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377 N o t e s o f M i d d l e A m e r i c a n A r c h a e o l o g y a n d E t h n o l o g y Carnegie Institution of Washington Division of Historical Research No. 93 April 19, 1949 Some New Discoveries at Coba William R. Coe and Michael D. Coe tinues on a course of 300° to an unknown destination . Along Sacbe No. 15 were observed many small mounds in very bad condition, but their exact location was not noted. Uxulil Be (Fig. 93.3) consists of a large structure and some smaller mounds lying on a raised rectangular terrace of considerable size. The main building , Structure I; is oriented to 19o . It rises in a series of three terraces, the stairways to each being aligned with the terminus of Sacbe No. 15. Flanking mounds extend from Terraces C and D. The three mounds on the highest terrace, D, are in complete ruin and are so low that the only type of construction possible would have been base-walls with thatch roofs. The masonry of each terrace facing is of a rather good quality for Coba (Fig. 93.1a). The total elevation of Structure I is 15.2 m. Two mounds are placed on either aide of the main terrace, A, near its northern end, and a tiny square mound sits on the northwestern corner. Pech Mul lies on a terrace of two heights (Fig. 93.4a, b), of which only A was mapped, as there are no ruins on the lower terrace. Structure I, oriented to 3000, is a small pyramid with a single stairway (Fig. 93.1b). The stairway is badly ruined, but, from the few steps still in place, was evidently much wider at the bottom than at the top. On the summit of Structure I is a large and very curious room, with only the walls standing. Its dimensions suggest that it was once divided into smaller rooms, but only two interior mounds (Fig. 93.4a, b) remain, differing considerably in length. If these were the dividing walls, In December 1948, we made a trip to Coba for the purpose of photographing the ruins. Starting from Valladolid, we went to Chemax, thence on mule back to Tsinup, approximately 12 km beyond. About halfway between Chemax and Tsinup we observed, across a milpa to the right of the trail, some rather large and well-preserved buildings, which appeared to be on an acropolis. Leaving Tsinup at six o’clock in the morning, we traveled the 20 km to Coba over a very bad trail in about seven hours, and made camp on the shore of Lake Macanxoc. The destination of Sacbe No. 15 has been the source of some speculation. J. Eric Thompson thought that it might run to Ixil (Thompson, Pollock, and Charlot, 1932:27). Sidman P. Poole states, on the authority of a guide, that it probably continues all the way to Guatemala (Geog. Jour., 95:124). Actually, after starting out between Lakes Coba and Macanxoc at an angle of 199o (all compass directions are read from N. to E), it crosses Sacbe No. 16 and terminates at a group of ruins approximately 3.5 km from the intersection. It is perfectly straight throughout, and is in excellent condition. The group at the terminus we named “Uxulil Be,” or “end of the road” (Fig. 93.2). Two new sacbes were found branching out from No. 15. The first, Sacbe No. 17, leaves No. 15 about 1 km south of the intersection of Nos. 15 and 16 in a direction of 120o . It continues for 107 m and ends at a small group of ruins which we named “Pech Mul,” meaning “tick mound.” The second sacbe, No. 18, branches out in the opposite direction about 2 km south of the main intersection, and con- WilliAm r. Coe And miChAel d. Coe 378 the rooms were highly asymmetrical. The absence of fallen stone between these mounds and the front and back walls implies that no vaults had existed. Nevertheless, a spring line was found about 2.1 m high on the northeastern wall, formed by a row of slabs (Fig. 93.1c). Possibly there had been a beamand -mortar roof supported by a small corbel. At the back wall is a low bench (Fig. 93.4d), its extent undetermined because no excavations were made. At the front...

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