A Tale of Two Projects: Comparative Findings of the CRAS and Yalahau Projects

Summary

The CRAS and Yalahau Projects of Quintana Roo have shared a similar trajectory for many years: although both projects have focused several seasons on individual sites with detailed mapping, excavations, and artifact analysis, the broader goal has been to address large areas of coverage, with relatively few excavations conducted into buildings. Both projects have focused on site location, with the use of local peoples as consultants and guides. Both projects are in regions that are generally unknown to outsiders, and are frequently left as blanks spots on maps representing the ancient and historic Maya world. Despite this relative obscurity, these areas are facing major development pressures from tourism and a disappearing knowledge base about the environment and archaeological features found there. This paper will examine the similarities that the research of these two projects have revealed about these geographically adjacent areas, including shared ritual patterns, environmental challenges, and issues of mobility and visibility of the ancient population. Additionally, we will point out the clear distinctions between the occupational histories of the Cochuah and Yalahau regions, including geographic differences, trade routes, and different trajectories during the Prehispanic, colonial and historic periods.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• From the Fields to the Palaces of the Prehistoric Maya: Hono(u)ring the Contributions of the late Peter D. Harrison   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage