Previous Research at the Site
Dissertation and all web site contents copyright 2008 Bradley W. Russell
Modern Archaeological work at Mayapán
By far the most comprehensive archaeological study of the site began in 1948 with the arrival of a team
of researchers from the Carnegie Institution (Adams 1953; Bullard 1952, 1953, 1954; Chowning 1956;
Jones 1957; Pollock et. al. 1962; Proskouriakoff 1955; Shook 1952, 1954a, 1954b; Shook and Irving
1955’ Smith, P.E. 1955’ Smith R.E. 1954; Winters 1955a, 1955b, 1955c). This team focused on a one
hundred percent survey of the 4.2 square kilometers of the site contained within the long defensive wall
that surrounds the majority of the settlement. Their work combined a full survey of the portions of the site
continued within the city wall, with detailed mapping of both the Main Plaza and the Itzmal Chen
temple/cenote group in the northeast of the site. The most important of the many maps that they
produced was the full settlement map by Morris Jones (1957). The team conducted a number of test
excavations and consolidated a significant number of important structures. They produced two critical
volumes that have served as the basis for all subsequent work, Mayapan, Yucatan, Mexico (Pollock et al.
1962) and Robert E Smith’s (1971) 2 volume study The Pottery of Mayapan.
PAGE (3 of 6 previous research) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6
By far the most comprehensive archaeological study of the site began in 1948 with the arrival of a team
of researchers from the Carnegie Institution (Adams 1953; Bullard 1952, 1953, 1954; Chowning 1956;
Jones 1957; Pollock et. al. 1962; Proskouriakoff 1955; Shook 1952, 1954a, 1954b; Shook and Irving
1955’ Smith, P.E. 1955’ Smith R.E. 1954; Winters 1955a, 1955b, 1955c). This team focused on a one
hundred percent survey of the 4.2 square kilometers of the site contained within the long defensive wall
that surrounds the majority of the settlement. Their work combined a full survey of the portions of the site
continued within the city wall, with detailed mapping of both the Main Plaza and the Itzmal Chen
temple/cenote group in the northeast of the site. The most important of the many maps that they
produced was the full settlement map by Morris Jones (1957). The team conducted a number of test
excavations and consolidated a significant number of important structures. They produced two critical
volumes that have served as the basis for all subsequent work, Mayapan, Yucatan, Mexico (Pollock et al.
1962) and Robert E Smith’s (1971) 2 volume study The Pottery of Mayapan.
PAGE (3 of 6 previous research) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6
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