page_title: Paso de la Amada
hierarchical_section_title: Paso de la Amada
context_page_description: Paso de la Amada is an archaeological site in the Mexican state of Chiapas on the Gulf of Tehuantepec, in the Mazatán part of Soconusco region of Mesoamerica. It is located in farmland between the modern town of Buenos Aires and the settlement of El Picudo. This site was occupied during the Early Formative era, possibly the Mokaya from about 1800 BCE to 1000 BCE, and covered approximately 50 hectares of land.
  Paso de la Amada is particularly notable for being the site of the oldest Mesoamerican ballcourt, for being "the best evidence" for Olmec contacts in the Soconusco region, and for presenting early evidence of social stratification.
context_section_description: Paso de la Amada  (from Spanish: "beloved's pass") is an archaeological site in the Mexican state of Chiapas on the Gulf of Tehuantepec, in the Mazatán part of Soconusco region of Mesoamerica.  It is located in farmland between the modern town of Buenos Aires and the settlement of El Picudo.  This site was occupied during the Early Formative era, possibly the Mokaya from about 1800 BCE to 1000 BCE, and covered approximately 50 hectares of land.
  Paso de la Amada is particularly notable for being the site of the oldest Mesoamerican ballcourt, for being "the best evidence" for Olmec contacts in the Soconusco region, and for presenting early evidence of social stratification.
caption: Paso de la Amada and other Formative Period sites, as of approximately 900 BC.