Recent Research on the Formative and Early Classic Periods in the Yaxhom Valley, Yucatán

Summary

Previous investigations by the Bolonchen Regional Archaeological Project

demonstrated that the Valle de Yaxhom, in the Puuc region of Yucatan, was a

significant locus of monumental construction during the latter Middle Formative

and early Late Formative. Two large acropoli, the Acropolis Yaxhom and the

Acropolis Lakin, were previously mapped and tested, but the nature of accompanying

residential construction remained unknown. Two other sites with megalithic

architecture, Nucuchtunich and Nohoch Cep, suggested a transitional occupation

from the Late Formative to the Early Classic period based upon limited

reconnaissance.

LiDAR coverage of the region in May of 2017 facilitated the identification of

a great many more structures as well as contextualizing them in their

physiographic settings. As a result, we identified two large platforms that were

anomalous in form and located close to the Acropolis Lakin as candidates for test

excavations. Five other sites were intensively surface collected. Given our

uncertainty as to the date of the megalithic sites and our lack of an Early Classic

ceramic sample, we also targeted the main civic structure from Nucuchtunich for

testing. This paper reviews the results of this work together with comments on the

ceramics collected.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22582