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32AMCS Bulletin 12 — Chapter 3Figure 3.2. INEGI map of Quintana Roo. Note boundary with Yucatán.

AMCS Bulletin 12 — Chapter 3 33(1994a:75–78) provides a brief description of six cavesin the La Rosita and Rancho Ina area, includingAktunkoot.Stairways were found in Caverna de las Escalinatas,Cueva de la Luz, and Cueva de las Caritas—the latter of which, incidentally, was named after aseries of simple carved faces. An altar was recordedin Cueva de La Rosita and miniature temple in Cuevade Satachannah (Martos López 1994a:76–77). Thistemple and its cenote environment resemble patternsnoted by Andrews and Andrews (1975) at Xcaret (discussedbelow).In 1983, Terrones González and Leira Guillermoreported on a new group of structures at Rancho Ina,which they named Grupo de la Estela or Kisim Nah.This group, also referred to as El Kisim, is locatednortheast of Xcaret Group P, which was originallyrecorded by Andrews and Andrews (1975:39–44) duringtheir coastal survey. Terrones González (1990)provides a map of Group P (which shows an adjacentcenote), as well as a short description of El Kisim anda brief mention of caves in the area. The relationshipbetween the main temple structure of El Kisim and anextensive cavern system below (which was also exploredby Terrones González), is discussed by MartosLópez (1995:421–422; 1997). Beneath the subfloorconstruction fill of the temple structure, they uncovereda vent, which was capped by a painted slab. Hesuggests that the main building platform and the underlyingsubterranean chamber functioned together asa symbolic conduit between realms. (For more on theinfluence of caves on site architecture see Brady1997a:610–613). Martos López also identified evidenceof speleothem breakage in the Caverna delKisim and considers the cave to be a likely source forstucco plastered stalactites found at the site.In their landmark book on the archaeology ofcoastal Quintana Roo, Andrews and Andrews (1975)describe four caves named after the architecturalgroups of Xcaret in which they were found. All fourcaves, which are located some distance from the coast,contain pools of fresh water as well as associatedshrines—some with stucco plastered idols. Thestructure in Group R Cave is a beautifully preservedminiature temple, which was built on a platform adjacentto the water’s edge (Andrews and Andrews1975:45–46, figs. 66, 67). Similar shrines were foundin the caves of Groups Y and S. The miniature templein Group S cave is bounded by water on three sides(Andrews and Andrews 1975:46, figs. 68, 69), whilethe tiny shrine structure in Group Y cave faces a boulder,on which was carved a figure with an enlargedphallus (Andrews and Andrews 1975:49–50, 70, fig.78). The shrine in Group Q Cave consists of a plasteredplatform with an inset step, on top of which restsa small throne (Andrews and Andrews 1975:44–45,figs. 63, 64). Though these structures differ stylisticallyfrom the architectural features found in caves ofthe Yalahau region, they nevertheless both representthe reverential appropriation of watery undergroundspaces. The association of cultural features with cavepools will be explored more thoroughly in the followingchapters.As a final note regarding Xcaret, the site’s underwatercave system, referred to as Cueva de Xcaret,merits inclusion in this archaeological discussion.However, it is not because of what the cave contains,but rather its spatial relationship with site architecture.Exley (1980) provides a map of the underwater(and partially exposed) cave network at Xcaret, onwhich he superimposed the site map by Andrews andAndrews (1975:fig. 4). The result clearly indicates thepassing of the cave beneath Group A—a relationshipone could argue was intentional given our increasedknowledge of the role of caves in site planning (again,1. La RositaAktunkootCaverna de las EscalinatasCueva de la LuzCueva de SatachannahCueva de La Rosita2. Rancho Ina/Punta VenadoCueva de las CaritasCaverna del Kisim3. XcaratCueva de XcaretGroup Y CaveGroup Q CaveGroup R CaveGroup S Cave4. Aktun Nah Kan5. La Cueva de Xelha6. Tancah Cave7. Muyil Cave8. Cueva de San Juan9. CobáFigure 3.3. Cave sites of northern Quintana Roo.

32AMCS Bulletin 12 — Chapter 3Figure 3.2. INEGI map of Quintana Roo. Note boundary with Yucatán.

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