searchable PDF - Association for Mexican Cave Studies
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10AMCS Bulletin 12TABLES1.1 Presence of selected features and characteristics by cave 194.1.1 Tabulation of combined lots by type and variety for Actun Toh 444.1.2 AMS Radiometric ages for Actun Toh, excavation unit A 454.1.3 Actun Toh excavation unit A 484.1.4 Actun Toh excavation unit B .......................................................... 484.1.5 Actun Toh, exposed sub-floor construction fill 494.1.6 Actun Toh excavation unit C 494.1.7 Actun Toh transect A 494.1.8 Actun Toh transect B 504.1.9 Actun Toh transect C ...................................................................... 504.1.10 Actun Toh operation 1 504.1.11 Actun Toh operation 2 514.1.12 Actun Toh operation 3 514.1.13 Actun Toh operation 4 514.1.14 Actun Toh operation 5 .................................................................... 524.1.15 Actun Toh operation 6 524.1.16 Actun Toh operation 7 534.2.1 Actun Tacbi Ha 1993 ceramic collection 564.2.2 Actun Tacbi Ha 1999 ceramic collection 564.3.1 Actun Tam Ha ceramic collection................................................... 584.5.1 Pak Ch’en ceramic collection 714.7.1 Actun Pech ceramic collection 774.8.1 Actun Tsub ceramic collection 804.14.1 Actun Xooch ceramic collection 834.16.1 Actun Maas ceramic collection....................................................... 855.1 Presence of all types and varieties for all caves 905.2 Tabulation of combined lots by type and variety for all caves 915.3 Chronological distribution of ceramic groups 92

AMCS Bulletin 12 11FOREWORDIt is a great pleasure to be able to introduceDominique Rissolo’s book, Ancient Maya CaveUse in the Yalahau Region, Northern QuintanaRoo, Mexico. In addition to being an excellent report,the volume is significant to specialists in thefield in several respects. Most notably, it was writtenas only the second archaeology dissertation toaddress Maya ritual cave use and the first sincemy own, which was submitted in1989. The timeseparating the two works was an important onebecause the fundamentals of Maya cave archaeologywere established during this period and thesub-field became recognized near the end of themillennium as students like Rissolo started to activelycontribute to its development. The volume,therefore, represents the first product of the newgeneration of cave specialists who will steer thedirection of the discipline for the next three or fourdecades. The time separating this work from myown dissertation is also very noticeable, in thatRissolo writes with a clarity of vision, a confidenceof direction, and a sophistication in theoreticalapproach that I would have envied.Furthermore, the volume is significant inbeing the first true regional archaeological cavesurvey completed in northern Yucatán. WhileHenry Mercer explored a number of caves in thePuuc region looking for evidence of Paleolithichuman habitation, The Hill-Caves of Yucatan(1896) was not a regional survey and did not attemptto elucidate cave use. In the 1950s, theCarnegie Institution of Washington published asurprising amount of cave data as a result of itsinvestigations of a number of cenotes in and aroundMayapan. Once again, however, there was no attemptto systematically explore these features, andthere is no evidence that the project ever appreciatedthe ceremonial importance of caves. Finally, JuanLuis Bonor did attempt a systematic cave explorationas part of the Oxkintok Project. He documentedforty caverns in and around the site at atime when most Maya archaeologists consideredcaves to be rather rare occurrences. His study, inthat respect, was a valuable contribution. Bonor,unfortunately, was never given the level of projectsupport necessary to carry out a detailed archaeologicalsurvey. Rissolo’s work then stands out as amajor undertaking for which there were few precedentson which he could have modeled hisproject.In the end Rissolo succeeded admirably in recordinga range of different types of cave features.Of particular interest are his observations aboutdifferences in the form of utilization between thecaves in his sample. In the final chapter, the section“Identification of Cultural Criteria for CaveSelection and Appropriation” provides a compellinganalysis of cave function based on morphologicaldifferences. Rissolo’s large collapse domes, likeActun Toh, do appear to have been forms that wereappropriated by elites, judging by the architecture.Personally, I was most intrigued withRissolo’s discussion of the ritual importance ofwater. Water as a scarce and critical resource innorthern Yucatán has long been recognized, somuch so that the utilitarian aspects have overshadowedany consideration of the religious meaning.Unlike other areas of Yucatán, the high water tableof the Yalahau region removed the Maya’s dependenceon caves or cenotes as the only sources ofdrinking water. In fact, water in the caves was oftenmuch less accessible than at nearby wells. Rissolodocuments, however, that even small pools ofwater reached by laborious crawls had religioussignificance and were the foci of ritual activity.As the author notes, the appreciation of the ritualimportance of water in the Yalahau region has implicationsfor the way that archaeologists viewwater sources in other parts of Yucatán. Thus,Rissolo has provided us with a solid archaeologicalstudy that has wide applicability.James E. Brady

10AMCS Bulletin 12TABLES1.1 Presence of selected features and characteristics by cave 194.1.1 Tabulation of combined lots by type and variety <strong>for</strong> Actun Toh 444.1.2 AMS Radiometric ages <strong>for</strong> Actun Toh, excavation unit A 454.1.3 Actun Toh excavation unit A 484.1.4 Actun Toh excavation unit B .......................................................... 484.1.5 Actun Toh, exposed sub-floor construction fill 494.1.6 Actun Toh excavation unit C 494.1.7 Actun Toh transect A 494.1.8 Actun Toh transect B 504.1.9 Actun Toh transect C ...................................................................... 504.1.10 Actun Toh operation 1 504.1.11 Actun Toh operation 2 514.1.12 Actun Toh operation 3 514.1.13 Actun Toh operation 4 514.1.14 Actun Toh operation 5 .................................................................... 524.1.15 Actun Toh operation 6 524.1.16 Actun Toh operation 7 534.2.1 Actun Tacbi Ha 1993 ceramic collection 564.2.2 Actun Tacbi Ha 1999 ceramic collection 564.3.1 Actun Tam Ha ceramic collection................................................... 584.5.1 Pak Ch’en ceramic collection 714.7.1 Actun Pech ceramic collection 774.8.1 Actun Tsub ceramic collection 804.14.1 Actun Xooch ceramic collection 834.16.1 Actun Maas ceramic collection....................................................... 855.1 Presence of all types and varieties <strong>for</strong> all caves 905.2 Tabulation of combined lots by type and variety <strong>for</strong> all caves 915.3 Chronological distribution of ceramic groups 92

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