Archaeological Investigations in the Baalche’ Group at Yaxnohcah, Campeche, Mexico: An Analysis of the Function of a Courtyard Group

Abstract

This thesis details the 2013 and 2014 excavation and analysis of the Baalche’ Group at the Maya site of Yaxnohcah in southeastern Campeche, Mexico. The Baalche’ Group is a courtyard group consisting of four structures (Brisa 4 and Baalche’ 5, 6, and 7) that is located in the site core, directly adjacent to an E-Group complex. This thesis will address the construction history, activities, and status associated with the Baalche’ Group in order to evaluate the group’s function. Based on ceramic analysis and radiocarbon dating, the group was first constructed in Late Preclassic period and was continuously occupied until the Terminal Classic period. The arrangement of the group and the artifact assemblage collected from excavations compares with palatial complexes from the Maya lowlands, indicating that the Baalche’ Group functioned as a palace, or, more specifically, a place where a ruling family resided and/or governed at Yaxnohcah.