Ally, Client, or Outpost? Evaluating the Relationship Between Xunantunich and Naranjo in the Late Classic Period

Awe, Jaime J.; Helmke, Christophe; Slocum, Diane; Tilden, Douglas

doi:10.1017/s095653612000036x

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Xunantunich was a major center that overlooked the Mopan River before its confluence with the Macal River. Although first settled in the Early and Middle Preclassic periods (~1200–900 BCE), following a brief occupational hiatus the site was re-established as the capital of a large Late Classic Belize Valley polity [ 151 – 155 ]. All burials in this study [previously published, see 156 ] derive from the site’s monumental core except for one dating to the Late Classic from San Lorenzo (Op.…”

Section: Eastern Maya Lowlands Regional Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sulfur isotopes as a proxy for human diet and mobility from the preclassic through colonial periods in the Eastern Maya lowlands

et al. 2021

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Maya archaeologists have long been interested in understanding ancient diets because they provide information about broad-scale economic and societal transformations. Though paleodietary studies have primarily relied on stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic analyses of human bone collagen to document the types of food people consumed, stable sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis can potentially provide valuable data to identify terrestrial, freshwater, or marine/coastal food sources, as well as determine human mobility and migration patterns. Here we assess applications of δ34S for investigating Maya diet and migration through stable isotope analyses of human bone collagen (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S) from 114 individuals from 12 sites in the Eastern Maya lowlands, temporally spanning from the Late Preclassic (300 BCE—300 CE) through Colonial periods (1520–1800 CE). Results document a diet dominated by maize and other terrestrial resources, consistent with expectations for this inland region. Because δ34S values reflect local geology, our analyses also identified recent migrants to the Eastern lowlands who had non-local δ34S signatures. When combined with other indicators of mobility (e.g., strontium isotopes), sulfur isotopic data provide a powerful tool to investigate movement across a person’s lifespan. This study represents the largest examination of archaeological human δ34S isotope values for the Maya lowlands and provides a foundation for novel insights into both subsistence practices and migration.

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Section: Eastern Maya Lowlands Regional Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sulfur isotopes as a proxy for human diet and mobility from the preclassic through colonial periods in the Eastern Maya lowlands

et al. 2021

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“…Elsewhere, some smaller political centers took advantage of the weakened positions of their previously dominant overlords. For example, the site of Xunantunich experienced a short florescence at the end of the Late Classic period in the wake of dynastic struggles at Naranjo, a polity that previously held a dominating role in eastern Peten and western Belize (Awe et al 2020;LeCount and Yaeger 2010a;LeCount et al 2002). LeCount's (1999) analysis of the distribution of fine ware and exotic ceramics across different architectural groups at the site revealed that inequalities were most evident during the Late Classic II phase, but that this differential access disappeared during the Terminal Classic.…”

Section: Social Status Changes In the Maya Lowlands During The Late Classic And Terminal Classic Periodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

SHIFTING SOCIAL RELATIONS DURING THE TERMINAL CLASSIC PERIOD (ca. a.d. 810–950/1000): CERAMICS FROM THE LOWLAND MAYA SITE OF UCANAL

LeMoine¹,

Halperin

2021

Ancient Mesoam

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The end of the Classic period was a tumultuous moment in Maya history, not only because the power of many dominant political centers waned, but because the ways in which elites and non-elites related to each other were increasingly called into question. To understand the nature of changing social relations in the southern Maya lowlands during this time, this study examines the distribution and provenance of decorated ceramics during the Late Classic (ca. a.d. 600–810) and Terminal Classic (ca. a.d. 810–950/1000) periods from the archaeological site of Ucanal, Peten, Guatemala. Comparisons of ceramics from different households across the site reveal that differences in access to decorated and imported ceramics decreased between these periods, suggesting that socioeconomic distinctions leveled out over time. In turn, chemical analysis of ceramics using a portable X-ray fluorescence instrument reveals that the site shifted its political-economic networks, with greater ties to the Petexbatun and Usumacinta regions and continued ties with the Upper Belize Valley.

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“…It also runs contrary to elite Maya tradition which placed great emphasis on situating rulers' residences in places where they emanated power and prestige manifested by their sheer size and monumentality (see Awe 2008). It is therefore more likely that the construction of the north palace complex was associated with an effort to provide additional living space for the ever-growing royal family, "or with increasing administration, courtly prerogatives, and the individual motivations of particular monarchs" at the site (Awe et al 2020). Additionally, while Yaeger (2010: 156) suggests Plaza A-III was abandoned between ~CE 750-775, new evidence at Structure A13 in the form of a hieroglyphic date etched into the building's surface (presented below), suggests a slight extension of the Plaza A-III occupation to CE 790 (Watkins et al 2018).…”

Section: Xunantunichmentioning

confidence: 99%

Play and Purpose: The Relationship Between Patolli and Graffiti at Xunantunich, Belize

Fitzmaurice

Watkins

Awe

2021

Timeless Spaces 2019 Conference Proceedings

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Patolli is a “dice game” found in Classic andPostclassic period (CE 250-900/1000, CE 900/1000-1492) contexts throughoutMesoamerica. This paper provides an overview of ethnohistoric sources andprevious archaeological research on patolli to contextualize recent discoveriesof boards and other graffiti at the Classic Maya centre of Xunantunich, Belize.We examine the placement of patolli boards relative to graffiti figureswithin two galleries in the site’s north palace complex to understand theirrelationship with each other and their possible significance within the centreitself. Finally, we present possible interpretations for patolli andgraffiti from the Terminal Classic Maya centre of Xunantunich, Belize rangingfrom commemoration, competition, and divination or ritually related activities.

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Ally, Client, or Outpost? Evaluating the Relationship Between Xunantunich and Naranjo in the Late Classic Period

Cited by 6 publications

References 9 publications

Sulfur isotopes as a proxy for human diet and mobility from the preclassic through colonial periods in the Eastern Maya lowlands

Sulfur isotopes as a proxy for human diet and mobility from the preclassic through colonial periods in the Eastern Maya lowlands

SHIFTING SOCIAL RELATIONS DURING THE TERMINAL CLASSIC PERIOD (ca. a.d. 810–950/1000): CERAMICS FROM THE LOWLAND MAYA SITE OF UCANAL

Play and Purpose: The Relationship Between Patolli and Graffiti at Xunantunich, Belize

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