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111 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). In the 1953 season our excavations were confined to four structures: an altar shrine, and three buildings that showed four benches in the front room. In two buildings a shrine room appeared as an extension of the back room. In the third building were two subfloor chambers, one with a stairway. These two chambers had been cleared by pothunters at some time in the past. Trenches were also dug at the base of the platforms supporting Groups K-52 and Q-119. R. E. Smith examined all ceramic material and furnished the data thereon in this report. It is interesting to note that of the 1952 sherd material from house mounds, 4.5 percent is of the Puuc period; the 1953 material is 0.08 percent Puuc. In 1952, sherds of censers constituted 6.2 percent; in the 1953 excavations the same type of sherds accounted for 20.8 percent. The increase in censer material is seen in structures with shrine rooms and especially in Str. K-52a, thus suggesting a correlation between building type and pottery. Conforming to an agreement with the Mexican Government, we filled all trenches and pits at the completion of the work. Str. Q-119a (110 S, 10 W) Str. Q-119a (Fig. 10.1) lies on the west side of a welldefined natural hillock (Jones 1952, map) and faces south of east. It is one of two structures forming a group on the hillock; the other building, little of which is now exposed, is entirely in Square R but carries the group identification of Q-119b. Before excavation began, none of the supporting terrace was exposed; we were able only to identify C u r r e n t R e p o r t s Carnegie Institution of Washington Department of Archaeology No. 10 December, 1953 Excavations in House Mounds at Ma yapán II A.L. Smith and Karl Ruppert A.L. Smith and Karl Ruppert 112 some of the benches and make an adequate plan. Most of the back room had fallen down the slope of the hillock. Apparently no previous excavations had been attempted on the portion of the structure above terrace level. Some stones had been removed and used in post-conquest walls, one of which crossed the structure transversely at the south end. Two vaulted subfloor chambers, one containing a stairway, were noted. Access to the stairway was through an opening in the floor of the front room of the structure, in line with the central passageway. The two subfloor chambers had at some time in the past been opened and cleared, and a bench in the inner chamber had been explored by pothunters. The platform directly supporting Str. Q-119a is in poor state of preservation except for the east side. Only traces were noted on the north and south and none on the west. Exposed on the east or front is a platform 74 cm high, its face only 11 cm beyond the line of the columns of the building. This platform had been extended eastward 1.42 m in two non-uniform and off-center sections. Between these extensions were remains of a single step. With these additions the floor level of the supporting platform seems to have been raised 24 cm. In general the plan (Fig. 10.1) shows a row of four columns across the front; four benches, those at the ends being L-shaped; and a back room, now indicated primarily by three doorways leading to it and by the plastered floor of the passageways extending into this area. Stones which suggest the remains of a wall at the south end of the front room presuppose a similar wall at the north end. Large flat wall stones in the debris on the floor of the outer room at the south end of the structure were lying in a position 10.1. Excavations in Str. Q-119a, Plan and Sections. Lot A-41: Contents of north-central bench: sherds. Lot A-42: Contents of 10 cm of stone and mortar below rough floor under north-central bench: animal bone; human tooth; polishing stone; sherds. Lot A-43: Contents of 10 cm of stone and mortar below rough floor under...

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