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

Procedures and Methodology

As very few studies of stucco sculptural facades have been conducted, much less published, the framework of how to approach the processing and analysis of this collection has essentially been a work in progress. During the initial sort in 1998, all unidentifiable fragments, or those without any distinct patterning, were packed up. The larger pieces were sorted by a rough system based on like patterns, without any reference to Maya iconography. A number of general categories were devised, such as large circular disc, small circular disc, flat painted surfaces, bead, anthropomorphic, curled designs, rounded borders, straight borders, and uniques. At that time, without knowledge of the existence of more bags of stucco, it was planned to record, photograph, and analyze each piece. Each piece of stucco was to be given a unique artifact number for referencing notes. However, events of the 1999 field season greatly altered this original plan of approach.

With the changes to the 1999 field season, as discussed earlier, the project took on a much larger aspect, in both scale and time length. As several more field seasons await, a method for processing and analysis needed to be devised, one that would be consistent from beginning to end.

Numbering each artifact with a unique number has been abandoned due to logistics. At any rate, pieces within each lot number unique enough to have a number can be easily remembered and/or referenced. All pieces that are not unidentifiable fragments will be numbered with their lot number only for tracking in any reconstruction attempt.

Unidentifiable fragments will be separated by color, counted, weighed, and then spread out on a table in an attempt to measure an approximate finished surface area. Fragments will also be differentiated by being classified as either flat, rounded/curved, or excurvate or incurvate. These and other categories will allow for tabulation by lot numbers for comparative issues as well as a number of statistical applications.

All unique small fragments will be kept separate in small plastic bags. The bulk of the unidentifiable fragments will be bagged in large flour sacks for permanent storage, as plastic buckets do not hold up well in tropical climates. Enframing elements, or borders, can be differentiated, and this will allow for them to be studied for context and possible placement. In addition, rather than extensive photographs, cross-sections showing their form would be more beneficial.

The larger pieces with more sculptural detail will be fully recorded, from scale illustrations to photographs. These pieces will then be studied for motifs within Maya iconography. For those pieces that have substantial decorated surface or merit, a database is under development for management of the data. To reduce the costs of photographic film, a digital camera will be employed to record all of the pieces, linked to the database as a thumbnail, and stored on two electronic mediums, CD and large storage disks. Only preliminary photographs will be taken on 35mm film throughout the duration of the project.

After recording the more significant pieces, sorting will begin by grouping each piece with a similar one, and category names will be based largely on elements of Maya iconography, insofar as identification is viable. Essentially, it is a large-scale jigsaw puzzle, attempting to determine the relationships between motifs, what pieces may go together, and the overall narrative program. Given the fragmentary nature of the collection, in addition to the provenience problems, this has been and will be a great challenge.

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