Excavation and Analysis of a Preclassic Chultun

Summary

During the 2014 and 2015 field season excavations were carried out on a chultun at the ancient Maya site of El Mirador, Petén, Guatemala. This chultun was situated near the Grán Acrópolis, with a 10-meter pyramid located directly to the north and a large L-shaped structure directly to the east, in an elite district. Over the course of excavations the site was found to contain both Middle and Late Preclassic ceramics, including fragments of an elaborate incensario in the shape of an anthropomorphic mask. The chultun, which consists of two chambers, one of which has collapsed, and the other measuring 6.5 meters in diameter also contained a number of large stucco fragments, many of which bore the remnants of red, yellow, or black paint. Additionally, shaped stucco fragments suggestive of a wall mask were recovered from most units within the chultun. The size, location, and evidence of wall decoration point toward elite ritual usage, with further excavation of the collapsed portion planned in order to determine the full extent of the second chamber and establish a timeframe for the roof collapse.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• New Developments in Mesoamerican Subterranean Archaeology

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