ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT PUNTA DE CACAO, AN ANCIENT MAYA TOWN-SIZED SETTLEMENT IN ORANGE WALK DISTRICT, NORTHWEST BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA; THE UNIVERSITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD PROJECT, 2001-2004 Hubert R. Robichaux, Kristen Hartnett, Candace Pruett, Alexandra Miller The University of the Incarnate Word With a Contribution From: Fred Valdez, Jr. The University of Texas at Austin Occasional Papers, Number 18 Center for Archaeological and Tropical Studies The University of Texas at Austin 2015 OCCASIONAL PAPERS SERIES EDITORS Fred Valdez, Jr., The University of Texas at Austin David M. Hyde, Western State Colorado University Contents IN MEMORIAM ............................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... v Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 A Regional Perspective of the Punta de Cacao Ceramic Complexes Fred Valdez, Jr. ................................................................................................... 11 Mapping Punta de Cacao ............................................................................................. 21 Excavations at Punta de Cacao .................................................................................... 29 The Central Precinct of Punta de Cacao ..................................................................... 45 Punta de Cacao as a Whole: Total Area, Population Density, and Total Population....................................................................................................................... 55 Town Layout .................................................................................................................. 59 Social Stratification at Punta de Cacao: Implications Derived from the Structure Data Base ......................................................................................................................... 63 Punta de Cacao through Time: Its Life Cycle ............................................................ 65 Final Thoughts ............................................................................................................... 69 APPENDIX A: Structure Type Codes ......................................................................... 71 APPENDIX B: Vegetation Codes ................................................................................. 73 APPENDIX C: Punta de Cacao Structure Data Base................................................. 75 APPENDIX D: Excavation/Temporal Data ................................................................ 93 i APPENDIX E: List of Project Participants .................................................................. 95 References Cited ............................................................................................................ 97 ii IN MEMORIAM This project summary is dedicated to the memory of: Eugene “Tom” O’Brien (1932-2011), Colonel, USAF (Ret.), M.D., M.A., and a project member; Mr. Larry Benson, Sr. (1945-2013), father of project member Larry Benson, Jr., and a generous supporter of the UIW Punta de Cacao Archaeological Project; and Sir Barry Bowen (1945-2010), Belizean entrepreneur extraordinaire, senator, owner of the Gallon Jug property, and a generous supporter of the UIW Punta de Cacao Project. As this volume was completed and going to print, we learned of the passing of Dr. Richard E. W. Adams (1931-2015), professor, mentor, friend, and long-time supporter of our research. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The ancient ruins known today as Punta de Cacao are located in the Orange Walk District of northwestern Belize on the Gallon Jug property, which was owned by the late Sir Barry Bowen. The investigation of Punta de Cacao reported on here was accomplished during the summers of 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 by a project of the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) of San Antonio, Texas, with the permission and logistical support of Sir Barry, and under archaeological permits issued by successive Archaeological Commissioners of Belize, including Mr. George Thompson, Dr. John Morris, and Dr. Jaime Awe. We are very grateful to all of them, and to the people of Belize, for having had the opportunity to study the material remains of the ancient civilization that flourished within their country. The project was made possible by the financial generosity of many, both in the United States and in Belize. Alexandra Miller, and John K. Miller, provided the initial support which launched the project, and they helped sustain it throughout. Additionally, substantial financial support was provided to the project by the Aramark Corporation (through the good offices of Sister Kathleen Coughlin and Mr. Robert Sosa of UIW), the late Mr. Larry Benson, Sr., Bruce and Dr. Cheryl Anderson, the Tom and Gracie Benson Foundation of New Orleans, Mr. John Montford of SBC and the Plum Foundation of California, the Amy Shelton McNutt Charitable Trust, Sir Barry and Lady Dixie Bowen, the managers of the Chan Chich Lodge including Tom and Josie Harding, and Nick and Bridget Bougas, Dr. Terry Diciana, UIW Provost, Mr. Robert Sosa, Dr. Pat Burr, Dr. Denise Doyle, Dr. Bruce and Nancy Wood, Mr. John Peveto and Bonnie Champion, Dr. Catherine Robichaux, Ms. Laurie Weiss, Mr. Pat Maloney, Jr., Dr. Chester and Carolyn Pruett, Keith and Nikki Fredrick, the late Col. Eugene “Tom” O’Brien, M.D., Dr. Bonnie McCormick, Mr. and Mrs. Jack and Laura Richmond, Mr. John Oppenheimer, Mr. J. T. Rhodes, Mr. Robert Biechlin, Mr. Robert Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Carmelo and Judith Arkangel, Mr. R. Lee Williams, Mr.Thomas C. Hall, Mr. George W. Mauze II, Mr. Daniel V. Pozza, Ms. Jane Bockus Gay, Mr.Tim Griesenbeck, Ms. Gail Dalrymple, Mr. E.P. Waller, and Central Market. We thank them all very much for their generosity! Additionally, Robichaux received federal Title V grants for which he thanks Drs. Pat Lonchar and Cheryl Anderson of UIW. The funding received from the above sources was sufficient to cover the vast majority of the project’s expenses, v including the travel and living expenses of the student project members, as well as small stipends for most students. All project members are extremely grateful for this financial support which made a significant archaeological research effort possible at Punta de Cacao. Thanks also go to the numerous students and volunteers that provided much of the intellectual and physical help of the project such a success. Those that contributed most directly to this volume include: Larry Benson, Jr., Jacalyn Abbe Bowen, Linda Childs, Roy Garcia, Jr., Mary Gonzales, Diana Meneses, Eugene “Tom” O’Brien, Col. USAF (Ret), M.D., M.A., Evans Roberts III, Charles Robinson, George Rodriguez, Benjamin Smyth , and Jessica Vela. Additionally, we express our appreciation to Mr. Alexander Bowen, the then manager of Gallon Jug Agro-Industries, and his wife Jackie (a former UIW student, and project member), and the following Gallon Jug employees for their significant assistance: Carl Trahan, Agricultural Supervisor, and Jose “Jo-Jo” Aquino, Manuel Caldamos, Armando Peter Castellanos, Jose Moises Quetzal, Gregorio Rodriguez, Carlos Sanabria, Abraham Gonzales, Arturo Magana, and Jeremiah Serminia who worked diligently and intelligently as our archaeological assistants. Norman Evanko and Vilma Chavez of the Chan Chich Lodge were also very helpful to the project. Thank you all very much! We very gratefully thank Dr. Thomas Guderjan for his permission to incorporate the Maya Research Program (MRP) 1990 map of the central precinct of Punta de Cacao into our broader map of the Punta de Cacao community, as well as for other assistance. The excellent MRP map of the center of Punta de Cacao was accomplished by Michael Lindeman and Ellen Ruble in June 1990. Dr. Gilberto Hinojosa, Dean of Graduate Studies at UIW, helped clear the way for project vehicles and supplies with Mexican Customs officials and we are grateful to him for his efforts. Robichaux is especially thankful to the late Dr. Richard E.W. Adams for his mentoring, and support, as well as for the opportunities he presented over the years. He is also grateful to Drs. Fred Valdez, Jr., Brett A. Houk, William Folan, and Joel Gunn for their collegiality and assistance spread over more than two decades. In particular, Dr. Valdez helped the UIW project logistically, and also vi served as the project’s ceramic analyst. Additionally, he was instrumental in having the present synopsis report published. We are extremely appreciative for his assistance. Archaeological knowledge gained in the field is, of course, the product of those who labored there. That labor, and experience, especially in the Maya lowlands, is invariably intensive, arduous, and stressful in many ways. Robichaux is grateful to the Punta de Cacao field crews for their perseverance, productivity, and good humor in the face of many difficult situations. Their efforts were and are greatly appreciated! A list of the participants in the UIW Punta de Cacao Project is presented in APPENDIX E. Last, but certainly not least, all project members are very grateful to their families for the support and patience they provided. vii INTRODUCTION The ancient lowland Maya peoples of southeastern Mexico and northern Central America developed a brilliant indigenous civilization that flourished for over a millennia. Among their most impressive