Arte rupestre en Metzabok, Selva Lacandona. Del periodo Preclásico a los tiempos históricos

The area designated as Metzabok in the northern sector of the Mexican state of Chiapas and within the Lacandon Jungle is the site of a series of karst lakes covering a region that collects a significant amount of rainfall. These factors have led to the formation of numerous lagoons in the area, in addition to the caves and cliffs on which rock art are located.In terms of archeological research, the Metzabok lagoon has not been extensively studied, due perhaps to the monumentalism of the major sites of the Classic period, mainly Palenque, Bonampak, or Yaxchilán, among others, which, to some extent, have reduced interest in studying less monumental Mayan sites that are more closely linked to rural settings.The objective of this paper is to explore the temporality of the rock art sites at Metzabok that, by means of a stylistic analysis of the motifs found there and their association with architectural sites, we have placed chronologically around the time when the area had the highest human population, that is, during the late Pre-Classic, late Classic, and Post-Classic periods and into the Historical period.Further, we will present the first systematic register of rock art panels found on the cliffs surrounding the Metzabok lagoon that are the result of the initial stage of field work carried out in 2012 under the auspices of the “Registering Rock Art Found in the Area of Metzabok Lagoon, Ocosingo, Chiapas” archeological project. We shall also discuss ideas regarding who might have been the people behind the paintings, some of which date from the arrival of the first Lacandon Mayan peoples to the area.