The Carnegie Maya II
Carnegie Institution of Washington Current Reports, 1952-1957
Publication Year: 2011
2006, the University Press of Colorado published The Carnegie Maya: The Carnegie Institution of Washington Maya Research Program, 1913-1957. This volume made available once again to scholars the extensive data published in the CIW Year Book series. The Carnegie Maya II: Carnegie Institution of Washington Current Reports, 1952-1957 continues this project by republishing the CIW Current Reports series. The final CIW field project took place in July of 1950, in the Maya region of Mayapán, where extensive and detailed investigations were conducted for five years. To ensure the rapid dissemination of the results of the Mayapán Project, two series of papers described the work being undertaken and reported the preliminary findings. These were volumes 50 through 57 of the Year Books and numbers 1 through 41 of the Current Reports. A total of forty one Current Reports were published by the Carnegie Institution of Washington from 1952 to 1957. All of these are reproduced in The Carnegie Maya II, accompanied by an introduction by John Weeks, a forward by Marilyn Masson, and a summary table of data compiled by Marilyn Masson regarding artifacts unearthed at Mayapán.
Published by: University Press of Colorado
Cover
Title Page, Copyright
Contents
Figures
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pp. vii-xii
Foreword
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pp. xiii-xviii
Mayap�n was the largest, most significant political capital of the Maya world of its time. Its stature as one of the great cities of the ancient world and as a historical landmark site within Mesoamerica is gaining more recognition, particularly with renewed archaeological research at this center over the past two decades. ...
Introduction
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pp. xix-xxiv
Between 1914 and 1958 the Carnegie Institution of Washington (CIW) sponsored extensive archaeological, ethnographic, linguistic, historical, and other related investigations in the Maya region of southern Mexico and northern Central America. During these four decades, the CIW was the leader in the ...
Table 1. Contents of CIW Current Reports, vol. 1 (nos. 15-41), 1952-57.
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p. xxv-xxv
Preface
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pp. 1-2
The purpose of the present series is to make available as promptly as possible the results of work in progress. The advantages of prompt reporting seem almost too obvious to need comment. A fact sometimes forgotten, however, is that, aside from the information provided to others than our own staff, ...
1. Map of the Ruins of Mayap�n,Yucat�n, Mexico
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pp. 3-8
Carnegie Institution of Washington is deeply indebted to the United States Geological Survey for its fine cooperation in the work described below. Not only were the services of Mr. Jones made available for a considerable period of time in two successive seasons, but all necessary surveying ...
2. The Great Wall of Mayap�n
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pp. 9-24
There are numerous references in the Maya chronicles and early Spanish colonial historical accounts of Yucat�n relating to Mayap�n. Few, however, give specific information concerning the Great Wall surrounding the ancient city. Nevertheless, statements in two sources are pertinent to this study, one in ...
3. Residential Property Walls at Mayap�n
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pp. 25-30
The initial surveys of Mayap�n disclosed the existence of a great number of field-stone walls running everywhere among the ruins (Pollock 1951:226; Ruppert and Smith 1951:232). While some walls were clearly milpa fences or cattle enclosures of post-conquest construction, others seemed contemporary ...
4. Excavations in House Mounds at Mayap�n
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pp. 31-42
The dwelling-type structures at Mayapán follow closely Landa’s description of native houses in Yucatán in the sixteenth century. A large number of these structures are shown on the map of Mayapán (Jones 1952). Essentially they consist of a front and a back room but with considerable variation in detail ...
5. Cenote X-Coton at Mayap�n
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pp. 43-52
The cenotes of Yucat�n have been studied by various people and institutions, notably H. C. Mercer (1896), L. J. Cole (1910), Carnegie Institution of Washington (see Pearse and others, 1936), Brainerd (1942), and Lothrop (1952). These studies have been primarily geological, hydrographic, and zoological, the ...
6. Chacchob, Yucat�n
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pp. 53-64
The ruins of Chacchob are in the District of Tekax, some 13 km by road and 10 or 11 km airline southeast of the town of Teabo. The site was first brought to the attention of the public over 100 years ago in an anonymous article, signed in Curioso, that appeared in a Merida periodical of the time (Anonymous ...
7. Archaeological Reconnaissance in Tabasco
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pp. 65-84
Tabasco lies in southeast Mexico on the Gulf of Campeche. It consists mainly of an alluvial plain through which the Usumacinta and Grijalva rivers and their tributaries slowly meander. Only at the southern edge of the state does the plain merge into the northern Chiapas mountain chain. As Tabasco ...
8. A Portal Vault and Temple at Mayap�n
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pp. 85-90
Str. Q-127 lies at the western edge (265 S, 110 W) of a small assemblage of ceremonial structures that appears to be distinct from the Main Group, some 70 m to the west (Jones 1952, map). A fair likeness of the ground plan is recorded on the map of Mayap�n, and from that and what the cleared mound looked ...
9. Some Small Ceremonial Structures of Mayap�n
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pp. 91-110
Although the Main Group is chiefly distinguished by the imposing and easily identifiable ruins of the more important temples and colonnaded halls, there is a considerable number of less impressive structures which also played a part in the activities at Mayap�n. The excavations here reported, in ...
10. Excavations in House Mounds at Mayap�n II
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pp. 111-124
During the 1952 season we excavated in house mounds where depressions in benches or any visible constructions below bench level, such as exposed capstones or bared vault or walls, were noted. These constructions had one, two, or three benches (Ruppert and Smith 1952). ...
11. The X-Coton Temples at Mayap�n
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pp. 125-134
An examination in 1952 of the Mayap�n map (Jones 1952) disclosed a major concentration of presumably nonresidential buildings within Square Q. We assumed the clustering of these structures to indicate the civic and religious center of the city. The remaining area inside the Great Wall and for ...
12. Cenote Exploration at Mayap�n and Telchaquillo
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pp. 135-142
In Europe prehistoric archaeology has largely been established on the results of exploration in caves. More recently archaeological data have been obtained from cave investigation in the United States. As might be expected, therefore, the cenotes of Yucat�n have yielded remunerative finds of the ...
13. Boundary Walls and House Lots at Mayap�n
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pp. 143-156
During the field season of 1952, preliminary studies were made of the rough stone walls found in great numbers through-out the ruins of Mayap�n. The results indicated that the walls surrounded dwelling-type structures and in all probability marked the boundaries of house properties (Bullard 1952). ...
14. Three Temples and Their Associated Structures at Mayap�n
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pp. 157-178
The following report describes the investigations, during the 1953 field season, of several ancient structures within the central group of religious and civic buildings at Mayap�n. There are approximately 100 of these units tightly clustered around the central and dominant architectural feature of the site, the ...
15. The Northern Terminus of the Principal Sacbe at Mayap�n
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pp. 179-186
The principal sacbe, or causeway, at Mayap�n is seen on the map of the ruins (Jones 1952) running from the western part of Square R in a southwesterly direction to the northeastern part of Square Z. The roadway connects two groups of structures, each group forming a quadrangle about a court, that ...
16. A Round Temple at Mayap�n, Yucat�n
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pp. 187-192
Since the exhaustive study of round structures in aboriginal Mesoamerica by Pollock (1936), a number of these specialized units have been discovered and a few of them excavated. The round form in prehistoric architecture occurs sporadically throughout Mesoamerica; its use ranges from pre-Classic times ...
17. Excavations in House Mounds at Mayap�n III
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pp. 193-206
Excavations in the 1954 season were confined to a relatively thorough examination of Group A-3 and Str. Q-62 and to spot digging in nine other structures. The spot digging was done at likely places for encountering tombs and cists noted during the survey and surface examination of the areas. ...
18. Exploration on the Outskirts of Mayap�n
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pp. 207-216
The excavation of a small site near a large one, such as Mayap�n, often adds valuable information, confirmatory, supplementary, or explanatory, to the archaeological findings at its sizable neighbor. And further, a study of the ruins in the immediate environs of Mayap�n helps to explain what was going ...
19. A Presumed Residence of the Nobility at Mayap�n
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pp. 217-226
Str. Q-208, situated some 80 m south of the apparent southern edge of the ceremonial center at Mayap�n (390 S, 335 W), was chosen for excavation because the surface remains, principally the arrangement of the rooms and the fine masonry, suggested that the building probably had been the residence of some family ...
20. The Temple of Kukulcan at Mayap�n
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pp. 227-238
Even a casual inspection of the ruins of Mayapán would enable one to state that the temple of Kukulcan (Str. Q-162), popularly known as the Castillo, was the most important architectural unit of the site. Situated on the northwest edge of Cenote Ch’en Mul, it occupies the central position in a tight ...
21. Excavations in Three Ceremonial Structures at Mayap�n
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pp. 239-248
During the 1953 field season a program of intensive excavation was begun in selected ceremonial structures in the Main Group at Mayap�n. This area clearly had been the ritual heart of the city, and it was considered that careful digging in certain types of structures, followed by analysis of the results and ...
22. Colonnaded Buildings at Mayap�n
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pp. 249-270
The work of Carnegie Institution in the prehistoric political capital of Mayap�n has among its broad objectives the study of each type of architectural unit occurring within the confines and immediate environs of the ancient walled city. One major phase of the undertaking required the close scrutiny of ...
23. Exploration in Quintana Roo
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pp. 271-176
The explorations described below were carried on by Str�msvik and Pollock between February 23 and 28, and by Berlin and Str�msvik between May 24 and 29, 1954. Previously, one of our workmen from the village of Telchaquillo, Yucat�n, had been sent into the area to gather information on the location of ...
24. An Archaeological Reconnaissance of Northern Quintana Roo
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pp. 277-306
One of the most important regions of the peninsula of Yucat�n for the study of post-Classic Maya history is northern Quintana Roo. We know from Spanish accounts that this area, especially the northern-most part of it, was well populated at the time the Spaniards arrived and that its inhabitants were considered ...
25. A Noble’s Residence and Its Dependencies at Mayapán
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pp. 307-320
The group comprises Str. Q-169 to Q-173a, inclusive. Str. Q-169 (260 S, 385 W), as judged from its size, its superior masonry, and its position less than 100 m from the Temple of Kukulcan, was almost certainly the residence of a chief or priest of outstanding importance; the other buildings in the group ...
26. Early Ceramic Horizons at Mayap�n and Santa Cruz
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pp. 321-328
In order to give some idea of the early ceramic material at Mayap�n, in anticipation of a final report, it is considered advisable to compile this preliminary analysis selecting only the main wares and types. The early pottery found at Mayap�n and the small neighboring site of Santa Cruz (R. E. Smith, ...
27. Another Round Temple at Mayap�n, Yucat�n
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pp. 329-336
The round temple investigated in 1954 at Mayap�n (Shook 1954) proved to be in too ruinous condition to warrant repair. Therefore, in order to have one example of this type of structure available for students, another such temple, Str. Q-126, was selected for excavation and solidification. Early in 1955, the ...
28. An Altar and Platform at Mayap�n
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pp. 337-342
The ceremonial group at Itzmal Ch’en in the northeast part of Mayapán (365 N, 1520 E), being a fairly small and compact center over 1.5 km from the Main Group, was thought worthy of survey in order to determine, if possible, the minimum number and class of buildings required for such a center. The ...
29. A Residential Quadrangle: Structures R-85 to R-90
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pp. 343-386
The quadrangle to be described is situated just short of 300 m on the magnetic east line from the main pyramid of Mayap�n. It is adjacent to a ceremonial group comprising a round temple, Str. Q-126, a gateway, Q-127, and several other civic and religious buildings on the periphery of the city center. It faces away from ...
30. A Vaulted Temple at Mayap�n
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pp. 387-396
During the 1953 field season, test excavations by Pollock had indicated the presence of murals in a buried room in Str. Q-80 (150 S, 260 W). Consequently, it was decided the following year to undertake excavation for the purpose of exposing the murals and gaining information on architectural details of the ...
31. Excavation of a Colonnaded Hall at Mayap�n
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pp. 397-406
In 1954, while an approach trench was being carried across the colonnaded hall Str. Q-81 (165 S, 260 W) toward the vaulted temple Str. Q-80 on the north side of the north court of the Castillo, the central shrine of the hall was encountered. Excavation of the shrine produced a very interesting group of effigy ...
32. Three Serpent Column Temples and Associated Platforms at Mayap�n
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pp. 407-422
The temples and platforms discussed in the following report were excavated during the 1954 field season. The primary objective in the excavation of the temples was the gathering of comparative data on serpent column temples at Mayap�n. Two low platforms in front of Strs. Q-143 and Q-218 were cleared ...
33. A Dwelling and Shrine at Mayap�n
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pp. 423-432
Strs. Q-165 to 168 are situated in the Main Group, southwest of the Castillo (280 S, 350 W). The two principal structures are Q-165 and Q-168 (Fig. 33.1). The former, described in a following section of this report, is immediately adjacent to a colonnaded hall on the east. To the west, Strs. Q-166 to 168 stand on ...
34. A Round Temple and Its Shrine at Mayap�n
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pp. 433-444
During the 1955 season at Mayapán, the small ceremonial group in Square H, next to Cenote Itzmal Ch’en, was partially excavated and mapped. The original purpose was to remove enough of the over-burden so that the plans of the buildings would be evident, but preliminary excavation of one of the ...
35. Exploration of the Cave of Dzab-na, Tecoh, Yucat�n
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pp. 445-450
Late in 1954, while I was exploring the environs of Mayapán and Telchaquillo for pre-Spanish occupation sites, Felix Pat, the comisario municipal of Telchaquillo, told me about cenotes near the town of Tecoh, the municipal seat. Pat’s description of these water sources, and an interesting legend associated ...
36. Excavations in House Mounds at Mayap�n IV
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pp. 451-480
During the 1955 field season, the last season of work by Carnegie Institution at Mayap�n, excavations were confined to three whole groups and to structures of unusual, not previously investigated plan. The three groups chosen, all of the dwelling type with buildings facing on small courts, were J-71, K-...
37. The Southern Terminus of the Principal Sacbe at Mayap�n, Group Z-50
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pp. 481-492
The principal sacbe at Mayap�n has been referred to in an earlier report in this series (Pollock, 1950). The road runs from a large group of buildings in the western part of Square R to a somewhat smaller group in the northeastern part of Square Z (Jones 1952, map). The limited excavations described in the 1954 report ...
38. Skeletal Remains from Mayap�n
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pp. 493-506
The field work on which this report is based was carried on from July 4 to July 12, 1955, at the Department’s camp in Telchaquillo, Yucatán. A survey was made of all skeletal remains preserved from the past five seasons of digging, with primary attention to evidences of pathology, anomalies, and deformations. ...
39. House Types in the Environs of Mayap�n and at Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil, Chichen Itza, and Chacchob
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pp. 507-520
During the 1955 field season the area around Maya�p�n was explored to a radius of about 20 km. The purpose of the survey was to see how the house types compared to those at Mayap�n and to deter�mine the extent of the Mayap�n types. Other places investigated in order to obtain data on their house ...
40. Deities Portrayed on Censers at Mayap�n
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pp. 521-538
An excellent description of the effigy incense burners of Mayapán has been published by R. M. Adams, Jr. (1953:146–168), and supplementary information by H. D. Winters (1955:385–388). Accordingly, it is sufficient here to give an outline of their material and to refer readers to those sources. Full technical ...
41. Notes on Vertebrate Animal Remains from Mayap�n
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pp. 539-550
The collections of animal bones discussed in this paper come from four seasons (1952–1955) or archaeological excavations at the ancient Maya city of Mayapán in Yucatán, Mexico. Short accounts of this work have appeared in Carnegie Institution Year Books nos. 51–54 (1952–1955), under the sections dealing ...
Editor’s Note
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pp. 551-552
Appendix
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pp. 553-610
Glossary
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pp. 611-612
References
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pp. 613-618
Index
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pp. 619-625
E-ISBN-13: 9780870819957
E-ISBN-10: 087081995X
Print-ISBN-13: 9781607320593
Print-ISBN-10: 0870819585
Page Count: 592
Illustrations: 110 b&w photos, 99 b&w line illustrations, 4 maps
Publication Year: 2011
