Contents 



Introduction i 



Annotated Checklist of Marine Species 5 

 Annotated Checklist of Freshwater Species 32 

 Annotated Checklist of Land Species 34 

 Discussion 35 



Ecology 35 



Trade 41 



Temporal Factors 45 



Use of Shells as Votive Offerings 48 



Use of Shells as Ornaments 53 



Use of Shell as Raw Material 56 



Use of Molluscs as Food 56 

 Summary and Conclusions 60 



Appendix — Archaeological Occurrences of Other Marine Invertebrates 107 

 References hi 

 Index OF Molluscan Species 113 



Illustrations 



Frontispiece — Two Maya paintings of the sea. 

 Text Figures 



1. Map of the Maya area and adjacent regions 2 



2. Ecological provinces of the Yucatan littoral 36 



3. Trade relations suggested by archaeological finds of MoUusca in 



the Maya lowlands 44 



4. Dzibilchaltun, Str. 38, Cache I 51 



5. Marine life as seen on the fagade of Str. i, Dzibilchaltun 54 



6. Tinklers from a private collection in Merida 55 



Plates 



1. Fissurellidae, Trochidae, Turbinidae 65 



2. Neritidae, Littorinidae 67 



3. Vermetidae, Turritellidae, Planaxidae, Cerithiidae, Calyptraeidae, 



Naticidae 69 



