All that survives of the platform is its W end abutting the S room wall. Its walls rest on Fl. 1 of 2nd, from which there is a secondary turnup. The shape of U. 20 was unusual, in that it has an inset in the center of its W end, 0.50 m deep and 0.35 m wide. Presumably, it had a matching inset in its E end, but the Maya demolished this when they built U. 22.
The next modification of Rm. 3 saw creation of a new interior platform (U. 21) in the W end of the room, at which time the doorway to Rm. 2 was closed off (Fig. 15 and 41b,c). The face for U. 21 (Fig. 41d) was built of large blocks of masonry, with spalls, on Fl. 1 of 2nd (which had been extensively burned here) with a secondary turnup from that floor (Fig. 19e). A mixture of large stone blocks with what appeared to be habitation debris (abundant carbon and sherds) was placed behind this wall. This was prevented from spilling into Rm. 2 by the large masonry with spalls that the Maya used to seal the doorway. On the Rm. 2 side, this masonry rises from Fl. 1 of 2nd, while on the Rm. 3 side, it extends up from the top of U. 21 (Fig. 41c). Near the top in Rm. 3 (2 m above Fl. 1 of 2nd), a vent was left, although this was later plugged with a single stone (Fig. 41a,b). Unit 21 was finished off with a plaster surface, 7 cm thick, which abuts the room walls, the masonry in the old doorway to Rm. 1, and the base of the masonry in the doorway to Rm. 2.
The next addition to Rm. 3 was another interior platform, U. 22, built on Fl. 1 of 2nd against the center of the back wall (Fig. 17, 18). Serving as fill for U. 22 was a remnant of the largely demolished U. 20 along with light-colored earth and stones, all of which were covered by a plaster surface that abuts the building wall behind. The room floor was also repaved, its new surface (Fl. 1 of 1st) abutting the walls of both U. 21 (Fig. 19e) and 22. To bring the uppermost riser of the N stairs up to the level of this new floor (0.10 m above the old one), new masonry was set into Fl. 1 of 2nd just outside the door. Ultimately Fl. 1 of 1st was extensively burned N and E of U. 22.
Two other interior platforms were eventually built in Rm. 3 (Fig. 16), one of which, U. 23, joined together the surfaces of U. 21 and 22 into a single, L-shaped platform (Fig. 15), the main portion of which completely filled the W half of the room (Fig. 41b). The new facing for U. 23, based on Fl. 1 of 1st, runs from the W jamb of the outside door to abut the front wall of U. 22. It retains an earth fill, which was covered by a plaster floor 6 cm in thickness. The other interior platform (U. 24), similarly constructed on Fl. 1 of 1st, occupies the E end of Rm. 3 (Fig. 16). Its front abuts the N and S room walls and retains earth fill, over which a plaster surface (7 cm thick) was laid to abut the top of a wall filling the lower portion of the doorway to Rm. 4 (see below). Left was a raised threshold 0.09 m high and 0.24 m wide (Fig. 16:9). Thus, the doorway continued in use as a crawlway between the rooms (Fig. 19f, 42b). Traces of burning were apparent over all the S half of the platform pavement.
In Rm. 4, the sequence of alterations is much simpler than in any of the others. Here, a large L-shaped interior platform (U. 25) was built on Fl. 1 of 2nd (Fig. 13–16), filling the N 1.71 m, and the back 1.15 m of the room. Its face abuts the S and E building walls, and there is a secondary turnup from Fl. 1. Earth fill was placed behind the wall of U. 25, retained in the doorway to Rm. 3 by masonry 0.24 m in thickness and 0.79 m in height (Fig. 13:9, 19f, and 42c). This wall was built of large rectangular blocks, with interstices chinked with small stones, and located on the surface of Fl. 1 of 2nd, even with the face of the building wall in Rm. 3. A coat of plaster covered this exposed face in Rm. 3. The N end of U. 25 was built up to a height of 0.78 m and covered with plaster 0.10 m in thickness, leaving the previously noted low threshold in the doorway to Rm. 3. The central 2.07 m of U. 25 was lower than the N end (only 0.37 m high), and its pavement, 0.03 m in thickness, turned up to the higher N portion, as well as a matching high portion on the S (Fig. 19b).
The only other change in Rm. 4 was the construction of U. 26, an addition to U. 25 that filled in the rest of the S room end (Fig. 16). The front of U. 26 was built on Fl. 1 of 2nd, and against the high E face of the S portion of U. 25. The height of U. 26 is unknown, as only the lowest 0.20 m survived.
Correlation of these various additions and alterations is difficult to make. Nonetheless, there are certain points of reference, and ceramic analysis offers further aid. Construction of the E stairway, the earliest N and W stairways, and renovation of the S stairway are thought to have taken place at a single time, probably along with closure of the doorway between Rm. 1 and 2, and restriction of that between Rm. 3 and 4 (with the construction of U. 25 in Rm. 4). Consistent is the somewhat slim ceramic evidence available (Table 5.1; see below), and certainly elimination of the doorway between Rm. 1 and 2 (that between Rm. 2 and 3 was previously blocked) would have required other stairways than the existing one on the S. It would not be illogical to have built all stairways at this time, although this clearly is not proof that this was done. The N stairway alone could have sufficed.
Closure of the doorway between Rm. 2 and 3, and construction of U. 21 in Rm. 3 surely took place at a single time. Equally certain is that this postdated construction of U. 17 and 18 in Rm. 2, U. 12 in Rm. 1, and (also in Rm. 1) placement of U. 14 and 15 (these last three all postdate construction of U. 18 in Rm. 2). Suspected is that the change to the W stairs represented by U. 6 and 7 took place when Fl. 2 of 1st was laid in Rm. 2.
It seems likely that the last floors in Rm. 2 and 3 were laid at one and the same time. Because this is when the upper riser of the N stairway was set in place, it is thought that this is when the last modification of the W stairway (represented by U. 8, see Fig. 18a) took place. Thus, U. 23 and 24 represent the last alterations of 7F-32.
On the basis of the above, then, a minimum of eight modifications for 1st may be defined (A through H; see Table 2.4 and Fig. 13–16). Not known is where U. 26 fits in this scheme, and U. 14, 15, and 16 are also somewhat of a problem. It must be emphasized once again that a good deal in the way of proof is lacking for this sequence. It is, however, the most logical on the basis of present information, and probably is correct at least in broad outline.
Structure 7F-33
This large structure located about 19 m S of Str. 7F-32, and which faces the open area of Plat. 7F-2, remains virtually untouched by excavation. In 1965, there was time only for a test pit (Op. 3J) to be sunk a little over 1.00 m into its top. A rather inconclusive sample of sherds was recovered (Table 5.1; see below), but no intact architecture was encountered. On the basis of surface configurations, 7F-33 could have been either a “temple,” somewhat smaller than 7F-30, or another range-type structure comparable to Str. 7F-32.
TABLE 2.4 (Part 1)
Structure 7F-32: Time Spans
TABLE 2.4 (Part 2)
Structure 7F-32: Time Spans
Structure 7F-35
This westernmost structure of Gp. 7F-1 faces eastward across Plat. 7F-2, on the opposite side of which is the W end of Str. 7F-32. All that remains of 7F-35 is a three-level platform resembling some others that probably supported buildings of pole-and-thatch (TR. 19:120 and TR. 20B:19). As Op. 3F, a trench was dug through what was thought to be the front-rear axis, although later excavation along the back to the NW corner, and a probe that located the SW corner, revealed that the trench actually is just N of the centerline. A single architectural development is represented (Table 2.5); for illustrations, see Fig. 20 and 21a.
DESCRIPTION
To begin, the Maya partially demolished an existing plaza surface (Plat. 7F-2:U. 1 and 2), following which a thin stratum of earth was placed
