Maya Archaeology

Recent investigations at the Maya centre of Nakum (located in northeastern Guatemala) included intensive excavations of Structure X (a.k.a. Structure 104)-one of the largest pyramidal temples at this site. This research showed that the first major version of this building consisted of a three-terraced platform dated to the Middle Preclassic period (750-300 bc), which was part of an important complex, the so-called E-Group. Such groups constitute the oldest manifestation of monumental architecture in the Maya Lowlands. With time, Structure X was converted into a large pyramidal structure in which several burials were situated during the Classic period (ad 250-800), making it an important mausoleum with interments of important elite members of local society. One of these burials (no. 8) was discovered below the floor of the temple building located on top of the pyramid and was a richly equipped tomb. It is most likely the resting place of one of the Nakum kings reigning during the Early-Late Classic transition (c. ad 550-650). This tomb had 11 vessels, including beautiful examples of polychrome Maya ceramics (representing different supernatural beings), many marine materials, five stingray spines and other artefacts. The tomb chamber was also covered by a deposit consisting of several thousand flint flakes that most probably had some symbolic meaning. In this article we discuss ancient Maya burial customs as documented in Structure X and present it in a wider perspective. We also describe similar lithic deposits associated with some of the richest Lowland Maya tombs and present their meaning and symbolism. Resumen Las investigaciones recientes en el centro maya de Nakum (localizado en el Noreste de Guatemala) incluyeron excavaciones intensivas del Edificio X (también conocido como Edificio 104)-uno de los templos piramidales más grandes en este sitio. Los trabajos de investigación demostraron que la primera versión mayor de este edificio consistió en una plataforma de tres terrazas fechada para el período Preclásico Medio (750-300 a.C.), la que formaba parte de un complejo importante de edificaciones al que se denomina como tipo Grupo E. Este tipo de grupos constituyen la manifestación mas antigua de la arquitectura monumental en las Tierras Bajas Mayas. Con el tiempo, el Edificio X fue convertido en una piramide grande, en la cual durante el período Clásico (250-800 d.C.) fueron depositados varios entierros, lo que le convierte en un mausoleo importante que contiene sepulturas de los miembros de la elite local. Uno de estos entierros (No. 8) es una tumba con una rica

This chapter proposes a historical reconstruction of Chichen Itza during the Terminal Classic period that combines recent ceramic and archaeological data with contemporary epigraphic studies. Through this reconstruction, we argue that we can clarify the understanding of the site’s internal dynamics and of the chronological relationship between its Maya or “Puuc” and Internationalstyle constructions, as well as of the site’s overall impact on northern Yucatan

The archaeological studies in the Mirador Basin have focused on understanding the origin, development and collapse of the Preclassic Maya civilization, together with the conservation and preservation of the archaeological sites and their natural surroundings. This presentation will introduce the studies of the 2004 season that increased our knowledge of these natural and cultural processes. The mapping of the site’s central section continued using a total station. This offered a site perspective never seen before. Also, part of the archaeological work consisted of testing sites in the West Group in which there is data showing some evidence for the site’s collapse happening at the end of the Late Classic period. Furthermore, excavation pits at the main steps of Structure 34 show the singular importance of this building in the past and indicates the importance of implementing new means of conserving and consolidating Preclassic buildings.
Excavations carried out at La Muerta, El Mirador, include final work on Structures A1 and A2 where important information was obtained relating to the building’s architecture. Structure A2 was confirmed as being Early Classic with a network of passages allowing access to the inner funerary rooms for subsequent generations. Furthermore, the existence of a third level to the building was proved, smaller in dimension but with the same system of passages. Structure A1, beside A2, revealed important information about its function such as the existence of heads modeled in stucco in the upper room of the building. The presence of these heads suggests a representation of faces of Preclassic ancestors, implying a ritual function relating the location of these two structures in La Muerta.
The 2004 field season also produced final results in the consolidation and restoration accomplished in El Mirador, rescuing Preclassic and Classic buildings that were in imminent danger of collapse. The final process of architectural consolidation work at El Mirador implemented a vanguard methodology for the conservation of the buildings as well
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as the stucco artwork which allows at the same time the showing of Preclassic Maya architecture for educational and tourism purposes. This methodology proposes unique measures to date, using the same Prehispanic techniques and material, following a rigorous program of execution and monitoring. The preliminary results have shown very satisfactory evidence.

One of the primary objectives of the Naachtun Archaeological Project (University of Paris 1/UMR 8096 Archaeology of the Americas) is to conduct a systematic anthracological study of the wood resources used by the site's ancient Maya inhabitants, as well as the evolution of this economy through time (from about AD 150 to 950). Our research is innovative because charcoal analysis is rarely carried out in the tropical rainforest of the Maya Lowlands, despite the fact that researchers have long considered that the relations between ancient Maya societies and their forested landscapes significantly affected social and environmental developments throughout the region. Specifically, no attempts have been made to reconstruct systematically the global wood economies of ancient Maya cities or their impacts on the surrounding landscape. In our presentation, we discuss some of the challenges to our reconstruction of the wood economies at Naachtun. Foremost among these is the extremely high biodiversity that characterizes the modern tropical rainforest environment, as well as the great inter-specific anatomical proximity that exists among certain botanical families (e.g. Sapotaceae, Rubiaceae or Leguminosae), which can make precise taxonomic identifications difficult. We address these issues through the construction of the first systematically collected and vouchered anatomical reference collection for the region around Naachtun, a long-term collaborative project that links research institutions in France, Guatemala and Mexico. We also face a number of challenges related to the interpretation of the archaeological contexts from which the charcoal assemblages are recovered. In particular, we consider interpretive issues related to the differential preservation of charred wood remains. Various taxa are over-or under-represented in the anthracological records of Maya sites when compared with their proportions in the surrounding modern forests. While wood selection and forest management strategies, as well as ecological heterogeneity across the landscape, may be at the root of these phenomena, it is also essential to test the possibility that differential taphonomic biases impact the proportions of taxa recovered. We present an ongoing program of experimental combustion that aims to determine to what degree differential preservation at Naachtun may be a function of physical properties of wood and fire, and to what degree it reflects cultural practices.