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451 During the 1955 field season, the last season of work by Carnegie Institution at Mayapán, 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, K67 , and Q-244. Group J-71 was selected primarily because one of its four constructions faced in two directions. Two of the others were buildings of the normal dwelling type, one having once supported a beam-and-mortar roof, the other a roof of thatch grass. The fourth, a small altar shrine, was in the center of the court. Group K-67 was picked because it was a closely knit unit of four structures surrounded by a property wall. Three of the structures were of the dwelling type that had supported thatch or grass roofs, the fourth was an altar platform in the center of the court. Group Q-244, also a unit of four structures, was chosen because of Str. Q-244b, an elaborate dwelling that once supported a beam-andmortar roof and was obviously the home of a person of some importance. The other three structures were a single-room building that had supported a thatch or grass roof, a long low platform, and an altar platform , the last being in the center of the court. The other structures excavated, chosen for their differences in plan from the normal dwelling type of building having a front and back room with benches in the front room, were those that faced in two directions and single-room constructions. These latter were found with and without benches, some with interior stone columns, some with interior altars built against the center of the back wall. It was hoped that through thorough investigation some idea of the function of these unusual buildings could be gained. R. E. Smith, as in the past, examined the collection of sherds and furnished the data given in this report. A total of 34,568 sherds was recovered, of which 28,949 were identified. Of the latter, 28,872 C u r r e n t R e p o r t s Carnegie Institution of Washington Department of Archaeology No. 36 June 1956 Excavations in House Mounds at Ma yapán IV A. LedyArd Smith And KArL ruppert A. LedyArd Smith And KArL ruppert 452 (99.75 percent) were of Mayapán period, 75 (0.25 percent) of Puuc wares, and one sherd each of Classic and Plumbate wares. Among the Mayapán sherds those from censers number 5,438, those of Fine Orange 228. With few exceptions, the contents of each lot of artifacts are listed in the caption of the drawing of the construction where the lot was found. Exceptions are Lot A-551 (Str. R-142e) and Lots A-513, -514, -517 (Group Y-2), which appear on no drawing and are listed under the descriptions of the respective structures. Structure A-1 (540 N, 1232 W) Str. A-1 consists of a terrace supporting a singlechambered building (Fig. 36.1f). The terrace, which to a great extent is formed of a natural rise, varies in height from 1.40 m at the northwest to no more than 0.50 m at a section on the south. Much of the facing has fallen, though in places very large, roughly weathered stones are still in position. On the north are remains of a stairway, approximately 5 m in width, formed of three risers averaging 0.40 m, and treads of 0.55 m. The stairway rises directly from bedrock and was made of very large stones. The single-chambered building rises, on the north side, from a 0.30 m base somewhat suggestive of a plinth though there is no offset. The single doorway is to the north, with jambs of large stones. The masonry throughout is of irregular, mostly large, much weathered stones. Only two Puuc-type stones were noted; they formed part of the facing of the plinth at the doorway. The thickness of the wall varies from 0.50 m to 0.75 m, and its greatest height is 0.85 m at the east jamb. Two floors were suggested. One is at bedrock on the north; the second, 0.30 m above the first, forms the sill of the doorway, and traces of it were found turning up at the back wall. Material from within the structure from surface...

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