10 



MOLLUSCA IN THE MaYA LoWLANDS 



Classic figurines from the site were made from 

 the body whorl of this shell. One unworked speci- 

 men, Chicanel, one unworked specimen, Tzakol i 

 (K,p.6i). 



Strombus raninus Gmelin 



Illustration: Plate ^,d. 



Modern distribution: Common on Caribbean coast 

 from Turnefle Islands, B.H., to Isla Contoy, Q.R., 

 and the offshore atolls. Unreported from north 

 and west coasts. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 57 unworked, For- 

 mative. 



Comment: The striking all-year abundance of 

 conchs on the entire Yucatan coast, especially the 

 Caribbean littoral and the offshore atolls, offered 

 a plentiful supply of food in return for a minimum 

 of labor. S. gigas and S. costatus are still eaten 

 with relish from British Honduras to Tabasco (and 

 delightedly by me), raw with spices, shredded and 

 boiled as a broth, or fried in oil as "biftec de concha." 

 The smaller S. raninus (which I have not sampled) 

 was obviously eaten in Formative days at Cancun. 

 The ponderous shells were probably stripped of 

 their small animals (as they are today) before the 

 meat was shipped inland, leaving the shells to form 

 coastal middens. In the inland cities, which surely 

 enjoyed the meat, the shells served as the most 

 important single material in the manufacture of 

 jewelry and a variety of small artifacts. 



Family: CYPRAEIDAE (cowries) 



Cypraea cervus Linne 



Illustration: Plate ^,a,aa. 



Modern distribution: Rare, on north coast only. One 

 specimen each from Chavihau and Sisal, Yuc. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: i unworked fragment in 

 Formative deposit. 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked in For- 

 mative deposit. 



TANCAH, Q.R.: i outer lip, apparendy un- 

 worked (illustrated but not identified in Sanders, 

 i960, fig. 19 ^, 14, called "ornament (.'') of shell"; 

 this might be C. zebra). 



Cypraea cinerea Gmelin 



Illustration: Plate '),d,dd. 



Modern distribution: Common on Caribbean coast, 

 Turnefle Islands, B.H., to Isla Contoy, Q.R., and 

 on offshore atolls. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 10 unworked, For- 

 mative. 



Cypraea zebra Linne 



Illustration: Plate 5,c,f(r. 



Modern distribution: Common on east coast from 

 Turnefle Islands, B.H., to Isla Contoy, Q.R. Also 

 Cayo Areas. 



Archaeological occurrence: 

 ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 39 unworked. For- 

 mative. 



BARTON RAMIE: 2 unworked, one Formative 

 (Barton Creek), one Protoclassic (Floral Park) 

 (W,pp. 526, 528). 



TIKAL: 5 unworked, "either zebra or cervi- 

 netta" the latter a Pacific species (M— MS). 



Comment: It is odd that the cowry, which was used 

 in so many parts of the world for ornaments or for 

 money, seems to have been of little interest to the 

 ancient Maya. The numerous specimens from Can- 

 cun were probably collected as food. 



Family: OVULIDAE 



Cyphoma gibbosum (Linne) 



Illustration: Plate 5,b,bb. 



Modern distribution: Uncommon on Caribbean 

 coast, from Turneffe Islands, B.H., to Isla Contoy, 

 Q.R. Also offshore atolls. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked, For- 

 mative. 



HOLMUL: 4, all with 2 holes pierced on back 

 for suspension (Merwin and Vaillant, 1932, pi. 

 35,», not mentioned in text). 

 TIKAL: 5, perforated, four from Early Classic 

 cache, one from Late Formative (Cauac) tomb 

 (M— MS, "Cyphoma, probably Atlantic," there- 

 fore probably this species); 7, unworked, undated 

 (M— MS, "Cyphoma sp.," probably this species). 

 UAXACTUN: i, with 2 perforations broken 

 through wall (K, p. 62). 



