Final Report of the 2000 Yo’okop Field Season: Initial Mapping and Surface Collections
Justine M. Shaw, Dave Johnstone, and Ruth Krochock

Methods

Mapping and surface collections were the initial foci of the 2000 field season at Yo’okop. This work concentrated on the recording of Group A and Sacbe 1, and began the mapping of Group B (Figure 3). The map will be augmented in future seasons by the completion of Group B, and the addition of Groups C and D, as well as through the recording of adjacent residential zones. Whenever possible, transects and nearby milpas will also be used to enlarge the map.

A GPS (Global Positioning System - Garmin GPS 12CX) was used to more exactly locate the position of the site, and also to record the locations of the groups and features that could not be well mapped this season. A laser transit (Topcon GTS-213), operated by Shaw and Johnstone, recorded the finer details of the structures and natural terrain in the mapped zones. Shaw and Johnstone’s mapping was possible because of the assistance of a crew of 12 assistants from the ejido of Sabán (pueblos of Sabán and Huay Max). These assistants cleared all features to be mapped, cut intervening brechas to allow zones to be searched, helped look for features, and frequently served as "rodmen" when either Shaw or Johnstone were engaged in other tasks.

Mapping began by establishing a site datum, located on a bedrock outcrop 100 meters north of the point that modern road cuts sacbe 1, and five meters east of sacbe 1’s eastern edge (Figure 5). This site datum (and as many other data as possible) was established as an "X" carved into the bedrock to serve as a permanent point to be used in future seasons. From this first datum, recording proceeded south towards Group A.  Sacbe 1 formed the western edge of the mapped zone, although an area immediately east of the roadway was also recorded. Once at Group A, an effort was made to record every structure within the dense group, regardless of size. Group A did have a well-defined northern edge, although the western and southern boundaries were less clear and density dropoff was used to define the end of the group. The aguada marked the eastern side of the group. Once Group A was completed, work returned to the site datum, proceeded along sacbe 1, and the area immediately east of the road, to Group B.  Only the southern portion of Group B was recorded. The southeast corner of the acropolis was mapped, but time did not permit the southwestern edge, and the central and northern parts, to be recorded.

As a data collector initially rented did not function, data on each point (recorded as coordinates N, E, and Z relative to the site datum, as well as with a descriptive code and notes) were manually entered into a laptop computer each night and e-mailed home each weekend to ensure the safety of the data. Additionally, the bases of structures and features were hand-plotted in the field to allow ground-truthing and permit structure naming. This strategy permitted a formal map of the documented region to be prepared early in the fall of 2000.  The maps are presented topographically, as well as with foundation braces and other walls, in order to most accurately represent the appearance of any features. A contour interval of 50 centimeters is used on most of the maps (see individual maps for scale) to clearly distinguish small mounds.

Surface collections have been used on a number of projects (e.g. Killion et al. 1989; Kurjack 1974; A. Smith 1972; Thomas 1981; Willey, Bullard, Glass, and Gifford 1965) and were employed on a limited basis in 2000.  Collections from small houses were obtained by removing all the ceramics (and other small artifacts) from the surface of the northern half of the structures, in order to leave the other half for future studies. Plazas were represented by collection from three square meter areas. Approximately 1/6 to 1/4 of the base of larger structures was collected (with a minimum of 5 × 8 meters being searched on each large structure). Johnstone supervised each of the collections. Local laborers performed most of the actual work of collection. Shaw and Johnstone also conducted some collections to verify that there was not a difference between what trained archaeologists would have collected and what crew members gathered.

Materials from the collections were then washed and marked with locations by a crew of five lab assistants (secundaría students from the Sabán ejido) supervised directly by Johnstone.  Johnstone then analyzed ceramics using the type-variety system (Smith, Willey, and Gifford 1960) that has become the norm for most archaeological projects working in the Northern Lowlands. Many of the ceramics recovered during the first season will be used to establish a type collection to aid in future research.

The Project utilized color and black-and-white print photographs, color slides, and extensive note-taking, to record remains visible on the surface within the mapped region. Photographs were also taken of all glyph blocks and stelae at night in order to discern further details.

After the field season, Surfer (version 7.0) was used to convert X, Y, and Z information on each data point into the series of maps included in this report. Glyphic materials were hand-drawn by Johnstone from slides, supplemented by print photographs and sketches. His drawings were then scanned and manipulated using Adobe Illustrator (version 8.0).

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