Analysis and Conservation of a Wooden Figurine
Recovered from Xmuqlebal Xheton Cave in Southern Belize, C.A.

The Archaeology of Xmuqlebal Xheton Cave

Xmuqlebal Xheton is a 250 m long passage located on a crest between two hills overlooking the site Muklebal Tzul. It is situated approximately 1100 meters from the site core (Figure 2) and is the northwestern most cave in the Muklebal Tzul valley, with no settlement identified beyond it. The nearest settlement to the cave is a 2 km long ridgetop group approximately 500 meters to the east of the cave. This settlement group contains a small stela plaza, though none of the monuments were carved (Mustain 2001).

The cave was first discovered in March 1999, during a regional cave survey of the area surrounding Muklebal Tzul. Access to the cave is difficult. It requires a steep climb over boulders followed by a 15 m near-vertical drop into a series of chambers, all of which were heavily utilized by the ancient Maya.

During the investigation, Xmuqlebal Xheton was divided into eight discrete activity areas (suboperations), all of which were clearly bounded physical spaces. These can be seen in Figure 3 and Figure 4. The entrance area to the cave had no evidence of cultural activity, which is surprising given that most caves within the Maya Mountains have evidence of offerings left within semi-lit areas near their entrances. The first cultural materials were not encountered until one had descended an initial 15-meter drop into the lower level of the cave. From that point onward, every chamber in the cave was utilized. Below, I briefly summarize the eight suboperations.

Suboperation A

At the base of the vertical descent the cave opens to a large bolder strewn room that is semi-lit from a small crevice in the cave roof. The area under the crevice is wet and contains small amounts of organic material. No artifacts were found in this area. The area along the north wall of this chamber was designated Sub-op. A (C99-2/A). This area consisted of a long terraced wall above a flattened and cleaned floor measuring 12 x 4 m, with the long axis running east/west. A total of four discrete clusters of artifacts were recovered from this Sub-op. These were designated as Lots 1-4. (Figure 5)

Lot 1 (C99-2/A/1) consisted of one complete and two large partial jars, or ollas, atop the terrace and along the east wall of the chamber. Partly buried by detritus moving down the slope from the semi-lit portion of the chamber, these vessels have likely been slightly disturbed from their original placement. The complete vessel was found inverted. The other two vessels appear to have broken as a result of sliding down the slope or overturning.

Lot 2 (C99-2/A/2 SF A) is perhaps the most interesting artifact in the entire cave: the small wooden figurine of a human or supernatural individual. The artifact was found in a deep but narrow crevice in the north wall of the chamber, approximately 1.67 m above the cave floor. The artifact is the primary subject of this report and is discussed in more detail below. A radiocarbon date of the figurine provided a corrected date of 1250±35 BP (AA36481). Calibrated it likely dates from the early 9^th century A.D. ¹ 

Lot 3 (C99-2/A/3) consisted of at least six vessels that were found at the base of a 6 m talus slope leading to a large upper chamber designated Chamber 3 (Sub-op D). This area is almost directly below Lot 2. These vessels may have been intact when they were deposited, though rocks tumbling down the talus slope or the activity of animals probably broke some of them. Reconstructed, they are largely complete, with small fragments that are missing probably having fallen through cracks in the cave floor. Three unbroken vessels were recovered from this lot (Figure 6): A restricted neck jar decorated with a modeled appliqué monkey-head spout and an undecorated and unslipped tecomate, a small monochrome bowl, undecorated save a small button appliqué design around the shoulder. The third was a pedestaled base inslope wall vase that is unlike anything yet recovered from the Maya Mountains sites, but that is very similar in form and surface decoration to Duck Run Incised from the Belize Valley (Gifford 1976:240). Unfortunately, this vessel was badly damaged sometime in the past by falling debris from the talus slope. The remains of at least two partial ollas were also recovered as well as a large amount of carbon and carbonized wood fragments. AMS Radiocarbon analysis of a sample from this lot dated to 1457±45 BP (AA40681). Calibrated, it likely dates to the late 8^th or early 9^th century A.D.

Lot 4 (C99-2/A/4) overlooks a 2 m drop to the west of Lot 3. The edge of the drop had been leveled and terraced. Along the edge of the drop off the remains of three partial ollas were recovered, the insides of which were heavily carbonized, indicating they may have been used for burning of wood or incense. One of the sherds, the concave base of a large olla, was found inverted over a small quantity of carbonized wood fragments. These wood fragments are currently undergoing analysis to determine wood type and possible presence of copal incense. Also recovered were several large pieces of partially carbonized wood that may represent torch fragments. One of these torch fragments was submitted for AMS radiocarbon analysis. It provided a date of 1859±73 BP and calibrated is likely from the 3^rd or 4^th century A.D. (AA40680).

Suboperations B through G

Sub-operation B was a cache in a small chamber along a narrow passage 5 m to the east of C99-2/A.  It consisted of three complete vessels, a small cache of sherds, and an intact basalt mano. One vessel is a complete open mouth (unrestricted) olla that was upright. It is undecorated and unslipped. Another is a red slipped undecorated oven-foot tripod plate with Ik (wind) signs carved in the rattle feet. It was likely cached as a lid to vessel C, but had since shifted and was found on its side next to vessel C, a small olla. The mano was found propped upright (on end) between two rocks to the north of the ceramics. A large piece of partially charred wood, which may have been a torch, provided a radiocarbon date of 2577±36 BP (AA40682). Calibrated, it likely dates to the 6^th to 8^th century BP.

Sub-operation C was collected as a single lot (C99-2/C/1). It is a cache of two complete vessels, two partial vessels, a small scatter of sherds, a small jadite (or greenstone) adze, and a large chunk of a soft red paste, possibly a processed pigment, maybe hematite. The cache was located on a high shelf that required technical climbing with ropes to reach. One of the vessels is a polychrome calabash shaped bowl decorated with seated stylized monkeys. About 75% of the vessel was recovered and reconstructed.

Sub-operation D (C99-2/D) was collected as three lots. It is located at the top of the talus slope overlooking C99-2/A in a room designated Chamber 3, and was composed entirely of ceramics, primarily intact and broken jars, as well as two very large (over 40 cm diameter) bowls that may have functioned as jar lids. One vessel is a partial undecorated nubbin-foot tripod bowl.

Sub-operation E (C99-2/E) consists of two small, high niches in the wall–overlooking Chamber 3. One of the niches contained two large ollas and a small amount of sherd material. The other contained a single olla. All the vessels in Sub-op E were found upright and undisturbed.

Sub-operation F (C99-2/F) is located at the bottom of a narrow vertical shaft, the opening of which is a hole in the floor below Sub-op E. The shaft opens to a small chamber (Chamber 4) 4 x 3 m in diameter and 2 m high. The floor of the chamber appears to have been partially leveled, and contained two complete ollas, both of which were inverted. One of the vessels is over 50 cm in height.

Sub-operation G (C99-2/G) consisted of a number of vessels cached in a small chamber (Chamber 5) located vertically below Sub-op F.  Access to the chamber was difficult, and required squeezing through a narrow hole in the floor of Chamber 4 that had been partially blocked by rocks functioning as crude capstones. The sub-op was divided into three lots. Lot 1 consists of seven complete and partial vessels. The most interesting of these is a series of 3-stacked vessels. The bottom vessel is a large unrestricted jar. It is lidded with an upright basal fragment of another jar, the upper portion of which was not found. The top stacked vessel is a small-undecorated inverted bowl. The other vessels were inverted ollas and one a small, undecorated red slipped plate. Lot 2 consists of two ollas cached in the north end of the narrow chamber. Interestingly, one of the vessels has a unique slotted pouring spout. Lot 3 is in a small hole in the floor of Chamber 5. This lot consists of a single broken monochrome bowl and fragments of several other vessels, mostly jars.

Endnote

¹  This and all other radiocarbon dates were conducted by the University of Arizona NSF AMS facility. The dates are discussed in detail in this report.

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