A New Study of the Gruta de Chac, Yucatán, México

Ceramic Analysis

Type-variety classification and modal analysis was completed on all pottery recovered from the Gruta de Chac. Although the final report on the pottery from the Chac cave is pending, 887 potsherds were classified as being from triple stirrup-handle water jars and comprise only three wares: Chac Polychrome, Chemax Slateware, and Chac Redware. No sherds from any other ceramic ware were recovered. Greater than 90 percent of all pottery was from the enigmatic Chac Polychrome water jars, 7 percent came from Chemax Slateware, and 1 percent was Chac Redware. Although Chemax sherds were on average larger (135 g) than sherds of Chac Polychrome (90 g), there was only slight tendency for the polychrome to be more frequent in the lower stratigraphic levels. Chemax Slateware and Chac Redware together, however, are more common in the upper strata suggesting that Chac Polychrome is earlier but that there is considerable chronological overlap among the wares. All vessel forms were identified as water jars with triple strap handles, two parallel handles on the vessel lungs and one handle centered near the base on the opposite side, designed to be suspended from a tumpline for transport through the narrow cave passages (Figure 5a).

The most distinguishing characteristic of Chac polychrome, of course, is the black and red painting on a bright orange slip forming the ware’s typical decorative motifs, presumably symbolizing water. We were able to reconstruct completely or partially the design motifs on more than a dozen water jars. Although we have found the same range of design elements reported by Andrews IV, including "celestial bands", stylized frogs, water birds, medallion patterns, and flower motifs; there are a few unusual designs such as a stylized mask resembling Chac imagery found as mosaics on Puuc style architecture (Figure 5b). Covering the rear area of the vessel body between the two upper strap handles, the design resembles a rain cloud and falling water with black and red amorphous zones and vertical and horizontal bars bordered above by a chain of four dashed lines and open circles. A small bird measuring 9 cm long located just below the neck of a fairly large jar outlined in black and painted orange-red is one of the complete figures recovered (Figure 5c). The long tail, short wings, and long, narrow beak drinking from a cup-like object identify the figure as a hummingbird, a bird not reported for Andrews IV’s sample.

The Medium Slateware water jars reported by Andrews IV are in fact the same Chemax Slateware that we have found in great quantities both in the Gruta and at Chac II. Comprising 7 percent (10 percent by weight) of our cave sample, Chemax water jars are tempered with volcanic ash and coated with a gray to brownish-red waxy, slate-like slip and decorated with thick black lines of trickle down paint. Being the same general size and shape with triple handles as the polychrome jars, Chemax necks are longer and more conical in shape with beaded or thickened rims. Although Andrews IV indicates that the Medium Slateware is not local, we believe this to be unlikely given the finding of 683 Chemax sherds including a number of triple handle water jars from Early-Middle Classic contexts at Chac II.

An early date for Chemax ceramics is largely consistent with the Chac Polychrome-Chemax ware overlap documented in our stratigraphic test pit within the Gruta. The question of the geographical origin of Chemax ceramics is now being addressed by NAA.

The only other ceramic ware encountered in our excavations was the Chac Redware. Representing less than 1 percent (14 sherds) of our sample, we have little to add to the excellent description of a partially restored small, hemispherical redware jar with two strap handles recovered by Andrews IV (1965:16-18). Chac Redware sherds, however, were found in the middle and lower levels of the test unit suggesting that there is probably more than one redware vessel represented in the cave. These data indicate that the use of Chac Redware vessels was not an anomaly in the cave as suggested by Andrews IV but may have been part of the ritual activity performed near the water source. In fact, our Chac Redware sherds look very similar to a number of unidentified redware sherds found at Chac II.

There were 820 potsherds recovered from a 2x2 m stratigraphic test excavation located 3 m SE of the Early Puuc Building within the Gruta Chac Plaza. Interestingly, no Chac Polychrome or Chemax Slateware was recovered. All ceramics were classified as Cehpech complex ceramics traditionally dated the Terminal Classic period (A.D. 800-1000). However, our ceramic studies at Chac II now show that certain common Cehpech wares such as Yocat Striated and Muna Slate were in use by the 6^th century A.D. (Smyth 1998; Smyth et al., 1998). Therefore, the mere presence of Cehpech ceramics at the Gruta Chac Plaza does not necessarily mean that the architecture is Terminal Classic. Indeed, the early style architectural characteristics of the NE building imply a pre-Terminal Classic date of construction between the 6^th and 8^th centuries. The abnormally high number of lithic remains (n=22), high frequency of sherds from water jars (n=401) and basins (399), and low incidence of serving vessels (n=19) argues against normal domestic, residential activity but in favor of special ritual-ceremonial activity for this settlement complex.

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