Publications by Nathan J. Meissner
Yaxkin, 2024
Este artículo se centra en el cambio del período Clásico Tardío al Posclásico en Río Amarillo, un... more Este artículo se centra en el cambio del período Clásico Tardío al Posclásico en Río Amarillo, una avanzada oriental del sistema político de Copán. Aquí analizamos tanto el centro ritual del sitio, como el Sitio 5, uno de sus grupos residenciales asociados. La evidencia del período Clásico Tardío sugiere que Río Amarillo funcionó como centro administrativo de Copán, con el objetivo de supervisar la producción de alimentos para el gobierno. Durante el Clásico Terminal el sitio fue quemado y saqueado, al igual que su poderoso vecino del oeste, aunque sobrevivieron habitantes de algunos grupos residenciales aledaños. El Sitio 5, en particular, demuestra una ocupación ininterrumpida desde el período Clásico hasta el período Posclásico Temprano. El Sitio 5 ofrece una ventana a las formas de vida de los habitantes del Valle de Copán en un período en el que el tributo y el servicio a la gran entidad política ya no eran necesarios. Proponemos que la menor densidad de asentamientos en la Bolsa Este de Río Amarillo, su mayor precipitación anual y su mayor biodiversidad fueron factores importantes en la supervivencia de algunos de sus habitantes.
XXXV Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, 2023
A complex series of dedicatory offerings were placed in some of the pyramidal buildings of the Pl... more A complex series of dedicatory offerings were placed in some of the pyramidal buildings of the Plaza of the Seven Temples of Tikal. These offerings embody ritual events of the Late Classic when Tikal's dominance was complete over neighboring cities. This great center's Late Classic power is reflected in a construction boom, with the accompanying dedicatory caches empowering these structures.
Ancient Mesoamerica, 2022
This article documents the transition from the Late Classic to Postclassic periods at Río Amarill... more This article documents the transition from the Late Classic to Postclassic periods at Río Amarillo, a hinterland outpost of the Copan polity, and at an associated residential group, Site 5, in the Río Amarillo East Pocket of the Copan Valley. Late Classic period evidence indicates that the site of Río Amarillo operated as an administrative center for the Copan polity with the likely objective of increased agricultural production for the burgeoning population in the Copan Pocket. In the Terminal Classic period, Río Amarillo shared the fate of Copan, with evidence indicating it was burned and sacked. However, unlike the Copan Pocket, many residential groups remained occupied during the Early Postclassic. Here we focus on Site 5. An unbroken occupation from the Late Classic through to the end of the Early Postclassic period, as this site provides a window into an existence without the requirements of tribute given to their western neighbor. We hypothesize that the smaller settlement size and higher amount of rainfall in this valley pocket, as well as a richer and more diversified environment, were important factors in the survival of some of its population.
Latin American Antiquity, 2020
In premodern economic systems where the social embedding of exchange provided actors with the abi... more In premodern economic systems where the social embedding of exchange provided actors with the ability to control or monopolize trade, including the goods that enter and leave a marketplace, "restricted markets" formed. These markets produced external revenues that could be used to achieve political goals. Conversely, commercialized systems required investment in public goods that incentivize the development of market cooperation and "open markets," where buyers and sellers from across social sectors and diverse communities could engage in exchange as economic equals within marketplaces. In this article, we compare market development at the Late Postclassic sites of Chetumal, Belize, and Tlaxcallan, Mexico. We identified a restricted market at Chetumal, using the distribution of exotic goods, particularly militarily and ritually charged obsidian projectile points; in contrast, an open market was built at Tlaxcallan. Collective action theory provides a useful framework to understand these differences in market development. We argue that Tlaxcaltecan political architects adopted more collective strategies, in which open markets figured, to encourage cooperation among an ethnically diverse population.
En los sistemas económicos premodernos donde la inserción social del intercambio proporcionó a los agentes la capaci-dad de controlar o monopolizar el intercambio, incluyendo los bienes que entraron y salieron del mercado, se desarro-llaron "mercados restringidos". Estos mercados produjeron ingresos externos que fueron utilizados para alcanzar metas políticas. En contraste, los sistemas comercializados requirieron de la inversión en bienes públicos que incentivaron el desarrollo de la cooperación mercantil y "mercados abiertos", donde los vendedores y compradores de diversas comu-nidades y sectores sociales participaron en el intercambio como pares dentro del mercado. En este artículo, se compara el desarrollo del mercado en dos sitios del posclásico tardío: Chetumal en Belice y Tlaxcallan en el altiplano central de Méx-ico. En Chetumal, se identificó un mercado restringido, basado en la distribución de bienes exóticos, particularmente pun-tas de obsidiana que simbolizan una carga militar y ritual; mientras que en Tlaxcallan se construyó un mercado abierto. La teoría de acción colectiva proporciona el marco para entender las diferencias en el desarrollo de estos dos mercados. Se plantea que los arquitectos políticos tlaxcaltecas implementaron estrategias más colectivas, en las cuales los mercados abiertos fueron importantes para enfatizar la cooperación de una población étnicamente diversa.
Ancient Mesoamerica, 2020
This study examines the intersection of political, cultural, and linguistic differences in the ar... more 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.
This summary of the development of Mesoamerican cultures emphasizes long-term trends or patterns ... more This summary of the development of Mesoamerican cultures emphasizes long-term trends or patterns and general explanations of the processes of change. The themes of political centralization and social differentiation, culminating in stratified societies, urbanism, and the state, are prominent in most overviews of prehispanic Mesoamerica. The broad outlines of these developments, their timing and varied manifestations from region to region, find broad consensus among specialists. Explaining the processes of change is another story. Mesoamerican archaeologists are divided among the humanists and the scientists, the excavators and the epigraphers, and the single-site versus the regional specialists. Given this diversity of approaches (and complexity of the information), this article favors sources using multiple lines of evidence and multi-scalar approaches. The best case studies integrate ethnohistorical and archaeological perspectives, material studies and human biology, and past environments and technologies, and they have data points ranging from house to region and macroregion. Explanations tempered by several sources of information have proven to be the more enduring.
Journal of Anthropological Research, 2018
Ancient Mesoamerica, 2018
This paper addresses activities carried out in a late-sixteenth or seventeenth century Maya counc... more This paper addresses activities carried out in a late-sixteenth or seventeenth century Maya council house (popol nah) just before its abandonment. Structure 719 at the site of Zacpeten in the central Peten lakes district is considered a noble residence remodeled into a council house with an adjacent temple. Excavations revealed quantities of de facto refuse inside the structure's two rooms and around the exterior; recent studies focused on ceramics, lithics, faunal remains, and net sinkers. The back room held abundant lithics and diverse fauna, with evidence of grinding red pigment and snapping obsidian prismatic blades into segments for fashioning arrow points. Pottery and faunal remains indicate feasting, as well as possible use of animal parts in ritual and in making ceremonial objects. The Group 719 complex served as a center of production of various goods and community ritual until its abrupt abandonment, likely in the first decade or so of the eighteenth century.
Full PDF available on request
Historical and Archaeological Perspectives on the Itzas of Petén, Guatemala, Prudence M. Rice and Don S. Rice (eds.), 2018
Archaeological research on the Postclassic occupation of the central Petén lakes region has focus... more Archaeological research on the Postclassic occupation of the central Petén lakes region has focused on the relations between a shifting sociopolitical landscape and the material correlates of ethnopolities through architecture, ceramics, and mortuary patterns. Only recently has attention been explicitly directed toward lithics and the intersection of political divisions and lithic technology. This chapter examines the relations among economics, political boundaries, and factionalism through an analysis of small projectile points, including resource procurement strategies and technological variability, from six lacustrine sites.
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Ancient Mesoamerica, 2017
This study addresses the role of prehistoric ethnopolitical divisions, factionalism, and alliance... more This study addresses the role of prehistoric ethnopolitical divisions, factionalism, and alliances in macroregional economic models. The Mesoamerican Late Postclassic period (A.D. 1350–1525) is characterized by its " cosmopolitan " economy featuring long distance exchange of raw materials and finished products. Such characterizations are examined through a provenance analysis of small obsidian projectile points from the Maya lowlands of Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. Obsidian artifacts are analyzed using portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and social network analysis (SNA) methods, revealing at least four sub-networks of point procurement that belonged to nine different ethnopolitical divisions. Local production of points is approached using a novel method of two-mode analysis, demonstrating in some cases that the sources of local obsidian debitage and debris did not coincide with the sources of finished point assemblages. Such information reveals the intricacies of Maya exchange and stresses the importance of local political geography during the Late Postclassic.
PDF available upon request
Illinois Archaeology, 2016
The implementation of ground-based geophysical methods for the detection of human burials has bec... more The implementation of ground-based geophysical methods for the detection of human burials has become increasingly common in archaeological fieldwork. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) appears to be a useful instrument for cemetery investigations, but the effectiveness of equipment varies by region due to soil differences and other environmental factors. Few region-specific examples are available for comparative purposes, which presents problems for the interpretation of remote sensing data. Here, we present GPR data from three historic cemeteries in southern Illinois to illustrate the effectiveness of this method for burial identification. Using a scoring system developed for detecting interments, our results indicate that two-thirds of known burials in the sample produced a signal that allowed for positive identification. The implications of this study suggest that regional soil types and geology must be accounted for when utilizing GPR; however, the potential exists to remotely detect interments despite challenging factors.
XXX Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Guatemala, Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Instituto de Antropología e Historia, Asociación Tikal, Barbara Arroyo, Luis Mendez Salinas, Gloria Aju Alvarez (eds), pp.1069-1080, 2017
During the Late Classic period, the ancient community of Rio Amarillo was located within the sphe... more During the Late Classic period, the ancient community of Rio Amarillo was located within the sphere of the regional capital of Copan. Archaeological research conducted by the Proyecto Arqueologico Rio Amarillo, Copan (PARAC) since 2011 has elucidated interactions between the main city and this secondary center, as well as with other regions and distant sites. To date most of the methods of analysis involved the documentation of settlement patterns, the excavations of structures, and the analysis of artifacts. An important goal of PARAC is the documentation of ancient human-environmental interactions. A number of scholars, who have previously worked in the Copan Valley, have suggested that Rio Amarillo, with its fertile plain, may have acted as a breadbasket, providing food in exchange for goods and possibly raw materials distributed from Copan. In order to test this hypothesis, a range of environmental samples have been taken.
Perspectives on the Ancient Maya of Chetumal Bay, Oct 2016
Marino, Marc D., Lucas R. Martindale Johnson, and Nathan J. Meissner
Journal of Archaeological Research, Dec 2015
The bow-and-arrow was a widely used weapon in the Postclassic and Contact periods in the Maya low... more The bow-and-arrow was a widely used weapon in the Postclassic and Contact periods in the Maya lowlands. A sample of 108 arrow points from varied archaeological contexts in the lakes region of central Petén, northern Guatemala, was submitted for cross-over immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) analysis. Analysis resulted in 25 positive matches to available antisera for a wide range of local and introduced fauna, from small and large land mammals to avians. These findings indicate possible uses in subsistence and ritual, as well as the first immunological identification of human proteins from projectile weaponry in Mesoamerica. This study did not reveal strong correlations between targeted fauna and point morphology, although larger points were likely used for larger game.
Journal de la Société des Américanistes, 2013
An excavated collection of 3000-year-old fired-clay figurines from the Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca, Mexi... more An excavated collection of 3000-year-old fired-clay figurines from the Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca, Mexico, provides evidence for household practices of embodiment at a time of emerging social differences. A holistic interpretation of the figurines, including their unique archaeological associations, mortuary, faunal and ethnographic information illuminates key aspects of the life-cycle termination of both human and non-human subjects. The archaeological contexts at Tayata allow for an integrated application of embodiment theory with cross-field anthropological data, and reveal a deep-seated Mixtec worldview concerning the animism of corporeal objects.
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences, 2008
Mixtec nobles are depicted in codices and other proto-historic documentation taking part in funer... more Mixtec nobles are depicted in codices and other proto-historic documentation taking part in funerary rites involving cremation. The time depth for this practice was unknown, but excavations at the early village site of Tayata, in the southern state of Oaxaca, Mexico, recovered undisturbed cremation burials in contexts dating from the eleventh century B.C. These are the earliest examples of a burial practice that in later times was reserved for Mixtec kings and Aztec emperors. This article describes the burial contexts and human remains, linking Formative period archaeology with ethnohistorical descriptions of Mixtec mortuary practices. The use of cremation to mark elevated social status among the Mixtec was established by 3,000 years ago, when hereditary differences in rank were first emerging across Mesoamerica.
Dissertation by Nathan J. Meissner
This study examines small projectile point technology of the Postclassic Lowland Maya (A.D. 1400 ... more This study examines small projectile point technology of the Postclassic Lowland Maya (A.D. 1400 – 1697) using a technological systems framework, to evaluate production strategies and the movement of finished goods within Mesoamerican exchange networks. Small arrow points (1 – 3 cm long) were typically made from obsidian and microcrystalline silicates (chert, chalcedony), and were key components of bow-and-arrow weaponry among multiple Mayan-speaking groups and ethnopolities known as the Itza, Xiw, Kowoj, Chak’an Itza, Kehach, Dzuluinikob, Chetumal, Lakam tun (Lacandon), and Chuj. Literature suggests that the Late Postclassic period was a time of heightened “international” exchange, defined by frequent inter-polity interactions, information sharing, and intensified long-distance exchange of raw materials across political boundaries. Thus, this study adds to anthropological theory by focusing on the interplay between political geography and material culture to understand the relationship between non-elite goods and intensified social interaction.
In total, this study analyzes 2,128 small projectile points originating from 17 different Lowland centers, focusing explicitly on the research domains of raw material procurement, production, use, repair, and discard. Multiple lithic analyses are used to collect data including macroscopic methods, taxonomic classification, and spatial-contextual analysis. Additionally, instrumental methods including portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and cross-over immuno-electrophoresis (CIEP) are used to identify raw material procurement patterns and interpret use activities related to the bow-and-arrow.
The results of this study demonstrate that raw material preference and procurement strategies for small points varied significantly across the Maya Lowlands, and were often contingent on ethnopolitical affiliations and factionalism. In particular, strong differences emerge among neighboring polities within the Petén Lakes region of Guatemala, where the Itza, Kowoj, and Chak’an Itza maintained territories in close proximity to one another. A taxonomic and technological classification of small points reveals considerable variability in technological styles in addition to morphometric variability of haft types. Spatial-contextual analyses of depositional patterns demonstrate a range of activities associated with bow-and-arrow weaponry that often included symbolic associations with ritual and civic-ceremonial architecture. CIEP results reveal a multiplicity of use activities of the bow-and-arrow, with several positive immunological matches for indigenous and introduced fauna. Overall, the holistic approach of this dissertation helps bridge the divide between seemingly mundane artifacts and past economic behaviors that are critically important to Postclassic Maya studies.
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Other Publications and Reports by Nathan J. Meissner
Proyecto Arqueológico Tayasal. Informe preliminar al Instituto de Antropología e Historia de Guatemala de la Temporada de Investigación Año 2017 (Timothy Pugh and Evelyn Chan eds.), 2018
Las investigaciones arqueológicas en la región de los Lagos de Petén de Guatemala han contribuido... more Las investigaciones arqueológicas en la región de los Lagos de Petén de Guatemala han contribuido a una visión significativa de la geografía política Maya de las Tierras Bajas durante los periodos Clásico Terminal a Contacto (900-1697 CE). Durante los últimos siglos, la región de los Lagos estuvo ocupada por varios grupos etnopolíticos, que se diferenciaban por su liderazgo, sus linajes y sus lazos ancestrales con el norte de Yucatán. Este estudio examina la variación inter e intra-sitio a través de un análisis composicional de los restos de obsidiana de dos sitios: Tayasal y Nixtun-Ch'ich'. Mediante el análisis portátil de la fluorescencia de rayos X (PXRF) en una muestra grande de 1.411 obsidianas, surge un panorama más amplio sobre el cambio
temporal y la variabilidad subregional del intercambio a larga distancia. El gran tamaño de muestra de este estudio permite una comprensión más refinada de la adquisición de la obsidiana de datos procedentes de ambos grupos individuales y estructuras.
Proyecto Arqueológico Tayasal. Informe preliminar al Instituto de Antropología e Historia de Guatemala de la Temporada de Investigación Año 2015 (Timothy Pugh and Evelyn Chan eds.), 2016
Las puntas pequeñas de piedra son herramientas formales comunes, se encuentran en todas las tierr... more Las puntas pequeñas de piedra son herramientas formales comunes, se encuentran en todas las tierras bajas mayas durante el posclásico, y fueron componentes importantes del arco y flecha. En la región de los lagos de Petén, Guatemala, puntas pequeñas se ha recuperado una variedad de puntas pequeñas de las excavaciones realizadas en Tayasal, Quexil, Nixtun-Ch'ich', Zacpetén e Ixlú. Para entender económicamente la fabricación de las puntas, es esencial el estudio de la inversión que se hace y el resultado de producción para cada ensamblaje. Las puntas de flecha a veces se caracterizan como pertenecientes a una forma "expediente" dentro de la tecnología lítica. Esto implica que se necesita un mínimo de trabajo para transformar una materia prima de un estado inutilizable para un producto terminado. Hasta la fecha, el grado de expediencia asociada con puntas pequeñas de proyectil no ha sido cuantificado, ni comparación entre los sitios.
Center for Archaeological Investigations, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Technical Report 18-1, 2018
This report presents the results of an archaeological evaluation of four sites on the Hoosier Nat... more This report presents the results of an archaeological evaluation of four sites on the Hoosier National Forest in Crawford County and Orange County, Indiana. The sites include three sites which were part of the Lick Creek Settlement, an early 19th century African American settlement in Orange County. During this evaluation, these sites – 12-Or-0602, 12-Or-0713, and 12-Or-0714 – were found to date to the era when the Lick Creek Settlement was flourishing. Additionally, intact cultural deposits at each site were identified, suggesting they have the potential to provide further information about the period. The fourth site evaluated in this analysis was the Carnes Mill site in Crawford County (12-Cr-0190), a mid to late 19th century gristmill. The site was found to have deeply buried, but intact cultural deposits related to the mill in addition to a number of intact sandstone features. Each of the four sites presented in this evaluation represent significant archaeological resources and have the potential for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. In this report we weigh each site against the National Register criteria and provide recommendations for future management.
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Publications by Nathan J. Meissner
En los sistemas económicos premodernos donde la inserción social del intercambio proporcionó a los agentes la capaci-dad de controlar o monopolizar el intercambio, incluyendo los bienes que entraron y salieron del mercado, se desarro-llaron "mercados restringidos". Estos mercados produjeron ingresos externos que fueron utilizados para alcanzar metas políticas. En contraste, los sistemas comercializados requirieron de la inversión en bienes públicos que incentivaron el desarrollo de la cooperación mercantil y "mercados abiertos", donde los vendedores y compradores de diversas comu-nidades y sectores sociales participaron en el intercambio como pares dentro del mercado. En este artículo, se compara el desarrollo del mercado en dos sitios del posclásico tardío: Chetumal en Belice y Tlaxcallan en el altiplano central de Méx-ico. En Chetumal, se identificó un mercado restringido, basado en la distribución de bienes exóticos, particularmente pun-tas de obsidiana que simbolizan una carga militar y ritual; mientras que en Tlaxcallan se construyó un mercado abierto. La teoría de acción colectiva proporciona el marco para entender las diferencias en el desarrollo de estos dos mercados. Se plantea que los arquitectos políticos tlaxcaltecas implementaron estrategias más colectivas, en las cuales los mercados abiertos fueron importantes para enfatizar la cooperación de una población étnicamente diversa.
Full PDF available on request
PDF available on request
PDF available upon request
Dissertation by Nathan J. Meissner
In total, this study analyzes 2,128 small projectile points originating from 17 different Lowland centers, focusing explicitly on the research domains of raw material procurement, production, use, repair, and discard. Multiple lithic analyses are used to collect data including macroscopic methods, taxonomic classification, and spatial-contextual analysis. Additionally, instrumental methods including portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and cross-over immuno-electrophoresis (CIEP) are used to identify raw material procurement patterns and interpret use activities related to the bow-and-arrow.
The results of this study demonstrate that raw material preference and procurement strategies for small points varied significantly across the Maya Lowlands, and were often contingent on ethnopolitical affiliations and factionalism. In particular, strong differences emerge among neighboring polities within the Petén Lakes region of Guatemala, where the Itza, Kowoj, and Chak’an Itza maintained territories in close proximity to one another. A taxonomic and technological classification of small points reveals considerable variability in technological styles in addition to morphometric variability of haft types. Spatial-contextual analyses of depositional patterns demonstrate a range of activities associated with bow-and-arrow weaponry that often included symbolic associations with ritual and civic-ceremonial architecture. CIEP results reveal a multiplicity of use activities of the bow-and-arrow, with several positive immunological matches for indigenous and introduced fauna. Overall, the holistic approach of this dissertation helps bridge the divide between seemingly mundane artifacts and past economic behaviors that are critically important to Postclassic Maya studies.
[TOC provided, message author for entire document]
Other Publications and Reports by Nathan J. Meissner
temporal y la variabilidad subregional del intercambio a larga distancia. El gran tamaño de muestra de este estudio permite una comprensión más refinada de la adquisición de la obsidiana de datos procedentes de ambos grupos individuales y estructuras.
En los sistemas económicos premodernos donde la inserción social del intercambio proporcionó a los agentes la capaci-dad de controlar o monopolizar el intercambio, incluyendo los bienes que entraron y salieron del mercado, se desarro-llaron "mercados restringidos". Estos mercados produjeron ingresos externos que fueron utilizados para alcanzar metas políticas. En contraste, los sistemas comercializados requirieron de la inversión en bienes públicos que incentivaron el desarrollo de la cooperación mercantil y "mercados abiertos", donde los vendedores y compradores de diversas comu-nidades y sectores sociales participaron en el intercambio como pares dentro del mercado. En este artículo, se compara el desarrollo del mercado en dos sitios del posclásico tardío: Chetumal en Belice y Tlaxcallan en el altiplano central de Méx-ico. En Chetumal, se identificó un mercado restringido, basado en la distribución de bienes exóticos, particularmente pun-tas de obsidiana que simbolizan una carga militar y ritual; mientras que en Tlaxcallan se construyó un mercado abierto. La teoría de acción colectiva proporciona el marco para entender las diferencias en el desarrollo de estos dos mercados. Se plantea que los arquitectos políticos tlaxcaltecas implementaron estrategias más colectivas, en las cuales los mercados abiertos fueron importantes para enfatizar la cooperación de una población étnicamente diversa.
Full PDF available on request
PDF available on request
PDF available upon request
In total, this study analyzes 2,128 small projectile points originating from 17 different Lowland centers, focusing explicitly on the research domains of raw material procurement, production, use, repair, and discard. Multiple lithic analyses are used to collect data including macroscopic methods, taxonomic classification, and spatial-contextual analysis. Additionally, instrumental methods including portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and cross-over immuno-electrophoresis (CIEP) are used to identify raw material procurement patterns and interpret use activities related to the bow-and-arrow.
The results of this study demonstrate that raw material preference and procurement strategies for small points varied significantly across the Maya Lowlands, and were often contingent on ethnopolitical affiliations and factionalism. In particular, strong differences emerge among neighboring polities within the Petén Lakes region of Guatemala, where the Itza, Kowoj, and Chak’an Itza maintained territories in close proximity to one another. A taxonomic and technological classification of small points reveals considerable variability in technological styles in addition to morphometric variability of haft types. Spatial-contextual analyses of depositional patterns demonstrate a range of activities associated with bow-and-arrow weaponry that often included symbolic associations with ritual and civic-ceremonial architecture. CIEP results reveal a multiplicity of use activities of the bow-and-arrow, with several positive immunological matches for indigenous and introduced fauna. Overall, the holistic approach of this dissertation helps bridge the divide between seemingly mundane artifacts and past economic behaviors that are critically important to Postclassic Maya studies.
[TOC provided, message author for entire document]
temporal y la variabilidad subregional del intercambio a larga distancia. El gran tamaño de muestra de este estudio permite una comprensión más refinada de la adquisición de la obsidiana de datos procedentes de ambos grupos individuales y estructuras.
Abstract: During the Late Classic period, the ancient community of Rio Amarillo was located within the sphere of the regional capital of Copan. Archaeological research conducted by the Proyecto Arqueologico Rio Amarillo, Copan (PARAC) since 2011 has elucidated interactions between the main city and this secondary center, as well as with other regions and distant sites. To date most of the methods of analysis involved the documentation of settlement patterns, the excavations of structures, and the analysis of artifacts. An important goal of PARAC is the documentation of ancient human-environmental interactions. A number of scholars, who have previously worked in the Copan Valley, have suggested that Rio Amarillo, with its fertile plain, may have acted as a breadbasket, providing food in exchange for goods and possibly raw materials distributed from Copan. In order to test this theory a range of environmental samples have been taken.
Obsidian studies in the Maya area have benefited from the instrumental sourcing of large samples to reconstruct political and domestic economies. This paper summarizes results of the largest portable x-ray florescence (PXRF) source attribution study of obsidian in the Petén lakes region from the sites of Tayasal and Nixtun-Ch'ich'. Cluster analysis of the chemical profiles of 1,411 obsidian specimens suggests that two sites had varying strategies of procurement that emphasized participation with Ixtepeque, El Chayal, and San Martin Jilotepeque exchange networks. Inter- and intra-site diachronic analysis of obsidian procurement patterns represents changes through time from the Terminal Classic to the early Contact and Colonial periods (A.D. 900 - 1697). The large sample size of this study permits a more refined understanding of obsidian acquisition in from individual residences. Results are compared to previously published data from the surrounding sites of Nojpeten, Quexil, San Jeronimo II, Ixlú, and Zacpetén to further understand social changes in the subregion, and reveals the entangled economic relations among political groups.
on a joint block at the site in 2003 but did not revisit the site afterwards. A 2016 visit to the shelter by CAI archaeologists revealed that these two images had been cut out and removed
by unknown parties in the intervening 13 years. Fortunately, a third faded image similar to the removed images was discovered during the 2016 visit. This paper reports on the PXRF and DSTRETCH analysis of that image as well as the photogrammetric documentation of the site itself, which contains Archaic through Late Woodland period deposits.