Guilá Naquitz Cave, located in present-day Oaxaca, Mexico

Most of what is known about prehistoric Oaxaca comes from work in the Central Valleys region. Evidence of human habitation dating to about 8,750 BCE has been found in the Guilá Naquitz cave near the town of Mitla. This area was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2010 in recognition of the “earliest known evidence of domesticated plants in the continent, while corn cob fragments from the same cave are said to be the earliest documented evidence for the domestication of maize.”

Guilá Naquitz Cave

Guilá Naquitz Cave, located in present-day Oaxaca, Mexico View Map, is one of the most important archaeological sites in Mesoamerica. It provides significant insights into early human habitation in the region. However, the occupation of the cave was neither continuous nor year-round, as the inhabitants used it primarily during specific times of the year.

1. Earliest Evidence (10,750 BP): The earliest human evidence in the cave dates back to approximately 10,750 years BP (Before Present). These inhabitants were pre-ceramic hunter-gatherers, meaning they did not yet use pottery and relied on hunting and gathering for sustenance.
2. Seasonal Occupation (August–October to December): These early groups only inhabited the cave during certain months, likely between August and December. This pattern of seasonal occupation was likely due to the availability of food resources, particularly wild plants such as squashes and seeds that could be harvested in the region at that time of year.
3. Gaps in Habitation: After this initial period of occupation, human activity in the cave was not consistent. There were at least six distinct periods of human presence between 10,750 and 8,900 years BP. The reasons for these gaps are not fully known, but they could be linked to changing environmental conditions or the availability of resources.
4. Later Period (1,300 to 500 BP): Humans reoccupied the cave around 1,300 years BP (about the 7th century CE), and this habitation continued intermittently until approximately 500 years BP (about the 16th century CE). The inhabitants during this later period were still using the cave seasonally, but their activities and technological practices had evolved, particularly with the use of pottery and possibly more advanced agricultural techniques.

In summary, Guilá Naquitz Cave served as a temporary shelter for humans over thousands of years, primarily during the late summer and fall months, due to the seasonal availability of resources. However, the cave was not a permanent settlement, and habitation occurred during different, non-continuous timeframes.