Prehistoric and Ancient Historic Interactions
15
thirds of the total faunal sample was from the late Postclassic to historic periods,
and the few marine turtle bones identified fit this pattern. Remarkably, it was
concluded that “marine animals represented the basic food resource of the Cozumel
Maya” (p. 174). In trying to explain the relative rarity of marine turtle remains,
but the abundance of nesting marine turtles on eastern Cozumel and their widely
recognized food value, at least during contemporary times, Hamblin suggested
that there may have been a taboo among the Maya on taking these animals, but
no further evidence was presented.
A relatively small ceremonial–habitational (and commercial) site is at El Meco,
on the coast of Quintana Roo, about 2.5 km north of Puerto Juárez/Cancún City,
and to the immediate west of Isla Mujeres. The vertebrate remains are varied in
species, and more than half of them were identified as marine turtle, some of which
were burned and had cut marks. Many of these turtle remains dated from the early
Classic period (300–600 C.E.; Andrews, 1986: 70). Nevertheless, it was during the
Postclassic period that the site seems to have had an especially active level of marine
exploitation, and it was then (1100–1500 C.E.) that it was evidently used as a
commercial port, linking the interior of the Peninsula with Isla Mujeres (Andrews
and Robles, 1986: 132). It was proposed that the turtle carapaces — and even the
skulls — were used as containers (Andrews, 1986: 69).
The use of marine turtle shells as vessels is not unusual in the Maya area or
elsewhere, but there is no known evidence for using the skulls as containers, or
anything else other than hunting trophies. Although El Meco is on the coast, at
present the closest shore is rocky limestone, unsuitable for nesting by marine turtles.
However, immediately north and south of the solitary rock outcrop on which it is
situated there are vast sandy beaches, which in the 1950s and 1960s were used for
nesting by large numbers of C. mydas. Moreover, the protected waters enclosed
between the mainland coast at El Meco and Isla Mujeres were renowned half a
century ago as a major place for turtle fishing (Andrews, in litt., 10 March 2002).
If this coast were in the same condition for the last 1.5 millennia, the turtles could
have been caught and transported to El Meco from nearby beaches and offshore
foraging areas. However, the marine turtle remains from El Meco have not been
analyzed for size composition, so it is not known whether animals below adult size
were in the middens, and hence whether there is evidence that turtles were captured
on feeding grounds, rather than on nesting beaches.
Carr (1989a) reported on a collection of 4000 animal fragments from Isla
Cerritos, off the north coast of Yucatán, and about 5 km west of San Felipe, at the
mouth of Ria Lagartos. The ceramic remains on the island show that it was occupied
from late Preclassic (about 100 B.C.E.) to Early Colonial times (sixteenth century),
with the peak in human population coinciding with the height of development at
Chichén Itzá, approximately 900–1200 C.E.; earthworks and other evidence showed
that the island, about 200 m in diameter and about 500 m offshore, “is largely
artificial” and that it served as an important port for widespread trade in the
Mesoamerican region (Andrews et al., 1988). Nearly a third of the identified animal
fragments were identified as turtles, and these were thought to be mainly marine
turtles. The ubiquity of marine turtle remains in excavated pits on the island supported a hypothesis of year-round exploitation, involving the taking of animals both
1123_C01.fm Page 15 Friday, November 15, 2002 11:13 AM
15
thirds of the total faunal sample was from the late Postclassic to historic periods,
and the few marine turtle bones identified fit this pattern. Remarkably, it was
concluded that “marine animals represented the basic food resource of the Cozumel
Maya” (p. 174). In trying to explain the relative rarity of marine turtle remains,
but the abundance of nesting marine turtles on eastern Cozumel and their widely
recognized food value, at least during contemporary times, Hamblin suggested
that there may have been a taboo among the Maya on taking these animals, but
no further evidence was presented.
A relatively small ceremonial–habitational (and commercial) site is at El Meco,
on the coast of Quintana Roo, about 2.5 km north of Puerto Juárez/Cancún City,
and to the immediate west of Isla Mujeres. The vertebrate remains are varied in
species, and more than half of them were identified as marine turtle, some of which
were burned and had cut marks. Many of these turtle remains dated from the early
Classic period (300–600 C.E.; Andrews, 1986: 70). Nevertheless, it was during the
Postclassic period that the site seems to have had an especially active level of marine
exploitation, and it was then (1100–1500 C.E.) that it was evidently used as a
commercial port, linking the interior of the Peninsula with Isla Mujeres (Andrews
and Robles, 1986: 132). It was proposed that the turtle carapaces — and even the
skulls — were used as containers (Andrews, 1986: 69).
The use of marine turtle shells as vessels is not unusual in the Maya area or
elsewhere, but there is no known evidence for using the skulls as containers, or
anything else other than hunting trophies. Although El Meco is on the coast, at
present the closest shore is rocky limestone, unsuitable for nesting by marine turtles.
However, immediately north and south of the solitary rock outcrop on which it is
situated there are vast sandy beaches, which in the 1950s and 1960s were used for
nesting by large numbers of C. mydas. Moreover, the protected waters enclosed
between the mainland coast at El Meco and Isla Mujeres were renowned half a
century ago as a major place for turtle fishing (Andrews, in litt., 10 March 2002).
If this coast were in the same condition for the last 1.5 millennia, the turtles could
have been caught and transported to El Meco from nearby beaches and offshore
foraging areas. However, the marine turtle remains from El Meco have not been
analyzed for size composition, so it is not known whether animals below adult size
were in the middens, and hence whether there is evidence that turtles were captured
on feeding grounds, rather than on nesting beaches.
Carr (1989a) reported on a collection of 4000 animal fragments from Isla
Cerritos, off the north coast of Yucatán, and about 5 km west of San Felipe, at the
mouth of Ria Lagartos. The ceramic remains on the island show that it was occupied
from late Preclassic (about 100 B.C.E.) to Early Colonial times (sixteenth century),
with the peak in human population coinciding with the height of development at
Chichén Itzá, approximately 900–1200 C.E.; earthworks and other evidence showed
that the island, about 200 m in diameter and about 500 m offshore, “is largely
artificial” and that it served as an important port for widespread trade in the
Mesoamerican region (Andrews et al., 1988). Nearly a third of the identified animal
fragments were identified as turtles, and these were thought to be mainly marine
turtles. The ubiquity of marine turtle remains in excavated pits on the island supported a hypothesis of year-round exploitation, involving the taking of animals both
1123_C01.fm Page 15 Friday, November 15, 2002 11:13 AM