Comparative Archaeology Database  |  Center for Comparative Archaeology  |  University of Pittsburgh



Mayapan Community Dataset

Marilyn A. Masson, Timothy S. Hare,
Carlos Peraza Lope, and Bradley W. Russell



The data files below provide obsidian flake counts described by size and collection context. Obsidian sources were identified visually by Barbara Escamilla Ojeda.

DOWNLOAD:

[Comma delimited UTF-8 format]
[Excel format]

FILE METADATA:

Each line in the CSV file represents a collection unit, either excavation, survey, or surface collection. There are 3240 lines, each with 22 variables separated by commas. The variables are listed in the following order:

1 Sample type
2 Year
3 Structure
4 Pozo (test pit)
5 Cuadro (grid square)
6 Surface collection number
7 Lot
8 Level
9 Proximal
10 Medial
11 Distal
12 Whole
13 Core
14 Flakes
15 Chip
16 Chunk
17 Total count of flakes
18 Other flake type, where:
  • CHY = El Chayal
  • IXT = Ixtepeque
  • SMJ = San Martin Jilotepeque
  • ZAR = Zaragoza
19 Length (cm)
20 Width (cm)
21 Thickness (cm)
22 Amount of visible breakage on edges, where:
  • L = Light
  • M = Medium
  • H = Heavy

The first line of the CSV file, for example, looks like this:

Test Pit (PEMY),2003,P-114,42,,,2027,6,,1,,,,,,,1,,,1.89,0.38,H

This means that this flake was retrieved from a test pit excavation in 2003 at structure P-114, pozo 42, lot 2027, and level 6. It is a medial flake with a width of 1.89 cm and a thickness of 0.38 cm. It has heavy breakage visible on its edges.