Archaeological Reconnaissance in Southeastern Campeche, México: 2002 Field Season Report

Appendix 1: Emergency consolidation works at Mucaancah by Daniel Juárez Cossío and Adrián Baker Pedroza

During the reconnaissance works we were informed that some looters’ trenches and tunnels recently excavated at Mucaancah, a large site recorded in 1996 (Šprajc et al. 1997a: 8ff; 1997b: 40ff), seriously endangered the stability of two structures. We thus decided to accomplish the most indispensable consolidation works. Some interesting information was also obtained as a by-product of these interventions, of which only a brief summary is presented here.

Within the North Complex of Mucaancah there is a large pyramidal structure built on the north side of the Acropolis and topped by a triadic group, which occupies the northern part of the upper platform (cf. Šprajc et al. 1997a: 8, Fig. 3; 1997b: 39, Fig. 8). A tunnel about 10 m long and 1 m wide was excavated from the southwest corner to the center of the east mound of the triadic group. The core fill of the structure, which rises about 4 m above the platform, was observed in the tunnel and consists of large stone blocks mixed with lime and earth. To prevent the structure from collapsing, we filled up the tunnel with stones removed by looters and lying in the immediate neighborhood. Before covering the exterior part of the trench, we tried to define and record parts of the façade and the associated architectural elements. The structure, apparently a single-phase building, was found to rest on a floor covered with a white colored, about 4 cm thick stucco layer. The area around the southwest corner of the structure had been destroyed by the looters’ trench, but we were able to define a small part of the west façade, oriented approximately 6º east of magnetic north, with remains of a stairway built of finely cut stones, as well as a short section of the east-west running wall that constitutes the south edge of the terrace that supports the triadic group and rises about 80 cm above the southern part of the platform. Before covering the excavated area with gravel, stones and earth, we protected the exposed architectural elements with a layer of sand and secured the stability of the construction by means of dry walls.

The other structure badly damaged by looters is located in the South Complex of Mucaancah: a large tunnel was excavated into the mound on the east flank of the East Acropolis (cf. Šprajc et al. 1997a: 9, Fig. 4; 1997b: 41, Fig. 9). Starting their excavation at the west base of the structure, the looters destroyed parts of a stairway and perforated the walls of two vaulted rooms. Since both rooms were filled up with stones, and considering their position with respect to the level of the plaza on the acropolis, they must have pertained to a substructure. The appearance of the vaults, which are built of roughly cut stones joined with mortar poor in lime, is rather rustic. At the east extreme of the tunnel, which is about 10 m long in total, we observed parts of a wall built of dressed stones and most probably belonging to the east face of the substructure. Small-scale excavations were carried out in the area at the west base of the structure, around the entrance to the tunnel, with the purpose of recording stratigraphic details and defining the relations between the construction elements and the adjacent plaza. Finally, the exposed architectural elements were protected and consolidated, following the procedure applied in the other structure and summarized above.

The ceramic material recovered at both structures belongs to the Late Preclassic Chicanel, Early Classic Tzakol and Late Classic Tepeu complexes. Detailed analyses of small finds and their relationship with stratigraphic units are still under way.

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