Week 4 (February 12-18, 2023

We had rain on Sunday. It looked clear when we got up on Monday, but everyone came back into camp because of rain on Monday by 11 AM. Tuesday was clear. I dropped everyone off Tuesday and then went back to camp for a cooler (for frozen meat), an egg crate (for 12 dozen eggs), and the gas containers. The Mahindra had to be serviced today and the appointment was for 9 AM in Belmopan. I actually made it to the Mahindra dealer just before 9 AM. Brian picked me up and we went shopping for items at the Mall and then at the Farmers’ market. Brian had a lunch meeting, but Mel and George went with me for lunch at Bellavey’s. Then more shopping for odds and ends. Finding Angie a can opener after lunch required going to four different stores. The Mahindra was not released by the dealer until 2:20 PM. I got back to Caracol with everything shortly after 4 PM, picking up Mo and three others on their way (walking) into camp.

On Wednesday morning I woke up with a badly sprained knee, meaning that I could not bend my leg and it was difficult to move. I think it happened getting in and out of a vehicle in Belmopan yesterday. Mo gave me Tylenol and I stayed in lab and glued pots all day. On Thursday, I took my Tylenol again and limped out to excavations just before 10 AM. Luca was drawing plans in Nasa with the help of Mo and will start the last excavation in this group this afternoon. Shelby and Sander were continuing to excavate the rear tomb alley in Astro and Carlos and Reynaldo were working on a new burial place in the fill in the middle of the structure. This burial has two vessels and was set on bedrock; it also had a small jadeite bead. The real news of the week was in Houston. Flavio and Jordan continued exposing the burial along the western excavation limit; we only have the legs for the main individual, but will not do an extension to the south. Jaime and Julio had cut down an excavation extension to the north over the buried chamber discovered last week and found intact capstones. Mo drew the capstones and then they were removed, revealing a burial that extended over 4.5 m from north to south (by 60 cm wide). It was entered from the northern end and then bifurcated into two chambers. The second chamber is immediately east of the front (western) chamber and has an intact entryway into it. This chamber is as long as the front one. Jamie and Julio will start excavating the substantial soil and rocks that fill both of these chambers tomorrow.

I stayed in camp on Friday to rest my leg, but sent men out to bush the next group that we will excavate which is on a hill about 150 meters southeast of Nasa. This group will be called Apollo. On Saturday I also stayed in to make sure my knee is operational. Jaime went deep (over 1 m) in the north-central part of the front Houston chamber and found a skull with a polychrome cylinder next to it, indicating a Late Classic date.

Next week should prove to be interesting.

Luca drawing a plan with Edwin in Nasa
Sander and Shelby in rear tomb in Astro
Carlos and Reynaldo digging the third burial in Astro
Jordan drawing the western burial in Houston
Intact capstones over the northern portion of the front chamber in Houston
Mo in the entranceway for the double-chambered tomb at Houston
Entranceway to the eastern chamber in Houston
Jaime excavating the fill from the northern part of the west chamber in Houston

One Response to “Week 4 (February 12-18, 2023

  • Hi Caracol crew. Nice update! Hope your knee is better Dr. Chase. It’s nice to see Mo in action and reading the season is just getting interesting. Saludos a todos.

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