Chunyaxche

Chunyaxche

Chunyaxche Complex ( ? - 300 B.C.) Middle Formative

Achiotes Ceramic Group
Achiotes Unslipped: Variety unspecified

Chunhinta Ceramic Group
Chunhinta Black:Capaz Variety

            Dzudzuquil Ceramic Group
                        Dzudzuquil Cream-to-buff: Variety unspecified
                        Dzudzuquil Cream-to-buff: Dzudzuquil Variety
                        Majan Red-and-cream-to-buff: Majan Variety

            Joventud Ceramic Group
                         Joventud Red: Variety unspecified
                         Joventud/Joventud Red: Joventud Variety

The Chunyaxche complex consists of a very few sherds from those ceramic groups which make up the Early Nabanche ceramic complex of Komchen, with the exception of the Muxanal group, which Andrews considered a very minor type and an import to Komchen (Andrews V 1988:52-53; 1990:14). All but the Dzudzuquil group, which is not found later than about 450 B.C. at Komchen, appear somewhat later at Komchen also. The complex is represented at Muyil by two sherds from the Achiotes group, four sherds from the Chunhinta group, six sherds from the Dzudzuquil group, and two from the Joventud group. This ceramic complex is established by the age of these sherds elsewhere, not by their stratigraphy at Muyil. At Muyil they are from mixed contexts or otherwise uncertain contexts. It is of interest, however, that the Majan Red-and-cream-to-buff sherds and the Achiotes Unslipped sherds came from adjacent levels of test pit 64 (southeast of the Entrance Plaza Group.)

The suite of vessel forms, based upon the forms of these ceramic types that were encountered at other sites, could have included wide-mouthed jars and bowls (Achiotes), strap-handled jars and medium-walled bottles (Chunhinta), flaring- or outcurving-side plates, restricted orifice bowls, and covers (Joventud).

Sherds such as these appear as early as 700 B.C., but due to their small numbers at Muyil, we prefer to judge that their arrival at Muyil is late in the Middle Formative. Allowing for the presence of the Dzudzuquil ceramic group sherds at Muyil as possibly somewhat later than their last date of manufacture at Komchen in 450 B.C., and allowing some decades for the survival of vessels after their date of manufacture, it is still reasonable to believe that the first settlers, users of Dzudzuquil ceramics, appeared at Muyil by at least 350 B.C.