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Temple 8 (Str. 9K-1)

The Temple 8 precinct is one of the more complex areas of the Muyil site. Temple 8 itself has a nearly identical substructure buried within its three-terrace platform, yet the substructure was left accessible by a well-made tunnel when the upper temple was built. The back of Temple 8 is at the northern edge of the karstic depression, and the temple structure faces 12 degrees east of north. A large limestone cavern extends under Temple 8 and may once have had an entrance (now nearly blocked) close to the back wall of Temple 8. The temple and its substructure sit upon an artificial platform which is bounded by an encircling wall with three or four entrances. To the east is a large complex residential platform (Structure 9J-1), which sits at the edge of the depression. To the west a large residential platform (Structure 8K-8) with two small shrines abuts the west side of the walled Temple 8 area. To the north are other large residential platforms, including Structure 9K-14.

Map 8 Temple 8 (Structure 9K-1) Precinct - detail

Temple 8 (Structure 9K-1-1st) is a double-roomed vaulted structure with the U-shaped outer room enclosing the small inner room on three sides. The outer structure is entered through a wide doorway with two columns designed to support a wide lintel (now missing). The inner room has a central doorway in the front and a small rectangular opening high in the rear wall. In most respects, including stucco decoration, Structure 9K-1-1st is similar to Structure 7H-3 in the Entrance Group Plaza. It sits upon a one-step-high building platform resting on a 4½-m-high three-stage platform with two contrasting sections of construction. The front stairway, on the north side of the platform, has been rebuilt at least once. At the foot of this stairway is a 1½-m-high, vaulted, single-room miniature shrine (Structure 9K-3) on a 20-cm-high platform. In the space between the foot of the steps and the small shrine was an altar with a stone suitable for small offerings. Structure 9K-1-2d is quite similar to Structure 9K-1-1st in stucco decoration and roof moldings. The inner construction however, has equal-size front and rear chambers, separated by two large rectangular supports, whereas the upper temple has a room-within-a-room plan. For the construction of Structure 9K-1-1st, the upper temple, the lower temple (Structure 9K-1-2d) was completely enveloped in rock rubble. The inner structure forms the interior of the three-stage basal platform of Structure 9K-1-1st. The roof of Structure 9K-1-2d is so thinly covered with material that portions of its roof molding are exposed along the foot of the back (south) wall of Structure 9K-1-1st and at the front (northeast) corner of its 15-cm-high building platform. The floor of Structure 9K-1-2d is above the level of the plaza by 50 cm, but exposed traces of the platform on which the structure rests (it surely remains within the larger platform of Structure 9K-1-1st) cannot be seen. When Structure 9K-1‑-1st was built, its masonry substructure extended only a few meters to the north from the front doorway. Later, the platform was extended to the north approximately 3 m, and the stairway to the platform constructed in its current location. The dividing line between the older part of the platform and the newer is clearly visible on the west side of the platform at all three terrace levels. The stairway of the extended platform was covered with a newer stairway and traces of both stairways remain today. The front stairway is built as a corbelled half-arch, forming a transverse passage the full width of the front steps of the platform. From directly beneath the centerline of the steps, a passageway runs at right angles, to the south, from the platform steps to the doorway of Structure 9K-1-2d. No evidence was found that Structure 9K-1-2d was ever filled with rubble to support the upper structure; to the contrary, we believe that Structure 9K-1-2d has remained open via the tunnel since it was covered by the platform of Structure 9K-1-1st. Spinden's sketches (1926) show three small altars or benches against the interior of the back wall of Structure 9K-1-2d, but these altars are not present today. Their broken remains may rest near the looter's pits we found in the inner temple.

Photograph 21 Structure 9K-1 (Temple 8) from the north toward the front stairway

A large wall (as compared to field walls at the site) encloses Structure 9K-1 on three sides to form an enclosed compound or precinct. It runs along the platform edge on the east and north sides of the platform. To the south (behind Structure 9K-1) the ground drops sharply into the karstic depression. The effect is a sharp 9-m drop from the roof of Temple 8 at the back. The wall along the east side is built at the edge of the platform, and the outside of the wall forms a continuous drop with the edge of the platform. Within the walled precinct are several very low (10 to 60-cm-high) platforms along the wall (Structures 9K-2, 9K-5, 9K-7, 9K-10, 9K-11, 9K-12), and one 2+-m-high, one-room, vaulted structure (Structure 9K-6). The Spinden drawings (1926) show this structure with four doorways, one in each wall, of which only two may be seen today. A rectangular 1.1-m-high platform (Structure 9K-4), about five meters square with steps up the north and south sides, lies just north of Structure 9K-1. Spinden (1926) drew this platform with steps up all four sides. The walled precinct has three openings. At the southeast corner, one may walk around the end of the wall to gain access to Structure 9J-1, a large residential platform; to the north, an opening leads downward less than 1 m to ground level, and from there one may easily reach platforms to the north such as Structure 9K-14; and in the middle of the west side of the wall a wide opening leads at platform level to another large and complex residential mound (Structure 8K-8) which faces in a natural "U" toward Temple 8 (Structure 9K-1). There are two small one-room shrines that face each other across the plaza on a north-south line (Structures 8K-5 and 8K-6). Structure 8K-5, which faces to the north, has a double opening formed by a single column in the front entry. Two other vaulted structures (Structures 8K-1 and 8K-2) are just outside the western part of the wall, as is one large residential platform (Structure 8K-7).

Photograph 22 Structure 9K-1 (temple 8) rear, showing roof molding of inner structure

I hypothesize that there lived in this area a group of people whose role in Muyil society required them to be in very close association with a ceremonial area (the walled precinct) and ceremonial structures (Structure 9K-1 and others). One may readily stroll from household areas (note the three metates on Structure 8K-8 and one on Structure 9J-1) to a ceremonial area in a distance of 35 m. Much of this detail is shown on the maps of grid squares 8J, 9J, 8K, and 9K as well as on Map 8.

Photograph 23 Structure 9K-1 (Temple 8) front steps showing tunnel entrance

We sampled the ceramics in this area with seven test pits (13, 1, 41, 42, 39, 15, and 16). Pit 13 is into the platform of the Temple 8 precinct on the Temple 8 centerline. Pits 1 and 15 sampled residential platforms 8K-8 to the west and 9J-2 to the east, respectively. Pits 41, 42, 39, and 16 were dug adjacent to residential platforms.

Photograph 23 Structure 9K-1 (Temple 8) upper structure

Not all levels of test pit 13 could be analyzed during the time available in the laboratory. This misfortune is in part mitigated by the clear seriation of the material in the upper levels, the recovery of three whole vessels, and the identification of Late Formative and Protoclassic material, such as Beclum White, Caribal Red, as well as Protoclassic and Early Classic Saban Unslipped in the material which could be analyzed. The material from nearby test pit 1 was fully analyzed, and it confirms the presence of several early types in this area at the north edge of the karstic collapse zone. However, Sierra Red from the Late Formative was not found. Saban Unslipped and other types from the Saban group of the Protoclassic and Early Classic are the most abundant ceramics in the lowest level of pit 1.

Photograph 25 Structure 9K-1 (Temple 8) lintel within upper temple

The materials from test pits 15 (into a residential platform, Structures 9J-1 and 9J-2), and test pit 16 (adjacent to Structure 9J-2) include Sierra group ceramics from the Late Formative and Protoclassic and Saban group materials from the Protoclassic and Early Classic, but the most abundant types were Vista Alegre Striated and Muna Slate in the platform fill (pit 15) and Vista Alegre Striated and Navula Unslipped in the midden area. In summary, the test excavations demonstrate that the area around Structure 9K-1 was occupied early in Muyil's history and intensively occupied thereafter.

Photograph 26 Structure 9K-1-2d tunnel passageway

Based on the ceramic evidence, especially a dedicatory cache with a Classic orange polychrome dish, and an intrusive cache with a Sacalum Black-on-slate olla into the platform in front of Temple 8, plus the abundance of Muna Slate and Vista Alegre Striated, it can be concluded that this structure dates to the Late Classic or Terminal Classic. Since this architecture is of Lothrop's East Coast Style, we agree that such architecture must have a considerable time depth.

Photograph 27 Structure 9K-1-2d inner temple

The large quantity of Navula Unslipped material and Chen Mul Modeled censer fragments shows the intensive use of Temple 8 throughout the Postclassic. During the Postclassic, additional structures, such as the small shrine at the foot of the steps to Temple 8 (Structure 9K-3), might have been constructed.

Figure 2 Structure 9K-1 (Temple 8) plan and profile