THE ETHNOARCHAEOLOGY OF PLAZA ACTIVITIES AT PETOA, SANTA BARBARA

As a means to better understanding the patterning in the artifact and chemical data from El Coyote, contemporary soils were sampled and assayed from the main plaza in the modern-day town of Petoa (Santa Barbara), located roughly 2 km west of El Coyote. Petoa, from the indigenous Lenca word “tepetoa” (probably related to the Nahuatl term “tepetonhuacán”) meaning “place of the hills,” is a predominantly ladino community with a population of approximately 12,000. The town was founded around 1791, and is mentioned as a cabecera with four sujetos in the repartimiento of Pedro de Alvarado. The town is centered on a large, open plaza, roughly 50 sq. m in area, with a colonial period Catholic church in the middle. The church is fronted by a narrow concrete patio on the south, and has a small, formal churchyard attached to its west side. Approximately 5 m in front of the church is a small cross shrine. A variety of religious activities take place around the shrine during Holy Week in March and during feria in July when the town’s people celebrate their patron saint, San Bartolome.

The activities that take place include a variety of ceremonies, both formal and informal, that often involve music, dance, and the consumption of food and alcohol in high quantities. Activity loci vary, but are typically focused in front of the church and around the cross shrine. In addition to the church and shrine, there is a giant tree approximately 10 m west of the shrine, around which are located four concrete seating benches. On any given day of the year, individuals can be found seated under the tree, engaged in a variety practices, such as conversation and game playing; on one occasion, two women were observed embroidering cloth.