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TO EAT, DISCARD, OR VENERATE: FAUNAL REMAINS AS PROXY FOR HUMAN BEHAVIORS IN LOWLAND MAYA PERI-ABANDONMENT DEPOSITS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2020

Chrissina C. Burke Open the ORCID record for Chrissina C. Burke [Opens in a new window] ,
Katie K. Tappan ,
Gavin B. Wisner ,
Julie A. Hoggarth Open the ORCID record for Julie A. Hoggarth [Opens in a new window]  and
Jaime J. Awe Open the ORCID record for Jaime J. Awe [Opens in a new window]
Chrissina C. Burke*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 15200, Flagstaff, Arizona86011
Katie K. Tappan
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 15200, Flagstaff, Arizona86011
Gavin B. Wisner
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 15200, Flagstaff, Arizona86011
Julie A. Hoggarth
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology and Institute of Archaeology, Baylor University, One Bear Place, #97173, Waco, Texas76798
Jaime J. Awe
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 15200, Flagstaff, Arizona86011
*
E-mail correspondence to: Chrissina.Burke@nau.edu
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Abstract

Interpreting middens, feasting events, ritual, or terminal deposits in the Maya world requires an evaluation of faunal remains. Maya archaeologists consistently evaluate other artifact classes, but often offer simply number of identified specimens values for skeletal elements recovered from these deposits. To further understand their archaeological significance, we analyzed faunal materials from deposits at the sites of Baking Pot and Xunantunich in the Upper Belize River Valley. We identified the species, bone elements, bone or shell artifacts, taphonomic signatures, and quantitative ratios recovered to test whether a deposit can be identified as a midden, part of a feasting ritual, terminal ritual, or other rituals significant to the Maya. Our analyses allow us to begin building a system for using faunal remains as a proxy for interpreting the significance of these deposits. In this paper, we present our results and hope to open the conversation for future evaluations of faunal remains in similar deposits.

Type
Special Section: Problematic “On-Floor” Deposits in the Terminal Classic Eastern Maya Lowlands: Implications for the Maya Collapse
Information
Ancient Mesoamerica , Volume 31 , Issue 1 , Spring 2020 , pp. 127 - 137
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press, 2020

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