The Carnegie Maya III: Carnegie Institution of Washington Notes on Middle American Archaeology and Ethnology, 1940-1957

115. A Stela at San Lorenzo, Southeastern Campeche (1953)

486 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. 115 June 1953 A Stela at San lorenzo, Southeastern Campeche J. Eric S. Thompson In contrast to the veneer masonry of the exterior, interior walls are faced with roughly dressed and irregularly quadrangular blocks averaging 20 cm high (17 cm and 27 cm are rare extremes) and 50 cm long (range 32–71 cm). Vault stones are around 9–13 cm high and 40–49 cm deep. Only part of the vault was standing. There was a cupboard (49 cm broad, 43 cm high, and 42 cm deep) in the east wall, 1.34 m below the spring of the vault. The two buttress-like projections in the rear wall recall Rio Bec architecture, although nothing exactly comparable seems to be known. Together with the type of veneer masonry, it serves to classify the building as of Rio Bec style, in contrast to the plan of the site, which, as noted, is more suggestive of the Peten. It would appear, then, that both styles of architecture were used at this site either at the same time or one after the other. This problem, of course, has bearing on the cultural position of the stela, which is asymmetrically placed on the platform supporting the tallest pyramid at the site. The stela stands to a height of 2.66 m above the platform, is 87 cm wide and 52 cm thick. Only the front is carved; this carries six large glyph blacks which retain considerable areas of red paint. The plain border has patches of blue paint. Some badly pitted areas are impregnated with paint in a manner suggesting that the stele might have been painted after it had been exposed for a long time to weathering. This is not certain, for the paint might have sunk deeply into the stone before it started to weather. The small site of San Lorenzo lies 4 km north and slightly west of the chicle camp and water hole of the same name. These, in turn, are about 30 km in a direct line west by south of Aurora (Rio Bec) and about 8 km south by east of Hormiguero (Ruppert and Denison 1943, Fig. 1). It was visited by J. C. Harrington, Conrad Kratz (now Father Lawrence, O.S.B., and myself in 1936. The map was made by Harrington. The presence of a hieroglyphic stela in this region, where Peten and Rio Bec styles of architecture interlock, gives importance to the ruins. The structures stand on an irregular, raised area, which follows the natural slope of the terrain and is bounded by a retaining wall of undressed stones laid dry. At its highest point this retaining wall stands 1.75 m, but removal of accumulated debris and fallen stones might increase this figure to 2.25 m or even 2.50 m. The general plan seems suggestive of Peten rather than Rio Bec usage, but the only standing superstructure is of Rio Bec type. The whole of the front (west) of this one-room vaulted building has collapsed, but part of the lower zone at the back stands. This is faced with excellent veneer stonework of Rio Bec style. The stones are carefully dressed and fitted, and laid in rows averaging 19 cm high (an occasional stone is the height of two rows. In length the stones vary from 17 cm (exceptional) to 52 cm. They are turtle-backed. My only depth measurement is 23 cm, but that came from a stone of double height; to judge by similar masonry at nearby No Te Metas, stones of average size would be about 15 cm deep at the thickest point. 115.1. (a) Stela; (b) plan of San Lorenzo, made by J. C. Harrington. J. eriC s. Thompson 488 Glyph 1 records 10 Ahau. The treatment of the features and the absence of a cartouche suggest late decadence (cf. paintings of Ahau on the Santa Rites murals). The absence of a month position strengthens the belief that this is a very late monument. Glyph 2 is badly eroded. There is a u-bracket to the left. The remaining...