Structuring Liminality: Terminal Classic C-shaped Structures in the Puuc Region

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Bolonchen Regional Archaeological Project: 25 Years of Research in the Puuc" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper discusses excavations between 2006 and 2008 in the Grupo Chanchich at Huntichmul, Yucatán. Huntichmul is one of the larger sites in the eastern Puuc, with a strong Terminal Classic apogee. The Grupo Chanchich is of interest because it is a formal arrangement of C-shaped structures nestled in the center of the civic-ceremonial architectural zone of Huntichmul, adjacent to an Early Puuc Civic Complex. A review of the location, layout, features, and artifact and ecofact assemblage of the Grupo Chanchich, in the context of a comparative analysis of previously recorded Puuc C-shaped structures, provides the basis for a typology of C-shaped structures. Subsequent lidar and ground survey in the eastern Puuc has resulted in the identification of several groups very similar to the Grupo Chanchich. Their shared formal architectural grammar suggests a level of complexity and regional integration amid the breakdown of Classic Maya sociopolitical institutions. This paper also considers the functional significance of C-shaped Structure Groups and discusses our interpretation of these groups as potential marketplaces.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• The Bolonchen Regional Archaeological Project: 25 Years of Research in the Puuc

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39141.0