46 



association is purely ceramic, as is often the case, 

 we cannot. The column headed "Copo complex" 

 in Table 2 includes this less firmly dated material. 

 Although, as we have just noted, the excavated 

 deposits of the Formative and the Late Early period 

 —Pure Florescent were of roughly equal volume, it 

 is interesting that the former contains almost three 



MOLLUSCA IN THE MaYA LoWLANDS 



times as many shells as the latter (1,409 vs. 522). 

 This is despite the fact that the latter epoch is much 

 richer in artifacts, of shell or other material. 



Closer examination of Table 2 makes it clear that 

 this disparity is mostly traceable to several species 

 of shell which were present in great abundance in 

 Formative deposits and rare or absent later. 



Table 2 — ARCHAEOLOGICAL SHELL FROM DZIBILCHALTUN 



Early Early Pure Modified Black 



Species Forma- Period Period Copo Flores- Flores- on Deca- Unstrat- 



TivE I II Complex cent cent Cream dent ified Cenote 



UWUWUWUWUWUWUWU WUWUW 



GASTROPODA 







Diodora cayenensis 







Fissurella barbadensis 







Cittarium pica 







Ncrita tessellata 



I 





Neritina virginea 



I 





Tectarius muricatus 







Vermicularia spirata 







Cerithium eburneum 



2 





Crepidula fornicata 







Strombus costatus 



236 



23 



Strombus pugilis 



I 





Cypraea cervus 



I 





Phalium inflatum 



I 





Cymatium parthenopeum 







Cymatium pileare 







Ficus communis 



53 





Murcx pomum 







Columbella mercatoria 



2 





Melongena corona 



215 





Melongena melongena 



133 





Busycon coarctatum 







Busycon contrarium 



86 



4 



Busycon pcrversum 



I 





Busycon spiratum 



2 





Fasciolaria tulipa 



27 





Pleuroploca gigantea 



15 



I 



Turbinella angulata 



14 



3 



Vasum muricatum 







Oliva reticularis 





3 



Oliva sayana 



I 



I 



Olivella dealbata 







Prunum apicinum virgineum 



28 



75 



Prunum labiatum 



46 



I 



Conus floridanus 



I 



I 



Conus spurius ariandcus 



2 



3 



Bulla occidentalis 



I 





PELECYPODA 







Area zebra 



2 





Anadara notabilis 





3 



Anadara transversa 





5 



Noetia ponderosa 



I 





Modiolus d. granosissimus 



2 





Brachidontes exustus 







Isognomon alatus 



37 





Isognomon radiatus 



1 



2 



Pinctada radiata 



4 





Ptcria colymbus 







46 12 16 10 10 



I 

 13 



3 



35 23 



14 



96 19 3 6 



3 I 



1 



10 I 3 



I 

 3 



4 I 



4 I 



212 

 I 7 



