Marine Species 



Comment: The inland Neritas and Neritinas were 

 probably collected for votive purposes (surely at 

 San Jose) or curiosity. The larger nerites from the 

 Cancun midden were probably used for food. I am 

 told they make a very tasty broth. They are abun- 

 dant along the Caribbean, thus very easy to collect 

 for food. They are rare, as are the rocks they grow 

 on, along the sandy shelf of the north coast. Numer- 

 ous shore specimens were perforated by the drill 

 holes of a number of predators. It is very difficult 

 to distinguish these perforations from those made 

 by the ancients for purposes of suspension. 



Family: LITTORINIDAE (periwinkles) 



Littorina zlczac (Gmelin) 



Illustration: V\&t^2, h,hh. 



Modern distribution: Caribbean coast from Turnefle 

 Islands, B.H., to Isla Contoy, Q.R. Absent on 

 north coast. Collected at Seybaplaya, Camp. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked, For- 

 mative. 



Nodilittorina tuberculata (Menke) 



Illustration: Plate 2,/,//. 



Modern distribution: East coast only. Tulum to 

 Cozurriel, Q.R. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked, For- 

 mative. 



Echininus nodulosus (Pfeif?er) 



Illustration: Plate 2,g,g'. 



Modern distribution: East coast only. Turnefle 

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



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 2 unworked. For- 

 mative. 



Tectarius muricatus (Linne) 



Illustration: Plate 2,/,i'. 



Modern distribution: East coast only. Turnefle 

 Islands, B.H., to Isla Contoy, Q.R. Also at Ala- 

 cran Reef. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: 4 unworked, in Florescent 

 cache, i unworked in unstratified deposit. 

 ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 11 unworked, For- 

 mative. 



Comment: The Tectarius specimens from Dzibil- 

 chaltun were probably traded from the Quintana 

 Roo coast for votive purposes. The littorinids from 

 Isla Cancun may well be intrusive in the midden 

 deposits, as these molluscs live in the "spray zone" 

 above high-tide limit, and often climb the distance 

 from the water to the present height of the midden. 

 If used for food, they would have been found in 

 much greater quantities in the midden. 



Family: TURRITELLIDAE (turret shells) 



Petaloconchus irregularis (d'Orbigny) 



Illustration: Plate 3, a. 



Modern distribution: Uncertain, as not thoroughly 

 collected. Reported at a number of stations from 

 Belize to Tancah, Q.R. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: 4 unworked, For- 

 mative, possibly intrusive on larger shells in 

 Midden. 



Family: SILIQUARIIDAE (worm shells) 



V ermicularia spirata Philippi 



Illustration: Plate i,c,cc. 



Modern distribution: All three coasts, from Isla 

 Mujeres, Q.R., to Chencan, Camp. Also at Ala- 

 cran Reef. 



Archaeological occurrence: 



DZIBILCHALTUN: i unworked, in cache con- 

 tainer, Late Early period. (Lacks tiny coiled spire, 

 as do most beach specimens. Therefore might 

 also be F. \norri Deshayes, distinguished only by 

 white spire instead of brown as on this species.) 

 TIKAL: "Various fragments, representing about 

 31 unmodified valves, 19 occurrences" (M, p. 67, 

 age not noted.) 



PIEDRAS NEGRAS: Found in two Early period 

 caches (C, p. 55). 



Family: PLANAXIDAE (planaxis) 



Planaxis nucleus (Bruguiere) 



Illustration : Plate i,b,bb. 



Modern distribution: Caribbean coast only. Turneffe 

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



Archaeological occurrence: 



ISLA CANCUN MIDDEN: i unworked, For- 

 mative. 



