Part 7: Soil and Hydrological Investigations
The results of the work of soil scientists Richard Terry and Timothy Beach, and hydrologist Sheryl Ludzadder-Beach, who visited the site in June 2003, provided preliminary baseline information on the site’s environment. The work of Richard Terry and Timothy and Sheryl Beach was aided by consultation with Bruce Dahlin, who also visited our site in June. Professor Dahlin has been conducting regional environmental analyses at Lake Yalahau, Chunchucmil, and elsewhere in Yucatan for many years. Our project benefited considerably from consulting with him, and we hope that this preliminary work will stimulate future environmental investigations by this team in the Mayapán area. Clifford Brown also provided immeasurable guidance to the soil and hydrology teams, and he participated in this research for the duration of their stay.
Soil analysis by Terry and Beach focused primarily on features under investigation by our project. Richard Terry, along with his assistants David Wright and Carmen Lopez, performed similar tests for soil chemistry distributions in domestic (or other) activity areas to those he has previously conducted at the Classic period Maya sites Piedras Negras and Aguateca. He is interested in discerning houselot activities through different signatures of phosphate and other soil properties. His work at the site focused on two areas of interest to this project, the P-114 platform and nearby houselots in Milpa 1A, and the Y-45 group, midden, and albarrada (Figures 48, 49). He and his team took small surface samples of soil at 2m intervals in these areas. The P-114 platform is a large, flat rubble surface with low walled structures around its parameter. It is atypical for houselot clusters observed elsewhere at Mayapán, and we were interested to know whether it may have been used for specialized activities or whether the soils in this area are similar to domestic zones. Terry thus sampled both the P-114 platform and some adjacent residential areas and middens. His work at the Y-45 group has helped us to develop our hypothesis that part of the Y-45b structural complex may have been a kitchen. Terry and his team also took reference samples from other types of soil at Mayapán, such as corrals, areas of soil lacking visible midden formation, and so on. These index samples are essential for recognizing soil chemistry anomalies associated with cultural activities at the site. We hope that this preliminary work will culminate in expanded studies of Mayapán houselot soil chemistry and associated activities.
Timothy Beach is particularly interested in the formation of anthropogenic soil formation at archaeological sites. His prior discussions with Clifford Brown, who has previously studied the formation of the Mayapán midden soils, guided his interest during his 2003 investigations. Beach visited many of our stratigraphic test pits and random sample units that we had delayed backfilling so that he could inspect them to study the soil variability across the city. This was a preliminary season in which he endeavored to familiarize himself with the particular characteristics of Mayapán soils. Clifford Brown and Antonina Delu assisted Timothy Beach with visiting key vicinities around Mayapán to facilitate his introduction to the site’s stratigraphy. He has provided us with some geological soil descriptions in the INAH informe.
Sheryl Beach, also with the assistance of Clifford Brown as well as Fernando Flores, visited water features at Mayapán and its immediate environment. Her hydrological studies have the capacity to inform us on current and past water quality and availability at Mayapán. As was the case for Timothy Beach, the 2003 season represented Sheryl Beach’s preliminary investigations at Mayapán. She provides us with some descriptions of water characteristics.
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© 2006 Institute for Mesoamerican Studies
Updated February 8, 2006
