Lime Powder Production in the Maya Puuc Region (A.D. 600–950): An Experimental Pit-Kiln

Prehispanic Maya Burnt Lime Industries: Previous Studies and Future Directions

“…The prevalence of lime production features and their great average depth in the Eastern Puuc (Sabloff and Tourtellot 1991; Seligson et al 2017a, 2017b, 2017c) likely reflects the high density of sites and the frequency of masonry structures in the region during the seventh through tenth centuries a.d. , when the pit-kilns were in use (Gallareta Negrón et al 2014; Seligson et al 2017b). Based on the dense concentration of sites, much of the fertile flat tracts of land between the hills in the Puuc region would have been cleared for agricultural purposes by the end of the Terminal Classic.…”

“…In addition to the desire to sustain environmental resources and keep up with the demand for architectural and dietary lime, lime producers in the Eastern Puuc would have also been operating within a social structure that had developed over many generations. The local socio-economic trajectory resulted in a system in which lime production was widespread throughout the community, organized by small corporate groups (Seligson 2016; Seligson et al 2017b, 2017c). These small corporate groups likely incorporated part-time lime production as part of seasonally dependent multi-crafting strategies.…”

“…Seeing as how the benefits of semi-enclosed firing features are readily observable and fairly common sense, this production method would likely have been known to communities throughout the Maya area. Following this logic, the quantity of pit-kilns, as well as their average depth, should be greater in areas where fuel sources may have been more strained, such as in the Terminal Classic Puuc Region (Seligson et al 2017b). At the moment, however, we cannot conversely say that the absence of pit-kilns in a given region reflects the lack of urgent need or desire to limit fuel consumption, for the lack of identification of pit-kilns may instead reflect gaps in survey data.…”

“…Similar annular pit-kilns to those identified at Sayil were documented during the Labna-Kiuic inter-site survey (Gallareta Negrón et al 2014). The excavation of a sample of nine of these structures in and around the Kiuic site core indicated that they were, in fact, used for the production of burnt lime and dated to the Late and Terminal Classic periods ( a.d. 600–900; Seligson 2016; Seligson et al 2017a, 2017b). The majority of these features had deeper central depressions than lime pit-kilns identified in other subregions of the Maya area.…”

“…Water is then added to the calcium oxide, either manually or gradually through rainfall and atmospheric vapor, to produce the fine white powder known as burnt or hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide). The burnt lime can then be used for a host of purposes, including architectural, dietary, sanitary, storage, and others (Abrams and Freter 1996; Barba Pingarrón 2013; Mathews 2001; Morris et al 1931; Russell and Dahlin 2007:407; Schreiner 2002, 2004; Seligson et al 2017a, 2017b, 2017c; Villaseñor Alonso 2010:47; Wernecke 2005, 2008).…”