The great majority of metal artifacts recovered from the excavations in the Tomatlan area came from the excavation of Tom-24 (El Ciruelo I), where we excavated the interior of floor deposit of eight out of a total of 11 houses found at the site, and test-trenched both plazas (Fig. 5.5). The structures of Tom-24 appear to pertain to the Nahuapa phase, although there seems to have been some occupation of the site area during the Guayacán phase as well. One of the most common of the pottery types is quite similar to the Navidad incised type which has been found in abundance to the south at Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, in deposits which have been dated by radiocarbon and obsidian hydration analysis to between A.D. 1100 and 1550 (Long and Wire 1966). At Tom-24, a sample of wood carbon taken from a trash pit containing Nahuapa ceramics and located within the Structure 2, was dated in the range of A.D. 1010 and 1250 (UCR-494). Another radiocarbon date was obtained from analysis of some wood carbon taken from a hearth in the southern plaza; the sample dated between A.D. 1490 and 1750 (UCR-367) and may indicate some Colonial period use of the Tom-24 site area.

A total of 158 metal artifacts was recovered from the excavations at Tom-24. In obtaining this total, links of metal chains were each counted as separate artifacts. The metal artifacts were recovered both from house floors and human burial pits which had been excavated below the house floors. Within the deposit of house floor refuse recovered 12 rings, 10 chains (Fi. 5.4a, c), eight solitary chain links four wire ornaments (possibly earrings) (Fig. 5.4n,i), three pieces of slag or raw material (?), a small ball that may have been the clapper for a bell, a chisel (Fig. 5.4d), a celt (Fig. 5.4e), a gouge (Fig. 5.4g), a fragment of tweezers (?), a figuring leg and foot (Fig. 5.4q), and two non-classifiable fragments.