Marine Species 



25 



Lyropecten subnodosus (Sowerby) 



Illustration: Keen, 1958, fig. 137. 



Modern distribution: Pacific. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



TIKAL: II, perforated for suspension, ten from 

 an Early Classic burial, one undated (M— MS). 

 UAXACTUN: 2, each drilled with 3 holes for 

 suspension, in Tzakol burial (K, pp. 61—62). 



Aequipecten gibbus (Linne) 



Illustration: Plate T.'),bb. 



Modern distribution: All three coasts of the penin- 

 sula. Isla Mujeres, Q.R., to Isla Carmen, Camp., 

 common. Also Cayo Areas. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



"RIO HOK SKUM," near Corozal, B.H.: i un- 

 worked in burial, "may be derived from a fossil 

 deposit" (Richards and Boekelman, 1937, p. 166, 

 pi. 6, no. 2, cited as P. gibbus exasperatus Dall). 



Aequipecten muscosus (Wood) 



Illustration: Plate 15,1:. 



Modern distribution: Common on all three coasts 

 of the peninsula from the Turneffe Islands, B.H., 

 to Isla Carmen, Camp. Also Alacran Reef. 



Archaeological occurrence: 

 DZIBILCHALTUN: i with 2 holes drilled on 

 wings for suspension, Late Early period; i with 

 2 holes crudely broken on wings for suspension, 

 in unstratified debris. Several very well preserved 

 fossils, unworked, found in archaeological depos- 

 its, may have been part of the cultural remains. 



Comment: Note that the Pacific species is the only 

 one found at Uaxactun and is the most frequent at 

 Tikal, although the very similar Atlantic species is 

 common on nearby shores. 



Family: SPONDYLIDAE (thorny oysters) 



Spondylus americanus Hermann 



Illustration: Plate 15,/, f. 



Modern distribution: Common on east and north 

 coasts from TurneflFe Islands, B.H., to Sisal, Yuc. 

 and on the offshore atolls. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: 11 unworked valves or 

 fragments, all but one (unstratified) found among 

 raw materials in the "jewelers' caches," Late Early 

 period. 52 worked valves, fragments, or small 

 artifacts, from all periods, but mostly Late Early 



period, where they were very common in caches 

 (see Table 2). Unaltered or slightly altered valves 

 pierced as pendants. Worked fragments were 

 made into beads, carved pendants and a variety 

 of adornos, these often for inclusion in mosaic. 

 BALANKANCHE: 2 beads. 

 MA YAP AN: 16 whole and broken valves, prob- 

 ably Decadent, also used widely as raw material 

 for beads, etc. (P, p. 385, fig. 44,3). 

 ACTUN XKYC (CALCEHTOK): i complete 

 valve with sawed incision, then finished at 2 ends 

 with drilled perforations for suspension; in depos- 

 its identified by Brainerd as Late Early period 

 or Pure Florescent (as "Spondylus echinatus" 

 = S. americanus; see Hatt and others, 1953, 

 p. 118, pi. 3, fig. i). 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: iii unworked. 



Formative. 



BARTON RAMIE: 45 worked and unworked, 



from all periods (W, p. 526, 528). 



TIKAL: 5 pairs, unworked (M-MS). 



Spondylus princeps Broderip 

 Illustration: Keen, 1958, pi. II. 

 Modern distribution: Pacific. 

 Archaeological occurrence: 



COPAN: Frequent in Full Classic tombs and 

 stela caches, none worked. Several pairs used as 

 "jewel boxes" to hold pearls, jade, cinnabar, and 

 other small shells (Longyear, 1952, pp. 42, no, 

 fig. 94, as "S. crassisquama" which is not this 

 species). 



PUSILHA: 3 pairs, unworked, undated; all 

 used containers for "small personal ornaments 

 (Gruning, 1930, p. 483, pi. XXI, fig. i, as 

 "Spondylus," but almost surely this species.). 

 SAN JOSE: 3 valves, unworked, in caches, two 

 are S.J. IV, one may be S.J. Ill (T, pp. 180-81). 



UAXACTUN: 15 unworked, two in Tzakol, 

 thirteen in Tepeu burials and caches; 27 with two 

 drilled holes for suspension, twenty-six of them 

 in Tzakol burials, one in undated debris (K, 

 pp. 61-62, fig. &2,a, as "S. crassisquama"). 



TIKAL: 3 pairs, unworked, undated; 148 valves, 

 slightly altered, mostly in burials and caches as 

 follows: I Formative (Cauac), 84 Early Classic, 

 58 Late Classic, 5 uncertain (M— MS, "probably 

 most of these are S. princeps"). 



