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

39CHAPTER IVSITE DESCRIPTIONSThe area known as the Petexbatun region is located in the Pasión River valley ofthe southwestern Peten district of Guatemala. The Salinas River to the west and theRiachuelo Petexbatun to the east flank major Maya sites such as Dos Pilas, Tamarindito,and Aguateca. The region consists of Late Cretaceous-Early Tertiary carbonate andclastic rocks. Over time, these rocks have faulted and resulted in horst and grabenformations. The faulting and erosion of the horst uplands have created geologic featuressuch as steep gorges, deep streams, extensive cave systems, and sinkholes. Low-lyingareas of the Petexbatun tend to flood due to the high regional water table, backflowsfrom the larger Pasión River, and the 2,500 mm of annual precipitation that falls fromMay to December (Dunning et al. 1997).Between 1990 and 1993, over 30 caves were investigated during the PetexbatunRegional Cave Survey. Archaeological efforts were primarily focused on the extensivecave system associated with the site of Dos Pilas. Seven caves were mapped andsurveyed in detail over the period of three field seasons. The following chapter willfocus on the physical description of six of these caves, paying close attention to thegeomorphology of each cave, artifact assemblage, the deposition of human remains,evidence of cultural modifications, etc. The descriptions are presented in a west to eastorder across the site of Dos Pilas, beginning with Cueva de El Duende and ending withCueva de Los Quetzales (Figure 3). They will follow the direction of the river systemthat flows through the entire cave system during the rainy season.