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132AMCS Bulletin 12 — Chapter 7(Fedick et al. 2000; see also Fedick and Taube 1995:10;Mathews 1998:158–168). However, they appear quitefrequently in the region’s caves. In Actun Toh, a smallbut significant quantity of Late Classic Saxche Orangepolychromesherds were recovered as well as numerousLate to Terminal Classic Vista Alegre Striatedsherds. A nearly whole, Late Classic, Petkanche OrangePolychrome vase was found in Actun Tacbi Ha (seeChapter 4.2, see also figure 5.57). This cave also containeddeposits of Terminal Classic Muna Slate andSacalúm Black-on-slate.The apparent discrepancy between cave potteryand our current model of regional occupation couldbe explained if caves, such as Actun Toh, were focalpoints of ceremonial activity within an area of nonnucleatedLate Classic to Terminal Classic settlement.In other words, Late Classic period occupation of thesouthern Yalahau region might be more diffusely expressedacross the surface landscape, whereas caves—as religious activity areas—tended to concentratephysical evidence of Classic Period ceremonial behavior.Such evidence underscores the importance ofcave data for the reconstruction of surface patterns,but perhaps more importantly it emphasizes the magneticeffect caves had on Maya ceremonial behavior.Another possibility is that the ceramics could havebeen deposited by a non-local population if the cavesfunctioned as pilgrimage sites for Cobá during the LateClassic and/or Terminal Classic. No major ceremonialcave sites have yet been reported near the low-elevationsite core of Cobá, and it is conceivable that residentsof this Classic period urban center could have traveled35 km northeast towards the Yalahau region insearch of suitable caves.With this in mind, it is apparent that a more completestory of the role of caves in Maya culture cannotbe fully realized through archaeological cave investigationsalone, and that the archaeology of surface sitescannot be ignored. Suffice it to say archaeologicalstrategies necessary for the effective investigation ofcultural process at surface sites should be carried intothe cave environment as well.Identification of Cultural Criteria for CaveSelection and AppropriationIt is a fact of nature that no two caves are physicallyidentical, yet our use of the term “cave” to subsumeall of these features suggests a rather monolithic relationshipbetween the Maya and these subterraneanenvironments. At a certain level, the generalized conceptof cave is valid and has meaning; however, theMaya were no doubt acutely aware of both the dramaticand subtle physical attributes of different caves.Moreover, they were conscious of the distribution ofdifferent “types” of caves across the landscape as wellas the caves’ spatial relationships with local naturaland cultural geography.A common form of cave that develops in the horizontally-beddedlimestone of northern Quintana Roois the collapse dome. These caves are characterizedby voluminous, dome-shaped chambers—the ceilingsof which are sometimes breached in the center by narrowshafts leading up to the surface. A cave’s openingto the outside not only provides access to its interior,but it functions as a symbolic interface between thesubterranean and terrestrial worlds. Entrances canrange from tiny holes, barely wide enough to penetrate,to gaping chasms. Three caves in the survey that exemplifythe collapse dome form are Actun Toh, ActunTacbi Ha, and Actun Tam Ha.An additional broad, quasi-taxonomic factor toconsider, especially in relation to collapse domes, iscave size. Stone (n.d.) mentions that caves wereunique in ancient Mesoamerica in that they offeredpeople exposure to large enclosed spaces, which essentiallydid not exist in their built environment. Thisobservation has powerful implications in terms of thedramatic contrast between caves and the surface worldas well as the unparalleled sensory effects that cavesmust have impressed upon those who visited them.There is little doubt that the expansive character ofActun Toh, for example, contributed to its apparentimportance. The caves of the Yalahau region are quitesmall in comparison to the enormous caverns of thesouthern lowlands or the hills of western Yucatán.However, it is more meaningful to evaluate chambersize in relation to nearby caves so that relative grandeuris measured only within a regional context. Thus,Actun Toh, regardless of its absolute size, must berecognized as one of the grand caverns of the Yalahauregion.The interface between collapse domes and thesurface is subtle and misleading in that the small entrancesbelie the enormity of the open space below.Needless to say, access to such caves was difficult andthe ancient Maya were forced to span large verticaldistances with ropes or wooden ladders. Just as buildingscan serve as screens to control access to privateplazas, challenging and naturally restrictive entranceslimit casual interaction with certain caves. Thus, thesame desire to conceal space in ceremonial architecturemay have motivated the ancient Maya to selectand appropriate such caves for restricted use.Early on, J. Eric S. Thompson (1959:122) pointedout the significance of cave access but did not explore