Cahal bad luck
Cahal Pech is a ruin site of the Maya culture on the southern outskirts of San Ignacio in Belize . It is medium in size and includes over 30 structures in seven squares, including public, ceremonial and residential buildings, which have only been partially exposed. Cahal Pech was inhabited for around 1800 years, from around 900 BC. u. Currently up to around 850, including several centuries as the residence of a royal family. A settlement stretched over several square kilometers around the ruins, which has so far hardly been explored.
The name comes from the modern Yucatec Maya language and means something like "place of the tick", the original name of the city is not known.
location
Cahal Pech is located in the south of the city of San Ignacio on the top of a limestone hill at an altitude of between 160 and 180 meters, about one kilometer west of the Macal River . For a long time, the facility was on the outskirts, but as the city grows it is increasingly enclosed by it, to cushion the spatial proximity it is surrounded by a green belt.
The site, known today as Cahal Pech, only includes the core of the settlement. It is defined as the place that a) has the greatest density of large ramparts and squares, b) is higher than the surrounding area and c) is surrounded by structures that delimit the area as an acropolis or central area.
The associated settlement stretched over several kilometers mainly in the south, west and east of the Acropolis on both banks of the Macal River. The northern area was hardly populated; this is attributed to agricultural use in view of the fertile soils and regular flooding. Archaeologically, the settlement areas around the Acropolis have so far hardly been developed.
history
Cahal Pech has never been a political or administrative center for a larger area. The place itself was subordinate to the local center in Buenavista del Cayo , its administrative importance did not extend beyond the settlement itself even in its heyday and as the residence of a royal family.
Historiography divides the individual epochs roughly along the epochs of the Mayan culture, but local history is more finely divided based on specific ceramic phases.
Pre-Classical / Formative Period
The time of the genesis of the place and its culture falls into the pre-classical epoch of the Maya culture and is referred to as the "Formative Period" with regard to Cahal Pech.
Pre-Classical: Cunil phase (1200 - 900 B.C.E.)
The earliest finds indicate that the place dates back to 1200 BC. u. Currently used by members of ceramic cultures, Cahal Pech is the oldest ceramics site in western Belize. Since approx. 1000 BC u. At the end of the early pre-classical period, a small village can be found in Cahal Pech. With this evidence the oldest phase in the history of Cahal Pech begins, the Cunil phase. In it the settlers lived in a mixture of subsistence farming , supplemented by hunting, fishing and gathering. They produced ceramics and stone tools and traded in exotic goods whose origins reached as far as the Guatemalan highlands and the Caribbean coast .
At that time, the architecture of the place was still quite simple, the village consisted of huts with roughly plastered wattle, the surfaces of tamped marl . Evidence of larger buildings or buildings for ceremonial or communal purposes is missing, all buildings probably only served as living rooms, kitchens and storage facilities. All finds indicate that at that time there were only a few, if any, hierarchically higher authorities in these villages and that the social structure was that of an egalitarian society . Presumably as a result, hosts have established an increasing obligation to reciprocity in community rituals , which gradually led to inequalities in social relationships. A pronounced social hierarchy seems to have arisen even before the end of the Cunil phase.
Pre-Classical: Kanluk phase (900-350 B.C.E.)
The end of the Cunil and the beginning of the Kanluk phases are marked by significant changes. The population increased, special ceramic finds such as chocolate vessels or stirrup vessels appear for the first time and prove the importance attached to the display and demonstrative consumption of particularly desirable dishes by the individual. This, as well as the more differentiated distribution of statuettes and exotic merchandise in the population, makes it clear that with the late Kanluk phase from 650 BC u. Z. the community of Cahal Pech had reached quite a high level of social complexity.
At least since 850 BC. u. At the moment there are settlement remains of farms. For the early Kanluk phase between approx. 800 and 650 BC. u. At the beginning of the middle pre-classical period , complex family shrines are accepted as the first special functional buildings and ceremonial architecture. Since 400 BC u. Z. the first monumental buildings were built.
Pre-Classical: Xakal phase (350 B.C.E. - 250)
In its final formative epoch, the Xakal phase, Cahal Pech became a regional center of the Belize Valley. Advanced monumental architecture characterize the phase in addition to the introduction of polychrome pottery and an extensive and complex exchange system. Due to the social changes of this time, a kingdom developed at the end of the Xakal phase and the Acropolis became the residence of the royal family, which it should remain until the end of the place around 900.
Classic period
Early Classical: Hermitage phase (250 - 600)
The classic period begins around 250. In the Hermitage phase, the population grew and construction activities increased, so Plaza A was rebuilt, plazas C, D, F and G were expanded with new buildings and the eastern ball playground was created. Royal burials were extremely elaborate, and finds by Mexican obsidian clearly show that Cahal Pech was part of extensive trading networks.
Late Classics: Tiger Run Phase (600–700) and Spanish Lookout Phase (700–800)
Based on the architecture it can be said that Cahal Pech reached its greatest extent in the late classical period. The buildings of the eastern plazas were expanded and the western plazas were only accessible to the royal household and were rebuilt accordingly. Around the core of the place, today's ruins, over 140 buildings and groups of houses can be identified for this period, some of which are differentiated into buildings with public and ritual functions alongside simpler residential buildings.
In a text on a piece of jade jewelry from the year 650 it is mentioned that the mother of the then ruler of the settlement Nim Li Punit in the extreme south of Belize, Janaab 'Ohl K'inich, came from Cahal Pech. Researchers see this find as evidence that the Mayan city-states were extensively dynastic.
Terminal classic: Spanish lookout phase (800–900) and New Town phase (from 900)
At the end of the settlement of Cahal Pech, there is the Terminal Classic phase. It can be determined in terms of time as starting around 800 (± 25–30 years). According to its definition, it marks the final phase of the Late Classical period in Belize Valley , but is differentiated from it by its architecturally and technically significantly lower standards according to Gordon Willey as a mark of "the decline, collapse or termination of the hierarchical activities of the Maya". In practice this could be seen in low buildings made of mostly uncut stone and missing ceilings. The lavish burials of prominent personalities can hardly be proven any more, as can other lavish ritual activities, the construction activity is clearly declining.
Ruin site
The site is roughly rectangular and a little over 10,000 square meters. It extends for around 250 meters along its west-east axis and around 160 meters along its north-south axis. It comprises at least 34 so-called structures, which are arranged in 7 so-called plazas (span .: place ). The structures functioned as public, ceremonial and residential buildings, the tallest being 25 meters high. In addition to the structures, the area also includes 1 ball playground , 9 steles , 1 altar and possibly a sweat bath. The entire complex is surrounded by walls and only open at the eastern end. Outside the facility, but still belonging to it, there is a ball playground in the west, an enclosed spring in the south-west and a drinking trough in the north. In its overall conception, the complex is considered typical of a lowland Maya settlement in many respects.
The plazas are identified by the Latin letters A to H; the structures by a combination of the letter of the plaza to which they are assigned and a serial number. The steles and the altar do not have any special names, but the steles are numbered consecutively.
The two entrances to the plazas were in the south and north-east of the site, the northern entrance already within the Acropolis. From the 6th to 7th centuries, the plazas were separated from each other more strongly also along their function. The eastern plazas B, C, F, G and H were semi-public, while the western A, D and E were only accessible to a limited extent. The increasing stratification of the society of Cahal Pech was reflected in these structural changes . It is assumed that less important people lived in the eastern plazas and that important public events such as ceremonies, festivals or even markets took place, while the western areas represented the private living quarters of the royal family and other high-ranking personalities.
The semi-public plazas
Group H.
Plaza H is located in the extreme northeast of the Acropolis, directly at the northern gate. Together with the adjacent Plaza C in the south, it forms the eastern end of the castle hill. It is the latest uncovered plaza of the entire complex, the first excavations did not take place here until 2006, others from 2012 to 2013. It is therefore not recorded on older plans in the literature, some of them (including the boards on site) show the structures instead of the western ball court as "H1" and "H2".
The plaza itself was terraced. Three structures, H1 to H3, have been uncovered as platforms on it, but only about half of their outlines had been secured by 2015. These structures come from the Terminal Classic just before the end of Cahal Pech as an inhabited settlement. Parts of the excavations on the plaza lead back to the late classical period, but their structures were dismantled and built over during later construction activities. As characteristic buildings of the Terminal Classic, H1, H2 and H3 are of significantly lower architectural and craftsmanship quality, so the buildings are low and mostly made of uncut stone. Finds of everyday activities on the plaza make it clear that the plaza was originally a “normal” living area with thatched-roof residential buildings. It was only with the establishment of a royal tomb in H1 that the plaza was radically rebuilt and functionally rededicated. This is interpreted as a sign that the hierarchical separation between the ruling elite and the common people was deteriorating at that time. With this burial, the history of Cahal Pech as a larger inhabited place probably ended, only a single hearth on Plaza H is still a sign of activity after the burial.
H1
Structure H1 is in the far northeast corner of the plaza. With an area of around 50 m², it is the largest and, due to its function as the last ruler's grave of the place, the only one of the three currently known structures. It is roughly L-shaped and shows two phases of construction activity. In the more original, the platform was laid out for a previously unknown structure, the outlines of the platform were marked by a series of boulders, height inside was gained by placing elongated stones upright.
In a second construction phase, the existing structure was laid down and the platform was extensively rebuilt (including the use of hewn stones) to erect a grave. The conversion was carried out with significantly more effort than the original construction. The grave, which can be reached underground via several steps, contained numerous valuable grave goods and was therefore most likely intended for the last ruler of Cahal Pech.
Research history
When exactly Cahal Pech was discovered in the scientific sense is unknown. In 1939 the site was mentioned for the first time in Eric Thompson's "Index of Mayan Sites In British Honduras". The site was first described in 1950 by Linton Satterthwaite , who pioneered archaeological work in Cahal Pech during the 1950s and from whom the current name goes back. Satterthwaite mapped the area and undertook the first excavations in the center of the site, uncovered the ball court and hid some steles.
In 1968 the German archaeologist Peter Schmidt was appointed Archaeological Commissioner for Belize. After heavy looting, he carried out excavations on Plaza B and on structure B1 until 1971. The excavations brought important finds to light, including some graves. However, since Schmidt hardly published his results, later researchers had to refer to his notes and drawings.
During the 1970s, Cahal Pech was the victim of heavy looting and there was no further scientific activity until 1986. In that year Joseph Ball , financed by the Belizean Ministry of Tourism, started excavations, he developed the theory that Cahal Pech was not an independent state, but was subordinate to more powerful city-states. Despite the excavations, looting continued, causing extensive damage.
On the initiative of the City Council of San Ignacio and the Belizean Ministry of Tourism, who wanted to develop the site as a tourist destination, the Belizean archaeologist Jaime Awe began excavations and research in Cahal Pech in the summer of 1988 . In 2001, Awe transferred the work to the Belize Valley Archeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR), since 2006 together with the American Foreign Academic Research (AFAR) organization.
proof
- ↑ a b c d e A Short Tour of Cahal Pech Park in: Joseph W. Ball: Cahal Pech, the Ancient Maya, and Modern Belize: The Story of an Archaeological Park , 1994, ISBN 1-879691-17-5 , p 38-51
- ↑ a b c d e Jaime J. Awe, Mark D. Campbell, Jim Conlon: Preliminary Analysis of the Spatial Configuration of the Site Core at Cahal Pech, Belize and its Implications for Lowland Maya Social Organization , In: Mexicon, Vol. 13 , No. 2 (March 1991), pp. 25-30
- ↑ a b c d Ebert, C., Culleton, B., Awe, J., & Kennett, D .: AMS 14C Dating of Preclassic to Classic Period Household Construction in the Ancient Maya Community of Cahal Pech, Belize. Radiocarbon, 58 (1), 69-87, 2016, doi: 10.1017 / RDC.2015.7
- ↑ Jon C. Lohse, Jaime Awe, Cameron Griffith, Robert M. Rosenswig, and Fred Valdez, Jr., Preceramic Occupations in Belize: Updating The Paleoindian and Archaic Record. Latin American Antiquity, 17 (2), 2006, pp. 209-226
- ↑ a b c d e Jaime J. Awe: Dawn In The Land Between The Rivers: Formative Occupation At Cahal Pech, Belize And Its Implications For Preclassic Development In The Maya Lowlands , Thesis, http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails .do? uin = uk.bl.ethos.339260
- ^ A b M. Kathryn Brown: Establishing Hierarchies In The Middle Preclassic Belize River Valley In: Research Reports in Belizean Archeology, Vol. 5, 2008, pp. 175-183.
- ↑ Prager, CM and Braswell, GE (2016) 'MAYA POLITICS AND RITUAL: AN IMPORTANT NEW HIEROGLYPHIC TEXT ON A CARVED JADE FROM BELIZE', Ancient Mesoamerica, 27 (2), pp. 267-278. doi: 10.1017 / S095653611600033X
- ↑ a b c d e f John E. Douglas, Linda J. Brown, Jaime J. Awe: The Final Occupation: The Terminal Classic Evidence From Plaza H, Cahal Pech, Belize In: Research Reports in Belizean Archeology, Vol. 12, 2015, pp. 217–225.
- ↑ Jaime J. Awe: Architectural Manifestations of Power and Prestige: Examples from Classic Period Monumental Architecture at Cahal Pech, Xunantunich and Caracol, Belize In: Research Reports in Belizean Archeology, Vol. 5, 2008, pp. 159-173.
- ^ A b c d archaeological.org: About Cahal Pech - Archaeological Institute of America , accessed July 24, 2018
Web links
Altun Ha | Cahal bad luck | Caracol | Cerros | Cuello | El Pilar | Lamanai | Lubaantun | Nim Li Punit | Santa Rita | Xunantunich
Coordinates: 17 ° 8 '44.5 " N , 89 ° 4' 26.8" W.