This tradition is associated with early populations who settled along the Pacific coast between 3000 and 1000 BCE. These communities relied on the natural resources of estuaries, the sea, and lowland areas for their sustenance and survival. As a result of consuming mollusks and crustaceans, discarded shells (such as oysters, mussels, and snails) accumulated over time, forming artificial mounds known as "concheros"—a term that later came to define this early cultural tradition.

Shells and marine snails were initially used for food, but later served as raw materials for the production of ornaments including bracelets, pectorals, earspools, beads, musical instruments, and fishhooks. These crafted items became part of commercial exchange networks between the coastal regions and other parts of western Mexico.

Archaeological studies in Nayarit have helped distinguish between the earliest shell mounds (such as those of the Matanchén Complex) and those from the final stages of occupation during the Postclassic period (including sites like Isla Panales, Litubú, and Punta Mita). These findings support the idea that shell-based materials ("malacological" remains) played a significant role in shaping most of the region’s pre-Hispanic cultural traditions.

Mortuary practices in western Mexico developed in distinct and complex ways. In Nayarit—along with parts of today’s Jalisco, Colima, and southern Zacatecas—certain communities devised a unique method of burying their dead. Known as "shaft tombs", this burial system consisted of underground chambers of various shapes (circular, square, or rectangular) accessible via a vertical shaft or well, whose depth depended on local soil conditions. Some shaft tombs featured a single chamber, while others had several.

The Regional Museum of Nayarit houses two reconstructions featuring the contents of actual shaft tombs: one from Santa Catarina in the municipality of Ixtlán del Río, located in the southeastern valleys, and another from the site of La Playa in the mountainous municipality of La Yesca. The ceramic offerings found in these tombs—clay vessels, pots, bowls, scale models, and anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, and phytomorphic figurines—along with obsidian tools, shell bracelets, and beads, provide outstanding examples of craftsmanship and aesthetic quality. These materials have yielded new insights into the archaeology of Nayarit and western Mexico as a whole.

There are also local variations in burial systems, such as "pit tombs". Although structurally different from shaft tombs, they often contain similar types of ceramics and symbolically reflect elements of the shaft tomb tradition. A prime example is found at the archaeological site of El Ranchito, located in the municipality of Ixtlán del Río.

Mortuary practices in western Mexico are exemplified by the shaft tomb tradition. In various regions of Nayarit—similar to areas in Jalisco, Colima, and southern Zacatecas—people buried their dead in underground chambers accessed through vertical shafts. These chambers varied in shape and size, and were often accompanied by grave offerings.

The Regional Museum of Nayarit presents two reconstructions showcasing contents from such tombs: one from Santa Catarina in the municipality of Ixtlán del Río (in the southeastern valleys), and another from the La Playa site in the mountainous municipality of La Yesca. The ceramic offerings—including clay vessels, bowls, scale models, figurines representing humans, animals, and plants—along with obsidian tools and shell ornaments, are exceptional in both craftsmanship and beauty. These objects have significantly enriched our understanding of pre-Hispanic archaeology in Nayarit and western Mexico.

Another mortuary practice known as the "Mololoa Urn Tradition" emerged in the vicinity of the Mololoa River, in the Matatipac Valley. This tradition involved the cremation of the dead, whose ashes and bone remains were placed in clay urns and buried. A remarkable example of this funerary custom is a collective burial composed of multiple urns surrounding a stone altar, discovered in the López Mateos neighborhood of Tepic.

Beginning in the early centuries of the Common Era and continuing into the early 16th century, several settlements arose along the northern coast of what is now the state of Nayarit. These communities formed the heartland of what would become the region’s final major cultural tradition: "Aztatlán". Although the Aztatlán tradition reached its height in the Postclassic period, its defining features were already emerging during the Classic period (200–900 CE), and it eventually extended its influence to the southeastern valleys, southern coast, and beyond.

The advancement of the Aztatlán tradition is evident in the development of ceremonial centers aligned with astronomical observations. Temples were overseen by priestly authorities, and extensive trade networks emerged. These developments required intensive agricultural practices, systematic fishing, and complementary hunting and gathering activities. Industries also became increasingly specialized.

Notable technological innovations include the refined production of prismatic obsidian blades, the introduction of metallurgy (leading to the creation of copper tools and ornaments such as fishhooks, axes, needles, and bells), and the decorative crafting of textiles. The Aztatlán tradition is also recognized for its molded ceramic figurines in the "Mazapa" style and the design of distinctive stamped seals.