Izapa

Izapa is a very large pre-Columbian era archaeological site located in the Mexican state of Chiapas; it is best known for its occupation during the Late Formative period [1]. The site is situated on the Izapa River, a tributary of the Suchiate River, near the base of Volcán Tacaná [1]. Izapa remained occupied through the Early Postclassic period, until approximately 1200 CE [1]. The New World Archaeological Foundation project at Izapa mapped 161 total mounds [1]. Izapa's Formative period core (850–100 BCE) has six major plazas [1]. The art found at the site includes sculptures of stelae and also altars that look like frogs [1]. Lowe and colleagues dated the majority of Izapa's monuments to the Guillen phase, from approximately 300 to 50 BCE, on the basis of ceramic and radiocarbon dates [1].