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

50these remains were recovered by means of surface collection. Smaller skeletal elements,i.e. phalanges and metapodials, were obtained from the aforementioned samplingtechnique. With the exception of these smaller skeletal elements, long bones and cranialfragments were the most abundant skeletal elements recovered from Cueva de Sangre.These remains represented both adults and subadults. The mineralized environment ofthe caves played a factor in the excellent preservation of the human remains (Brady et al.1991:655). However, some of the bones show evidence of water disturbance, postdepositional breakage, and animal gnawing. Evidence of dental mutilation, cranialdeformation, and possible cut marks were also identified on several of the elements(Brady et al. 1991). Preliminary assessments of the minimum number of individuals forOperation CS1 were also calculated at the level of the lot and chamber (Brady et al.1991). According to Brady et al. (1991), 54 individuals of all ages and both sexes wereestimated at the level of the lot; 19 individuals were calculated at the level of thechamber. The semi-articulated remains of a single individual were found in OperationCS3. The remains recovered from the other operations are analyzed in more detail in thefollowing chapter.Cueva de Kaxon PecCueva de Kaxon Pec is a riverine cave that lies 2.75 km southeast of Dos Pilas.This was the longest cave discovered during the Petexbatun Regional Cave Survey,measuring 4.6 km in length (Scott 1994b:542). Cueva de Kaxon Pec will be identifiedby the code CKP. The cave was discovered at the end of the 1991 season, by which time350 m of passages were mapped and surveyed. Further investigations of the cave