The Porous Boundary: Comparing Late Postclassic–early Colonial Maya Projectile Technologies Across Peten and Belize

Abstract

This study examines the intersection of political, cultural, and linguistic differences in the archaeological study of boundaries. The Late Postclassic and Early Colonial periods (a.d. 1350–1525) in the Maya lowlands are known for political instability and the formulation of new identities, especially in the northern region of the Peten Lakes District (Guatemala) to the greater Rio Hondo drainage (Belize). This article approaches the theoretical formulations of archaeological borders from the perspective of lithic technology, focusing on small projectile points recovered from numerous sites in the subregion. Analysis of data suggests differences in resource acquisition, material preference, and production during a time of historically fluid interaction and occasional conflict in the Peten-Belize area. Such information adds to our understandings of political frontiers of Late Postclassic polities from a social and economic perspective that is often ignored.

Lithics in the Maya Region: Exploring Gendered Trends in Research in the Last Decade

“…Comparisons of lithic production and use across sites (Chiarulli 2016;Gunn et al 2020;Horowitz et al 2020;Hruby 2018;Paling 2016;Paris 2012) provide insights into the types of activities performed. Intrasite variation illustrates differences in socioeconomic status, whereas intersite variation enables investigation of the relationships among sites (Meissner 2017(Meissner , 2020. For instance, Meissner's (2020) study of Postclassic projectile point variation elucidates relationships among political groups.…”

“…Intrasite variation illustrates differences in socioeconomic status, whereas intersite variation enables investigation of the relationships among sites (Meissner 2017(Meissner , 2020. For instance, Meissner's (2020) study of Postclassic projectile point variation elucidates relationships among political groups.…”