Operation 444

Site 444

Site 444 lies ca. 75m south-southeast of a 40m high southeastern spur of Cerro de Magdalena within the Sierra de Omoa range. A seasonal affluent of the Quebrada Danta (also called Quebrada Puente Quemada) is 100m to the northeast while Sites 441 and La Sierra are 300m and 3.35km to the east-southeast, respectively. The aforementioned tributary exposes a clay deposit that might have been exploited in antiquity. It was, in part, to investigate this possibility that excavations at Site 444 were initiated. The terrain on which Site 444 was built slopes up gradually from southeast to northwest towards the nearby promontory; the land also rises in a gentle ascent from south to north beneath Site 444 before dropping off towards the stream channel. The eight surface-visible constructions that make up Site 444 are clustered around a patio. Six of these buildings were investigated from March 27-May 11, 1995; Strs. 444-1, 2, 3, and 4 were completely cleared whereas Strs. 444-7 and 8 were sufficiently exposed to allow reconstruction of their basal dimensions and some inferences regarding superstructure form. Twelve pits were also dug away from architecture; three in the patio, the remainder in a line running north of the settlement towards the quebrada. These tests measured 1m on a side and were designed to locate activity areas undetected on ground surface. Fully 281m2 were cleared in the course of this work all of which was overseen by B. Guizzetti and F. Bender.

Structure 444-1 (Figures **-**) [1 section, 1 plan; D95-68 and D95-1]

Structure 444-1, the largest building at Site 444, closes off the western patio flank and is 2.2m southwest of Str. 444-2 and 3.9m northwest of Str. 444-7. Most of the area separating Str. 444-1 from these edifices is filled with constructions that do not protrude above ground surface. The land surrounding this edifice rises 0.35m over 10m east-to-west, though there is good reason to believe that the original ground surface on which Str. 444-1-1st was erected ascended ca. 0.55m over 10m in this direction (see TS.2). Digging carried out within Subops. 444A, E, F, and O exposed ca. 74.8m2, completely revealing the core platform and an addition appended to that construction's southern face. Excavations were carried down to a maximum depth of 0.76m beneath modern ground surface outside construction (architectural fill was not probed) revealing a single building phase. F. Bender directed all field investigations of Str. 444-1.

Time Span	Construction Phase	Units	Strata	Features	Date
1	-	-	S.1	-	LCLI/II?
2	Str. 444-1-1st	U.1-23	-	-	LCL II/III
3	Str. 444-1-1st	U.24-28	-	F.1	LCLIII/II
4	-	-	S.1	F.2	-

Time Span 1

At least 0.37m of S.1, a fine-textured, hard-compacted, very dark grayish brown soil (10YR 3/2) was laid down before Str. 444-1-1st's construction (S.1's base was not encountered). Artifacts were found throughout S.1 save in the lowest exposed ca. 0.05m; whether cultural material might have been retrieved at greater depths in unknown. All we can say at present is that the artifacts retrieved from S.1 beneath TS.2 architecture point to a human presence in the immediate area while this soil was being laid down.

Time Span 2

Structure 444-1-1st is a stone-faced platform that is bounded on all sides by basal facings (U.1-4) that stand 0.32-0.4m high. All of these elements, save U.4 on the south, define straight lines. Unit 4 runs 3.1m east from the platform's southwest corner at which point it jogs 0.75m south before continuing eastward to the southeast corner. This dog-leg may be a late addition, U.4 originally having extended without changing direction between the two southern corners. This interpretation is tentatively suggested by the relationship between U.4 and 1 (the eastern facing). Such a modification might have been made to accommodate construction of Room 3 which occupies southern extension. A 1.1-1.43m wide stone-and-earth-paved terrace backs the eastern basal facing on the building's patio-facing side (all included in U.1). A 0.3-0.8m wide terrace backs U.2 on the north; this entity narrows where it borders Room 1, expanding considerably over its westernmost 3.3m. The northern terrace is bounded by U.8 (Room 1's northern foundation, see below) and U.19, a 0.2m high step-up to the summit. On the remaining sides, U.3 and 4 ascend directly to the summit.

Structure 444-1-1st's summit is divided into two segments of unequal size: a narrow eastern portion (1.8m across) and a much wider western component (3.7m across). Four rooms make up Str. 444-1-1st's superstructure, bounded by 0.1-0.46m high by 0.21-0.5m wide stone footings (U.8, 9, 16, 17, 20/22). Three of these chambers are set in a north-south line atop the eastern summit. The central enclosure, Room 2, is open to the east, overlooking the U.1 terrace and the patio. The compartment is fronted in this direction by two steps (U.5 and 11) the stone risers of which are 0.08m and 0.11m high, respectively. Unit 5's earth-and-stone tread is 0.41m wide. Room 2's earthen floor covers 1.16x1.75m, much of this space taken up by a 0.34m high stone-faced and -surfaced L-shaped bench (U.12). Unit 12 covers the entirety of Room 2's western and southern walls, its principal "leg" measuring 0.56m by 1.75m north-south, a 0.68m wide (north-south) projection extending 0.6m east from the leg's southern terminus. Unit 13 rises 0.26m above U.12 on the west, marking the eastern edge of Str. 444-1-1st's western summit. Room 3 lies immediately south of Room 2 and is bounded on the east by an 0.11m high step-up (a southern continuation of U.5) from the U.1 terrace. The stone-paved floor (U.23) of this compartment encompasses 1x1.85m. A 0.35m gap in Room 3's southwest corner (where U.4 turns south) may have helped ventilate the enclosure's interior. Room 1 is the northernmost member of this triad. Like its southern analogues, it, too, is open to the east over U.1; unlike Rooms 2 and 3, however, no step intervenes between the terrace and Room 1's earthen-floored interior. The latter measures 1.2x1.85m and lacks built-in furniture. As implied in the above descriptions, Rooms 1/3 all rest at slightly different levels; Room 2, 0.19m above Room 1 and 0.08m higher than Room 3.

The 1.05-1.1m separating Rooms 1 and 2 is filled with a staircase composed of three stone-faced risers (a northern continuation of U.5, U.6, and 7) that ascend a total of ca. 0.4m above the U.1 terrace in increments of 0.1-0.15m. The basal tread (between U.5 and 6) is 1m across whereas the second ascending step measures 0.85m across. The U.5/7 stairs lead directly to Room 4 on the western summit. This chamber covers 1.1x1.6m, its featureless earthen floor set ca. 0.1m below the western summit surface. Room 4 is bounded on the north and west by stone footings (U.17 and 16) while its southern margin is delimited by a stone-faced and -surfaced bench (U.14). Unit 14 extends 1.9-2.7m south from Room 4 to the platform's southern margin (U.4) and runs 1.99m west from U.13, the ascent that defines Room 2's western boundary. Overall, Unit 14 stands 0.26m high on the east and west (0.36m on the north where it faces into Room 4) and encompasses 4.9m2. The 0.6m and 1.24m of summit lying north of Room 4 (between U.17 and 19) and west of U.14's western margin (U.15) are open. The U.14 bench, therefore, apparently faced east (over Room 2), west, and south. In general, the western summit is approximately 0.5m above its eastern counterpart. As noted earlier, however, not all portions of the western summit are on the same level, Room 4 being set roughly 0.1m lower than the surrounding surfaces.

By the conclusion of TS.2, Str. 444-1-1st is a stone-faced platform standing 1.15m high on the east and 0.6m on the west. This 0.55m discrepancy is almost certainly due to the building's construction over an east-to-west natural rise. By TS.2's conclusion, the edifice measured 6.5x6.65m (including U.4's southern jog) and was oriented roughly 349 degrees. A 0.3-0.8m wide terrace extends back from Str. 444-1-1st's northern basal facing while a 1.1-1.43m wide terrace fronts the edifice on its eastern, patio-facing side. The superstructure is divided between 1.8m wide eastern and 3.7m wide western segments. The former contains three enclosures arranged in a north-south line, each open over the broad eastern terrace. The central compartment (Room 2) is reached by means of two low steps, 0.11 and 0.12m high, from the eastern terrace. Its earthen floor covers 2m2 and supports an L-shaped bench built against the western and southern foundations. The bench's long element measures 0.56m across and runs 1.75m north-south, a 0.68m wide projection extending 0.6m east from the former's southern end. A 0.26m high step-up rises above the bench and marks the eastern limit of the western summit. Room 3, immediately south of Room 2, has an 0.11m high step leading up from the eastern terrace. The chamber's stone-paved surface covers 1.9m2. A 0.35m wide gap in Room 3's southwest corner possibly ventilated the compartment's interior. Room 1, at the northern terminus of the line, is on the same level as the eastern terrace, its 2.2m2 earthen-floored interior containing no built-in furniture. A formal staircase, mounting 0.4m by means of three low risers, provides passage between the eastern and western summits. These steps fill the 1.05-1.1m between Rooms 1 and 2, the distance narrowing slightly from east to west. Room 4 lies at the western end of the stairs, its featureless earthen-floored interior covering 1.8m2 and set approximately 0.1m below the level of the rest of the western summit. A large stone-faced and -surfaced bench stands 0.36m above Room 4 on the south. This entity encompasses 4.9m2, rises 0.26m above the rest of the western summit, and is open on all sides save the north. Structure 444-1-1st's western summit is 0.5m higher than its eastern analogue. Even within these respective zones there are discrepancies in altitude: Room 2's floor is 0.19m above that of Room 1 and 0.08m higher than its Room 3 counterpart while Room 4 is set 0.1m below the rest of the western summit.

All facings, foundations, and floors are made from a combination of unmodified quartz rocks and schist slabs, some of the latter possibly having been worked to create vertical faces. In general, schist slabs predominate in floors, such as the U.23 pavement found in Room 3; U.3, 4, 8, 13, 15, 16, and 19 are fashioned primarily of quartz. The schist slabs are almost always laid flat in the constructions where they are found. The single noted exception is at the base of U.17 where the slabs making up the basal course are set vertically. Rock sizes range from 0.05m to over 0.3m on their longest dimension, with most falling at or above 0.15m on this measure. The naturally flatter aspects of the quartz stones are directed outwards as are the (possibly) modified faces of the schist slabs. A brown mud mortar is used as a binding agent in all units.

Time Span 3

During this interval, a 0.25m high (on the east) platform was appended to Str. 444-1-1st's southern flank. This construction is bounded by cobble facings (U.25 and 26) that ascend directly to the summit. The eastern basal wall (U.26) intersects U.4, 1.9m west of the core platform's southeast corner and extends 3.75m south to its junction with U.25. The latter was traced for 2.6m to the west before excavation ceased. Exposed portions of the addition's summit are featureless save for a stone pavement (U.27) arranged in the form of a "T", its stem running east-west. Unit 27's cross-bar extends along the eastern structure margin, covering 2.8m north-south by 1.25-1.7m across east-west. The "stem" is 1.8m wide north-south and was followed for 0.85m to the west, investigations ending before it did. Those parts of the summit not covered by U.27 are exposed dirt. Like its much larger norther neighbor, the southern addition is built into an east-to-west natural rise; most likely this construction only had significant elevation on its downslope, eastern face. Two low stone foundations, U.24 and 28, intervene between the core platform and its southern projection. Unit 28, though poorly preserved, seems to have been 0.3m wide, is 0.2-0.25m north of U.27, and runs 1.8m west from U.26. Unit 24 lies 0.3m north of U.28 and 0.25m south of U.4, occupying the niche created by the latter's southern jog. This 0.34m high by 0.55-0.6m wide foundation is 2.7m long east-west, its western margin lining up tolerably well with the core platform's southwest corner. Unit 28's jumbled appearance precludes specifying whether this footing stops opposite U.24's eastern margin or continues west of that point. It may be that the two constructions are offset from, and do not overlap, each other. In either case, U.24 and 28 appear to have supported free-standing perishable walls that separated TS. 2 and 3 architecture, segregating the activities pursued in these locale from each other.

Structure 444-1-1st's southern addition stood 0.25m tall on the east, its height decreasing from east to west as ground surface rose in this direction, measures 3.75m by at least 2.6m, and maintains the alignment of its norther predecessor (ca. 349 degrees). The featureless summit is partially paved, two stone foundations located just north of this surface separating the addition from the core platform to the north. All TS.3 architecture is built from a mixture of quartz stones and schist slabs; U.24, however, seems to be made exclusively of quartz. The naturally flatter aspects of the quartz are usually directed outwards as are the possibly modified vertical faces of the schist. Rocks that comprise facings and foundations tend to measure upwards of 0.2m along their longest dimension; the U.27 stones are usually smaller. A brown mud mortar was used as a binding agent in all units. Feature 1, a layer of burnt earth extending 0.45m west from the base of U.3, may be the remnant of superstructure construction fallen soon after abandonment or the result of a localized fire built against the core platform's western margin.

Time Span 4

Following abandonment, all but the uppermost stones of extant construction were buried by the continued natural deposition of S.1. Extending for at least 2.19m west and 0.92m east of Str. 444-1-1st is a moderately dense concentrations of rocks fallen from final-phase architecture (F.2). Feature 2 stones were also found overlying the platform and the southern addition.

Structure 444-2 (Figures **-**) [1 section, 1 plan; D95-65 and D95-1]

Structure 444-2 occupies the northwest corner of the patio, 2.2m northeast of Str. 444-1 and 1.55m west of Str. 444-3. The land here slopes up gradually from south to north to a point beneath Str. 444-2 before beginning its gradual southward descent towards the quebrada. There is some indication (see TS.2) that the terrain on which this edifice was raised ascended 0.37m across 5.78m south-to-north. Excavations conducted here within Subop. 444B, H, I, K, L, and M cleared roughly 62.1m2, exposing the entirety of Str. 444-2-1st and a surface-level room built against the latter's southwest flank. Digging was pursued to maximum depths of 0.76m and 1.1m beneath modern ground level outside construction and into and through architectural fill, respectively. A single, clear building phase was revealed in the course of this work directed by B. Guizzetti.

Time Span	Construction Phase	Units	Strata	Features	Date
1	-	-	S.1-3	-	LCLI/II
2	Str. 444-2-1st	U.1-17	-	-	LCLII/III
3	Str. 444-2-1st	U.18-22	-	-	LCLIII/II
4	-	-	S.3,4	F.1	-

Time Span 1

Revealed at the base of a 1x1m probe dug into Str. 444-2-1st's summit is S.1, a fine-textured, hard-compacted, light brown clay. Stratum 1 was exposed to a maximum thickness of 0.26m (its base was not encountered) and rises 0.05m over 1m north-to-south. Blanketing S.1 by 0.34-0.36m is a moderately coarse-textured, soft-compacted, tan sand containing numerous small (0.01m diameter or less) rounded pebbles along with a few larger rocks (S.2). Stratum 2 ascends 0.01m over 1m north-to-south. At least 0.36m of S.3, a very fine-textured, hard-packed, brown soil (10YR 5/3), was found underlying TS.2 construction off Str. 444-2-1st's flanks (excavation ended before S.3's base was found). Stratum 3 occupies the same stratigraphic position as S.2 beneath Str. 444-2-1st's summit, and we are not sure how these two layers are related. It may be that S.2 is a sizable lens embedded within S.3 or was artificially introduced in preparation for Str. 444-2-1st's construction. Why a portion of S.3 beneath Str. 444-2-1st would have been replaced with S.2 sand is unclear. Recovery of artifacts from S. 2 and lower S.3 indicates a human presence in the area prior to TS.2. The absence of cultural in S.1 very tentatively implies that this soil was deposited when there was no nearby human settlement.

Time Span 2

Structure 444-2-1st is a stone-faced platform that is divisible into two sections; a relatively narrow southeastern portion, 2.28m northwest-southeast, and a wider northwestern component (3.5m in the same direction). The northwestern summit is approximately 0.26m higher than its southeastern analogue, a discrepancy that may owe a lot to the general south-to-north rise of the land beneath Str. 444-2-1st (The northwestern basal facing [U.3] is set 0.37m higher than its southeastern counterpart [U.1]). There is good reason to believe that the two segments were built separately, based on wall abutment patterns. Most likely, the southeastern element enjoys temporal priority over its northwestern neighbor, though how much time elapsed between these building efforts is not certain.

The facings bordering Str. 444-2-1st's southeastern portion (U.1, 2, 6, and 7) stand 0.3-0.41m high and rise to the earthen-floored summit in a single ascent. Rooms 1-3 are arranged atop that summit in a southwest-northeast line, each one completely open on the southeast towards the patio. Room 2, the central chamber, is delimited by 0.22m high by 0.45-0.5m wide footings on the northeast (U.8) and southwest (U.9) along with the 0.41m high by 0.44m wide northwestern wall (U.7) that separates the southeastern and northwestern summits. The enclosure measures 1.15x2.27m. A 0.41m high stone-faced bench (U.10) occupies Room 2's northwestern wall. Built against U.7 and over U.8, this entity measures 0.73m across and 1.5m long northeast-southwest. A 1.7m wide gap between U.7 and 9 in Room 2's western corner may have originally provided access to Room 1 on the southwest. Construction of U.10 narrowed this breach to 0.15m, allowing for the passage of air, not people, through this former door. Room 1 covers 2x2.05m, is featureless, and apparently open to the southwest as well as the southeast. Room 3, adjoining Room 2 on the northeast, encompasses 1.05-1.35x2.3m, is bounded by U.7, 8, and 11 (a 0.3m wide footing) on the northwest, southwest, and northeast, respectively. Unit 11 ends 0.75m shy of the compartment's eastern corner, allowing movement from Str. 444-2-1st's northeast flank into Room 3. A 0.45m by 0.85m stone-faced shelf (U.12) is built into the enclosure's northern interior corner.

Structure 444-2-1st's northwestern segment is built against U.7, its remaining flanks defined by basal walls preserved to 0.2-0.4m high (U.3-5). The fill (U.17) retained by U.3/5 and 7 is a very fine-textured, hard-compacted, brown earth (10YR 5/3) containing a few rocks. Unit 17 is identical to S.3 (see TS.1 for a description of S.3). Rooms 4 and 5 occupy this earthen-floored summit. The former covers 2.14x3.5m and is open on the northwest and northeast. Units 13 and 14, 0.27-0.28m high by 0.31-0.4m wide footings, partially enclose Room 4 on the southeast and southwest. Gaps measuring 1.35m across separate U.13 and 14 from the northeast and northwest basal facings (U.3 and 4). These ample breaches would have facilitated movement between Room 4 and Room 5 on the southwest. A 0.46m wide by 2.45m long corridor extends between U.7 and 13 on Room 4's southeastern flank. This passage links Room 5 to Room 4's eastern door. Room 4's western door issues onto a stone surface covering 1.2x1.5m (U.15; measured across the center). Unit 15 fills the summit's western corner and borders Room 5 on the northwest. That enclosure measures 1.3x1.5m (calculated across the center) and, like its northeastern neighbor, contains no built-in furniture. Open on the southwest, a 0.45m-wide gap in Room 5's southern corner allows direct access to Room 6 on ground surface (see T.S. 3). A stone pavement (U.16) encompassing 0.85x1.3m is set on ground level against U.3, 0.35m southeast of that facing's northern corner with U.4.

Structure 444-2-1st is a stone-faced, earth-filled platform standing ca. 0.4m high, encompassing 5.78x5.95m, and oriented roughly 346 degrees (Unit 5, part of the northwestern facing, diverges from this alignment, running at 351 degrees). The southeastern and northwestern building segments were probably raised sequentially (the former being earlier than the latter), have different dimensions (2.28x5.5m and 3.5x5.25m, respectively) and elevations (the northwestern summit is 0.26m higher than its southeastern counterpart), and are slightly offset from each other (the southeastern element runs 0.65m northeast past its northwestern counterpart). Altogether, five rooms comprise Str. 444-2-1st's superstructure, each delimited by stone foundations standing 0.22-0.41m high and measuring 0.3-0.5m across. Three earthen-floored rooms arranged in a southwest-northeast line fill the southeastern summit. The central compartment (Room 2) covers 2.6m2 whereas its southwestern and northeastern neighbors encompass 4.1m2 and 2.6m2, Rooms 1 and 3 respectively. A 0.41m high bench, covering 0.73x1.5m, fills most of Room 2's northwest wall while a shelf measuring 0.45x0.85m occupies Room 3's northern corner. Rooms 1-3 are all open to the southeast towards the patio but, by the end of TS.2, there are no clear doorways linking the chambers. The relatively late addition of Room 2's bench (U.10) effectively sealed the only known passage between this compartment and Room 1. Rooms 4 and 5 on the northwest summit are, like Rooms 1-3, easily accessible from outside the platform. No doorways linking chambers on the southeast with those on the northwest were noted, however. Room 4, the largest of the compartments, covers 7.5m2 whereas Room 5 on the southwest encompasses 2m2. Movement between these enclosures was facilitated by 1.35m wide doors in Room 4's western and eastern corners. The second passage leads to a 0.46m wide by 2.45m long corridor that issues into Room 5's eastern corner while the first opens onto a stone pavement that borders Room 5 on the northwest. Both Rooms 4 and 5 have earthen floors and lack surviving built-in furniture. A stone pavement covering 0.85x1.3m is set on ground surface off the platform's northeast flank, 0.35m southeast of its northern corner. This entity may have been introduced to facilitate passage between Str. 444-2-1st and its eastern neighbor, Str. 444-3-1st.

All TS.2 architecture consists of unmodified quartz and, to a lesser extent, schist slabs. Schist is a prominent component of U.2 and 5; otherwise quartz is used to fashion basal walls, footings, and floors. Some effort was apparently devoted to orienting the naturally flatter aspects of rocks outward. A brown mud mortar was used as a binding agent in all units.

Time Span 3

During this interval, a surface-level chamber (Room 6) defined by foundations 0.1-0.3m high and 0.3-0.65m wide (U.18-20) was raised off Str. 444-2-1st's southwestern flank. Room 6's northwestern margin is marked by a ca. 0.15m high terrace (U.22) built into the south-to-north natural slope, and not by a load-bearing footing. Extending 1.5m southeast into Room 6 from U.22's approximate center is a block of stones set on end (U.21). Unit 21 measures 0.95m across, stands 0.45m high, and has a line of schist slabs running northwest-southeast down its approximate center. A 0.4m wide gap in the eastern corner might have been a door or, more likely, a means of ventilating the enclosure's interior. Though the northwestern flank was apparently not sealed by a wall raised above the U.22 terrace, U.21 effectively limited movement across this side; 0.3m and 0.45m wide gaps southwest and northeast of U.21 are the only openings into Room 6 on the northwest. Room 6's earthen floor covers 1.95x3.1m (measured across the center); its northeastern and northwestern flanks preserve Str. 444-2-1st's orientation of 346 degrees while the remaining sides diverge from this alignment to varying extents (aligned 353 degrees and 85 degrees on the southwest and southeast, respectively).

Time Span 3 architecture consists primarily of flat-laid schist slabs, mixed (in U.19) with quartz. A cut block was found at the northeast end of U.19; this is the only unambiguously shaped rock noted on Str. 444-2-1st. The naturally flatter aspects of stones generally face outwards, though the relatively poor preservation of U.18 and 19 render such a judgement tentative. As noted above, U.21 diverges from this pattern in that its component rocks are set vertically. A line of upright schist slabs bifurcates U.21, running northwest-southeast. The southeastern-most stones in U.20 (the southeast extension of U.6 on Room 6's northeast side) are also set vertically. A brown mud mortar is used in all TS.3 units.

Time Span 4

After Str. 444-2-1st's abandonment, all but the highest extant portions of construction were buried by the continued natural deposition of S.3 and the introduction of S.4. The latter is identical to underlying S.3 save for its darker color (a dark brown, 10YR 3/3); the two layers are probably parts of the same entity distinguished by a greater concentration of organic matter staining the top-most 0.31-0.35m. Embedded within upper S.3 and S.4 is a moderately dense concentration of rocks tumbled from TS.2 and 3 construction (F.1). Feature 1 extends at least 2.3m and 1m southeast and northwest of Str. 444-2-1st, respectively.

Structure 444-3 (Figures **-**) [1 section, 1 plan; D95-65, D95-1]

Structure 444-3 lies on the northern patio margin sandwiched between Strs. 444-2 and 444-8, 1.55m to the west and 1.65m to the east, in turn. The land rises gradually from south-to-north beneath Str. 444-3 before dropping off northward in the direction of the quebrada. Clearing ca. 56m2 in Subop.444N, Q, R, and S exposed all of Str. 444-3-1st. Digging was pursued to maximum depths of 0.61m and 1.15m below modern ground surface outside architecture and into and through construction fill, respectively. A single building phase was identified in the course of this work overseen by B. Guizzetti.

Time Span	Construction Phase	Units	Strata	Features	Date
1	-	-	S.1,2	-	LCLI/II
2	Str. 444-3-1st	U.1-17	-	-	LCLII/III
3	-	-	S.2,3	F.1	-

Time Span 1

Stratum 1, a moderately fine-textured, soft-compacted, tan soil, was exposed to a maximum thickness of 0.41m in a 1x1m probe dug beneath Str. 444-3-1st's summit (the layer's base was not encountered). Stratum 1 ascends 0.04m over 1m north-to-south and did not contain cultural material. Stratum 2 overlies S.1, approximately 0.11m of this level intervening between the earlier level and the base of TS.2 architecture. A moderately fine-textured, hard-compacted, dark brown (10YR 3/2) soil containing large quantities of small (0.01-0.02m in diameter) stones, S.2 yielded artifacts throughout its exposed thickness. This patterning suggests a human occupation in the immediate area towards the end of TS.1.

Time Span 2

Structure 444-3-1st is a platform bounded on all sides by facings (U.3-6) that are 0.65-0.8m wide and rise 0.41-0.54m in a single ascent to the summit. The fill (U.15) retained by U.3-6 is a moderately fine-textured, hard-compacted, dark brown soil in which are included numerous small stones (0.01-0.02m in diameter) and a few scattered larger rocks. Unit 15 is indistinguishable from underlying S.2. A 1.5m long, north-south, addition (U.7) projects 0.35m east from the platform's southeast corner. Unit 7 was appended to U.4, the tops of both entities reaching the same height. Why U.4 was augmented in this way is unclear. The building is fronted on the south, patio-facing, side by an elevated porch (U.1) and a step (U.2) leading from U.1 to the platform's summit. Unit 1 is surfaced with stones, measures 0.28m high by 0.7-0.9m wide, and runs 4m east-west. Unit 2 steps up 0.26m above U.1's pavement and runs back 0.59m to the north where it abuts U.3, the southern basal wall. The stair is slightly west of Str. 444-3-1st's center-line and measures 2m east-west. Unit 1, therefore, extends beyond U.2 by 0.75m on the east and 1.25m on the west. The earthen-floored summit supports a single room that encompasses 2.35x3.1m. A 0.13m high by 0.34m wide wall (U.13) projects 1.05m westward into the summit compartment from U.4. Unit 13 intersects U.4's western face 0.45m north of the latter's junction with U.3. Introduction of U.13 created, together with the relevant portions of U.3 and 4, a cubicle measuring 0.45x1.05m in the chamber's southeast corner. This diminutive compartment is completely open on the west. The summit enclosure's west wall (U.6) is unusually wide (1m across) for 1.85m extending north from the room's southwest corner. This enlargement may have allowed U.6 to double as a load-bearing wall and bench.

A 0.22m high wall (U.8) lies 1.5m north of the platform and extends east-west for at least 5.75m (the eastern terminus was not revealed while the western margin was so poorly preserved as to defy clear identification). Unit 8 is 0.55m wide and is connected to U.5, Str. 444-3-1st's northern facing, by a 0.5m wide, north-south running wall (U.9). A low, 0.3m wide wall (U.10) runs 1.2m southwest from U.8's southwest corner. The architectural significance of U.8/10 is ambiguous, at best. They may have been raised to create (minimally) two earthen-floored surface-level rooms off the platforms northern flank. The western putative compartment encompasses 0.5x3.4m (measured across the center) and could have been entered through the 0.9m wide gap between U.10 and the platform's northwest corner (in the room's southwest corner). The eastern chamber measures 0.5m by at least 1.85m. A stone pavement (U.14) forms a semi-circle off the platform's west side. Unit 14 junctions with U.6, the western platform facing, 0.45m south of Str. 444-3-1st's northwest corner. The surface then curves around, reaching a maximum distance of 1.5m west of U.6 before returning to abut that wall 2.15m south of its northern point of intersection. The doorway leading into the western surface-level room is 0.2m north of U.14. Lying 0.25m south of U.14 is 0.33m high by 0.75m wide wall (U.16) that projects 1.1m (on the north) to 0.7m (on the south) west from its abutment with U.6. Unit 17, a 0.33m high by 0.37m wide wall, extends 1.9m southeastward from U.16's western margin. Unit 17 parallels the northeastern flank of adjacent Str. 444-2-1st far more closely than it does the general north-south alignment of the rest of Str. 444-3-1st.

Structure 444-3-1st is a 0.41-0.54m high platform that covers 4.6x5.1m (including U. 1 and 2, excluding U.7) and is oriented roughly due north-south. A 0.28m high, 0.7-0.9m wide, by 4m long (east-west) stone-faced and surfaced porch fronts Str. 444-3-1st on its southern, patio-facing side. A 0.28m high, 0.59m wide, by 2m long step rises above the porch and provides access to the earthen floored summit. The latter consists of a relatively large room encompassing ca. 7.3m2. A 1.85m long (north-south) widening of the compartment's western foundation to 1m across may have been designed to create a bench. The only other construction recorded on the summit is a 0.5m2 cubicle built into the enclosure's southeast corner (included within the original figure for room dimensions). Two earthen-floored surface-level compartments were apparently raised against the platform's northern flank. These narrow (0.5m across) chambers are arranged in an east-west line. The completely exposed western room encompasses 1.7m2 and could have been entered through a 0.9m wide doorway in its southwest corner. The eastern enclosure was only partially revealed, the excavated portion covering 0.9m2. Roughly 0.2m south of the western compartment's door is an apsidal-shaped stone pavement that abuts Str. 444-3-1st's western facing, runs 2.15m north-south, and extends out at the maximum point on its arc to 1.5m west of the platform. A 0.33m high wall abuts the platform's western facing 0.25m south of the pavement and projects 0.7-1m to the west. The latter construction's western margin terminates in a 0.33m high, 0.37m wide, by 1.9m long wall that runs northwest-southeast. This entity was seemingly built to parallel the northeastern face of Str. 444-2-1st, 0.65-0.8m to the southwest. As such, it may have formalized an entrance into the patio between these adjoining edifices.

Time Span 2 architecture is generally fashioned from a mix of flat-laid, unmodified quartz and schist slabs, the larger rocks set into horizontal courses. Units 2 and 7 are made exclusively of quartz whereas schist, alone, forms the curved margin of U.14. The stones used to make U.17 are set vertically. A brown mud mortar is used as a binding agent in all constructions.

Time Span 3

Natural deposition of S.2 resumed after Str. 444-3-1st was abandoned. This layer was succeeded by S.3, a soil distinguished from S.2 solely by its looser compaction and greater density of small roots. Strata 2 and 3 are most likely parts of the same layer differentially affected by processes going on near current ground surface. Together, S.2 and 3 bury all but the highest surviving remnants of architecture. A moderately dense concentration of rocks tumbled from final-phase architecture (F.1) is found embedded in upper S.2 and S.3 covering Str. 444-3-1st and extending for at least 0.99m and 1.34m north and south of construction, respectively.

Structure 444-4 (Figures **-**) [1 section, 1 plan; D95-68; D95-1]

Structure 444-4 was mapped as a single, low platform lying on the patio's northeast corner, ca. 3m east of Str. 444-8. The terrain in Str. 444-4's environs rises gradually from north to south, ascending 0.12m across 11m in that direction. Excavations conducted within Subop. 444C, D, G, and J cleared approximately 44m2, completely uncovering two surface-level constructions (Strs. 444-4A and 444-4B) in place of the single edifice we had anticipated. Digging was carried down to a maximum depth of 0.6m beneath modern ground surface revealing one building phase in each case. All field investigations were directed by F. Bender.

Time Span	Construction Phase	Units	Strata	Features	Date
1	-	-	S.1	-	LCLI/II
2	Str.444-4A-1st; Str. 444-4B-1st	U.1 U.2-5	-	-	LCLIII/II, EPC?
3	-	-	S.2	F.1	-

Time Span 1

Stratum 1, a very fine-textured, hard-packed, yellowish-brown soil (10YR 5/4) was revealed for a maximum thickness of 0.29m at the base of excavation (the stratum's lower limit was not encountered). Though hard to distinguish from overlying S.2, S.1 appears to have risen 0.05m over the 5.52m it could be traced from north to south. Retrieval of artifacts from S.1 indicates human settlement in the vicinity while this layer was being deposited.

Time Span 2

Structure 444-4A-1st seems to be the stone foundation (U.1) for a free-standing perishable wall. Unit 1's principal element is a 3.8m long (aligned ca. 352 degrees) footing standing approximately 0.2m high, and measuring 0.25-0.5m across. At 2.1m north from its southern end, U.1's more-or-less straight course is replaced by a segment that bulges out 0.5m to the east at maximum. This curved section measures 1.2m north-south and defies easy interpretations. One possibility is that it marks the diversion of U.1 around a post. Though no posthole was identified, this explanation remains viable, if not proven. Walls 0.35m and 0.4m wide project 0.75m and 0.4m east and west of U.1's northern and southern termini (respectively; all included in U.1). Like so much about U.1, the architectural significance of these elements still escapes us. A dense concentration of artifacts, primarily ceramic fragments, was encountered immediately north of U.1 at depths suggesting their contemporaneity with Str. 444-4A-1st. A similar deposit was found for up to ca. 16m to the north in test pits dug within Subop. 444Y (see below), most likely a continuation of the materials found near U.1. At the very least, this patterning suggests that the area north of Str. 444-4A-1st was a favored spot for jettisoning trash near the end of TS.2.

Located 1.7m south of U.1 is a surface-level room (Str. 444-4B-1st) bounded by foundations that are 0.5-0.75m wide and 0.11-0.23m tall (U.2/5). The enclosure might have been entered through a 0.5m wide breach in the northern foundation (U.3) and, more likely, by means of a 1.15m gap in the southwest corner facing the patio. The earthen-floored space contained by U.2/5 covers 2.1m on a side (ca. 4.4m2) and lacks built-in furniture. Structure 444-4B-1st encompasses 3x3.55m and is oriented approximately 357 degrees. Structures 444-4B-1st and 444-4A-1st are at comparable levels, implying their contemporaneity.

Units 1-4 were built using a mix of flat-laid, unmodified quartz and schist slabs; U.5, Str. 444-4B-1st's southern footing, was fashioned exclusively from quartz. The naturally flatter aspects of the rocks are generally oriented outwards and all stones are set in a brown mud mortar. Rock sizes range from 0.05m to over 0.3m, measured along their longest dimensions; most fall between 0.1-0.3m.

Time Span 3

Following abandonment, all surviving architecture was blanketed by the natural deposition of S.2. This very fine-textured, hard-compacted, dark grayish-brown soil (10YR 4/2) covers S.1 by as much as 0.33m and contains a very light concentration of stones fallen from TS.2 architecture (F.1).

Structure 444-7 (Figures **-**) [1 section, 1 plan; D95-68 and D95-1]

Structure 444-7 occupies the southwest corner of the patio, ca. 3.9m southeast of Str. 444-1-1st and 12.5m south, and across the patio from, Str. 444-2-1st. The ground in Str. 444-7-1st's environs is relatively flat, sloping up 0.09m over 7m north-to-south. Clearing of approximately 19.5m2 in Subop. 444P, T, U, and V revealed enough of Str. 444-7-1st's facings to reconstruct the building's basal dimensions. Investigation of the summit was largely restricted to the 1m-wide trench dug north-south on Str. 444-7-1st's axis; time did permit, however, some clearing of a summit room. Digging was pursued to a maximum depth of 0.5m beneath modern ground surface outside construction (architectural fill was not probed). A single building phase was revealed in the course of this work directed by F. Bender.

Time Span	Construction Phase	Units	Strata	Features	Date
1	-	-	S.1	F.1	ECL, LCLI/II
2	Str. 444-7-1st	U.1-11	-	-	LCLIII/II, EPC?
3	-	-	S.1,2	F.2	-

Time Span 1

At least 0.31m of S.1, a moderately fine-textured, hard-compacted, gray (7.5YR 5/1) soil, was laid down prior to Str. 444-7-1st's construction (S.1's base was not encountered). Embedded within S.1, 0.38m south of, and 0.18m below, Str. 444-7-1st's southern basal wall (U.3) is a layer of burned earth (F.1). Feature 1 is at least 0.06m thick (the element was uncovered in the base of excavation) and ascends 0.09m over 0.8m south-to-north. Though the evidence is far from clear, F.1 seems to be the remnants of a bajareque-walled structure that was destroyed in a conflagration before the more substantial Str. 444-7-1st was raised during TS.2. Recovery of artifacts from the relevant portions of S.1 confirms a human presence in the area at this time.

Time Span 2

Structure 444-7-1st is a platform bounded on all sides by facings (U.1-4) that rise 0.18-0.3m in a single ascent to the summit. Unit 2, the western basal wall, runs an estimated 2.25m south from its intersection with U.1 at the platform's northwest corner before stepping in (east) ca. 0.7m. South of this jog, U.2 resumes its straight-line course to Str. 444-7-1st's southwest corner. Enough of U.4, the eastern facing, was unearthed to indicate that there was no comparable step-back at an equivalent point on this side. Because only 1.95m of U.4 was cleared, however, we can not be certain that the wall maintains a straight course between the southeast and northeast platform corners. Set against the edifice's northern face (U.1), slightly west of the center-line, is U.5, a 0.13m high stone-faced and -surfaced construction that measures 0.8m across east-west and projects 0.59m north from its abutment with U.1. Unit 5 reaches essentially the same height as U.1 (0.13m as vs. 0.18m), making it unlikely that the former served as a step-up onto the latter. Probably, U.5 was intended as a porch, extending the stone-paved northern summit (U.11) slightly to the north. Why this was thought necessary is still sublimely obscure. Unit 11 runs 1.8m south from U.1, ending in a summit enclosure delimited by the interior faces of U.2, 3, and 4 on the west (U.7), south (U.8), and east (U.9), respectively. The northern margin is defined by U.6, a ca. 0.2m step-down from the U.11 pavement onto the room's earthen floor. Measuring 1.75x3.15m, the compartment is featureless save for a 0.3m high by 1m long, east-west, stone block (U.10) that protrudes 0.8m northward from its abutment with U.8 into the room. Unit 10 is slightly west of U.8's center and may have functioned as a shelf. The unusually broad western foundation (1.15m separates U.2 and 7 on this side) may have doubled as a wall support and bench/shelf.

Structure 444-7-1st is an 0.18m (on the north) to 0.3m high (on the south) stone-faced platform that covers 4.75x5.05m (excluding U.5) and is aligned roughly 355 degrees. The western facing jogs in (east) 0.7m approximately half way between the platform's northwest and southwest corners. There is no evidence for comparable step-backs on the other basal walls, though changes in direction may lie undetected along the unexcavated portions of U.1 and 4. The northern 1.8m of Str. 444-7-1st's summit was at least partially surfaced with stone. This floor gives way on the south to a room covering 5.5m2, its earthen floor set ca. 0.2m below the northern pavement. This room may have been bordered by a bench/shelf on the west, the 1.15m wide foundation on this side being sufficiently broad to have served this purpose while also supporting a perishable upper wall. A second, potential shelf stands 0.3m high, is 1m long-east-west, and projects 0.8m north from the southern foundation into the compartment. A 0.13m high projection was appended to Str. 444-7-1st's northern facing relatively late in TS.2. The purpose of this addition, measuring 0.8m east-west by 0.59m north-south, is unclear; possibly, it was intended to expand the summit pavement northward over a very limited area.

All TS.2 architecture consists of unmodified quartz stones and schist slabs, the naturally flatter aspects of the rocks directed outwards. The exposed portions of U.2, 4, and 6 are made exclusively of quartz; otherwise schist and quartz are mixed to make facing and footings. Stone sizes range from 0.1 to over 0.3m, measured across their longest dimensions. A brown mud mortar was used as a binding agent in all units.

Time Span 3

Following abandonment, all but the uppermost surviving portions of Str. 444-7-1st were covered by the continued natural deposition of S.1 and the introduction of overlying S.2. The latter is distinguished from S.1 solely by its slightly darker hue (7.5YR 4/1, dark gray) and greater concentration of small roots. A moderately dense concentration of rocks fallen from TS.2 construction (F.2) is embedded within S.2 and upper S.1. Feature 2 was found overlying Str. 444-7-1st and extending for 1.48m south, and at least 0.34m north, from that platform.

Structure 444-8 (Figures **-**) [1 section, 1 plan; D95-65 and D95-1]

Structure 444-8 is situated 1.65m east and 3m west of Strs. 444-3 and 444-4 on the patio's northern margin. The ground here slopes up gradually from north to south, ascending 0.28m across 6m in that direction around Str. 444-8. Excavations conducted within Subop. 444X were limited to a 1m wide trench dug north-south across the edifice's approximate center along with clearing enough of the building's northern and southern facings to reconstruct Str. 444-8-1st's basal dimensions; ca. 12.5m2 was exposed overall. Digging was carried down to maximum depths of 0.38m and 0.61m beneath modern ground level outside construction and into architectural fill, respectively. A single building phase was identified in the course of this work overseen by B. Guizzetti.

Time Span	Construction Phase	Units	Strata	Features	Date
1	Str. 444-8-1st	U.1-5	-	-	LCLII/III
2	-	-	S.1,2	F.1	-

Time Span 1

Structure 444-8-1st is a platform bounded on the north and south by facings (U.2 and 1) that ascend 0.32-0.42m directly to the earthen-floored summit. Only 0.4m of U.3, the western basal wall, were revealed. We can not, therefore, safely reconstruct the form of this or the edifice's eastern flank. The fill (U.5) retained by U.1-3 is a moderately coarse-textured, hard-compacted, brown (5YR 5/4) earth containing a moderately dense concentration of rocks. Unit 5 is indistinguishable from S.1 (see T.S. 2, below). An L-shaped bench (U.4) is the sole component of superstructure architecture uncovered in these investigations. Standing approximately 0.18m above the reconstructed summit floor, U.4 measures 0.7m across north-south and has a 0.9m long projection extending south of the unit's eastern margin. Unit 4's main east-west running segment is at least 1.6m long, the southern projection being, minimally, 0.4m wide.

Structure 444-8-1st is a stone-faced, earth-and-stone-fill platform that stands 0.42m (on the north) and 0.32m high (on the south), measures 3.35x4.8m, and is oriented roughly 92 degrees, 30 minutes (computed along the fully exposed northern basal wall). A substantial stone-faced, L-shaped bench rises 0.18m above the earthen-floored summit and faces south towards the patio. The bench's principal leg is at least 1.6m long east-west by 0.7m wide whereas its stem projects 0.9m south from the main element's eastern margin. The projection was uncovered over 0.4m of its total width. Time Span 2 architecture was fashioned from a mix of unmodified quartz rocks and schist slabs with the former predominating. Unit 1 and the southern extension of U.4 consist entirely of quartz while schist was incorporated in U.2 and the main body of U.4. An effort was made to direct the naturally flatter aspects of the rocks outward and all stones are bound together with a brown mud mortar.

Time Span 2

After abandonment, Structure 444-8-1st was buried by the natural deposition of S.1 and 2. The former is a moderately coarse-textured, hard-compacted, brown (5YR 5/4) soil that accumulated to depths of as much as 0.2m during TS.2 (Stratum 1's base was not encountered, laying down of this soil possibly beginning prior to Str. 444-8-1st's construction). Stratum 1, in turn, is blanketed by 0.2-0.25m of S.2, a fine-textured, soft-compacted, gray-brown (7.5YR 4/1), root-rich earth. A moderately dense concentration of stones fallen from TS.1 architecture (F.1) are embedded in S.1 and 2, extending at least 0.58m south and 0.62m north of Str. 444-8-1st, respectively.

Test Pits (Figure **-**) [1 section, D95-65]

Three test pits (Subop. 444W), measuring 1x1m, were dug in a southwest-northeast line across the approximate center of the Site 444 patio to test for the presence of activity areas unassociated with surface-visible architecture. The probes in this line were spaced 3.1-3.15m apart, the southwestern-most test lying 4m northeast of Str. 444-7-1st, its northeastern counterpart being 4.9m southwest of Str. 444-4B-1st. Each pit was dug to a maximum depth of 0.3m below modern ground surface, yielding very few artifacts (0-47 items/0.3m3) and no signs of construction. An additional nine probes (Subop. 444Y), measuring 1m on a side, were dug in a line stretching 90m along an approximate azimuth of 38 degrees. The distance separating each test is 8-12m, deviation from the ideal spacing of 10m resulting from recalcitrant roots and other surface features that thwarted our efforts to impose geometrically precise models on the natural world. The southwestern-most pit in Subop. 444Y is ca. 4m north of Str. 444-4A-1st, the remainder extending northeast in the direction of the seasonal affluent that borders Site 444 on this side. The ground here drops roughly 2m over 60m southwest-to-northeast towards the aforementioned channel. As with Subop. 444W, investigations conducted within Subop. 444Y were designed to locate activity loci not detected on ground surface. Digging in all nine probes was carried down to at least 0.5m below modern ground level; excavation in the southwestern-most test reached 0.87m beneath ground surface. All but two pits yielded few to no artifacts; excavation of the two closest to the patio, however, unearthed large quantities of materials, primarily ceramic fragments. It is to a brief consideration of these tests that we now turn.

Time Span	Construction Phase	Units	Strata	Features	Date
1	-	-	S.1,2	-	LCLI/II
2	-	-	S.3	F.1	LCLIII/II

Time Span 1

Stratum 1, a coarse-textured, hard-compacted, light brown (7.5YR 6/3) soil containing numerous small rocks (up to 4cm long), rises to a maximum thickness 0.39m from the base of excavation (the layer's lower boundary was not found). Stratum 2 covers S.1 by 0.18-0.21m and is a coarse-textured, hard-compacted, pinkish gray (7.5YR 6/2) earth containing somewhat fewer, smaller stones (most are 1cm or less in diameter) than its predecessor. The close similarity of S.1 and 2 implies that these layers represent no more than minor variations within the same naturally deposited soil. Relatively few artifacts were retrieved from S.2, tentatively pointing to human occupation in the vicinity during TS.1.

Time Span 2

Stratum 3, a moderately fine-textured, moderately soft-compacted, gray (7.5YR 5/1), root-rich soil, blankets S.2 by 0.27-0.3m. Embedded in this level is F.1, a dense concentration of artifacts, primarily flat-laid ceramic fragments. Approximately 200 artifacts/0.3m3 were found in F.1. Most likely, F.1 is the remains of an extensive, albeit shallow, midden that stretches at least 12m southwest-northeast. Identification of increased artifact densities at comparable depths in excavations off Str. 444-4A-1st's northern flank, ca. 4m south of Subop. 444Y, raises the possibility that this trash deposit extends over roughly 16m northeast-southwest.

Chronological Summary

The earliest known occupation at Site 444 dates to the Early Classic. A very few sherds diagnostic of this span were recovered mixed with later material in the environs of Str. 444-7-1st on the southern patio margin. Evidence for settlement dating to the transition between Late Classic I and II is more widespread. Material pertaining to the aforementioned interval is found underlying all investigated construction and in the lowest test pit levels. Such a distribution implies an extensive occupation at Site 444 during Late Classic I/II. The absence of architecture associated with the span, however, might indicate that relatively little labor was invested in raising substantial buildings at this time. Construction was clearly initiated during the Late Classic II/III transition. All extant edifices were erected during this span. There are slight indications that Strs. 444-1-1st, 444-2-1st, 444-3-1st, and 444-8-1st were the first to be fashioned, followed by Strs. 444-4A-1st, 444-4B-1st, and 444-7-1st; additions made to Strs. 444-1-1st and 444-2-1st might be contemporary with the raising of the last three constructions. The extensive trash deposit located north of the Site 444 patio (revealed in the Subop. 444Y test pits) also seems to have been laid down during Late Classic III/II. Such chronological distinctions are based on subtle differences in the proportions of temporally diagnostic ceramics within analyzed collections and their validity remains an open question. It is safest to say, therefore, that Site 444 reached its final form sometime during the years spanning the end of Late Classic II and the beginning of Late Classic III. Slight indications of continued settlement into the Early Postclassic were unearthed on and around Strs. 444-4A-1st, 444-4B-1st, and 444-7-1st. The dramatic drop in the number of temporally diagnostic items indicative of this span and the absence of architecture associated with it strongly argue for a population decline. There is no evidence supporting use of Site 444 in the Late Postclassic or Historic eras.