DOI: 10.5061/dryad.xgxd254r6
title: Archaeological inventories of chert and obsidian artifacts, Isla Cilvituk, Campeche, Mexico

description: 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.
description: 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
description: # Archaeological inventories of chert and obsidian artifacts, Isla
 Cilvituk, Campeche, Mexico
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xgxd254r6](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