A voice intended for the spirits themselves: Analysis of excavations at El Mirador (The Lookout) of Cerro de Trincheras and nearby residential area B7 (Mexico)

Cerro de Trincheras (1300-1450 AD), a terraced hillside town situated along the Magdalena River in Sonora Mexico, was the largest cultural center of the Trincheras tradition. I investigate the activity structure of "El Mirador" (the lookout) a centrally placed complex of three terraces overlooking the main residential area of this town. My research incorporates a comparative analysis of nearby residential terraces (Area B7) and draws on Hohokam platform mound studies to interpret the material culture of this specialized area.; I propose that El Mirador was used principally by religious specialists who had leadership roles and special responsibilities in the town. I suggest that the ceremonial activities conducted within, (e.g. feasting, dancing, religious ritual) had implications for the community as a whole. The analysis of El Mirador contributes to the larger project of revealing the political organization of Cerro de Trincheras and of understanding Trincheras as a distinctive Southwest/Northwest cultural tradition.