Shells and other Marine Material from Tikal

Abstract

Excavations at Tikal, Petén, Guatemala, have produced a large quantity of marine and lacustrine material. Ah of the marine material had to be imported since Tikal is an inland site. It is about 175 air-kilometers from Tikal east to the Gulf of Honduras, about 260 air-km. northwest to the J3ay of Campeche, and about 380 air-km. south to the Pacific Ocean. We cannot say at this point if the marine materials were obtained indirectly through trade or directly through expeditions to the coasts. The probable sources for freshwater mollusks are the few large aguadas or waterholes in the immediate vicinity of Tikal, and Lake Petén-Itzá about 25 air km. lo the south. There are no streams in this part of the Petén. Land snails of local species sometimes encountered in the excevation wifl be omilted here. There is, to date, no evidence of intentional deposition of land snails as offrings or of their utilization as omaments or as food.