THE SACBE AND AGRICULTURAL FIELDS AT JOYA DE CEREN, EL SALVADOR REPORT OF THE 2013 RESEARCH EDITED BY PAYSON SHEETS AND CHRISTINE C. DIXON Rachel K. Egan, Formatting Editor Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1 BACKGROUND CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION ...................................................................................................................... 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE 2013 RESEARCH PROGRAM: POLITICAL ECONOMY THEORY .................................................. 4 SUB-ROYAL (NON-ELITE) POLITICAL ECONOMY ............................................................................................................... 5 Research Objective # 1: Agricultural Variation, Authority, and Political Economy ................................ 6 Hypothesis 1-A: Variations in edaphic conditions correlate with variations in cultigens and cultivation strategies, and thus contribute to decision-making................................................................................................................................. 7 Research Objective # 2: Who makes decisions on construction and maintenance of the sacbe?...... 7 Hypothesis 2-A: The sacbe was built and maintained communally by the Cerén village. ................................................... 8 Hypothesis 2-B: The sacbe was built and maintained in sections by adjoining farmers. ..................................................... 9 Hypothesis 2-C: Sacbe construction and maintenance were by higher authority. .................................................................. 9 Research Objective #3: Where does the Sacbe end in the Cerén Village? .................................................... 9 Research Objective #4: Economic Function of the Sacbe? .................................................................................... 9 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 THE SACBE REPLICA ............................................................................................................................................................. 10 OVERVIEW .............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11 REFERENCES CITED .............................................................................................................................................................. 12 CHAPTER 2 CERÉN SACBE ...................................................................................................19 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................................... 19 SACBE BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................................ 19 RESEARCH GOALS ................................................................................................................................................................. 20 SUMMARY OF THE 2011 CERÉN FINDINGS ...................................................................................................................... 21 METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 RESULTS OF 2013 EXCAVATIONS DOCUMENTING THE CERÉN SACBE ........................................................................ 24 Operation AJ ............................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Operation AH .......................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Operation AG ........................................................................................................................................................................... 29 ii Operation AI ............................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Operation AF ........................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Operation AE ........................................................................................................................................................................... 36 Operation AK........................................................................................................................................................................... 39 SACBE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE .................................................................................................................... 42 Overall construction methods ......................................................................................................................................... 42 Sacbe construction in Operation AJ ............................................................................................................................................................... 46 Sacbe construction in Operation S.................................................................................................................................................................. 47 Sacbe construction in Operation AG .............................................................................................................................................................. 48 Sacbe Construction in Operation AI ............................................................................................................................................................... 49 Sacbe construction in Operation AF .............................................................................................................................................................. 50 Sacbe construction in Operation AE .............................................................................................................................................................. 50 Sacbe construction in Operation AK .............................................................................................................................................................. 52 Overview of Sacbe Construction .................................................................................................................................... 53 Features Associated with the Sacbe ............................................................................................................................. 54 Footprints ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 54 Platform of AK .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 61 Relation of Agricultural Fields to the Sacbe ............................................................................................................................................... 63 CONCLUSIONS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 67 Sacbe Maintenance, Power, and Community Organization ............................................................................. 67 Studies of Water Management and Control at Sites ............................................................................................ 68 Sacbe Movement and Meaning ....................................................................................................................................... 69 Future Studies: ....................................................................................................................................................................... 69 CHAPTER 3 CERÉN AGRICULTURE .....................................................................................73 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................................... 73 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................................................ 73 METHODS ..............................................................................................................................................................................