Water as a Hyperfact

Most entities studied by archaeologists share the same basic necessary conditions. They are limited spatiotemporal units which are continuous within a human frame of sensorial reference. These en­ tities cannot dissolve into their constituent parts without affecting their function, capacity, and mor­ phology. Further, they usually occupy one phys­ ical state at a time. The hyperfact, on the other hand, is vastly distributed, it can dissolve into most of its parts without affecting its “essence”, and it can be in several physical states at the same time. Water is a typical hyperfact, existing on multiple scales, from molecules to the hydrological cycle. In this text I show how local manifestations of this hyperfact can be found in ceramics, architectural features, agriculture, water management systems, and regional settlements of the Cochuah region in southern Mexico.