HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE ANCIENT MAYA IN THE ...

119Cueva de Kaxon PecCKP is the last cave directly associated with the site of Dos Pilas. One hundredsixty one elements were surface collected from this extensive cave. Skeletal material notexamined in this study includes three nearly complete hipbones and three intact crania(reported in Wright’s unpublished notes 1994). The sample recovered contained highpercentages of femoral and vertebral material. Other cranial and post-cranial elementsoccurred in relatively lower frequencies. Despite the lack of articulated remains, therelative skeletal element frequencies for Operation CKP2 suggest primary burial ordeposition. This operation contained the largest proportion of skeletal materialrepresented by large (femora, pelves, crania, etc.) and small (rib and vertebral fragments,teeth, etc.) elements. Moreover, the operation’s close proximity to the cave entrancewould have facilitated for the primary deposition of individuals. Operations CKP6through CKP9 constitute the “wet portion” of the cave. The small amount of materialrecovered from this portion of the cave consists of long bone and cranial material. Thisquantitative discrepancy between the two portions of the cave may be the result of asampling bias, which could be misinterpreted as a specific depositional activityoccurring in the wet portion of the cave. It appears that primary activity occurredpredominantly throughout CKP. None of the elements from this cave produced evidenceof cut marks indicating secondary activity. The demographic profile of CKP isconsistent with the others seen throughout the system. Both sexes and all age groups arerepresented by a skeletal sample accounting for a combined MNI/PNI estimate of nine to32 individuals.