Ocós phase

Mesoamerican history

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July 1, 2026

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The Ocós phase, dating from 1500 to 1200 BCE, was an early village culture on the Pacific coasts of Chiapas, Mexico, and Guatemala. This period saw the cultivation of a small-eared corn called nal-tel, which was ground and cooked in globular jars. Villagers also relied on resources from lagoons and estuaries, such as shellfish, crabs, fish, and turtles.1

Ocós pottery was technically and artistically advanced. Handmade clay figurines, typically representing nude females, suggest a connection to fertility cults. Evidence also points to the early development of temple-pyramids, with one site featuring an earthen mound that likely supported a perishable building, possibly indicating the emergence of a ruling class. This phase contributed to the diverse cultural landscape of Mesoamerica.12

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pre-Columbian civilizations
Early village life
…farming; but people of the Ocós and Cuadros phases raised a small-eared corn known as nal-tel, which was ground on metates and manos and cooked in globular jars. From the rich lagoons and estuaries in this area, the villagers obtained shellfish, crabs, fish, and turtles. Their villages were
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…farming; but people of the Ocós and Cuadros phases raised a small-eared corn known as nal-tel, which was ground on metates and manos and cooked in globular jars. From the rich lagoons and estuaries in this area, the villagers obtained shellfish, crabs, fish, and turtles. Their villages were
Read More