Public Architecture: Navajas, Jalisco, México

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Fieldwork

The FAMSI-funded project carried out the proposed horizontal excavations of Circle 5 at Navajas from early February through about the 1^st of April, 2003 (Figure 5, shown above). There were some changes to the original plan that increased the price of the macrobotanical analysis and reduced the number of samples that could be analyzed with the budget available. Second, permit issues with the INAH required us to compress our work schedule, and carry out the work over a shorter period of time using a greater number of workers. The excavations exposed seven of the nine structures of Circle 5 (counting the altar), and the majority of the patio floor surface. Using our system of nomenclature combining the group number and the structure number, these are structures 5-2, 5-3, 5-4, 5-5, 5-6, 5-7, and Altar 5-9. The remaining two structures (on the northwestern and northern edges of the circle) were too heavily damaged by looting to excavate. Most of the structure wall lines were visible from the surface, but the amount of overburden turned out to be much greater than anticipated. Despite this, we were able to investigate the interior of all six platforms and the altar. Soil samples were taken when it was possible to clearly identify structure or patio floors. This was more of a challenge than originally supposed because of the typical deposition of structural collapse atop the floor, which was often of the same or similar composition to the floor itself. Dr. Bruce Benz of Texas Wesleyan University has kindly analyzed the soil samples for macrobotanical remains. The ceramics have since been the subject of a Master’s Thesis by Gregory Tyndall at the University of Colorado at Denver, UCD alumnus Sarah Jennings has studied aspects of the architecture, and I am currently trying to interest a student in working with the obsidian collection. Results to date are discussed below.

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