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The 2012 Season of the Chan Chich Archaeological Project
diameter and from 25 to 30 cm in thickness.
It is made of limestone and does not appear to
have been carved. The altar was removed from
the unit by using a log as a lever and the cobbles
that were removed earlier as a fulcrum. At the
end of the season the altar was moved back to
its original location.
Lot KU-1-B-3 was directly beneath the altar.
This was excavated in hopes of locating a
cache or offering beneath the altar, but nothing
of this nature was found. This lot’s soil was a
dark grayish-brown (10YR4/2) with cobbles
scattered in it that were likely tumble from the
slope of Structure 3. Not many artifacts were
found other than ceramic sherds and a bifacial
tool. A plaster floor may have once been present,
but it was not identified during excavation. The
lot was terminated when it became obvious that
the excavations were in construction fill.
Lot KU-1-B-4 was construction fill that
consisted of white, powdery matrix and cobbles.
It was 40 to 60 cm thick and terminated on an
earlier floor surface (Lot KU-1-B-6). In Lot
KU-1-B-4 a yellow, chalky rock was found,
possibly ochre. The ceramic assemblage from
this lot dated to the Middle to Late Preclassic
(1000 B.C.–A.D. 250). An interesting ceramic
sherd was found that resembles the Cunil type
found mostly in the Belize Valley and dating
to the Early Preclassic (Valdez and Houk, this
volume:68, Figure 6.2).
Lot KU-1-B-5 was a concentration of sherds
embedded in the underlying plaster floor
that appeared as though it was partially
reconstructable. The type of ceramic could not
be determined, but it was slipped with a reddishorange
color. The vessel fragments embedded
in the floor measured about 12-x-12-cm.
Once Lot KU-1-B-5 was removed from the
floor, the floor and associated contexts below it
were designated Lot KU-1-B-6. We continued
only to excavate the 1-x-2-m southern half of the
subop until we came down on bedrock, which
was 94–97 cm deeper than the top of the floor.
Artifacts found in this context include ceramic
sherds, unifacial tools, jute, and terrestrial land
snail shells. This subop was terminated on
bedrock about 2 m below the surface.
Structure 2
Structure 2 (Figure 5.7) at Kaxil Uinic is a
range structure oriented east-west. It is a total
of 52 m in length and at the widest point it is 18
m. The building’s form is unusual. It is widest
on the western end, and narrower towards the
center section, and narrowest on the eastern
end. The building faces south, based on the
presence of steps ascending the structure, as
well as a landing that appears to extend across
most of the south face of the building. Structure
2 is located in the southeastern area of Kaxil
Uinic and was originally believed to be
enclosing an eastern plaza; however, after the
2012 field season it has been determined that
this structure is associated with an unknown
area to the south. Extremely thick vegetation,
resulting in limited visibility restricted further
examination for associated constructions.
Workers from Chan Chich Lodge had cleared
the structure of undergrowth and hurricane
debris, leaving only larger trees, prior to our
arrival, making it possible for us to excavate
a large area on the south face of the mound.
These two contiguous subops were opened to
document the latest phase of construction on
the structure and gain a better understanding of
the architecture at Kaxil Uinic.
Subop KU-1-G was a 1.5-x-4-m unit, and
Subop KU-1-H was a 1.5-x-6-m unit. Both were
oriented north-south perpendicular to Structure
2’s long axis. Subop KU-1-G extended from
the base of the mound to approximately half
way up the structure, where it joined Subop
KU-1-H, which continued to the summit of the
mound. Together, the two units encountered
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