Sayil Research Summary - Wired Humanities Projects, University of
Transcription
Sayil Research Summary - Wired Humanities Projects, University of
Sayil Research Summary with Photographs by Lorna Huff, [email protected] The ancient Maya city of Sayil is located in a narrow valley that runs north and south within a thick cluster of ancient settlements in the Puuc hill region of the northern Yucatan lowlands. The neighbouring site of Kabah is located north of Sayil, Labna in the east, Kiuic is southeast, and Chac lies to the south. This area has a long history of human settlement extending back to the last Ice Age. Ceramic research at the site of Kiuic shows that it was occupied 900-800 B.C. (Bey 2008). The Loltun Caves, in the Puuc region northeast of Sayil, were used by Ice Age peoples as an animal butchery during the Paleoindian Period of Mesoamerican history (c 22,000-6,000 b.c.) while a bas –relief carving at Loltun shows a much later Pre-Classic Maya date (Hixson MPA). Roys comments that Uxmal was the only place “ southwest of the puuc, or “low mountain range” visited in the first migration narrative described in Chapter II of the Chilam Balam of Chumayel although the region was densely populated by several urban centers including “ Sayi ”. Roys speculates that the Xius must have come through this region when they settled in Uxmal (fn 77:2). In Chapter V of the Chumayel, “Zeye” is listed as one of the ancient towns, along with Uxmal and Kabah, that was depopulated prior to the arrival of the Spanish. The farmers of Ticul insist the nearby Zayi ruins are correctly called “ Zeye ” (fn 82:3). (Roys indicates that Zayi is located northeast of Acanceh however it is southwest). Early explorer John Lloyd Stephens refers to “Salli” as another name for Zayi. Extensive survey research was conducted at Sayil in a project led by Jeremy Sabloff and Gair Tortellot in the mid-1980s. They found that the residential settlement of Sayil covers 4.5 kms (sq) and extends only slightly beyond the valley margins except for two lobes in the southeast and southwest corners which extend more than a kilometre and are also clearly delineated. They documented 2, 500 archaeological features ranging from piles of cobbles to three-story buildings. They described the site core containing the North Palace (El Palacio), The Lookout (El Mirador) complex, South Palace, ball court, and other sculptured and multi-storied buildings. An elevated causeway runs southwards from the North Palace to the South Palace and ball court on the southern tip of the central zone (Sabloff and Tourtellot 1992). It appears that evidence of Sayil being joined to other Puuc sites via a limestone road (sacbe) such as the one that connects Kabah to Uxmal has not yet been uncovered. (GIS least effort path models have been speculated for the Bolonchen district of the Puuc region by Ringle et al 2003). It is not clear what relationship Sayil had with other Puuc centers during the time of their Terminal period florescence (A.D. 700-1050/1100 in the northern lowlands according to Rice, Demarest, and Rice 2004), nor during previous and subsequent time periods. Their affiliation to each other is most clearly demonstrated in their similar Puuc style architecture. Uxmal, the largest of the Puuc cities, was likely the centre of regional control during their florescent period (Drew 1999: 366). The small amount of decipherable epigraphic text remaining on the Sayil monuments makes it difficult to determine dates, names, and political affiliations. Scholars have suggested that there was a significant if relatively brief period of cultural and chronological overlap between the Terminal Classic Puuc sites and the powerful city of Chichen Itza though they posses distinct styles of architecture, that is, “Puuc-Maya” vs “Toltec-Maya” (Kowalski et al 1996). A Toltec style round Caracol structure at Chichen Itza is thought to have influenced the same style at Uxmal with the construction and use of the “Uxmal Round Structure”, possibly for ritual purposes, during the late-ninth to late-tenth centuries due to a political-military alliance between the two major cities. Uxmal is the only site with a known round structure (Kowalski et al 1996). Schele and Mathews note that all of the hieroglyphic dates at Chichen Itza and Uxmal fall before A.D. 909 and they were both major capitals for about another 100 years before their decline. Dates documented on Puuc style structures at Chichen Itza indicate they were built between A.D 700 -1,000 (Schele and Mathews 1998 :199). Common Puuc style architectural elements at Sayil and Chichen Itza show that they were also probably contemporaneous for a period of time. Elaborate mask and geometric façade designs are evident in the Las Monjas complex in the southern zone of Chichen Itza. Puuc style corner masks and rounded columns are apparent on the Temple of the Warriers in the northern sector of the site as well. Extensive use of colonnettes is not nearly as prominent on the Puuc structures at Chichen Itza and Uxmal as it is at Sayil and Kiuic. Smyth’s research at Chac (II) reveals that it was a thriving community that emerged in the Early Classic period, grew and flourished in the Middle and Late Classic periods (A. D. 500 - 800), and then appears to have been depopulated at the onset of the Terminal Classic as settlement patterns shifted to nearby Sayil. Smyth documents a central Mexican influence at Chac evidenced by Teotihuacan style burial offerings and mortuary practices suggesting a residential presence of a group of long-distance traders or merchants from Central Mexico during the early to middle Classic period (Smyth 2000). Ceramic data from the site of Gruta de Chac (I) located a few kilometres from Sayil indicates it was probably a highly sacred place for the inhabitants of Northern Yucatan beginning in the Early Classic period, and may have also been a pilgrimage site (Smyth 2000). Gruta de Chac is the closest permanent source of water to Sayil (although difficult to access since the spring is located deep underground and is described by John Lloyd Stephens, after his long arduous descent to reach it, as a meagre “basin of water”). Due to the lack of surface water in the vicinity, such as sinkholes and cenotes, artificially constructed underground chultuns were in use at Kiuic beginning in the 4th century (Smyth 2000), and were later used extensively at Sayil to collect rainwater during the lengthy dry season (Sabloff and Tourtellot 1992). The large number of chultuns recorded at Sayil indicates a population of 10,000 people within the urban core and another 7,000 in the surrounding area by the ninth century (Drew 1999:365). The spacious three-tiered North Palace seen in the following photograph is located on a rise at the north end of the central urban zone of Sayil: http://whp.uoregon.edu/DigitalCahuleu/Galleries/Huff/elpala.html The remainder of a wide central staircase ascends from the ground to the third terrace. On the west side of the first level are vaulted rooms with multiple and single doorways and columns forming a partial colonnade. Unfortunately, this portion of the first level is in poor condition and the decorative features are not readily discernible. The east side of the first level consists of several doorways with a facade clearly decorated with a continuous frieze of colonnettes. The architectural design resembles Early Puuc Colonnette 1 style documented at Kiuic (Ringle 2005: fig 22). The second story boasts an impressive colonnade with an entablature consisting of bold mosaic masks set between rows of colonnettes: http://whp.uoregon.edu/DigitalCahuleu/Galleries/Huff/elpala2.html Internal staircases lead from second level rooms to the third story terrace. This level also resembles Early Puuc architecture previously documented at Kiuic (Ringle 2005: fig 18). In his exploration of the North Palace, Stephens noted ten rooms on the north side of the second tier in a large space called the Casa Cerrada, or closed house, which are completely filled with stone and mortar. He hypothesised that the solid mass in these rooms might have been necessary to stabilize the terrace and building above since they appeared to have been filled in at the same time that the upper level was being constructed, as evidenced by the filling-in rising above the doorway tops. It seems likely that the third floor was built after the second rooms had been in use for some duration. It would be interesting to know if the filling – in was actually required to achieve upper level stability or if the rooms were filled for other purposes at the onset of the upper level construction. The third level structure appears akin to the function of the east side of the first tier with single doorways leading to small rooms that may have served residential purposes (INAH plaque on site). Stephens described the entablature as “plain” however there are outlines of decorative features, including rows of colonnettes, that were removed or destroyed. Tenons still protrude from the walls evidencing this (see Schele photo # 101075). The close-up view in this photograph is of the diving figure on the second level façade: http://whp.uoregon.edu/DigitalCahuleu/Galleries/Huff/elpalaDF.html It can be supplemented by Schele’s photo #s 101067, 101069 and 101071 which show wide perspectives of the North Palace façade with three alternating mask motifs: a Puuc style long- lipped (Chak) corner mask (Schele and Mathews 1998 ; Boot 2004), a fanged mask similar to Rio Bec and Chenes styles, and a zoomorphic diving figure ‘mask’. The diving figure mask motif reveals a mix of seemingly disparate and segmented features consisting of a distinctly phallus-shaped ‘torso’ with human legs displayed frog-like (i.e. bowed) and feet braced on the inner upper ledge of the second story. Traces of red (cinnabar?) paint are evident. In sharp geometrical contrast to the descending column-like (phallic) torso are square blocks containing ‘eye’ holes, and a protruding nose or snout which is broken off. The diving sculpture is flanked on each side by large square shapes with curved elements on the corners giving the impression of a large set of ‘owl eyes’ or ‘goggles’. What appear to be fish tails are attached to curved segments that comprise the serpent (?) bodies which terminate in stylized serpent heads, with open fanged jaws, facing east and west (see Kerr photo # 8839J). Amongst several other decorative elements each head displays a round disc insignia that is similar (minus the subfix) to the flower design itz hieroglyphs on the Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal as described by Schele and Mathews (1998: 265; fig 7.10). The entire design is above a single doorway flanked by a row of four bonded columns that appear as a mouth-like extension of the mask. The diving figure appears during Classic and Post Classic periods in various guises. According to Taube, the diving god is a manifestation of God E who is the Maya counterpart of the central Mexican god of maize, Centeotl. The diving god is evident at Late Post-Classic sites such as Mayapan and Tulum and in the Dresden and Madrid Codices and was first identified as the “bee god” by Roys (Taube1992: 41- 43; fig 18). In his ethnographic study, Aquilera draws a parallel between the cross of contemporary Yucatan and Quintana Roo and that of a diving Chak figure depiction in the Dresden Codex. The cross is described by Aquilera’s local shaman informants as a conduit for the transmission of petitions to chak’oob “…which are said to be ‘grasped’ and brought ‘diving’ down through an aperture of the vault….” in a similar fashion as the Chak figure holding a ceramic vessel from which emerges a cross-like foliated Axis Mundi (Aquilera 2002: fig.18). A similar Classic period presentation of a diving figure can be viewed in the descending jaguar seen on Kerr vase 2942. In his article “ The Transformation of Xbalanque or The Many Faces of God A”, Kerr states that the “Jaguar in flames” seen on this vase is not a distinct character but one of the many transformations of the Popol Vuh’s Hero Twin, Yax Balam (Xbalanque) (Kerr 2003: fig 15). The Sayil diving god then might also signify a version of Yax Balam. The flames may also be representative of corn plant foliage or husks, an association that seems plausible in view of the proposed connection to the maize god as noted by Taube (1992). A winged God K appears at Sayil where he is seen with a serpent leg and smoking mirror on a lintel from Structure 4B1 (Taube 1992: fig. 34a). In the Terminal Classic art works of Yucatan, God K is often shown with wings and appears in the upper portions of architectural settings therefore alluding to the sky and their celestial quality. Winged God K figures are found on Puuc and Chenes capstones, and at other places, including Flores, Guatemala (Taube, 1992: fig. 34d). Milbrath notes that God K can be identified as the sky god called Bolon Dzacab in Colonial period sources, an identification first proposed by Eduard Seler at the turn of the century. God K appears in depictions as Classic period GII of the Palenque Triad with his mythological birth recorded on the Temple of the Foliated Cross. There appears to a strong association with significant events of the planet Jupiter and depicted imagery (eg. manikin sceptors, double-headed serpents) related to God K in the lives of Classic Maya rulers. In Terminal and Postclassic times the Mexican god Tezcatlipoca and God K share an association with mirrors and serpents as shown at Chichen Itza and Sayil (Milbrath 1999: 227-239). Tatiana Proskouriakoff reviewed the Sayil stelae in her work “ A Study of Classic Maya Sculpture” published in 1950. According to Proskouriakoff, Stelae 3 and 5 show characteristics of the “decadent” style of Terminal Classic monumental art characterized by Classic motifs (eg. manikin scepture on Stela 5) while others, such as Stela 9, a bluntly sculpted figure with an exaggerated phallus, shows an alternate style being focused on the subject rather than geometric patterns. She considered Stela 3 to be an example of “extreme decadence” evidenced by a “ freely conceived and roughly executed” technique with a Classic rope motif border also seen on Stela 5. Proskouriakoff noted that the pointed form of Stela 1 at nearby Keuic (Kiuic) suggests it is contemporary with or later than the monuments of Sayil. She indicates that Stela 6 might show a date of katun 9.19.0.0.0 (9 Ahau ; A.D. 810) Schele and Mathews note that a monument was dedicated at Sayil in katun 10.3.0.0.0 (1 Ajaw; A.D.889) near the end of the Terminal Classic period (Schele and Mathews 1998: 59). Phallic sculptures are frequent at Puuc sites such as Uxmal, and at Chichen Itza, and seem to suggest supreme fertility in regards to ruling class lineage heads. Krochock argues that the penis epigraphic icon ton functions as a symbol or name for an important founding lineage at Chichen Itza (Krochock 2002). In her survey of phallic imagery of the Puuc region, Amrhein states that by marking sanctified sacred ritual space with overt phallic images they served as public symbols to secure and legitimise the authority of the ruling elite during the drastic changes that took place during the Terminal Classic period (Amrhein 2003). Phallic imagery was taken to a ‘popular’ level of visibility perhaps reinforcing a sense of kinship to counterbalance destabilising forces. The structure shown in the photograph below is known as the “Temple of the Hieroglyphic Doorway” and is located in the south group section of the central urban zone near the Mirador pyramid: http://whp.uoregon.edu/DigitalCahuleu/Galleries/Huff/southgs.html (See also Ryne’s photograph collection showing various perspectives of this building). A row of seven hieroglyph blocks carved in broad deep lines is evident on a doorway lintel. Hieroglyphs also extend down each side of the entrance however they are obscured by rubble. This building is identified as of Late Puuc architectural style and the meaning of the glyphs as not yet adequately understood (INAH plaque on site). It is not clear what allows for the designation of this building as a “temple”. The second block of glyphs above the doorway is quite discernible and its’ main sign resembles the hieroglyph T561 chan/ka’an possibly translating as “sky” or “captor”, possibly also represented homophonously as kan “four” and “snake.” In her essay, Pure Language and Lapidary Prose, Coggins discusses the multiple forms and punning complexity of the sound-alike words kan, k’an, k’aan, and ka’an that are found in the text on Stela A at Copan. Coggins refers to the Venus serpent known as K’uk’ulkan in Yucatecan who figures prominently at Chichen Itza. At Chichen Itza and Copan homonyms and puns on the word kan are figured in inscriptions as words and images (Coggins 1992). In this case, at Sayil, the main sign quite resembles a frontal view of an open mouth of a pit viper snake. (This seemingly unique form containing a small hole on each side of the top half is similar to the superfix sign in the emblem glyph for Dos Pilas - see Calvin, p.44). There is a large, partly eroded prefix attached to the ka’an or kan glyph that might be the T4 na sign referring to “house” and perhaps also “first”. The glyph block that proceeds the ka’an/kan glyph appears similar to the T126.552:23 ya-tana sign translating as “ the wife” or spouse. The third hieroglyph block following ka’an/kan consists of a prefix that resembles the T12 a/AJ “he of”, and a main sign cartouche divided into “four quarters” (Gates 1931:141; fig.310), in this case with four visible ‘dots’, one in each quarter. Thus, the first three hieroglyph blocks above the door (from the left upper corner) might go something like: ‘ The wife or spouse (of) first/house sky (and/or captor) /four/snake, he of four quarters….’ ?? This structure is situated near an enclosed cluster of linear buildings within the El Mirador Complex and might have functioned as an administrator’s office and/or a residence for the possible adjacent marketplace area that Sabloff and Tourtellot have proposed (1992). Recent soil analyses conducted by Terry and Dahlin’s team at Chunchucmil in western Campache indicates an ancient marketplace economy as evidenced by high concentrations of phosphorous that originate from the decomposition of organic matter such as food stuffs (Science Daily, Dec/2007). It would be interesting to know if this type of soil study in the open area at Sayil has been done and if it would show similar results. West notes ceramic evidence documented by Smyth and Dore (1992) indicates that ceramic manufacturing activity took place adjacent to the proposed marketplace area although it is not known if the production was meant for internal or external aims (West 2002: 179). The following photographs show front and rear views of the “ The Lookout”: http://whp.uoregon.edu/DigitalCahuleu/Galleries/Huff/elmira.html http://whp.uoregon.edu/DigitalCahuleu/Galleries/Huff/elmirar.html On his first view of the El Mirador pyramid from the top of the “Casa Grande” (North Palace) John Lloyd Stephens writes: “ It stands on a terrace, and may be considered two separate structures, one above the other. The lower one resembled all the rest. In the centre was an archway running through the building. The front is fallen and the whole so ruined that nothing but the archway appears. Along the middle of the roof, unsupported, rises a perpendicular wall to the height of thirty feet. It is of stone, about two feet thick, and has oblong openings through it, like small windows. It had been covered with stucco, which had fallen off, and left a face of rough stone and mortar. On the other side were fragments of stuccoed figures and ornaments. Since we had began our exploration of American ruins, we had not met with anything more inexplicable that this great perpendicular wall. I seemed built merely to puzzle posterity (Stephens 1843:142-144).” Massive, elaborately decorated roof combs are seen on Classic period structures at Palenque, Tikal, and Copan. Northern Yucatan roof combs are built in the tradition of Peten style, distinguished by the preponderance of their immense weight and their alignment along the central axis of the building (Schele and Mathews 1998: 33 ; fig1.9). “Lofty” roof combs were documented in 1928 by early explorer, Thomas Gann, at Dzibanche (that he had first named “Tzibanche”) in southeast Quintana Roo. The roof comb that Gann found in best condition was on Temple 6 which he estimated to comprise approximately one-fourth (25 ft.) of the total height of the 102 ft. building from base to the top of the roof comb. (It appears that it has shrunk considerably since Gann first measured it). At Edzna, in southwest Campeche, a still magnificent tall roof comb adorns the Temple of the Five Stories. Closer to Sayil, roof combs are seen on the Puuc style structures at Chichen Itza (eg. Las Monjas, La Iglesia), and at Uxmal on the Dovecote House (see Perez de Lara photos). The El Mirador structure at Labna is very similar in size and style to the El Mirador of Sayil. Their temples sit high on top of pyramidal shaped foundations. Both possess narrow vaulted rooms and soaring roof combs with “oblong openings” or vertical slots. Both were decorated with elaborate stucco figures, fastened on with tenons, some of which are still evident, particularly on the Labna structure. Stephens and Catherwood encountered a building at Sacbacche, northeast of Sayil, with a tall decorative roof comb. It consists of four cornices supported by pilasters forming vertical slots similar to the oblong openings on the roof combs at Labna and Sayil. The roof comb at Sacbacche however is decorated with panels of latticework design set between the pilasters on the top two layers as seen in Catherwood’s 1841 drawing and Thompson’s 1890 photo of this pleasing structure (Ackerman 1996: figs. 47, 48). Roof combs, or “crestarias”, displayed motifs chosen specifically for their respective buildings in an iconography understood by everyone, according to Grant Griffin (1978). They displayed a building’s allegiance much like an emblem glyph does. They were tall enough to be seen from a distance and may have served as a beacon for public events, as a territorial marker, and as a lookout tower. Bibliography: Amrhein, Laura M. 2003 An Iconographic and Historic Analysis of Terminal Classic Phalli Imagery. 01/01/2007. http://www.famsi.org/reports/20001/index.html Athena Review 2003. “Puuc, Chenes, and Rio Bec styles of the Late Classic Maya,” vol. 2, no 2. http://www.athenapub.com/puuc.htm Aquilera, Miquel Astor 2002. Survey of Talking Cross Shrines in Yucatan and Quintana Roo. 21/02/2005. http://www.famsi.org/reports/99034/section07.htm Bey, George 2008. Interview with George Bey. USA Today, June 22, 2008. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2008-06-22-george-beyinterviewN.htm Bolles, David 1997. Combined Dictionary-Concordance of the Yucatecan Maya Language. 01/01/2008. http://www.famsi.org/reports/96072/index.html Boot, Erik 2004. Ceramic Support for the Identity of Classic Maya Architectural LongLipped (Corner) Masks as the Animated Witz “Hill, Mountain”. http://www.mesoweb.com/features/boot/Masks.pdf Calvin, Inga E. 2004. Maya Hieroglyphics Study Guide. 04-04-2008. http://www.famsi.org/mayawriting/calvin/glyph_guide.pdf Coggins, Clemency Chase 1992. “Pure Language and Lapidary Prose.” Pp. 99-107 in New Theories of the Ancient Maya. Elin C. Danien and Robert J. Sharer, eds. Philadelphia: The University Museum, University of Pennsylvania. Drew, David 1999. The Last Chronicles of the Maya Kings. First published in Great Britain by Weidenfeld and Nicolson. Phoenix Paperback Edition, 2000. Gann, Thomas 1928. “Recently Discovered Maya Temples in Yucatan with Date Sculptured on Wooden Lintel.” Man 28, Jan.: 9-11. Gates, William 1931. An Outline Dictionary of Maya Glyphs. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press. Dover edition: New York, Toronto, London, 1978: 141; 310. Griffin, Gillett G. 2003. “Crestarias of Palenque,” in Tercera Mesa Redonada de Palenque Vol. IV, Merle Green Robertson and Donnan Call Jeffers eds. Available online at http://www.mesoweb.com/pari/publications/RT04/Cresterias.pdf. Originally published at the Third Palenque Round Table June 11-18, 1978. Hixson, David R. 1979. Mesoamerican Photo Archives. Copyright 1997- 2001. www.mesoamerican-archives.com Kerr, Justin 2000. The Transformation of Xbalanque or the Many Faces of God A. The Kerr Collections. 17/06/2007. http://www.famsi.org/research/kerr/articles/xbalanque/index.html Kowalski, Jeff Karl , Rubio, Alfredo Barrera , Mas, Heber Ojeda, and Herrera, Jose Huchim 1996. Archaeological Excavations of a Round Temple at Uxmal: Summary Discussion and Implications for Northern Maya Culture History. First presented at Eighth Palanque Round Table June 6-12, 1993. Published in 1996 in Eighth Palenque Round Table, 1993 edited by Martha J. Macri and Jan McHargue. On-line 2004. http://www.mesoweb.com/pari/publications/RT10_RoundTemple.html Krochock, Ruth J. 2002. “Women in the Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of Chichen Itza.” Pp. 152170 in Ancient Maya Women, Traci Ardren, ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman Altamira. Milbrath, Susan 1999 Star Gods of the Maya: Astronomy in Art Folklore, and Calendars. Austin: University of Texas Press. Montgomery, John with Helmke, Christpher 2007. Dictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs. 2007/01/01. http://www.famsi.org/mayawriting/dictionary/montgomery/index.html Perez de Lara, Jorge Copyright 1996-2007. A Tour of Uxmal ; A Tour of Chichen Itza. http://www.mesoweb.com/features/features.html Proskourikoff, Tatiana 1950. A Study of Classic Maya Sculpture. Carnegie Institute of Washington. Publication 593. http://www.mesoweb.com/publications/Proskouriakoff/Proskouriakoff.html Rice, Prudence M., Demarest, Arthur A, and Rice, Don S. 2004. The Terminal Classic and the ‘Classic Maya Collapse’ in Perspective. 10-07-2008. http://www.famsi.org/cgi-bin/print_friendly.pl?file=00085.htm Ringle,William M. 2005. The 2001 Field Season of the Labna/Kuic Archaelogical Project. Date of access. http://www.famsi.org/reports/00019/section01.htm Ringle, William M , Pacheco, Julieta Ramos, and Sanchez, Ramon Carrillo 2003. Settlement Studies at Kiuic, Yucatan. http://www.davidson.edu/academic/anthropolgy/SAA_2003_kiuic/PDF_pap ers/saa_2003_Kiuic_revised.pdf Roys, Ralph 1933. The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel. http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/maya/cbc/index.htm Ryne, Charles 2008. Architecture, Restoration, and Imaging of the Maya Cities of Uxmal, Kabah, Sayil and Labna The Puuc Region, Yucatan, Mexico.” http://academic.reed/uxmal/contents.html Sabloff, Jeremy A. and Tortellot, Gair 1992. “Beyond Temples and Palaces: Recent Settlement Pattern Research at the Ancient Maya City of Sayil (1983-1985).” Pp. 155-160 in New Theories of the Ancient Maya. Elin C. Danien and Robert Sharer, eds. Philadelphia: The University Museum, University of Pennsylvania. Schele, Linda and Mathews, Peter 1998. The Code of Kings. New York: Scribner. pp 32-34, 257- 289. Schele, Linda 2005. The Linda Schele Photo Collection. 01/01/2007. http://www.famsi.org/research/schele/photo.html ScienceDaily 2007. Ancient Maya Marketplace Located, Challenges Views on Goods Distribution http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071203134409.htm Smyth, Michael P. 1999. Teotihuacan in the Puuc Region: Investigating an Early Foreign Presence at Chac. 28/05/2008. http://www.famsi.org/reports/099017/index.html Smyth, Michael P. 2000. A New Study of the Gruta de Chac, Yucatan, Mexico. 19/06/2007. http://www.famsi.org/reports/97011/section08.htm Stephens, John Lloyd 1843. Incidents of Travel in Yucatan; New Edition by Karl Ackerman with Historical and Modern Photographs, 1996. Washington: Smithsonian Books. Taube, Karl Andreas 1992. The Major Gods Of Ancient Yucatan. Studies in Pre-Columbian Art and Archaeology: Number Thirty-Two. Washington D.C: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. pp 69-79. West, Georgia 2002. “Ceramic Exchange in the Late Classic and Postclassic Maya Lowlands: A Diachronic Approach.” Pp 140- 196 in Ancient Maya Political Economies. Marilyn A Masson and David A. Freidel, eds. Walnut Creek: Alta Mira Press.