Report of the 1998 and 1999 Investigations on the Archaeology and Iconography of the Polychrome Stucco Façade of Structure N10-28, Lamanai, Belize

Field School Investigations

For the second consecutive year, Drs. Elizabeth Graham and David Pendergast conducted a specialized field school on architectural excavation techniques, which this year was at Structure N10-28.  Field school work consisted of a number of field operations on N10-28, although work was conducted on some rooms in N10-15.

The two primary operations of interest in regards to the stucco analysis were in the central rooms and along the southeast corner. The central room was cleared, revealing a large doorjamb that had been partially blocked. The room behind this was cleaned as well, and excavations began to cut into the core left from the 1981 excavations. It was towards the back of this cut and second room when it was realized N10-28 had been heavily chopped along its rear wall. Interestingly enough, fragments of stucco were recovered from the fill inside these rooms.

At the rear of this axial clearing, a pit was taken down into the demolition material and platform core of N10-28.  Artifacts recovered include ceramics and stucco fragments. These stucco fragments are in all likelihood from the rear of the structure, and indicates that there was probably a sculptural façade on the rear as well. One of the ceramic sherds recovered was a basal fragment with a stucco finish that was painted a light blue.

Click on image to enlarge.

On the east face, excavations uncovered the previously undefined southeast corner of the structure. This small trench revealed a complex sequence of construction activity, including a floor between N10-28’s platform and the plaza floor (Figure 2:29). A doorjamb had also been built against the east terrace face. This terrace face had the exact setbacks and angle of the west face, and much of the original plaster and red paint are still preserved. On top of this intermediate floor was found a number of stucco pieces, as well as ceramics and lithics, a labret, and a ceramic cluster representing at least two vessels. Stucco from the field school has not yet been analyzed.

In summary, N10-28 has seen extensive archaeological excavations, both in 1981 and 1982 during the ROM project, and in 1999 from my excavations as well as those of the field school. These excavations have revealed a great deal of information concerning architectural data, the date of demolition, the N10-3 Plaza modifications, and a large collection of modeled stucco fragments which constitute a significant assemblage of ninth and tenth century Maya art. Pendergast (1986:231) states that Structure N10-28 was present in the eastern N10-3 plaza configuration by the late ninth century, though an exact construction date is still lacking. The demolition of Structure N10-28 in the Terminal Classic is corroborated by ceramic forms characteristic of this period (Graham and Pendergast, personal communication), recovered from Operations 1 and 4.

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