The Nayarit people occupied a region in Nayarit state, central Mexico between about AD 1 and 500. They were slash and burn garden farmers who lived in socially stratified villages with very little public architecture.The Nayarit people are best known for the remarkable ceramic figurines they produced. The figurines depict all forms of daily life from ritual activities to basic household tasks. The abundant detail and variety of these figurines have provided researchers with a great deal of information about the activities and customs of the Nayarit.Most of the known examples of these figurines have been found in the household collections of the current inhabitants of the region with precious little information about where the figurines were found. If more examples of these figurines were found where the original makers left them, archaeologists might gain further insight into the use and purpose of these amazing ceramic figures.