The Eastern Riverine Corridor During the Late Classic Period

Results of the Survey

We commenced the investigations by documenting sites previously reported by PfB rangers. Two small sites were recorded on the southwestern banks of the New River Lagoon, just south of Irish Creek. The northern site consisted of two large platforms surrounding a plaza. Each platform served as a base for superstructures that were composed of stone foundations with pole and thatch walls. The height of each structure is approximately 4 m. Large looters’ trenches bisect both structures and Late Preclassic pottery was observed in each.

The more southerly site consisted of a small plazuela group. And further survey along the shoreline revealed no other sites.

Secondly, we focussed on mapping the small settlement of Satal K’an. As we discovered during the course of the survey, Satal K’an is one of the larger settlements in the region, with two discrete groups of structures. It was located on a rise amidst surrounding low-lying bajos. Based upon surface ceramics, it appears as though the final construction phase of the site dates to the Late Classic period (A.D. 600-800). Group A consists of a large open plaza surrounded by large structures (Figure 2). On the west is a tall pyramidal structure; directly across from this building is a long platform, oriented N-S and surmounted by three smaller buildings. This is an E-Group arrangement, commonly found in the north central Petén near the El Mirador basin, as well as in the southern Campeche region (Clark and Hansen 2002; Hansen 1998). However, this layout is more unusual in the eastern Maya lowlands.

A small ballcourt is located in Group B, just north of Group A. The ballcourt provides a transition between the low-lying structure at the north of Group A, and the probable residential structure at the north of Group B. In addition to the more public plazas, two large plazuela groups and several smaller residential mounds were located.

Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page