Peer-Reviewed Publications by Katherine E South
Framing Complexity in Formative Mesoamerica, 2022
World Archaeoprimatology: Interconnections of Humans and Nonhuman Primates in the Past, 2022
Ancient Mesoamerica, Dec 2015
Four species of monkeys may have lived in the Maya region in pre-Columbian times: two howler monk... more Four species of monkeys may have lived in the Maya region in pre-Columbian times: two howler monkey species, the spider monkey, and possibly the capuchin. Simians also played an important role in Maya creation myth and cosmology, and are frequently represented on Maya pottery and in glyphic texts. Scholars disagree, however, on which monkeys are depicted. Here we provide an analysis of 142 monkey images on 97 pots, focusing especially on Classic-period lowland polychromes. Multiple physical characteristics of the primates are considered, along with cultural traits, to provide appropriate biological and cultural contexts and artistic conventions necessary to their interpretation. Besides the well-known scribal roles (attributed to howlers and “Monkey-Men”), we conclude that monkeys commonly take on pictorial and non-pictorial roles that involve carrying or bringing goods such as tribute or cacao. In contexts of liminality, these creatures are often charged with transcending natural and social realms.
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.
Published Abstracts by Katherine E South
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2013
Understanding the interaction between humans and nonhuman primates is fundamental to primate cons... more Understanding the interaction between humans and nonhuman primates is fundamental to primate conservation issues, and the meaning and importance humans place on different primates can dramatically affect the health and survival of primate populations. However, relatively little is known about the relationships between humans and their nonhuman primate neighbors through prehistory. This study examines the ways the ancient Maya depicted monkeys on ceramic materials. Iconographic elements and primate imagery provide important clues in understanding the ways primates were viewed by the Maya, and when the individual species can be identified, this information is critical in considering how people classified and assigned meaning to what they encountered in nature. There are three species of monkey currently found throughout the Maya region: Alouatta pigra, Alouatta palliata, and Ateles geoffroyi. Using both painted and incised images on Maya pottery dating largely to the Classic period (AD 250-800), we identified the species depicted, when possible, employing attributes used by primatologists to distinguish primate species, including pelage color, facial markings, limb length and proportion, hand morphology, tail position, and positional behavior. Results indicate that the Maya not only distinguished between the genera Alouatta and Ateles, but also viewed the species differently on a symbolic level by associating them with different behaviors and activities. Focusing on primate symbolism provides insight into how the Maya interacted with animals living in their natural environment, what they understood of their behavior, and the ways in which symbolism was transmitted through the representation of these animals.
Dissertation by Katherine E South
Conference Presentations by Katherine E South
Research projects focused on the Middle Preclassic period (1000-350 BC) in the Maya lowlands cont... more Research projects focused on the Middle Preclassic period (1000-350 BC) in the Maya lowlands continue to enhance our understanding of the social, economic, and political lives of early Maya people. The emergence of status differentiation during this time is recognized through different components of the archaeological record, including the presence of prestige goods. While exotic goods such as jade, marine shell, and pyrite mirrors are typically recognized as indicators of social status, the role of pottery within this framework is more nebulous than it is during later periods. How pottery was used and valued during this time drives the current study. Incorporating both production attributes and contextual deposition of Middle Preclassic pottery provides several inroads for a better understanding of how pottery began its trajectory as a prestige good in Maya culture. Using pottery excavated at Nixtun-Ch’ich’ in addition to other sites around the Petén Lakes, the concept of pottery value and the process of valuation are considered through several lines of evidence related to production and use. Results from this research advance our understanding of pottery economics and provide a baseline for discussing how pottery began its trajectory as a prestige good in Maya culture.
Recent work in the Petén Lakes area of Guatemala reveals widespread occupation during the Middle ... more Recent work in the Petén Lakes area of Guatemala reveals widespread occupation during the Middle Preclassic period (1000-350 BC) in areas extending from the western shore of Lake Petén Itza to Lake Salpetén. A new study of pottery from the sites of Nixtun-Ch’ich’, Tayasal, Ixlú, and Zacpetén, reveals similarities and differences on macroscopic and compositional levels suggesting that while early pottery production in the Petén lakes area shared some characteristics, local variation in both form and paste composition is evident. This indicates that discernible community-level differences were maintained at the level of production. Contextual analysis provides indications of population differences among the sites during the Middle Preclassic period, with Nixtun-Ch’ich’ providing the largest sample of early contexts in the area. These contexts also suggest that pottery played an important role in the construction and dedication of architectural spaces during the early phases of community development. This paper explores the production characteristics and the use contexts of early pottery in the Petén Lakes area, highlighting the developing complexity of settlement and craft production during the Middle Preclassic period.
Recent work in the Petén Lakes area of Guatemala reveals widespread occupation during the Middle ... more Recent work in the Petén Lakes area of Guatemala reveals widespread occupation during the Middle Preclassic period (1000-350 BC) in areas extending from the western shore of Lake Petén Itza to Lake Salpetén. A new study from the sites of Nixtun-Ch’ich’, Tayasal, Ixlú, and Zacpetén, uses an integrated analytical approach to characterize the Middle Preclassic pottery in the region while seeking answers to questions concerning pottery valuation. Mineral and chemical analyses were conducted on 100 samples from the four sites through the petrographic analysis of thin sections, neutron activation analysis of clay pastes, and LA-ICP-MS of pottery slips. Preliminary results suggest the presence of discernible paste groups among samples from each site and geographical divisions in chemical groups of the samples, indicating localized raw material procurement and production. These results contribute to a better understanding of early pottery economics in the region while providing a basis for future study.
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Peer-Reviewed Publications by Katherine E South
Published Abstracts by Katherine E South
Dissertation by Katherine E South
Conference Presentations by Katherine E South