standard deviation of 0.5 ranging from −6.0 to −4.6 (Price and Freiwald, 2022). Interestingly, this comparison was barely made in the literature, and it is essential to argue that we cannot distinguish Teotihuacan origin in the Pacific Coast. There could be alternatively a portion of migrants from the Pacific Coast among the hundreds of individuals in Teotihuacan whose isotopic characteristics were sought as “local”. Probably, this is why there is no report about the Pacific Coast migrant in Teotihuacan, even though hundreds of isotopic measurements were done, and their intimate interactions are archaeologically well-known. The isotopic signatures of both regions fall into the same local range. Perhaps, the negative tendency of δ18O measurement might be a clue. It is important to recognize that very few cases go more negative than −6.0 PDB among the several hundreds of results from previous studies in the entire Maya area. According to our review, there are only eight: three at Tikal (Wright, 2012), two at Kaminaljuyu (Wright and Schwarcz, 1998; Wright et al., 2010), one at Copán Acropolis (Price et al., 2010), two at Palenque (Negrete et al., 2020), and one at Nakum (Rand et al., 2020). There are no cases from the Yucatán peninsula or Belize. Moreover, the negative tendency of δ18O (more negative than −6.0) is much more common in Mexican Highlands, albeit it is naturally impossible to take −6.0 as a cut-off point. 6.2. A case study: Burial 6 Feature 19 We add a case study with archaeological interest, Burial 6 Feature 19 Fig. 7. Comparison of δ18Ocarbonate among the samples: Sacrificial Victims and Trophy Jaws from the Temple of Feathered Serpent (Price et al., 2021), Mazapan (Price and Freiwald, 2022), Teopancazco (Casar et al., 2017) and Sin Cabezas. 9 S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 obsidian artifacts. If the local ranges between the Pacific Coast and Teotihuacan are the same, the origin could be seen within the Pacific Coast but simultaneously also at Teotihuacan. If the baby was from Cenrtral Mexico, its simultaneous companion, Burial 7 Feature 19 who showed the typical isotopic signatures in the sample (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7049 δ18O = -5.2) could somehow accompany Burial 6 as her/his local friend, servant, or someone else. However, the exact relationships between the two infants naturally remain unknown. The other case (Burial 10), found in possible direct association with the green sequins, could be isotopically associated with somewhere in the Guatemalan Highlands, as discussed above, where another massive presence of the same objects (sequins) is known. Kidder, Jennings and Shook (1946, cited in Beaudry-Corbett 1990b:90) reported 61 green sequins in their excavations at Mound A in Kaminaljuyu. Naturally, their contextual associations among the E-16 burials are not clear. Their chronological locations also span from the Late Preclassic to the Classic. The exact meanings of the green sequins in Kaminaljuyu and Sin Cabezas also remain vague. However, we believe it is important to recognize the concordance, which could indicate a continuous interaction among the communities of Sin Cabezas, Central Mexico, and Guatemalan Highlands at the domestic level. Sin Cabezas, although no longer the most important center during the Early Classic, was surrounded by nearby sites with much evidence related to Teotihuacan. There should have been interactions. The long bone diaphysis fragments of Burial 6 Feature 19 showed abnormal depositions of periosteal bone without apparent inflammation, defined commonly as periostosis. Although its exact etiology remains unclear because of the poor preservation, it is probably due to a systemic disease such as scurvy, a disease caused by chronic vitamin C deficiency, that could cause constant subperiosteal hemorrhage and eventual ossification (see Snoddy et al., 2018). If this individual came from Teotihuacan as our alternative interepretation suggested, longdistance journey could insult the baby causing her/him to die as soon as arriving at the coastal site. Alternatively, the observation also could be an important sign that the community was at risk and certainly in decline during the Terminal Preclassic. It could be consistent with a recent osteobiographic study that focused on the deficiency diseases of infant individuals (Acevedo, 2022). The author detected systemic periostosis probably due to scurvy in several infant individuals and argued the Terminal Preclassic at Sin Cabezas as a time of high stress. In addition, a non-physiological groove was noted along the posterior region of the coronal suture, indicating the presence of intentional cranial modeling. However, it was impossible to identify its typology or variant due to its preservation. stored. 7.2. Cases with higher 87 Sr/86Sr value • Feature 65 (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7062, δ18O = -5.4) • Feature 43 (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7062, δ18O = -5.5) Albeit the difference is slight, the 87Sr/86Sr signals of these individuals are outside the Pacific Coast’s supposed local range and also considered outliers in our archaeological sample. If their non-local origin is true, we interpret their provenience first considering eastward, the Guatemalan Highlands, as there is a large reference at Kaminaljuyu. Wright (et al. 2010) reported 26 strontium isotope measurements of pre-hispanic specimens from the site. They could help assess the tendency of the region. We used the Mann-Whitney U test to know the possible difference between Kaminaljuyu and Sin Cabezas and obtained a significant result (U = 300.5, Z = 2.19, p = 0.028). The median of Kaminaljuyu was statistically lower than Sin Cabezas. Thus, we do not assertively support Kaminaljuyu as the origin of our outliers. Although we cannot completely exclude it either, it seems illogical to look for the origin of individuals with the highest sign of the sample in the site characterized by the lower signals. This is also consistent with previous archaeological interpretations indicating that the Naranjo group at Sin Cabezas was hostile to Kaminaljuyu (Popenoe de Hatch, 2023:211). We continue to consider beyond modern Guatemala City, where no previous studies provide us with significant references. It should be noted, however, that the Late Cretaceous metamorphic formation regions, towards the northern – eastern part of the Highlands, including the fluvial valley of the Motagua river, have been characterized by a range between 0.7064 and 0.7067 based on inorganic resources. In addition, El Chayal was reported with a value of 0.7061 (Price et al., 2008:170). Therefore, it seems feasible to infer the provenance of Feature 65 and 43 somewhere in the Eastern or Northern Highlands, except around Kaminaljuyu. The Lake Atitlan Basin, connected directly with Sin Cabezas via the Nahualate river, has been once reported with a value 0.7042 (Hodell et al., 2004). So, it does not seem a suitable candidate either. We do not fail to emphasize that this inference is based only on the similarity with scattered references. We hope to apply statistical tests to make the inference more solid when more isotopic measurements from the area become available. We also evaluated some alternatives. La Victoria, located by the modern border between Mexico and Guatemala, was characterized by a value of 0.7059. Our outlier individuals may come from the area. Since there are no more references for the site, we cannot infer more, even though the region was frequently associated with Sin Cabezas as the origin of the Naranjo group (Popenoe de Hatch, 2023: 57,191). Also, the Copán region is known by a range between 0.7056 and –0.7074 based on a large number of isotopic references (e.g., Price et al., 2010, 2014). These values are very similar to our 0.7062 signature. While the oxygen values from Copán are commonly known to be less negative (more positive than −5.0), it is now interesting that Suzuki et al. (2020) recently interpreted Copán’s local strontium signature combined by the negative oxygen signature as a possible indicator of central Honduras. Although archaeology has not extensively discussed the interaction between the Guatemalan Pacific Coast and Central Honduras for the Terminal Preclassic, it is also interestingly feasible. We should recall that the Usulután ceramics were distributed throughout the southern Maya area as part of the Miraflores ceramic sphere possibly from Chalchuapa (Demarest, 2011:270), located between the Pacific Coast and Honduras. If our interpretation of these individuals’ non-local origin is the case, reviewing their archaeological context and osteobiographical evaluation is relevant. The isotopic values should be consistently interpreted with other osteological features in archaeological contexts. 7. Outlier cases 7.1. Cases with more positive δ18O value • Torso 1, Trait 18 (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7044, δ18O = -4.4) • Torso 2, Trait 18 (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7044, δ18O = -3.9) • Trait 53 (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7047, δ18O = -4.4) Generally, less negative oxygen values should be found at a shorter distance from the seashore or at a lower altitude. Following this basic theory, they might represent migrants, perhaps from the Pacific Coast but from some points closer to the beach. However, the mechanism by which oxygen isotopes vary is very complex, including a huge intrapopulation variation depending on cultural activities not necessarily related to movements (Lightfoot and O’Connell, 2016; Freiwald, 2023). For example, stored water could introduce the evaporation effect (Scherer et al., 2015). Due to evaporation, light isotopes are lost first, resulting in higher concentrations of heavy isotopes such as 18O. An alternative to explain the variation of these three individuals, thus, could be that their mothers had different diets within the Sin Cabezas community, taking differently treated water, either boiled and/or 10 S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 Feature 65 consisted of the well-preserved remains of a probable female individual of mature adult age (45–55 years). Approximately 90 % of the skeleton was recovered from Mound C4, which was the commoner “cemetery” during the Terminal Preclassic (Whitley and Beaudry 1989:118-119). The female skeleton was found to be associated with a necklace of unknown material (Colby, 1989:88). According to our macroscopic observation, the individual was a relatively tall woman, from 152.9 cm to 155.1 cm, depending on the elements used for the regression. Marked muscular insertions observed in multiple parts: fingers, humeri, femurs, and clavicles on both sides, indicated her high level of physical activity (Fig. 8). There was also moderate but active arthritis over the hip joints (acetabulum - femoral head), right wrist (distal epiphyses of ulna and radius), and vertebral bodies. Slight fractures of the ribs and a severe fracture of the sternal body were noted (Fig. 9). All were healed. The tibia fragments presented periostitis, and the diaphysis of the right fibula showed osteomyelitis. It should also be noted that the right arm was longer than the left, according to the measurements of the preserved elements. We know that it is difficult to interpret these features in terms of the individual’s occupation; however, based on the synthesis of the osteological features, we dare to infer that the woman might have been involved in conflicts rather than the alternative possibility that she had simple accidents, for example, a fall from a height. Although such interpretation always remains speculative, her fractures and occupational changes seem specific and coherent. It is interesting that the individual did not present cranial modification or any dental work regarding biocultural features. These intentional body modifications constitute a broad and long-standing tradition among Mesoamerican people, and there were well-known region- and period-specific patterns and tendencies (cf. Tiesler, 2014; Tiesler et al., 2017). In the Pacific Coast we have scarce studies of body modifications (see Suzuki, 2022). Although several cases were reported from the site of Montana-Los Chatos, no region-specific patterns or tendencies were assessed (cf. Genovés, 1997). Feature 43 contains the well preserved remains of a probable male adult individual: possibly no longer young, according to its advanced posterior tooth wear. It was excavated along with some pigment residue (Colby, 1989:72) from Mound F4, an elite residence of the Early Classic period (Whitley and Beaudry, 1989:107). Only 30 % of the skeleton was present, concentrating on the skull, limb, and short bones from hands and feet. Similar to Feature 65, its remains stood out for his high level of physical activity and constant environmental stress. Multiple joints, from the patellae to fingers and toes, exhibited pathological changes that were probably occupational. Periostitis and osteomyelitis were also observed in the long bones of the lower limbs, especially on the left. Fractures were not detected. The semi-complete calotte was restored, and its physiological curvature was recognized without any artificial flattening. Fig. 9. Healed fracture on the sternal body. By S. Suzuki. 8. Conclusion After offering an overview of the site and its archaeological interpretations, we presented the general results of the isotopic measurements. We described the results separately by the elements and then combined them. The high homogeneity is the most evident feature in the sample, although we identified some outlier cases by combining the measurements. We first argued the isotopic homogeneity in our sample as a solid baseline data. Under actual situations of modern agricultural activities, it is arduous to sample ample bioavailable specimens from the region and our new baseline based on a broad archaeological sample should be useful to consider the migratory network around the Pacific Coast. Issues related to possible migration from Teotihuacan were discussed and the important overlap of the baseline between the Mexican metropolis and the Pacific Coast was pointed out. The overlap was noted for both strontium and oxygen and this is a key to understand why human movements between Teotihuacan and the Pacific Coast are still elusive even though their connections are obvious from the material culture (e. g. García-Des Lauriers, 2020; Roche et al., 2022; Bove and Medrano, 2003; Popenoe de Hatch, 2023; Reents-Budet et al., 2017). New isotope measurements, such as lead or sulfur, could resolve the overlap issue, or we would even need to try other elements, such as neodymium (Plomp et al., 2019). The combination of isotopic values of Burial 6 Feature 19 was practically the same range reported for Teotihuacan. This was an infant, less than one-year-old, and buried with rich funerary offerings at a Fig. 8. Humeri with strong muscle insertion. By S. Suzuki. 11 S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 residential structure located in a relatively peripheral area of the site. Moreover, her archaeological context was characterized by a large amount of green obsidian objects. This concordance may naturally be a product of casual coincidence. However, it should be recognized that the baby also might come from Teotihuacan. Even though the ceramic style of the baby does not correspond to Central Mexico, we do not know if all migrants from Central Mexico continued using the original style of the native land or if there may have been people who needed or wanted to adopt local styles. It was simply difficult to travel with daily utilitarian ceramics. It is of interest that one of two individuals that we consider as possible migrants suggested their involvement in conflicts. Although specific proveniencing based on such data remains problematic, the range of possible origins of the individual with the osteological signs of the conflicts includes the modern border area between Mexico and Guatemala; the region thought to be the origin of the Naranjo invaders (Popenoe de Hatch 2023:57-58). The Pacific Coast, especially of Guatemala, has been investigated little by archaeologists (Chinchilla Mazariegos, 2020). If this is true, there is practically no systematic and updated intervention by modern bioarchaeology. Several essential works reported human remains with highly significant archaeological data and interpretations (e.g., Arroyo, 1987; Genovés, 1993, 1997; Arredondo Leiva, 2000; Arredondo, 2002; Arroyo, 1990). Nevertheless, most of such works are initial “reports” done by archaeologists who no longer work in bioarchaeology. In the storehouse of the IDAEH, such remains have never been re-considered since their first discovery and initial reports. This contribution is a small demonstration of the potential value of these remains, despite several difficulties assuring their archeological context after decades of abandonment. Although the archaeological interpretations presented here might need rectification in the future, we present them as a starting point for revisiting Pre-Columbian populations of the Pacific Coast. is also expressed to the U.S. National Science Foundation for their support of the Laboratory for Archaeological Chemistry for many years. We also thank deeply two anonymous reviewers for their careful review and constructive comments on the original manuscript. References Arredondo Leiva, E. 2000. Patrón funerario en el sitio Ujuxte, Retalhuleu. Unpublished Licenciatura Thesis, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. https://repositorio.uvg.edu.gt/handle/123456789/1063. Arredondo, Ernesto 2002 Patrón funerario en el sitio arqueológico Ujuxte. In XV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2001, edited by Juan Pedro Laporte, Héctor Escobedo, and Bárbara Arroyo, pp.413-420. Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala. Arroyo, B., 1987. Patrón funerario en Balberta, Escuintla: Algunas comparaciones con otros sitios e inferencias sobre su organización social. Unpublished BA Thesis, Escuela De Historia. Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala. Arroyo, Bárbara 1990 Enterramientos en Balberta, un Sitio en la Costa Sur de Guatemala. BAR International Series, 559. Oxford. Beaudry, MP., Whitley, DS. (edit), 1989. Informe final de la temporada de campo 1987. El Sitio de Sin Cabezas, Escuintla, Guatemala. Report on file at the Instituto de Antropología e Historia, Guatemala. Beaudry-Corbett, M.P. (Ed.), 1992a. Informe Preliminar De La Temporada De Campo De 1992. Proyecto TAZ Sin Cabezas y Buena Vista, Report on file at the Instituto de Antropología e Historia, Guatemala. Beaudry-Corbett, M., 1992b. Resumen de datos de investigación en Sin Cabezas, Escuintla. In: Laporte, J.P., Escobedo, H., Brady, S. (Eds.), IV Simposio De Investigaciones Arqueológicas En Guatemala, 1990. Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala, pp. 339–346. Beaudry-Corbett, M., 1995. Zona arqueológica de Tiquisate: Organización jerárquica de la comunidad en el periodo Preclásico Tardío. In: Laporte, J.P., Escobedo, H. (Eds.), VIII Simposio De Investigaciones Arqueológicas En Guatemala, 1994. Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala, pp. 23–33. Beaudry-Corbett, M., Robinson, E., 1991. Nuevos datos sobre el patrón de asentamiento en la zona arqueológica de Tiquisate, Escuintla. In: Laporte, J.P., Villagrán, S., Escobedo, H., de González, D., Valdés, J.A. (Eds.), II Simposio De Investigaciones Arqueológicas En Guatemala, 1988. Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala, pp. 41–52. Beaudry-Corbett, Marilyn P. 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Tombs from the Copán Acropolis: A Life History Approach. In: Bell, E.E., Canuto, M.A., Sharer, R.J. (Eds.), Understanding Early Classic Copan. University of Pennsylvania, Museum of Archaeology and Antropology, Philadelphia, pp. 191–212. Burton, J.H., Hahn, R., 2016. Assessing the “Local” 87Sr/86Sr Ratio for Humans. In: Grupe, G., Glynn, G.C. (Eds.), Isotopic Landscapes in Bioarchaeology. Springer, Heidelberg, pp. 113–121. Burton, J.H., Katzenberg, AM., 2019. Strontium Isotopes and the Chemistry of Bones and Teeth. In: Anne Katzenberg, M., Grauer, A.L. (Eds.), Biological Anthropology of the Human Skeleton, 3rd. Edit.,. John Wiley & Sons Inc., New Jersey, pp. 505–514. Casar, I., Morales, P., Cienfuegos, E., Manzanilla, L.R., Otero, F., 2017. Paleodiet Reconstruction Based on Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes of teeth from Burials in Teopancazco. In: Manzanilla, L.R. (Ed.), Multiethnicity and Migration at Teopancazco. Investigations of a Teotihuacan Neighborhood Center. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, pp. 84–118. Chenery, C.A., Pashley, V., Lamb, A.L., Sloane, H.J., Evans, J.A., 2012. The Oxygen Isotope Relationship between the Phosphate and Structural Carbonate Fractions of Human Bioapatite. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 26, 309–319. Chinchilla, O., 1989. Estudio nutricional de los restos óseos prehispánicos de Balberta, Escuintla, por medio del análisis de estroncio. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala. Bachelor’s thesis. CRediT authorship contribution statement Shintaro Suzuki: Conceptualization,Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Visualization, Supervision, Project administration, Funding acquisition. Tomás Barrientos: Resources, Writing - Original Draft, Writing - Review & Editing, Visualization. Héctor Mejía: Resources, Project administration. T. Douglas Price: Methodology, Validation, Data Curation, Writing - Review & Editing, Supervision. Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Data availability Data will be made available on request. Acknowledgments We thank the Instituto de Antropología e Historia de Guatemala (IDAEH) for the permission to study and all the CERAMOTECA personnel for their kind attention when we were there. The Regional Bioarchaeology Project in the Southwest Periphery of the Maya Area project was made possible by JSPS KAKENHI, Grant Number 17KK0023. We are also very grateful to all the efforts from the UCLA project who took excellent care of the skeletal material, providing unique material and great opportunities for future generations. Thanks also to Paul Fullagar and the staff of the Isotope Geochemistry Lab at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and David Dettman at the University of Arizona for their careful measurement of isotope ratios. Much gratitude 12 S. Suzuki et al. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 53 (2024) 104348 Chinchilla Mazariegos, Oswaldo. 2019. Temples to the Great Bird: Architecture, Mythology, and Ritual in Teotihuacan-Style Censers from Escuintla Guatemala. Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics 71/72:78-96. Chinchilla, Oswaldo 1996 Nutrición prehispánica en la Costa sur de Guatemala: estudio de los restos óseos de Sin Cabezas, Escuintla, por medio del análisis de estroncio. Report on file at the Dirección General de Investigación, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala. Clark, J.E., Lee, T.A., 2018. A Touch of Teotihuacan at Izapa: the Contents of Two Burials from Group F. Anc. Mesoam. 29 (2), 265–288. Clark, JE. 1991. Notas sobre lentejuelas de obsidiana. 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