Study Methods
Dissertation and all web site contents copyright 2008 Bradley W. Russell
Data Analysis

The final phase of research focused on analysis of the data collected during the 2003 and 2004 test
pitting program. Analysis of all classes of artifact data took place with the assistance of trained laboratory
technicians at the I.N.A.H. Mayapán lab in Tecoh, Yucatán and members of the EFMP project.  The
artifacts collected were analyzed by the same individuals and in the same manner as those materials
recovered from inside the city wall for consistency between the two data sets.  All artifacts were washed,
counted and cataloged by local lab assistants in advance of analysis.  Soil samples were analyzed at
Brigham Young University under the direction of Dr. Richard Terry of the Department of Agronomy and
Horticulture.  They were dried, crushed and sifted with a 2mm screen.  Phosphates were extracted using
the Mehlich II extraction solution.  For more details on the method see (Terry et al. 2004).  All remaining
soil was destroyed by the Brigham Young Laboratory facility in accordance with export/import rules
intended to limit the introduction of foreign soil pathogens.














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