Archaeological inventories of chert and obsidian artifacts, Isla Cilvituk, Campeche, Mexico
Data files
Oct 16, 2025 version files 151.71 KB
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Isla_Cilvituk_Chert_Artifact_Inventory.xls
85.50 KB
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Isla_Cilvituk_Obsidian_Artifact_Inventory.xls
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README.md
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Abstract
With the permission of the Consejo de Arqueología, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, and under the authority of the Centro INAH Campeche intensive archaeological survey, instrument mapping, and test excavations were carried out at Isla Cilvituk, Campeche, Mexico, from 1994 to 1996. Isla Cilvituk is a large aggregated site, 50 hectares in size, located on an island in Laguna Silvituc and situated in a lacustrine zone that runs to the south from Lake Mocu, Campeche, to the Peten Lakes, Guatemala.
We completed a 100 percent full-coverage survey of the entire island and mapped an area of 60 hectares. Over 300 structures and features were recorded, and a systematic unaligned random sample of 280 test pits, 50x50 cm in size, was excavated. Four larger test excavations, 2x2m in size, were also placed in contexts that yielded stratigraphic and chronological information. All earth was screened through a 6mm mesh. Recovered material included ceramics, chert, obsidian, freshwater and marine shell, zooarchaeological remains, and metal.
All physical artifact collections with the exception of the zooarchaeological assemblage, were curated at the Centro INAH Campeche. The zooarchaeological remains were loaned to the PI's laboratory in New Mexico State University for detailed study with the permission of the Consejo de Arqueologia, INAH. A subset of avian and fish remains was sent to the Florida Museum of Natural History for specialized zooarchaeological analyses.
Results of the investigation and analysis have been published as peer-reviewed journals and book chapters, technical reports, New Mexico State University Master's theses and research reports, and as presentations and posters at professional archaeological conferences in Mexico and the US.
This dataset provides additional documentation for the final technical report.
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xgxd254r6
- Isla_Cilvituk_Chert_Artifact_Inventory.xls 85.5 KB
- Isla_Cilvituk_Obsidian_Artifact_Inventory.xls 62.98 KB
Description of the data and file structure
Chert and obsidian artifacts excavated from Isla Cilvituk, Campeche, Mexico, were inventoried and analyzed at the Centro INAH Campeche as part of Richard Burleson's MA research, and results are reported in his MA thesis: Burleson, R. L. (1999). Lithic analysis of the postclassic Maya site Isla Cilvituk : utilizing microwear and experimental approaches to evaluate anthropological problems at a regional scale. Thesis (M.A.)--New Mexico State University, 1999.
Chert contains 513 records and six variables.
Obsidian contains 194 records and eight variables.
Chert Variable List and Definitions:
Field Specimen number (FS#): the provenience of the artifact. Each FS# is a unique designation of the artifact's provenience: unit, level, and zone.
Unit: the number of the test unit from which the artifact was excavated.
Context: a description of the composition of the deposit
Association (Assoc): whether the artifact's provenience was associated with structural/residential remains or non-structural/non-residential locations
Group: An alphanumeric designation of individual site sectors.
Function: identification of the form and function of the artifact - debitage, core, utilized flake (utilized f), blade, biface, projectile point (projectile)
Obsidian Variable List and Definitions:
Field Specimen number (FS#): the provenience of the artifact. Each FS# is a unique designation of the artifact's provenience: unit, level, and zone.
Source: The source of the obsidian artifact as determined by abbreviated NAA, analysis performed by Glascock, Herrera, and Gudino at MURR,
Unit: the number of the test unit from which the artifact was excavated.
Context: whether the Field specimen was excavated from a unit associated with an Elite or non-elite structure type
Association (Assoc): whether the artifact's provenience was associated with features such as terrace, platform, structure, rejollada, sloping area, or plaza.
Function: use-wear of artifact edge, as determined under magnification in the laboratory, details reported in Burleson 1999.
Group: An alphanumeric designation of individual site sectors.
Structure Type: what structure type (coded 1-3) the artifact was associated with.
Detailed information about the Isla Cilvituk Archaeological Project is described in the Informe técnico final: INVESTIGACIONES ARQUEOLÓGICAS EN LAS UNIDADES HABITACIONALES DE ISLA CILVITUK, CAMPECHE, MÉXICO: Informe Técnico Final para las Investigaciones de 1994-1996, Presentado al Consejo de Arqueología, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico, D.F.. Rani T Alexander, Elena Canché Manzanero, Richard Burleson, Hea Joo Chung, Juan Carlos Cruz, Michael Glascock, Sergio Herrera, Alejandra Gudino, John A. Hunter, Brian Fortunato, David Lentz, Amanda L. Martinez. 2006 ( tDAR id: 497393); doi:10.48512/XCV8497393
Code/software
Microsoft Excel
The chert and obsidian artifact assemblage from Isla Cilvituk, Campeche, was collected using the archaeological excavation methods described in the technical report for the project cited below (doi:10.48512/XCV8497393). Chert and obsidian artifacts were collected, washed, and cataloged in the field and curated at the Centro INAH Campeche. Digital photographs of selected chert and obsidian artifacts from the excavations are presented in a related Dryad database. Analysis and inventory of the chert and obsidian assemblage was completed at the Centro INAH Campeche by Richard Bureleson for his NMSU Master's thesis. With the permission of the Consejo de Arqueologia INAH, a sample of obsidian artifacts was sent to Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) for sourcing via abbreviated NAA. Detailed results are summarized in a separate section of the technical report. All obsidian artifacts analyzed at MURR were returned to the Centro INAH Campeche for curation and storage.
CARE Principles:
Research Project consent: The digital data curated here was collected from archaeological field studies authorized by the Consejo de Arqueologia, Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, implemented through the Centro INAH - Campeche, with consent from the local municipal authority of the descendant community of Silvituc. By law, stewardship of all physical artifacts resulting from the investigation is curated by the Centro INAH-Campeche, where they were inventoried and remain in long-term underground storage. The data spreadsheets in this collection do not contain sensitive data related to people or their cultural artifacts.
Informe técnico final: INVESTIGACIONES ARQUEOLÓGICAS EN LAS UNIDADES HABITACIONALES DE ISLA CILVITUK, CAMPECHE, MÉXICO: Informe Técnico Final para las Investigaciones de 1994-1996, Presentado al Consejo de Arqueología, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico, D.F. Rani T Alexander, Elena Canché Manzanero, Richard Burleson, Hea Joo Chung, Juan Carlos Cruz, Michael Glascock, Sergio Hererra, Alejandra Gudino, John A. Hunter, Brian Fortunato, David Lentz, Amanda L. Martinez. 2006 (tDAR id: 497393); doi:10.48512/XCV8497437
Lithic Analysis of the Postclassic Maya Site, Isla Cilvituk: Utilizing Microwear and Experimental Approaches to Evaluate Anthropological Problems at a Regional Scale. Richard L. Burleson. Master's Thesis. New Mexico State University (NMSU), Anthropology. 1999 ( tDAR id: 501749); doi:10.48512/XCV8501749