Maya Settlement Patterns and Land Use in Buena Vista, Cozumel, México

Transects Limiting Quadrants

Point 1050 East to North (E-N)

Only one line of simple walls was registered in this transect, which is the closest to the modern ranch, however several piles of boulders were noted; as mentioned earlier because the proximity to the ranch is an area that was looted for modern constructions. From point 600 to 900 is the modern ranch of Buena Vista. Point 1000 is a small zone of akalches or bajos.

1000 (E-N) to West (E-N-W)

In this transect, all walls were of the simple type enclosing plots of 4000 m² on average, fifteen plots were noted in this transect. At 30 m north of point 275, we found a circular structure with several stone disks. Associated with the same plot, we noted a small mound 0.50 m high, and 6 m in diameter. Similar mounds were registered in plots north and west of this plot. A zone of hills and bajos was noted from point 450 to 650 with simple walls delimiting plots.

Point 1000 North to West (N-W)

Twenty-two lots were registered in this transect, all of them delimited by simple type walls. In average they enclose areas of 3000 m². All this transect lay in an elevated zone noted by the presence of tall rain forest. After point 400, most of the plots have small wells carved in the limestone to retain rain water. Small piles of boulders were noted, enclosing some of these wells (Figure 20, shown below).

1000 (N-W) to South (N-W-S)

Eighteen plots were registered in this transect, most of them with two or more small wells. Enclosed plot area was 3000 m² in average with the same natural setting as the area in transect N-W.

Point 1000 West to South (W-S)

Twenty-four plots were registered in this transect, most of them enclosed by simple type walls. Fifteen m west of point 170 and in point 200, circular beekeeping structures were found, together with a platform 10 by 8 m wide and .60 m height. At point 515, another platform of the same dimensions as that in point 170 was noted. At point 630, a group of six circular beekeeping structures was found, and one additional at 30 m west of point 650 (Figure 21) and at point 980.  Vegetation in this area is medium-size forest.

1000 (W-S) to East (W-S-E)

Simple type walls delimit 20 plots in this transect. Plots have 3500 m² in average. At point 150, a circular beekeeping structure was found. Two small platforms 4 by 5 m average were registered at points 350 and 400.  At point 450, we noted a circular mound 5 m diameter, and at point 515, we register a platform 10 by 7 m, 0.60 m high. One more circular mound was found at point 610.  From here to the end of the brecha, seven simple walls were registered. At point 1000, we reached an akalche area.

Point 1000 East to South (E-S)

From the beginning to point 500, just two very deteriorated and short walls were registered, one at point 220 and the other at point 270.  Several piles of boulders were seen and some registered in the map, although these piles seem to be formed by boulders removed from ancient walls by looters. From point 500 to the end of the transect, six other simple type walls were registered, but these walls are not enclosing any lot totally, however we can extrapolate and calculate the size of the plots in this area in 2000 m². This is an area of akahuales rich in rejolladas. A probable quarry of limestone was registered in point 350, where several big slabs and boulders were noted, but we cannot be sure if this was in use in prehispanic times. From point 800 to the end of the transect, we got into an area of Tasiste palms; this is our closest point to the coast, located about 250 m east from point 1000.

1000 (E-S) to West (E-S-W)

This transect is located in an area of akalches. Walls in this transect were of the simple type. No walls were noted in the first 170 m of transect; at point 175, we found a simple wall delimiting an akalche. From here to point 550, eleven lots were registered with an average of 3600 m². These lots basically enclosed and divided akalches (Figure 22). From point 550 to 1050, eight walls of the simple type were noted, following the same pattern of distribution. No other structures were found in this transect.

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