ARCHEOLOGY. 315 



(certainly so far as the Peten region is concerned) than Uaxactun, where all 

 the earliest surely deciphered monuments have been found. 



The geographic location of this site is also significant. It became apparent 

 from this year's explorations that Uaxactun is located at the head of the Ixcan^ 

 Valley, in that mountain cluster which is precisely the very backbone of the 

 Yucatan Peninsula, the waters of the Ixcan River finding their way out 

 through the Hondo River into Chetemal Bay and thence into the Caribbean 

 Sea, on the east side of the peninsula. Northwest of Uaxactun 8 or 10 miles 

 is the main divide of the peninsula, streams rising on the far side of this range, 

 such as the Paixban River for example, flow out through the San Pedro Martir 

 and San Pedro Candalaria Rivers into the Gulf of Mexico, while to the south 

 are ranges beyond which lies the great interior drainage basin of which Lake 

 Peten Itza is the largest member. 



Uaxactun is thus located at the geographical as well as the topographical 

 center of the Old Empire region, the central point from which distribution 

 subsequently took place to other regions, judging from the pronounced 

 chronological priority of the Uaxactun dates. 



Another factor contributing to the scientific importance of this site is its 

 length of occupation (561 years), more than a century and a half longer than 

 any other Old Empire city on the basis of the dated remains. 



During the present field season two very late Old Empire monuments were 

 also found here, theu* dates being recorded as Period Endings: 



Uaxactun Stela 13 10.0.0.0.0 571 A. D. 



Uaxactun Stela 12 10.3.0.0.0 630 A. D. 



The former is the first monument yet discovered, dating from the closing 

 day of Baktun 10. The previous katun-ending, 9.19.0.0.0, had been found 

 recorded on four monuments at three different sites, as, for example, here at 

 Uaxactun on Stela 7, at Naranjo on Stelae 7 and 10, and at Quirigua on Temple 

 1; and the succeeding katun-ending, 10.1.0.0.0, appears on eight monuments 

 at five different sites: Benque Viejo, Stela 1; Flores, Stela 2; Ucanal, Stela 3; 

 Nakum, Stela D; and Seibal, Stelae 8, 9, 10 and 11, but no monument had been 

 found previously dating from 10.0.0.0.0 until the discovery of Stela 13 at 

 Uaxactun in April of this year. 



The other Baktun 10 monument found this season (Stela 12) is of even 

 greater importance. This records the date 10.3.0.0.0., which makes it of 

 exactly the same age as Stela 10 at Xultun, discovered by the expedition of 

 1920,2 and together they have the unique distinction of being the two latest 

 Old Empire monuments known an3rwhere. 



Priority of origin, length of occupation, lateness of abandonment, centrality 

 of location, all combine to make Uaxactun the most promising of all Old 

 Empire sites for intensive operations. 



Naachtun, the large new site discovered on May 3 of this year, is interesting 

 chiefly because of its location, being the northernmost city of the Old Empire 

 yet reported. It is on a low bench of hills toward the head and on the 



1 In Doctor Morley's report for last year it is stated that Uaxactun lies at the head of the 

 Holmul Valley (Year Book No. 20, p. 362). Closer exploration this year established the fact 

 that this site lies just north of the low divide between the Ixcan and Holmul Valleys, and that it 

 is therefore at the head of the Ixcan Valley instead. 



2 See Year Book No. 19, pp. 322, 323. 



