From the Everyday to the Religious: Eastern Coast Architecture in the Archaeological Salvage Works of Front 3, Section 6

As part of the Archaeological Salvage Project of the Tren Maya, excavations conducted in Front 3, Section 6, uncovered a series of monuments that provide greater insight into the Eastern Coast style. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Manuel E. Pérez Rivas, in collaboration with a team of archaeologists, specialists from various fields, manual laborers, and skilled masons, as well as the support of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the INAH Quintana Roo Center, and the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA), it was possible to obtain more information about this particular and unique style in the Mexican peninsula.

Daily life

Throughout the 36 km covered in Front 3 of Section 6, which begins in the community of Santa Amalia and ends in the municipality of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, a total of 257 monuments were discovered. These include 81 simple foundations, 60 core foundations, 27 leveling platforms, 20 base structures, 6 retaining walls, and 63 other distinct monuments. This allowed for an understanding that ranges from the specific to the general.

Starting from the specific, the work in this area allows for an approximate dating, as noted by archaeologist Ana L. Alférez Roque. She referred to the ceramic materials found at monument T6_29001, identified as Pizarra type from the Dzib group. This discovery enabled the team of specialists to infer that the monuments found date back to the Late Classic period (600–950 AD).

On a broader scale, the architectural complex of monuments T6_06058, T6_06059, and T6_06060 provided insights into the types of activities carried out in the area, as well as the possible exchanges that took place. Archaeologist Jesús A. Martínez Rodríguez explains that this inference is based on the discovery of a gray obsidian blade found in the composite foundation T6_06059. Within the same complex, but in leveling T6_06058, two cists were also uncovered, containing a bowl, two beads—one made of jadeite—and a spindle whorl, inside whose central cavity a shell bead was found. According to the archaeologist, these materials allow for an understanding of the types of activities and relationships that took place within the area.

Religion

As part of the complementary works, archaeologists conducted investigations at the Xmaben 1 Borrow Pit and Borrow Pit No. 10, both of significant importance due to the numerous monuments discovered. At the first site, Xmaben 1, a total of 131 monuments were found, most of which were likely used for domestic purposes. Archaeologist Alberto Martínez suggests that the site may have been home to approximately 500 inhabitants.

However, it was the second borrow pit, No. 10, that provided the most information about the Eastern Coast style, which is also observed at archaeological sites such as Tulum. In this area, a total of 245 monuments were recorded, both civic and ceremonial in nature, and the site was divided by a 420-meter-long wall.

Fernando Martínez Lara, the lead field archaeologist for Front 3 of Section 6, notes that in the southern part of the borrow pit, a set of altars was discovered on foundations in the Eastern Coast style. These altars are characterized by the use of lintels at the entrance or their flat roofs, as demonstrated by monument T6_30088, one of the best-preserved examples within Borrow Pit No. 10. Additionally, the archaeologist points out that a unique aspect of this discovery is the location of these monuments, as they are among the few Eastern Coast structures situated more than a kilometer from the coast, making them an exceptional example in the Maya area.

The archaeological work carried out in Front 3 of Section 6 is a testament to the commitment and commendable efforts of INAH, in collaboration with the INAH Quintana Roo Center, the state government, the Quintana Roo State Agency for Strategic Projects (AGREPRO), and BIENESTAR. Thanks to their efforts, the history of the Maya culture is enriched.