The Palenque Pool Project: Preliminary Investigations into Monumental Construction Costs

Summary

The Palenque Pool Project began excavations of the largest pool of the Picota Group in the Classic Maya site of Palenque in 2014. This group is located one kilometer from the Palace on the western edge of the site. Although the function of the pool is still unknown, its placement adjacent to one of Palenque's two stelae and its similarity to modern Maya examples, suggests ceremonial use. As a part of the 2015 field season samples were taken from two regions that appear to have been limestone quarries. The first possible source of stone is situated roughly 275 meters southwest of the Main Picota Pool. The second, which can be found about 350 meters to the southeast, lies directly uphill from the Templo Olvidado in the Piedras Bolas Group. These samples have been comparatively analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) testing with sections extracted from cut stone found in and around the pool. This is the first of many steps in developing a comprehensive analysis of the monumental construction cost of the pool and the connected aqueduct system.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage