Southeast Sector Settlement, A Stucco Statue, and Substantial Survey:   The Caracol 1997 Season

Summary

The 1997 season succeeded in producing additional new and useful data about Caracol. Investigation of looted/collapsed/open tombs in the "endangered" southeast sector of the site verified the existence of pan-Caracol caching and burial practices during the Late Classic Period. However, these data also point towards the possibility of micro-variations in these patterns within the site–particularly in the presence of specific types of caches in residential complexes–potentially suggesting the possibility of intra-site neighborhoods or barrios (as has been suggested for the Postclassic Period [D. Chase, 1986; D. Chase and A. Chase, 1988]). The 1997 southeast settlement investigations also provided needed coverage of this part of the site in terms of settlement history and longevity. Excavations encountered evidence of occupation that spanned the Preclassic through the Terminal Classic Periods. The 1997 work also provided the best evidence yet encountered for Terminal Classic occupation outside the epicenter and strongly suggested the continuation of Late Classic patterns into this era.

Investigations to the south of Structure A1 encountered an area with 50 to 100 years of concentrated and continued ritual activity in what is generally considered to be a non-traditional locus for ritual–the back side of a major pyramid. The excavations provided a series of unexpected finds–a tomb, a free-standing stucco statue, and two elaborate caches–that put the odd location of Caracol Stela 1 and Altar 1 into better (and more complex) context. The ceramic box and stucco figure also stand out as extremely unusual finds. However, the Structure A1 rear investigations also point to the need for further research in the vicinity of the A Plaza.

Finally, the 1997 survey added to previous seasons’ work to create 16 km² of Caracol’s central area that have been transit mapped, out of about 17 km² overall of the site’s settlement. This mapping is critical for greater interpretation of the residential settlement and overall layout of the site as these data allow for comparisons to be made with other large Classic centers, such as Tikal and Calakmul, and firmly demonstrate both the greater scale and density of occupation at Caracol during the Late Classic Period.

Note: Updates since the 1997 field season are available at: The Official Website of the Caracol Archaeological Project.

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