Contents
PREFACE vii
Acknowledgments viii
1. THE EVOLVING MAYA LANDSCAPE 1
Maya Place and Time 1
Wetlands Research 3
The Patchy Lowland Environment 5
Resource Specialization and
Bajo Communities 6
2. INVESTIGATING THE BAJO 9
Previous Research in Northern Belize 9
La Milpa Archaeological Project 9
Programme for Belize Archaeological
Project 11
Ancient Maya Land and Water
Management Project 12
Blue Creek Project 13
The Bravo Hills Region 14
Research Methods 17
Location of Survey Blocks
and Transects 18
Topographic Mapping Methods 19
Settlement Survey Methods 20
Sample Transect Survey Methods 21
Excavation Methods 21
Vegetation Mapping Methods 22
3. ENVIRONMENT OF THE BAJO INTERIOR 24
A Cross-section of the Far West Bajo 25
Bajo Microenvironments 26
Vegetation Mapping Results 27
Rockpiles in the Bajo Interior 29
Resources of the Bajo Interior 32
Paleoecological Research in
the Far West Bajo 34
4. AGRICULTURAL ZONES 36
Agricultural Zone 1 38
Agricultural Zone 2 41
Agricultural Zone 3 45
Agricultural Zone 4 47
Agrotechnology 49
Chronology of Agricultural Zones 49
Artifacts from Agricultural Contexts 51
Vegetation Zones of Agricultural
Features 52
Construction and Function of
Agricultural Features 53
Accretionary Development of
Intensive Agriculture 54
5. BAJO COMMUNITIES 56
Residential Group and Structure Typologies 57
The Bajo Hill Site 59
Group A 59
Group B 63
Group C 64
Groups D-G 65
Group H 66
Group I 66
Group J 67
Group K 67
Group L 67
Group M 68
Group N 68
Group O 68
Group P 69
Group Q 69
La Caldera 69
Group A 69
Group B 73
Groups C and D 74
Group E 74
Group F 75
Groups G and H 77
Group I 77
Groups J-W 78
Group X 78
Groups Y-FF 80
[iii]
Thompson's Group 80
Group 10 82
Group 6 82
Patio-focused Groups 83
Platform Pairs and Isolates 83
Other Residential Groups 83
Survey Block 2 83
Survey Block 4 84
Survey Block 5 85
Survey Blocks 6 and 7 86
Occupational History of the
Residential Zones 87
Late Preclassic 88
Early Classic 88
Early Late Classic 89
Late/Terminal Classic 89
Measures of Architectural Complexity 90
Residential Zones in Retrospect 93
6. SPATIAL AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
OF THE FAR WEST BAJO LANDSCAPE 96
Zones of Use: The Tripartite Division
of the Landscape 96
Bajo Community Organization 99
Uniqueness of Principal Groups 100
Settlement, Ecology, Domestic Economy
and the Principle of First Occupancy 102
Resource Specialization 105
7. LIFE IN A BAJO COMMUNITY 196
The Bajo Interior 107
Bajo Margins 108
Upland Villages 109
In the Bajo, Looking Out 116
APPENDIX A: Ceramics from Excavations
in the Far West Bajo 118
APPENDIX B: Flakes from Excavations
in the Far West Bajo 127
APPENDIX C: Lithic Tools from Excavations
in the Far West Bajo 135
APPENDIX D: Groundstone from Excavations
in the Far West Bajo 143
APPENDIX E: Obsidian from Excavations
in the Far West Bajo 144
APPENDIX F: Fauna and Shell from Excavations
in the Far West Bajo 146
APPENDIX G: Prehistoric Burials in the
Far West Bajo, Belize 147
Julie Mather Saul and Frank P. Saul
REFERENCES 157
INDEX 169
ABSTRACT, RESUMEN 173
FIGURES
1.1. The Maya lowlands, showing sites and regions discussed in the text xii
1.2. The regional distribution of wetlands and pertinent sites in the Maya lowlands 2
2.1 The Río Bravo Conservation Management Area, showing location in Belize, major
sites of the area, and physiography 10
2.2 Howler monkey in an area of upland forest 15
2.3 Mixed palm-transitional forest 16
2.4. Scrub bajo forest 17
2.5. Corozo Bajo forest 17
2.6. The Far West Bajo, showing the position
of survey blocks, transects, and
Drainage 3 19
3.1Cross-section of the Far West Bajo along Transect 1, showing changes in elevation, topography, and vegetation 25
3.2.Schematic classification of bajo
vegetation types 26
3.3.Vegetation map of the Far West Bajo, showing numbered survey blocks and transects 28
3.4Locations of rockpiles in the Far West
Bajo interior 29
3.5.A rockpile in the Far West Bajo 30
3.6.A Maya farmer in his field in Peten, Guatemala in front of a bean crib
constructed of wood and thatch 33
4.1. An agricultural terrace on the edge
of the Far West Bajo 36
4.2. A terrace after excavation, showing
a limestone cobble wall and underlying
fill on bedrock 37
4.3. A berm on the edge of the Far West Bajo 37
4.4. A berm during excavation, showing a
layer of rocky fill that comprises the
interior of the feature 37
4.5. A small rockpile during excavation,
showing the cobble fill of the feature 38
4.6. Map of Agricultural Zone 1 39
4.7. Op. V58A, an excavation on a terrace 40
4.8. Op. V59A, an excavation on a berm 41
4.9. Op. V59B, an excavation on a rockpile 41
4.10. Map of Agricultural Zone 2 42
4.11. Map of Agricultural Zone 3 46
4.12. Map of Agricultural Zone 448
5.1. Laura Levi's typology of residential compounds 57
5.2. Typical forms of buildings found
in the Maya lowlands 58
5.3. Map of the Bajo Hill site 60
5.4. One of two cached bifaces found
in the Group A pyramid 62
5.5. Profile of Op. V39C 62
5.6. Profile Op. V42A 63
5.7. Hematite discs associated with
Burial 2 in Group B 64
5.8 Profile of Op. V42C 64
5.9.Profile of Op. V52B 67
5.10.Map of La Caldera 70
5.11.Profile of Op. V62A 71
5.12.A plaster-topped bench with masonry
veneer stones during excavation of
Op. V62A 72
5.13.Profile of Op. V63A 73
5.14.Profile of Op. V66D 76
5.15.A shell pendant found during
excavation of Op. V66D 77
5.16.Profile of Op. V67A 77
5.17.Profile of Op. V68A 79
5.18.A ceramic curtain rod holder in situ
in a masonry wall during excavation
of Op. V68A 79
5.19.Map of Thompson's Group 81
5.20.A shell rasp found during
excavation of Op. V60B 85
5.21.Residential occupation by
chronological period 90
5.22.Projected structure density
by chronological period 90
5.23.Principal architectural groups: Bajo
Hill site, La Caldera, and Thompson's
Group 93
6.1.Schematic view of the organization of
the landscape in a bajo community 99
6.2.Map showing the spatial relationship of berms to intermittent stream channels
in the Far West Bajo 100
TABLES
3.1. Vegetation zones of residential and
agricultural features 27
3.2. Artifacts from rockpile excavations in extraction zones 30
4.1. Ceramics from agricultural contexts
by time period 50
4.2. Artifacts from excavations in
agricultural contexts 52
4.3. Agricultural features in vegetation zones 53
5.1. Description of groups in the Bajo Hill Site 59
5.2. Description of Groups in La Caldera 71
5.3. Description of Groups in
Thompson's Group 82
5.4. Description of other residential groups 84
Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication: Bajo Hill Site (Belize)Mayas Agriculture, Mayas Antiquities, Excavations (Archaeology) Belize, Wetland agriculture Belize, Terracing Belize, Irrigation farming Belize, Belize Antiquities