119} aqjaes Eze|g ENL|DUE ELOZAYTLOH ..L0F'I- «30990 9 8 $ sl to 90 Bersiosere smuntiiay aqoes e2e[g feUOLL ey) ELOZAPYHLOH OLIV sk FO 9 6 $ z + 90 3g sjooemeg) — ‘i - , porydhyayseu A e7e |e] oloz HP MIE 4.0610 es 6 + € oz 90 (ig RenONT Sb SIDE : ‘ 6 jmnooyjeq pue [1 eze[q owe te PU SLED antte0 8 9 € £0 5 ankooy abi pep ezejg pene STOZ [E29 PUD so L8PO- oat SFO 8 9 % +L TT A shea dnorg jo y ee STOZ [P99 [PUMHOD xe bOE «1970 £ 6 9 st SE 9 o ee coe) doi sopenyy [31 ELOZPKHOHT LTO 654° 9 &s LST xPURes aords uado yy s1enbg loz Hed gst 0720 i zz 9 see 89z € YW ‘updeseyy dordyoyeut yuoroue [ey Long re Wye 00 9 09 + wuz mst ! Ene: cutie Ss aondyayseu Loopjno (ee UNG est LF I se sez ot 90 frasducsiues posaBeuy 7 7 . . Suuayaqng ypu avenbs unoy L102 PpuseD 1690 + StI 6 Sor 6L 70 grewdunoiuos spy ‘oyenbeyaiay 1 juaioiffoog by adi], pur uonpva0y PzP1q aq stg UZ stg punogyorg unXDpY sadurg pawy Pjauoy, pA UADUOD J AAQPIOPANY |] YOHYAN Jo SOY puE SOs 2 poLLatieesa|\) U! SyUOUID|AAS SIUEdsHYa1d pur LrerodurszU0> CL tHe q Jo sun 1 ay pue UZ, arepEAPA yy, aui09 pur suoreajua> uty ping] sazeds ado iayjo pue sezeid ce PENN? IT YH Ne Us PeSoil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces. + 145 Central Plaza at Telchaquillo, Yucatan, Mexico Velchaquillo is a small town of approximately 1,350 inhabitants located about 5 km from the site center of Mayapan (Fig. 5.1) (Coronel 2011), The central plaza at Telchaquillo has existed on the west front of the main temple since Preclassic times (ca. 3,000 years BP). Today, the plaza is bordered on the west and north ends by paved roads, on the south by the Catholic chapel, and on the east by two eating establishments. Lime- stone outcrops are found mostly at the north end of the open plaza. The butchering post is positioned in the northwest corner of the plaza near the center of an exposed limestone outcrop. The post, about 3 m high and 15 cm in diameter, is the site of weekly killing and butchering of chickens and swine and of meat sales (Fig. 5.2). It is likely that this has been the place of traditional butchering activities for many generations. The intense di composition in the warm, moist soils of Yucatdn generally prevents the identification of organic biomarkers of blood and lipids in archacological contexts, but minerals like P, Fe, and other heavy metals accumulate in the soil and may provide evidence of butchering activities, which, as Becker (this vol.) points out, are otherwise not readily visible archacologically. We sampled a 45 x 40 m portion of the central plaza on a 5 m grid. The central Plaza at Telchaquillo is a place for walking, eating, and social gathering. The concentrations of Mehlich II extractable P ranged from 9 to 498 mg/kg with a background level of 41 mg/kg (Table 5.1). Elevated P concentrations were located along the sidewalk on the west side of the plaza and along the east side of the plaza in front of a small eating estab- lishment. The area of highest P concentration was located at the eastern edge of the limestone outerop surrounding the old butchering post (Fig 5.2). The elevated P concentrations continued in an E/NE. direction to the modern drain, located about 15 m from the outerop. High metal concentrations of Fe, Zn, and other trace nutrients were also associated with the remnants of blood from butchered animals near the butchering posts. The DTPA extractable Zn and Fe in the plaza floor ranged from 1 to 69 mg/kg and 6 to 65 mg/kg, respectively. Both Zn and Fe were significantly correlated with soil P concentration (Table 5.1). The highest concentration of extractable iron was found between the east edge of the limestone outcrop and the modern drain. The high level of extract- able Fe at this location is likely because of the butchering and meat sale activities at the old butchering post. The iron concentrations continue and diminish toward the modern runoff drain at the north end of the plaza.146 + Terry, Bair, and Coronel Paved Road '59 Mehlich P mgikg Figure 5.2. The Mehlich II extractable P concentration isopleth map of the Central Plaza of Telchaquillo. Elevated extractable P levels are shown between the limestone outcrop and the modern drain installed at the north end of the plaza. Extractable P and DTPA extractable concentrations of five trace elements. are used in cluster analysis. The locations of samples in three clusters are shown. ‘To summarize, this case study of floor samples from the central plaza of Telchaquillo highlighted geochemical concentrations associated with human activities performed on the plaza. Areas of high P concentration were associated with an eatery and with the butchering and meat sale area. These results show promise for the identification of butchering sites, which often leave no faunal remains (Becker, this vol.) at other New and Old World sites. Contemporary Marketplace, Antigua, Guatemala A close modem analog to an ancient Mesoamerican marketplace was the Antigua open-air marketplace in highland Guatemala. [t was a major mar ket on volcanic soils packed hard by foot traffic. Though now covered inSoil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces + 147 cement pavers, the open space was unpaved in 2002 when samples were collected. The soil parent material, climate, and elevation of the Antigua soils are much different than those of the Maya lowlands of northern Gua- temala and the Yucatin Peninsula; therefore, differences in P and metal background levels and retention capacities are to be expected between these two geophysical regions. However, soils retain certain anthropogenic elements, and the spatial distribution of element concentrations is likely to signal differences in the performance of human activities, both rnodemn and ancient. We mapped the different use areas. We also collected gridded soil sain ples and an oral history of the marketplace through interviews with merchant informants who knew the dynamics of change in its layout and design (Dahlin et al. 2007). At the Antigua market five use areas were defined for the purpose of evaluating soil chemical composition (Fig. 5.3). They comprised (1) food preparation (for soccer events) and dry goods (on market days), (2) veg: ctable and fruit sales, (3) food service (small caterics for market patrons), (4) pathways and mixed use (vegetables and dry goods), and (5) soccer field. The soccer field serves as a parking lot for buses and trucks; soccer games are scheduled for non-market days. The soccer field was tested to establish geochemical backgrounds. It was the best area available, inso- far as it is less impacted by the chemical residue loading associated with marketplace activities. Based on comparisons with this baseline, elevated P concentrations were found in the area of vegetable and fruit sales in the market (Fig, 5.3), likely resulting from spills, discarded goods, and over- ripened fruitand vegetables that were frequently incorporated into the soil matrix (Dahlin et al. 2007). The sampling grid was not small enough to allow us to determine differences between alleyways and stalls in the food area, but the differences in P are striking enough overall that this should presumably be possible. Similarly elevated concentrations in the food ser- vice area likely resulted from spilled beverages and small food crumbs The highest P concentrations were found in the food preparation area where food was cooked and consumed during soccer games on off-market days. This food service area could be considered a place for modern “feast- ing,” and its geochemical residue patterns may be a good analog for prehis- toric feasting activities. Elevated extractable P and Zn levels were found ina line parallel to and behind the berm structure on which spectators sit and view the soccer matches (Fig. 5.3; Dahlin et al. 2007:fig. 10). This suggests that such food consumption will be localized in ways that are dif- ferent from food vending, usually along the edges of the area where the main activity is taking place.148 + Terry, Bair, and Coronel Food service Northing, m ® 8 vate 8 60 Mehlich P Easting, m mg/kg Food Vegetable od use preparation fruit sales pathways Figure 5.3. Map of the opemair market at Antigua with the spatial distribution of Mehlich II extractable soil phosphorus While clevated levels of P are known to be associated with food prepara- tion, consumption, and disposal, the data from the Antigua marketplace also suggest that Zn concentrations may be indicative of these types of activities as well. The areas of high Zn concentration occurred in the veg- etable sales area and where food is prepared and cooked for the soccer games on off-market days. There was a significant correlation (r= 0.470**, p<0.01) between extractable P and Zn in the Antigua samples (‘Table 5.1) ‘The correlation between P and Fe was weak (r = 0.153*, p<0.05), how- ever. This is an indication that marketing activities associated with Fe are separate from those associated with P and Zn from foodstuffs. Insum, the study of contemporary plaza and market areas suggests that soil chemistry provides a good indication of where food is prepared and sold on a regular basis. It can also reveal the location of other ephemeral activities, such as butchering, Particularly significant is the patterning of the chemical remains. In Telchaquillo, heavy concentrations of Fe, Zn, and other trace nutrients corroborated the use of one particular part of the plaza for butchery, probably over many years. In Antigua, food was. clearly correlated with high concentrations of P. Just as importantly, how- ever, areas where non-food items were sold showed a different chemical signature. These results suggest that patterns of high and low chemical densities are significant. In the case of markets, they can show where dif ferent items were sold and/or potentially where walkways alternate with food stallls. In the case of other activities, such as the food preparation andSoil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces + 149 eating associated with soccer in Antigua, which took place at the edge of the field, away from the action, they suggest the secondary nature of these activities in relation to the main event. ‘These inferences shed light on the results obtained from archaeological sites, discussed next, Case Studies of Ancient Plazas and Open Spaces ‘The same chemical tests were applied to gridded soil samples from the soils and floors of a number of plazas and other open spaces in ancient Maya sites. The results of those studies are summarized below The Plaza at Area D of Chunchucmil, Yucatdn, Mexico Chunchucmil was a Late Preclassic to Late Classic (400 B.C.E.-C.E. 800) Maya center of craft production and trade where soil chemistry tests for markets were first undertaken. Sweetwood ct al. (2009) estimated that the land requirement to sustain the population of Chunchuemil at its height would have been greater than the available resources. They reasoned that the ancient Maya of Chunchuemil traded marine and estuary products from the Gulf Coast and other high-value trade items for imported agri- cultural products from the nearby (30 km) Puue Hills (Dahlin and Ardren 2002; Dahlin et al. 2007, 2010). Bruce Dahlin identified one particular open space (Area D) in Chun- chuemil’s epicenter (Fig. 5.4) that seemed to have potential as a cential market. Itis a large area (ca. 1.5 ha) that, upon excavation, turns out to have been artificially leveled during the Late Preclassic period (<250 C.E.) This “plaza” is unusual in having dark brown anthtopogenie soil rather than the more pervasive reddish kancab or clayey soils found through- out the region (Beach 1998). It is also at the conjunction of five intra-site sacbeob and several more streets, while other sacbeob and streets radi- ate out into the city’s residential precincts and even into the surrounding countryside. A small (4-m-high), lone-standing (and as yet wnexcavated) pyramid is located across one of the sacbeob but in clear association with this open space; its isolation from other architecture and the lack of a bounding wall around it make it almost unique at the site. In addition there wasa public access well located within the plaza. Richard Terry and Chris Jensen visited Chunchuemil in the spring of 2001 and engaged in a discussion with Dahlin about ways to interpret ancient activities in the absence of artifactual and architectural evidences. That discussion led to150. + Teny, Bair, and Coronel 220 200 180 160 140 120 400 80 60 40 Extractable P mg/kg Figure 5.4. Map of Area D at Chunchucmil with the spatial distribution of Mehlich II extractable soil phosphorus (mg/kg) the search for chemical evidence of ancient marketplace activities at the site (Dahlin 2009; Dahlin et al. 2007, 2010). Phosphorus concentrations in many of the soil samples from Chun- chuemil’s suspected marketplace were near background levels of 6 mg/kg (Table 5.1). The most notable pattern of soil P in the suspected market place plaza consisted of highly elevated levels of extractable P (100-272 mg/kg) ina band running through the central portion of the builtup pla (Fig. 5.4). This band of elevated P is parallel to both a Sacbe 4, which enters the plaza from the east and with rows of small rock alignments and low rock piles. Because surface samples of streets, sacbeob, and other open areas have low P concentrations (<14 mg/kg), the band of elevated P concentrations in the plaza soils could not have resulted from an older buried extension of Sacbe 4. This band of elevated P, therefore, is most closely associated with the band of rock alignments and low rock piles. It is very unlikely that the high concentrations of extractable P in this band across the plaza were caused by contemporary human activities, as Becker (this vol.) proposes. The site was planted to henequen in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which does not leave the same organicSoil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces + 151 signature. More recently, the area has been in shifting agriculture with the occasional planting of maize. Local farmers place only tiny amounts of fertilizer, as they plant maize with a digging stick. Chunchuemil is within the municipality of the town of Maxcanu, where there is one farm supply store. In 2003 that store had an inventory of a single 25 ke bag of fertil- izer, which was subdivided and sold to local farmers in 1 kg bags. Maize yields in and around Chunchuemil range from 0.25 to 1 metric ton/ha due to shallow soils and low precipitation and are considered among the lowest maize yields in the Americas (Sweetwood et al. 2009). These cit cumstances all strongly suggest that contemporary agricultural practices cannot have produced the high soil P concentations in Area D. ‘The geochemical patterning of P and Zn concentrations, along with ethnoarchaeological comparison to the contemporary marketplace at An- tigua, helped to identify a marketplace in a strategically located plaza at Chunchucmil, with some differences. In Antigua, the highest concentra~ tions of P and Zn were associated with food preparation for soccer games, a possible equivalent to prehispanic feasts, as noted. However, at Chun- chuemil the highest concentrations occurred in visible rows, a pattern more consonant with market stalls and rows than with feasting, which generally takes place at the outskirts of the central activity area. Therefore, to the extent that the high levels of P and Zn closely correlate with market food preparation and vegetable sales, we can say that the band of high P and Zn levels over at least one row of rock alignments through the central portion of the Chunchucmil marketplace suggests that food was regularly prepared and vended with probably a host of other utilitarian object There were no significant correlations between P and Zn or P and Fe in the Chunchuemil plaza samples, however (Table 5.1). The results from. Antigua and Chunchuemil encouraged us to explore further the chemical signatures of Maya marketplaces at other sites. Open Space in Square K of Mayapan, Yucatan, Mexico Mayapan, a powerful regional center in Yucatan (Fig, 5.1) during the Post- classic period (ca, CE. 1200-1450) had a population measuring in the tens of thousands. Political power was concentrated in this center along with an extremely dense urban seitlement surrounded by a mommental (9 km long) defensive wall. Artifactual evidence for long-distance trade in exotic materials and the preparation of trade items at the site suggest that a market mode of exchange existed at Mayapan (Masson 2004), Square K, a relatively open area, is oriented roughly NE to SW between Gate D152. + Terry, Bair, and Coronel ‘Avenue 280 240 200 160 Northing, m 120 80 40 Extractable P mgikg Easting, m Figure 5.5. Isopleth map of the spatial distribution of extractable P (mg/kg) across the proposed Square K marketplace at Mayapan and the only interior portal gate to the ceremonial center near its south- em edge, and it could have served as a marketplace. Although this space is interrupted in spats and lined at its northern end (near Gate D) by a low density of small houses, pedestrians entering the city through Gate D would have to pass through this “empty space” if their ultimate destination was the portal gate to the ceremonial precinct. This route through the larg- est and most centrally located public space near the ceremonial precinct would have presented an impressive skyline to the incoming visitor. Phosphorus concentrations from the open space in Square K at Maya- pan ranged from 6 mg/kg to 335 mg/kg, with a background level of 12.2 mg/kg P. Elevated P concentration isopleths are shown in Fig. 5.5. There are roughly parallel linear patterns of very high P concentrations runningSoil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces. + 153 from northwest to southeast across the square. Another notably high con centrated P area was just southeast of the main structure located near the north entrance. Areas of lower P are found between these alignments. The parallel lines run perpendicular to the two apparent avenues that enter in from the north and are in line with the platforms and other structures sur- rounding the area. The distribution of heavy metal concentrations overlapped in many areas of the open space in Square K. The highest concentration of Zn was 16.6 mg/kg at the southem edge, with the background at 1.4 mg/kg. There was a highly significant correlation between P and Zn (r = 0.720**; Table 5.1), similar to that found in the soils of the contemporary marketplace in Antigua, Guatemala (Dahlin et al. 2007). Iron was highly concentrated in the lower southwest corner of the sam- pled area at 372.4 mg/kg, with the next most notable concentration area measuring 148.6 mg/kg near the northem entrance. The background Fe concentration was measured at 9.4 mg/kg. Most of the central region of the sampled area exhibited very low concentrations of Fe, which were con- sistent with background levels. The correlation between extractable P and Fe was very low (r = 0.155). Sayil, Puue Hills, Mexico In December 2010, 124 soil samples were taken at the Mirador Group of Sayil in the Pune Hills (Pig. 5.1), which had previously been identified as a possible marketplace (Wartzburg 1991). The central location adjacent to public buildings, a sabe, and stela, along with artifactual evidence of trade goods at the site, suggested this area as a candidate for market 2 tivities. In addition, the area contains a number of low platforms, rock alignments, and C-shaped structures that could have been used for vend- ing and/or supervising. The Mehlich P concentrations were found to be between 6 and 53 mgikg (Table 5.1). The concentrations of P were found to be low in the area that has been specifically identified by Wurtzburg, (1991) as the likely location of an ancient marketplace, which contained rock alignments and low platforms thought to be possible stalls. Moderate levels of P were found on the outside extremes of the group, but the lowest concentrations of P were among the rock alignments and platforms. The highest levels of P were found just outside of the southwest structure in the Mirador Group (Fig. 5.6). The interior of the structure had the ap- pearance of an arcade with small cubicles that could have been used in marketing, but public access to this imposing structure with its 2 to 3mNorthing, m 154 + Terry, Bair, and Coronel mg/kg Easting, m Figure 5.6. Concentration isopleths of Mehlich Il extractable P in the Mirador Group of Sayil high wall was probably limited. [t could possibly have been used for dry goods, especially more precious ones, that would not have left a strong chemical signature. The relatively low economic values of fruits and veg- ctables probably did not justify the cost of a masonry structure just for vending foodstuffs. The high concentration of P outside the structure may have been associated with the waste depasited from household activities or perhaps from marketplace activity just outside of the gridded area. Our permit did not allow sampling of the open spaces just to the west of the Mirador Group. Elevated Zn concentrations were found in the southwest comer of the group at the same location as the elevated P was found (Fig. 5.6). The correlation between extractable Zn and P was highly significant where r= 0.459** (Table 5.1), indicating that these concentrations are associated with the accumulation of foodstuffs. The DTPA extractable Fe concentrations were non-correlated Meh- lich P concentrations where r = -0.111 (Table 5.1). There were high Mehlich PSoil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces. + 155 concentration of extractable P and Zn just outside of the southwest struc- ture that could have been related to the trade of foodstuffs, but we did not observe linear patterns in the elemental concentrations at the Mirador Group and could not corroborate the use of the buildings for vending, Geochemical analysis of the soils at the Mirador Group of Sayil was there- fore equivocal and failed to produce convincing evidence of a market- place, though more work towards the southwest might yield interesting results. Two Plazas at Coba, Quintana Roo, Mexico The ruins of Coba are located in the northeastern area of the Yucatén Peninsula (Pig. 5.1). The site was occupied from about 100 B.C.E. to C.E. 1500. The Coba area is distinguished by limestone karst topogra~ phy, with a landscape spotted with outcrop bedrock projections and large lakes, as well as small, lincar depressions (Volan ct al. 1983; E. Wilson 1980). Coba’s micleus is nestled among five freshwater lakes. Such lakes are extremely rare in the northern Maya lowlands. This site is a prime candidate for the study of marketplaces because of its large size and high settlement density. Folan (1983:51-52) suggested three possible market- place areas. The main area was in front of the Ixmoja temple (El Castillo) that included Plaza A of Croup D. Another area was the plaza fron! the Chumuk Mul Croup. Unfortunately, this group had net been cleared of ears and was not included in the permit for understory growth for man: sampling. The Macanxoe also have been a marketplace and seems like a likely candidate, based on sroup on the shore of Lake Macanxoe could oral tradition. Folan et al. (1983) wrote of a local legend that claims “a prehistoric Coba [sic] market surfaces in Lake Macanxoe every New Year after dark.” Indeed, the Macanxoc Group is surrounded on three sides by arcade-like structures, and the fourth side provides access from the lake This group is also centrally located at the intersection of two sacbeab Closer inspection of the group provided evidence, however, of frequent flooding by the lake and burial of the floor by sediments. It was therefore not feasible to sample the Macanxoc Group because of the sediment con- tamination, Nonetheless, both the proposed marketplace in Plaza A of Group D and the proposed ritualistic or ceremonial Plaza B of the Coba Group (Folan et al. 1983; Thompson et al. 1932) were sampled Both Plaza A of Group D and Plaza B are part of the Gran ny a flat, artificially leveled, ancient terrace at the core of Coba (Coronel et al. 2015; Folan et al. 1983). We explored the edges of this monumental vela156 + Terry, Bair, and Coronel construction in 2012 and estimated its area at 68 ha (0.68 km’). The cen- ter of Coba with its Gran Nivelacién and 20 intersecting sacbeob was the focus of many important public activities. The best configurational and geochemical evidence for a marketplace at Coba was Plaza A of Group D, but there are many other locations within the site core that could have contained market activities. PLAZA A,GROUP D. Plaza A of Group D (Fig. 5.7) is delimited by long, slender buildings on all four sides. The plaza covers 26,000 m? (2.6 ha) and is almost completely flat with no more than 30 em variation in the ground surface. This plaza contains a number of distinctive features and was proposed to have been a prehistoric marketplace by Folan et al. (1983). In the eastern end of the plaza, the inhabitants of Coba built an unusual pyramid (Structure D-6) whose st lend it the appearance of a cone. The structure is sometimes referred to pness and rounded comers as El Cono but also as Xaibe, which is Yucatec for crossroads (Benavides. Castillo 1976). It received this name because it is aligned with Sacbe 1, a 100 m long raised causeway with an castem terminus at the west corner of the plaza. This sacbe, which extends westward to the large archacological site of Yaxuna, is the longest in the ancient Maya world (Navarrete ct al 1979). It is important to note that Sacbe 1 starts at the boundary of Plaza A and that Sacbeob 4, 6, 7, and 8 begin very close to the borders of the plaza (Thompson et al. 1932). This suggests that Plaza A was a much-transited location at the crossroads of several causeways. E] Cono/Xaibe was con- solidated in 1975 to a height of 14 m, The function of this structure is still a mystery, but its pyramidal shape and high elevation suggest il served as a location for rituals that could be observed throughout the plaza. Folan etal. (1983) suggested that rituals were offered at El Cono/Xaibe by mer- chants coming in and out of the plaza ‘The maximum, minimum, average, and background concentrations of extractable P in the floor of Plaza A of Group D are listed in Table 5.1 ‘The geospatial patterns in elevated P concentrations in the western half of Plaza A appeared linear and were parallel to Structure D-9, though one of the lines is disrupted by the presence of Structure D-10, which is paired with Structure D-9 (Fig. 5.7). The samples with elevated P appeared to form three parallel lines, in a northeast direction shown as arrows in Fig, 5.7. These lines were perpendicular to Structures D-8 and D-1] and to the path of Sacbe 1. Removal of the leaf litter and humic layer in this area of enriched phosphates revealed no stone alignments. Thus, if there were market stalls in a linear pattern, such stalls may have been temporary con- structions, built entirely of perishable materials. The spatial distribution ofSoil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces + 157 Northing, m Mehlich P mg/kg 0 50 100 150 200 250 Easting, m Concentration isopleths of Mehlich IT extractable P (mgykg) of the dba Plaza A, Figure 5 floor of roup D the lines of high P concentration suggested that market aisles were estab- lished and foodstuffs were prepared and traded in this area. Plaza A floor samples with elevated extractable Zn levels were found mainly on the western portion of the plaza. The correlation of extractable P to extractable Zn was weak but significant (r = 0.262**), There was a significant negative correlation between P and DTPA Fe (r = —0.394**; Table 5.1). The negative correlation of P and Fe suggests that specific ac- tivities were performed in different areas of the plaza. PLAZA B. Plaza B (Fig. 5.8) is located on the west edge of what I Graham and yon Euw (2004) referred to as both Group B and the Coba Group. The plaza is approximately 10,000 m? (1 ha) in area. Surface158 + Terry, Bair, and Coronel a2 La iglesia 36 30 24 18 2 Mehlich P mglkg Figure 5.8. Mehlich extractable P concentration isopleths (mg/kg) of the floor of Coba Plaza B samples (n=114) were collected in this space. The maximum, minimum, averages, and background values of Mehlich extractable P and DTPA ex- tractable metals in the floor of Plaza B are shown in Table 5.1 The P concentration isopleths in Plaza B are shown in Vig. 5.8. The areas of elevated P were along the line of vegetative debris that runs north and south through the center of the plaza and were most likely not related to ancient Maya activities. The site workers regularly use machetes and rakes to maintain the eastern third of Plaza B free of understory vegeta- tion to accommodate tourists. Concentrations of P were near background levels of 8 mg/kg in this part of the plaza, Sample P concentrations in this area, in front of La Iglesia and other structures delimiting the east side, were very low (6-8 mg/kg). In contrast, P concentrations were elevated on the west side of the plaza beneath the forest canopy. They were also elevated along the line of contemporary debris through the center of the plaza and along the southern edge of the plaza in front of Structure B-7. This pattern would be expected, given the high organic content of both forest litter and the accumulation of modern debris in comparison to the area cleared to accommodate touristsSoil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces. + 159 High concentrations of extractable Zn in the floor of Plaza B also followed the line of debris through the center of the plaza. There were highly significant correlations between extractable P and extractable Zn (r =0.454°*), DTPA extractable Fe was highest in the non-vegetated are: relatively close to La Iglesia on the east side of the plaza. The highest Fe concentration was 2+ mg/kg. Extractable Fe was found in concentrations of 10 to 18 mg/kg close to the west side of the plaza. It is possible that contemporary maintenance activities with Fe-based machetes and rakes contributed to these elevated extractable Fe levels on the east side of the plaza. There was a significant negative correlation between P and Fe in the floor of Plaza B. The chemical evidence of market activities in the oor of plaza B is not compelling, but its occasional use in prehispanic market activities is not precluded. Open Space in Plaza Il of Motul de San José, Petén, Guatemala Motul de San José was a significant political and trading center during the Classic period (Bair and Terry 2012; Foias and Emery 2012). Plaza II of Motul de San José, the suspected marketplace, is located directly north of the Acropolis in Group € (Fig. 5.9). Excavations around Plaza IT re- vealed substantial stone-built structures facing north and west as well as a dense midden of elite materials, including polychrome and hieroglyphic adorned ve es and other ceramics, monochrome and unslipped pottery, bone refuse, and lithic tools. These materials indicated to archaeologists a more public function for this space and a possible center for prestige ceramic production and exchange at the site (Foias et al. 2000; Halperin and Foias 2010). The large 1.2 ha sized, open-access location next to the acropolis, and low platform structures within and surrounding the space, suggested that Plaza IT was a good candidate for marketplace activities (Bair and Terry 2012) A 10 m grid covering Plaza II was set up in the 2002 season for the geochemical survey. The distribution of P in Plaza IT of Motul de San José is shown in Fig, 5.9. The levels of P varied from 15 to 352 mg/kg. The background P level was determined to be 17 mg/kg. High levels of human activity and importation of large quantities of organic materials to Plaza II would haye been required to elevate the maximum P concentrations to 21 times the background level ‘The elevated concentrations of P found in the middle of Plaza II range from 80 to 352 mg/kg and were not associated with visible mounds. These160 + Terry, Bair, and Coronel 350 50 Extractable P mgikg LS 60 80 40 Easting, m \| Acropolis E Figure 5.9. The concentration isopleths of extractable P in the surface soils of Plaza II, Motul de San José concentrations form two intersecting linear patterns that are in line with possible ancient entryways into the plaza. The areas of P concentration are not adjacent to the household structures that surround the plaza, so it is unlikely that the high P concentrations in the plaza center were the result of kitchen middens. Soils around the low platform at the north end of the plaza contained very high levels of P, up to 315 mg/kg. The low platform is not of the size or significance to have generated such quantities of house- hold trash. It is more likely that the P concentrations at the platform and the plaza center resulted from large inputs of organic debris attributable to the market exchange of foodstuffs and/or to Feasting activities. Extractable Zn concentrations were significantly correlated with lev- els of P (r = 0.341°*; Table 5.1). High levels of extractable Fe and other trace metals were encountered near a large platform attached to elite resi- dential Group 8L2 on the west side of the plaza. Elevated concentrations of these metals radiate out to the center of the plaza. Increased metalea 5 malkg 162. + Teny, Bair, and Coronel ‘Tinidad &e Nosotros =o & 5 Figure 5.10. Map of central Trinidad de Nosotros with extractable P concentra- tion isopleths ‘on its western and northern edges, and though temple complexes form the southern and eastern boundaries, their associated temples face away from this plaza. Further, the plaza was only roughly leveled and shows little evidence for durable plaster Mooring. Access to this plaza also appears to have been relatively informal. Interestingly, this area was kept clear of major constructions throughout the Late Classic period. These two plazas were tested for geochemical patterns of P and trace metals. Soil samples from Plaza V and the site’s central precinct, including the ballcourt and Plaza II, were collected on a 5 m grid (Bair and Terry 2012). Background P levels of about 6 mg/kg were evident in the ballcourt play- ing alley and the northern third of Plaza IL Significant concentrations (>20 mg/kg) were found at the base ofa temple staircase (Structure F-6),Soil Chemistry in the Search for Marketplaces + 163 in the ballcourt’s northern end, and in back of the ballcourt’s eastern structure. The areas of elevated P at the plaza edges and corners of struc- tures are consistent with likely locations for the preparation, consump- tion, or discard of food. Strong confirmation for part of this interpretation came from middens identified east of the ballcourt and within areas of elevated P. Excavation of these deposits produced fragrnents of vessels, bones, shell, and hundreds of exotic artifacts, including obsidian, green- stone, and pyrite. The ratio of serving to storage vessels, the diversity of faunal remains, and other indices provide definitive evidence for feasting and other ritual activities ona lavish scale (Moriarty and Foias 2007; Mo- tiarty and Thornton 2007). Some idea of the festive and musical atrno- sphere that attended these activities is suggested by fragments from more than a dozen ceramic drums, several bone raspers, and more than 150 whistle figurines, Plaza V soils are generally low in P value (average 9 mg/kg), but have concentrations of extractable P (>10 mg/kg) in two large roughly rectan- gular zones aligned east-west across the northern and southem halves of the plaza. The largest of these zones measures some 40 x 8 m (Fig. 5.10). The linear pattern of elevated P in Plaza V suggests a row of vendors mar- keting foodstuffs at occasional markets. Although the difference between the background and concentrations were slightly lower than those in the ballcourt area (Table 5.1), these concentrations also likely resulted from food preparation, consumption, spillage, and wastage. There were signih- cant correlations between extractable P and Zn concentrations in the soils of Plazas 5 and 2 (r = 0.378*°* andr = 0.343**, respectively). The broad causeway extending from the north shore of Lake Petén Itz4 to the center of Trinidad de Nosotros made this settlement the only site visible to all of the prehispanie settlements on the north and the west arms of the lake. Its central location and proximity to the major site of Motul de San José contributed to the importance of Trinidad de Nosotros as.a center of trade. The site characteristics combined with contrasting geochemical patterns in the large ballcourt, Plaza II, and Plaza V provide evidence for a marketplace in Plaza V. Plazas at Sache Termini near Caracol, Belize The soil chemical data of three Caracol plazas are summarized by the Chases and their colleagues in this volume. Suffice it to note here that one of three plazas at sacbe termini exhibited linear geochemical patterns consistent with marketplace activities. A linear pattern of extractable P16+ + Terry, Bair, and Coronel concentration that was found on the western portion of the plaza floor of Conchita Plaza is in contrast to the more random patterns of P concentra- tion in the floors of Ramonal Plaza and the Caana terminus. The distribu- tions of elevated P concentrations in Conchita plaza were consistent with the possible linear arrangement of market stalls on the west side of the plaza near the entrance of the sacbe to the plaza. Both the linear patterns and the location of elevated P and Zn between the sacbe entrance and the cential structure in the plaza provide compelling evidence for the ancient trade in foodstuffs at the Conchita plaza. Discussion and Conclusions Over the past decade we have collaborated with several archaeologists in geochemical investigations of contemporary and prehispanic activities in public open spaces in cities across Mesoamerica. E:thnoarchacologi- cal comparisons of chemical residue patterns from known activity areas at contemporary plazas and marketplaces haye allowed us to discover the relationships of those residues to economic activities and to extrapolate those to archaeological plazas. In this chapter we haye summarized the configurational evidence and geochemical patterning associated with eco- nomic activities in those spaces. We emphasize that while geochemical patterning is an important component of market identification, it is not the only one (see Becker, Cap, Eppich and Freidel, Jones, and Shaw and King, this ‘The extractable clement concentrations can be affected by many face vol., for discussion of other components) tors, sich as market frequency and years of floor usage before abandon- ment. At each of the plazas and open spaces mentioned in this chapter, we sampled the surface soil that contained floor material from the last stage of occupation before abandonment. Several of the plazas contained multiple buried floors that await future archaeological and geochemical investigation. Another factor in the relative concentrations of extractable elements at each archaeological site is difference in soil and floor par- ent material. Ancient stucco floors contain high levels of calcium that precipitate and absorb P and most heavy metal ions. Most soils in the Maya area are derived from calcareous parent materials that absorb ele- ments associated with market activities. However, some soils can be highly leached of calcium and have lower capacity to fix or precipitate anthropo- genic chemical residues. For these reasons, the comparisons of patterns in elemental enrichment are important in identification of ancient human166 + Terry, Bair, and Coronel Geochemical analysis of plaza floors clearly provides a critical line of evidence in the identification of Maya marketplaces. It is also significant that the patterns of chemical residues in plaza floors allow us to differenti- ate between likely marketplaces and areas of rituals or feasting related to public ceremonies. Rather than linear patterns of P residues across open plaza floors of marketplaces, plazas used for rituals or feasting activities ex- hibit elevated P at the plaza edges adjacent to structure walls and behind ballcourt structures. Examples of these ritual and feasting spaces are seen in Plaza IL at Trinidad de Nosotros (Fig 5.10) and Plaza B of Coba (Fig 5.8). Wells (2004:fig. 6.2) reported a similar pattern of elevated P neat and behind structures at the main plaza of El Coyote, Honduras. While Becker (this vol.) has suggested other reasons for high P concentrations, such as the presence of latrines, it is hardly likely that toilets would have been located in the open plaza areas in site centers thatare described here, Alternatively, as he also suggests, if the high P concentrations represent the selling of night soil as a fertilizer as among the Romans, they would still represent vending activities. Other possibilities he gives for the linear patterns, such as the regular mulching of a line of trees, seem to us equally unlikely, based on the effort it took to construct most of the plazas. People who went to the trouble of plastering over a large surface are unlikely to have planted trees at regular intervals in the middle of it, breaking up the plaster. Post-abandonment cultivation activities of this kind are also unlikely, at least for the sites in the Petén rainforest, which only hunters and chicleros (wild gum collectors) used in passing until the archaeologists arrived. As noted above, the key here is context. The specific use history of each site needs to be taken into account, along with the type of soil, in order to interpret the results of chemical testing accurately Equally important, as several authors in this volume stress (Cap, King, and Shaw and King), is the use of multiple lines of evidence (see also Dahlin et al. 2007, 2010). These include the chemical analysis of soils and floors along with artifactual and architectural data to provide a more complete interpretation of ancient human activities. In the case of public plazas and open spaces in ancient Maya sites where few structures and artifacts are to be found, the soil chemical residues of ancient activities are even more important. Care should be taken to recover not only artifacts but also soil and floor samples before beginning consolidation or building amenities for tourists in these important plazas and open spaces. It is un- fortunate that many of the important marketplaces at Maya sites have been contaminated and disturbed by contemporary activities before chemical residue studies could be conducted. Critical soil chemical evidence ofCHAPTER SIX The Maya Marketplace at Maax Na, Belize Leslie C. Shaw and Eleanor M. King The authors of the chapters in this book are all struggling with the same challenge—that of recognizing an ancient Maya marketplace as a com- plex set of archacological and behavioral features. A market place should predictably exhibit certain patterns within its organization, including the size of the plaza, its associated features, and the distributions of deposits (Shaw 2012). A marketplace, however, is much more than a place: itis a discrete set of human interactions, obviously economic, butalso social and political in nature (Blanton 2013; Freidel 1981; Hutson 2000; Renfrew 1975; Shaw 2012; M. E. Smith 2003; Stanish and Coben 2013; Wells 2006; Wells and Davis-Salazar 2007). As back and forth between the expected sets of market behaviors and the archaeologists, we try to move physical remains distinctive of a marketplace: we can use the human be- haviors to understand the place, and we can use the place to understand the behaviors. Research on markets, then, needs to focus both on the phys- ical remains and on the actions behind them, Our interest in marketplaces began like that of many other contribu- tors in this volume. We found a plaza at our site of Maax Na in north- western Belize (King and Shaw 2003) that had an unusual configuration and struck us as a potential market location. In seeking to compare Maax Na to other sites, we found that there was surprisingly little information on ancient Maya markets, which were poorly recognized in the archaeo- logical record (King and Shaw, this vol.). Nonetheless, a small but steady stream of new research, pioneered by Bruce Dahlin and his colleagues at Chunchuemil (Dahlin 2009; Dahlin and Ardren 2002; Dahlin et al. 168Maya Marketplace at Maax Na, Belize + 169 2007, 2010; Hutson and ‘Terry 2006; Hutson et al. 2010; ‘Terry etal., this yol.), suggested fruitful avenues for investigation. It led us to examine both the physical evidence for marketplaces and the behaviors associated with marketing and market systems in determining what we had at Maax Na. The following discussion will briefly review the material case for mar- kets and suggest ways in which physical evidence and behavior are linked before assessing the evidence from the site. It will then consider some less tangible aspects of markets and their implications for the timing of market developments in the Maya area. By evaluating behavior and place together, we hope to shed more light on how Maax Na, specifically, and Maya matketing economies, generally, were organized and suggest new directions for future research! Characteristics of Marketplaces As noted by King and Shaw (this vol.), archaeological research on mar- kets, particularly in the Maya area, is only now coming into its own after long being dismissed as inapplicable to premodern economics. It is still considered difficult to undertake today, due to the ephemeral nature of market activities and the ambiguity of the data left behind (Dahlin et al. 2010; Carraty 2010; Hirth 1998, 2000; Shaw 2012; Stark and Carraty 2010). Perhaps the greatest successes have been achieved at the regional and long-distance scales, where investigations of pre-modern market econ omies, especially in Mesoamerica, have been able to track the distribu- tion of various goods behween and among sites (Braswell 2010; Eppich and Freidel, this vol.; Hirth 1998, 2000, 2013; Masson and Freidel 2013; Mine 2006, 2009; Mine et al. 1994). Identifying the actual marketplaces themselves has proven more diffienlt, however, particularly in the Maya area where problems of preservation make them especially elusive (King and Shaw, this vol; Shaw 2012). Large-scale studies are clearly vital for understanding the structure of ancient economies and the dynamics of ex- change both within and between polities (Hirth 2013; Masson and Freidel 2013). When overlaid with settlement patterns, roadways, and the location of trade centers, they can provide useful information on how such econo- mies worked (Shaw 2012) and also on how social and political concerns might affect economic ones (Masson and Freidel 2013), and vice versa Nonetheless, locating actual marketplaces remains essential to reconstruc- tions of pre-modern economies (King and Shaw, this vol.). It is there, after all, that behavior meets space (Shaw 2012).