Cancuén Archaeological Project

Recovered Artifacts

Ceramics:  The ceramics of Cancuén represent an assemblage distinct from that of other Maya Lowland sites. There are some types and modes identical to those of Seibal and the Petexbatún, yet Cancuén ceramics exhibit many distinctive types and traits with tremendous variation in both composition and style.

Stylistic differences within the collection sample also serve to distinguish Cancuén from other lowland centers. All sherds recovered have fallen squarely into a Late or Terminal Classic classification (Tepeu 2 or Tepeu 3), yet there appears to be a relative lack of striated utilitarian wares which make-up large portions of these collections at other Late Classic sites. Numerous examples of Fine Orange and Fine Gray Wares have been uncovered at Cancuén indicating a strong Terminal Classic component. The most frequently encountered sherds at Cancuén are those of somewhat large bowls with incurved-rims and a band of finger punctation a few centimeters below the rim (Figure 7). First described by Tourtellot et al. (1976), these bowls seem to constitute a distinct marker of the Cancuén assemblage. In addition, some features of the Cancuén ceramics also indicate ties to the highlands that are visible only eight kilometers to the south.

Lithics:  The site of Cancuén has an optimal location for the procurement and processing of stone tools, which is reflected in the large quantities of lithic material recovered this field season. Visual identification of the obsidian artifacts indicates that the majority of them were quarried from the obsidian at El Chayal, Guatemala, certainly the most convenient source for the residents of Cancuén. As noted by Hammond (1972) the Pasión River valley would have been one of the most likely routes of trade from the highlands to lowland Maya centers. Cancuén’s location on the Río de la Pasión precisely at the point where it becomes navigable is perfectly situated to oversee any movement of goods between highland sources and lowland points of consumption.

The obsidian artifacts recovered this season were primarily in the form of prismatic blades, with some examples of bifacial projectile points. Much of the obsidian debitage retained parts of the cortex, material that would have been removed had these artifacts been processed somewhere else, again suggesting that large quantities of obsidian were transported in bulk to Cancuén for processing and export.

Group F (Operation 6) provides evidence for chert tool production on a large scale. Excavations revealed not only recovered 5 exhausted cores of chert, but large amounts of chert debitage and numerous tapered limestone hammers used in the production of bifacial tools. This evidence suggests that the residents of this area may have been producing chipped stone artifacts for intrasite and/or possibly intersite exchange. These hypotheses will be tested in future field seasons.

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