In the area along the southern Gulf Coast in Mexico, a large number of previously unrecorded archaeological sites have recently been detected with the aid of lidar data, which also allowed us to determine the orientations of hundreds of structures and architectural assemblages, including many standardized complexes dated to the Early-to-Middle Formative transition. As revealed by our analyses, most orientations were based on astronomical and calendrical principles, occasionally combined with certain concepts of sacred geography. While the results of these analyses were presented in a recently published article, here we explore the potential of alignment data for addressing other questions of archaeological relevance. The distribution of particular building types and regional variations in alignment patterns in the study area suggest the existence of two somehow different cultural spheres, loosely corresponding to the areas conventionally called the Gulf Olmec region and the western Maya Lowlands. Examining pertinent evidence, we argue that it was in this area where some of the most prominent orientation groups materialized in later Mesoamerican architecture originated. We also attempt to reconstruct the paths of their diffusion, which are expected to contribute to understanding the dynamics of long-distance cultural interaction in Mesoamerica.

中文翻译：

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奥尔梅克地区和西玛雅低地的天文学、建筑和景观：对理解中美洲区域变异和方向模式演变的启示

在墨西哥墨西哥湾沿岸南部地区，最近借助激光雷达数据发现了大量以前未记录的考古遗址，这也使我们能够确定数百个结构和建筑组合的方向，其中包括许多标准化建筑群可以追溯到早期到中期的形成过渡。正如我们的分析所揭示的，大多数方向都是基于天文和历法原理，偶尔与某些神圣地理概念相结合。虽然这些分析的结果已在最近发表的一篇文章中介绍，但在这里我们探讨了对齐数据在解决考古相关的其他问题方面的潜力。研究区域特定建筑类型的分布和排列模式的区域差异表明存在两个不同的文化领域，大致对应于传统上称为奥尔梅克湾地区和西部玛雅低地的地区。通过检查相关证据，我们认为正是在这个地区，后来的中美洲建筑中一些最突出的取向群体的出现。我们还尝试重建它们的传播路径，这有望有助于理解中美洲长距离文化互动的动态。