14 



Archaeological occurrence: 

 ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked, For- 

 mative. 



Thais rustica (Lamarck) 



Illustration: 'PhteS,d,dd. 



Modern distribution: Caribbean coast only, from 

 Turneffe Islands, B.H., to Isla Contoy, Q.R. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked, For- 

 mative. 



Family: COLUMBELLIDAE (dove shells) 



Columbella mercatoria (Linne) 



Illustration: Plate 6,e. 



Modern distribution: Entire littoral of peninsula, 

 Turnefle Islands to Isla Carmen. Offshore atolls. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: 2 unworked, Formative. 

 ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked. For- 

 mative. 



SAN JOSE: 2 unworked, in cache vessel, S.J. IV 

 (T,p. 180). 



TIKAL: 2 unworked, not dated; i perforated. 

 Early Classic, i perforated. Classic (M-MS). 



Family: BUCCINIDAE 



Cantharus auritulus (Link) 



Illustration: Plate 6,g. 



Modern distribution: Collected at Isla Mujeres and 

 Isla Cancun only. 



Archaeological occurrence: 

 ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 2 unworked. For- 

 mative. 



Family: MELONGENIDAE (crown conchs, 

 whelks) 



Melongena corona (Gmelin) 



Illustration: Plate io,b,b'. 



Modern distribution: Common on all three coasts, 

 from Boca Paila, Q.R., to Isla Carmen, Camp. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: 226 unworked, all but 

 seven of known age were Formative. 

 MAYAPAN: I unworked, probably Decadent 

 period (P, p. 387, fig. 47, j-, called "M. bispinosa 

 Philippi," which is this species. I agree with 

 Abbott (1954, p. 234) that bispinosa is not a 



Mollusca in the Maya Lowlands 



valid species. Proskouriakof?'s specimen is clearly 



corona). 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 555 unworked, 



Formative. 



Melongena melongena (Linne) 



Illustration: Plate io,fl,«'. 



Modern distribution: Common on all coasts from 

 Turnefle Islands, B.H., to Isla Carmen. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: 135 unworked, all but one 

 datable example in Formative deposits (Table 2). 

 ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked. For- 

 mative. 



BARTON RAMIE: i, unworked. Classic (W, 

 pp. 504, 526). 



TIKAL: 5 unworked, undated; 5 slightly altered, 

 four of these Early Classic (M— MS). 

 UAXACTUN: I worked, Tzakol, three sawed 

 cuts in form of an H perforated in body whorl 

 near orifice, probably intentionally imitating the 

 perforation of hollow logs in the making of the 

 ancient drum, or tunkul (K, pp. 61, 62, fig. 48). 



Comment: Except for the single example from 

 Uaxactun and the 5 from Tikal which were "slightly 

 altered", none of the 925 archaeological specimens 

 of this genus were worked. The whorls are so thin 

 that only on exceptionally large specimens would 

 the shell be of any use as material. At Dzibilchaltun 

 both species were found as offerings at Cenote 

 Xlacah, and are common in votive caches during 

 the Formative. The enormous quantities present at 

 Dzibilchaltun and Isla Cancun leave no doubts that 

 this mollusc was an important source of food. 



The almost total absence during later deposits, 

 in contrast to its abundance in the Formative (see 

 Table 2), is a striking example of the change in 

 usage over time at the site. 



Busycon coarctatum (Sowerby) 



Illustration: Plate 9,f,ff. 



Modern distribution: Uncommon on east and north 

 coasts from Isla Mujeres, Q.R., to Punta Palmar, 

 Yuc, and at Cayo Areas. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: i unworked juvenile speci- 

 men, found under floor of Late Early period 

 vaulted building. 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 4 unworked, For- 

 mative. 



