Early Copán Acropolis Program 1998 Field Season

Ecofact Analyses

Samples of residues from a variety of excavated contexts have been taken for analyses that seek to identify ancient activities and by extension, the functions of their associated features. The first of these analyses were undertaken in 1997. Four samples of possible organic material from the Hunal tomb were submitted for analysis by Dr. Michael Zimmerman, a noted paleopathologist, at the University of Pennsylvania. These samples (97-M203, M205, M206, and M211) came from clustered residues closely associated with the bones in the tomb, so it was originally postulated that they might be dissected human tissue. The results of the analyses of these samples indicated they were composed of both inorganic and organic materials:

No human tissue was identified…the material was almost entirely a red inorganic substance, apparently cinnabar (mercuric sulfide, HgS). The organic material identified consists of vegetable matter, probably plants growing in the tomb, and saprophytic fungi, both of which were partially preserved by the application of the cinnabar (Zimmerman, personal communication, 1997).

In this case, the preserved context of the analyzed material when combined with its identification yielded an important finding that provides an insight into past ritual activity associated with the Hunal Tomb. The findings from this tomb are especially noteworthy given the evidence that indicates it may well be that of the Copán dynastic founder, Yax K’uk’ Mo’ (Schele, 1986; Sharer, 1997). Again, quoting from Zimmerman’s preliminary report:

The finding of these partially preserved post-mortem saprophytes indicates that the tomb was re-entered at some time after the body had decomposed and become skeletonized, as indicated by the presence of cinnabar on parts of the skeleton (ibid.).

Other analyses of ecofact samples are either underway or planned. Two residue samples have been submitted for analysis by Dr. John Sedat of the University of San Francisco to determine their composition. One of these samples (93-M161) is from an early masonry conduit associated with the earliest Acropolis platform. The second (93-M232) is a residue from the masonry walls of the Margarita burial chamber. The dark "sooty" appearance of both deposits indicates these may be residues of ancient burning activity, perhaps associated with rituals such as copal burning (Sedat and Sharer, 1996). The identification of these samples should test this possibility, or possibly reveal other uses associated with both the conduit and interior of the Margarita Tomb chamber.

Radiocarbon dating is a well-established and reliable dating method. In 1998 ECAP submitted eight samples of carbon recovered from its Acropolis excavations to Beta Analytic Laboratories (Miami, Florida) for radiocarbon dating (plans call for more samples to be submitted in 1999). One sample was unsuitable for dating. The results from the remaining seven samples (2 sigma calibrated spans and calibration curve intercept dates) are listed below:

Only one sample (93 M-53) provides a date close to that estimated for associated architecture. Given its midden provenience, the carbon from this sample may derive from burned food material which would be expected to yield a near contemporaneous date. The other six samples produced fairly consistent results in that they are all slightly older than the estimated dates for associated architecture. This is as expected given that most or all of these samples probably derived from trees that lived several decades or even centuries before being used by the Maya. For example, both samples from the Hunal tomb are from a socket in the tomb vault, and probably derive from the carbonized remains of a wooden beam from a tree that was probably cut about the time the tomb was constructed (estimated at ca. A.D. 437).

Finally, a series of non-organic samples from both the Hunal and Margarita tombs have also been collected for compositional analyses. The first of these were identified at the Smithsonian Conservation Analytic Laboratory (CAL) in 1997. These include pigment samples, identified as both oxides of iron (hematite) and mercuric sulfide (cinnabar). These results confirm visual identifications made in the field, but do not determine the ancient function of these pigments (although the usual explanation is that their blood-like red color led to their use in tombs to symbolize rebirth). The 1997 CAL analyses also confirmed that a residue sample collected from the Margarita Tomb represented a disintegrated pyrite mirror, an item commonly associated with Early Classic Maya tombs (especially at the site of Kaminaljuyú). Further analysis of such non-organic samples are planned in the expectation that they will provide further information about ancient behavior and artifact use, as well as possible external relationships.

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