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10 Unclassified Buildings and Substructures 10 UNCLASSIFIED BUILDINGS AND SUBSTRUCTURES 1. STRUCTURE F-3, Linton Satterthwaite The general plan of presentation in this publication assigns Preliminary Remarks structures of four functional types to as many Parts of the report. From Part 7 to Part 9 inclusive these types Before our superficial excavations in this mound are Temples, Palaces, Ballcourts and Sweat Houses. There is a a considerable expanse of outer rear wall surface residuum of mounds about which we know something, showed at the building’s left end. Here it stood to and among these are the ruins of several buildings for full or nearly full wall-height, but no part of the which functions cannot be deduced with the criteria at vaulted roof had survived. The mound appeared present available. These, together with a platform almost much higher from the front and from the right certainly supporting an unexplored building ruin, are end than from the rear or from the left end, due gathered together here. Among them is Structure V-1. A undoubtedly to erosion from the hill rising sharply temptation to label this as a Dwelling, at least in its latest in those directions. Excavation, by Satterthwaite phase, has been resisted. In some ways the unclassified in 1934, was confined to a center trench and pits, buildings are the most interesting of the lot, simply the objective being identification of the roof-type because we know least about their uses. Their classification and cross-section dimensions. A little clearing was on a functional basis may become possible in the future, done at the left rear corner to locate it as a basis when the largely unknown house-mound areas of several for reconstructing the plan without digging it out. Maya sites have been systematically sampled. Digging was with only intermittent supervision. No points were surveyed or triangulated, so the plan (Fig. 10.1) must be shown as rectified. We neglected to take levels on the structural units, so the sections are based on straight measurements, except mound surface lines, which reflect careful work with the leveling instrument. The chief interest in Structure F-3 lies in the fact that it was a vaulted building of medium vault-span index in a peripheral location. Also interesting are the presence of a portable altar on the floor, its narrow center door, and the possi- bility that there may have been only one door (Fig. 10.1). Building and substructure units have been lettered C to A, with no reliable data on whether they are chronologically sequential in more than a Figure 10.1 Isometric perspective reconstruction of Structure F-3, mere structural sense, except that they are alike in with part of Court Floor 2 cut through to show original platform masonry. The structure faces east, probably close to height. At right, alternative reconstruction of building; also sketch due east, judging from Parris’ location of the mound of corner stones at four times the given scale. before excavation. UNCLASSIFIED BUILDINGS AND SUBSTRUCTURES 319 Figure 10.2 Plan and Sections of Structure F-3. Note that center doorway only is certain. Court of Structure F-3 concealed by the later fill. But there seems to be no sign of structures other than F-3 facing this court as finally Originally the court was behind and about 1.5 m above raised, except an end of Structure F-4, which is provided a broad platform which itself is apparently a leveling of with a doorway. the Northwest Group Plaza, opposite Structure J-29. Both platform and court are probably adaptations to terrain. Our little court, and a higher level to the rear, have the effect of carrying the approximately level plaza area as an enclave a short distance up a small valley, leading to the saddle between two Hill AB peaks (see site map, Figure 1.1). Structure F-3 faces the side of this court. After erection of Unit C the court floor was raised 60 cm (Figs. 10.1 and 10.2). This upper floor (Court Floor 1) slopes noticeably down toward the plaza (south), while the lower one apparently slopes down somewhat from east to west toward the center of the court. Both slopes may apply to both floors, and would be useful for drainage. We have no data on the extent of the lower court Figure 10.3 Inner building-wall masonry. Rule stands on floor floor, and remains of other structures on it may be and against rear wall. Portable altar in situ. 320 PIEDRAS NEGRAS ARCHAEOLOGY, 1931–1939 Table 10.1 Average Dimension Tables: Platform Units Unit Height Length Depth Slope C 1.5 7.5* 3.4* 81 deg. B 0.3-0.4 10.0* 5.9* V Note: Starred dimensions are approximations usually based on reconstruction; the letter V means approximately vertical. Substructure Units Supplementary Platform (Unit C) We have precise data only on the cross-section. The length as restored is based on location of one corner and on an accurate debris-section (Fig. 10.2). There seems no doubt that this platform stood entirely free. Whether so much of its surface as we show in the reconstruction was exposed along the ends of Unit B is questionable; the corners may not have been rectangular and may have been inset. A centered stairway from Court Floor 2 (the earlier), if ever present, must have been removed, since the later floor runs out from the Unit C wall. But a stairway from Figure 10.4 Cut section through debris in room of Structure F-3. this higher and later level might have been missed. Rule extended to 1.4 m, stands on floor. Jamb of centered doorway The slope, measured at front center, is considered at observer’s left. reliable. We failed to note whether Court Floor 2 runs under this unit. A vaulted roof is restored on the most reliable Building Platform (Unit B) evidence, short of actual survival. The room debris was This also is known with certainty only by the cross- 1.5 m deep at center and was largely a mass of slabs such section. At left rear, corner stones of this unit and of the as do not occur in the walls, together with masses of building were in semi-position. On the spot we concluded mortar (Fig. 10.4). Specialized capstones were present definitely that the sides of both were flush; but on examining (Fig. 10.5). photographs and considering the fact that wall stones of the building had unquestionably been moved somewhat by Portable Altar large roots, we have restored a 10 cm plinth-like exposure This small drum-shaped stone was found in the here. It is possible that this should be about 20 cm wide, position shown in the figures, its center about 40 cm as was sure at front and back. No data were recovered on behind the line of the front wall or piers and about 25 run-under of the floor of Unit C. The height of Unit B is cm left of a line at right angles to it, and passing through 40 cm at the rear, 30 cm at the front, accounting for a center of the central doorway. It appears in Figure 10.4 building floor slope which was noted but not measured. in situ and in this same position in the drawings. Floor finishing plaster was good on this floor only in patches, Building (Unit A) as if partly destroyed by our digging. However, the altar Plan and Section was carefully removed by Satterthwaite. It was level, its base at floor level, and it was right side up, as indicated by Piers and doorways of collapsed vaulted buildings are often markings as if from use on top, and by the rough-worked invisible before excavation, and there was no visible sign of bottom. There was no finishing plaster on the floor below the central doorway here until after excavation. We dug only it, contrary to the situation in the nearby Structure F-4. at center. Hence we have provided alternative restorations Dark red paint was noted on the altar sides from the top with and without piers and extra doorways (Fig. 10.1). The to at least 2 cm from the bottom, where it fades out. simpler plan was used on the map of the site. The restored We can interpret these facts in several ways. The wall-height is slightly more than a required 2 m minimum. altar may have been set 2-3 cm into the plaster floor, Stones surviving above this, in semi-position, may or may in the markedly forward and off-center position found, not pertain to a medial molding (Fig. 10.7). and then painted. This would account for finding no UNCLASSIFIED BUILDINGS AND SUBSTRUCTURES 321 finishing plaster below it. But the observed disappearance of patches of plaster on the floor generally may have occurred in occupation times, and would also account for this. In such case the altar may have been so set, or may have been merely placed on top of the floor, in either case elsewhere, and have been moved to a damaged floor area at or just before abandonment. Paint near the bottom would tend to disappear with handling, perhaps with sweeping or washing floors. It must be admitted that lack of finishing plaster below the stone, and lack of paint near its base, can be used as arguments against the portable nature of the stone. Table 10.2 Average Dimension Tables: Stage Elevation Figure 10.5 Capstones from debris of Structure F-3; part of one on right missing; holes in it probably not artificial.
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