Evidence of Early Teotihucan-Lowland Maya Contact at Altun Ha

1971 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Pendergast
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
British Honduras ◽  
Lowland Maya

AbstractDiscovery of a typical Miccaotli phase offering at Altun Ha, British Honduras (Belize) indicates contact between Teotihuacan and the central Maya lowlands in the second century A.D., 2.5 to 3 centuries earlier than previously recognized.

The Composite or “Assemble-it-Yourself” Censer: A New Lowland Maya Variety of the Three-Pronged Incense Burner

1959 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan F. Borhegyi
Keyword(s):  
Classic Period ◽  
16Th Century ◽  
San Jose ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
British Honduras ◽  
Lowland Area ◽  
Highland Maya ◽  
Incense Burner ◽  
Lowland Maya

AbstractA slit-sided, tubular “incense burner” with three holes in the top, three solid, curved and tapering cylinders called “chili-mashers,” and a flat, striated dish called a “griddle” or “comal” from sealed Cache B3 at San Jose, British Honduras are presented as separate units of a composite Lowland Maya variety of the three-pronged incense burner known from Highland Maya sites. Only the “comal” shows signs of burning. The cylinders are removable prongs which fit the holes in the top of the tubular “censer,” and the “comal” rests on the prongs as the cover on which the incense was burned. Thus, many so-called censers are probably stands or supports rather than receptacles for burning incense. A classification is offered for the several forms of the composite three-pronged censer which is distributed throughout the Maya Lowlands primarily during the Classic period. Since the San Jose “griddles” shown here to be censer covers are the only “comales” claimed for the Maya Lowlands, this identification establishes the pre-16th century absence of the comal and the tortilla in the lowland area. Doubt is also expressed that the comal forms of Highland Guatemala were used for making tortillas.

Relationships between Early Preclassic and Early Middle Preclassic Phases in Northern Belize: A Comment on “Lowland Maya Archaeology at the Crossroads”

1984 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 628-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Potter ◽  
Thomas R. Hester ◽  
Stephen L. Black ◽  
Fred Valdez
Keyword(s):  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
Maya Archaeology ◽  
Middle Preclassic ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Lowland Maya

In a recent paper, Marcus (1983) provides a timely synthesis of the rapidly accumulating body of data from various projects in the Maya Lowlands. One of the specific problems discussed by Marcus is that of temporal and cultural definition of the Swasey phase at the sites of Cuello and Colha, and its relationship to other early components. Our comment presents new data from Colha that were not available to Marcus. These data have significantly expanded our understanding of the earliest occupations at the site and have important implications for intersite comparisons.

THE OBSIDIAN AND CERAMICS OF THE PUUC REGION: CHRONOLOGY, LITHIC PROCUREMENT, AND PRODUCTION AT XKIPCHE, YUCATAN, MEXICO

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey E. Braswell ◽  
Iken Paap ◽  
Michael D. Glascock
Keyword(s):  
Second Century ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Terminal Classic ◽  
Similar Information ◽  
Ceramic Chronology ◽  
Typological Approach ◽  
Precision And Accuracy ◽  
Great Persistence ◽  
Multi Phase

AbstractArchaeologists working in the northern Maya lowlands have faced persistent problems in establishing chronological precision and accuracy. In particular, it has proven difficult to create multi-phase chronologies for the Late and Terminal Classic periods. Investigators at Xkipche, a small Puuc site southwest of Uxmal, have employed both seriation and the typological approach to ceramic chronology. The results of the ceramic seriation suggest great persistence from the second century untila.d.1100, a continuity that is not supported by the Type-Variety approach to chronology. This report begins by reviewing the ceramic data, and then turns to another archaeological material, obsidian. Procurement patterns and production technology are discussed for the 182 obsidian artifacts collected during the first five seasons of the Projekt Xkipche. These data are compared with similar information gleaned from other sites in the northern Maya lowlands. Results of this obsidian analysis conflict with the absolute chronology proposed for the Xkipche ceramic sequence. Finally, a compromise ceramic chronology is proposed, one that is consistent with both obsidian and architectural data. This proposed chronology divides the seemingly monolithic Cehpech ceramic complex into three phases: Early Cehpech (a.d.550–700); Late Cehpech (a.d.700–900/950); and, Terminal Cehpech/Sotuta (a.d.900/950–950/1000).

Ancient Maya Defensive Barricades, Warfare, and Site Abandonment

2001 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel W. Palka
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Ancient Maya ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
American Antiquity ◽  
Site Abandonment ◽  
Lowland Maya

In a recent report (Latin American Antiquity 11:283-299), Bruce Dahlin presents evidence from Chunchucmil, Yucatan, and other ancient lowland Maya centers, which indicates that low stone and earth barricade walls may have been important defensive constructions. He also postulates that population annihilation occurred during Maya warfare, particularly at Chunchucmil. In this commentary I explore alternative explanations regarding Maya defensive works and warfare derived from recent archaeological research and historic sources from the Maya lowlands. The existence of palisades or thorny bush on barricade walls, and more gradual abandonment of Maya sites during episodes of conflict, warrant further consideration and testing along with Dahlin"s intriguing hypotheses.

The Earliest Lowland Maya? Definition of the Swasey Phase

1979 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman Hammond ◽  
Duncan Pring ◽  
Richard Wilk ◽  
Sara Donaghey ◽  
Frank P. Saul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Material Culture ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
Radiocarbon Dates ◽  
Burial Practice ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Middle Formative ◽  
Lowland Maya

Recent excavations in Belize have resulted in the discovery of an earlier period of sedentary occupation than has hitherto been documented in the Maya Lowlands. The Swasey phase is stratigraphically antecedent to occupations of the early Middle Formative, the earliest horizon located until now, and associated radiocarbon dates suggest a persistence from 2000–1000 b.c./2500–1300 B.C. The ceramic and lithic material culture of the phase are described, together with architectural construction and burial practice, and the overall cultural identity is recognized as ancestral to the known Maya Lowland Formative. External contacts of the Cuello site are documented by exotic minerals, and the possible external antecedents for the Swasey ceramic tradition are canvassed.

The Isthmian Origins of the E Group and Its Adoption in the Maya Lowlands

Maya E Groups ◽  
2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takeshi Inomata
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
Preclassic Period ◽  
Middle Preclassic ◽  
Middle Formative ◽  
Diverse Groups ◽  
Lowland Maya

Recent investigations at Ceibal (Seibal) and other Preclassic Period (1000 BCE–250 CE) sites indicate that the E Group assemblage was originally developed around 1000-900 BCE as an element of a standardized site plan called the Middle Formative Chiapas pattern (MFC) through interactions among diverse groups inhabiting the Isthmian region, including the southern Gulf Coast, Chiapas, the southern Pacific Coast, and the southwestern end of the Maya lowlands. The Maya in the central and eastern lowlands began to adopt the E Group after 800 BCE and to create their own cultural tradition by applying their construction methods, by developing new symbolism and ritual, and by discarding most other elements of the MFC pattern. After many of the Isthmian centers collapsed at the end of the Middle Preclassic Period (ca. 350 BCE), the lowland Maya became the most avid builders of E Groups in Mesoamerica.

Wood of the Gods: The Ritual Use of Pine (Pinus spp.) by the Ancient Lowland Maya

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher T. Morehart ◽  
David L. Lentz ◽  
Keith M. Prufer
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Basic Element ◽  
Wood Charcoal ◽  
Regular Component ◽  
Ancient Maya ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
Surface Sites ◽  
Dominant Taxon ◽  
Pinus Spp ◽  
Lowland Maya

AbstractThe recovery of pine (Pinus spp.) charcoal remains from ceremonial contexts at sites in the Maya Lowlands suggests that pine had a significant role in ancient Maya ritual activities. Data collected by the authors reveal that pine remains are a regular component of archaeobotanical assemblages from caves, sites that were used almost exclusively for ritual purposes, and that pine is often the dominant taxon of wood charcoal recovered. Comparisons with archaeobotanical data from surface sites likewise reveals that pine is common in ceremonial deposits. The authors propose that the appearance of pine remains in ceremonial contexts indicates pine was a valued element of Maya ritual paraphernalia. By basing interpretations with analogous information from ethnography, ethnohistory, iconography, and epigraphy, the use of pine during rituals is argued to be have been linked with a symbolic complex of ritual burning and offering “food” sacrifices to deities. The possibility is raised that burning pine, perhaps as torches, during some ancient rituals was similar to the modern use of candles. The diversity of ceremonial contexts yielding pine suggests that burning pine may have been a basic element of ritual activities that was essential to establish the legitimacy of ritual performances.

A Unique Maya Shrine Site on the Mountain Pine Ridge of British Honduras

1963 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Bullard
Keyword(s):  
Ancient Maya ◽  
Maya Archaeology ◽  
Pine Ridge ◽  
Mountain Pine ◽  
British Honduras ◽  
Granite Outcrop ◽  
Lowland Maya

AbstractA small ruin of presumed ancient Maya origin is described. This ruin is the only certain prehistoric structure discovered on the Mountain Pine Ridge of British Honduras, and it is associated with a natural granite outcrop of monumental appearance in such a way as to suggest that the two formed a shrine of a type not previously reported in Lowland Maya archaeology.

Preclassic Ceramics from Chalchuapa, El Salvador, and Their Relationships with the Maya Lowlands

1970 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Sharer ◽  
James C. Gifford
Keyword(s):  
El Salvador ◽  
Ceramic Material ◽  
Analytical Procedure ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
East Central ◽  
Analytic Procedure ◽  
Maya Area ◽  
Middle Preclassic ◽  
Lowland Maya

AbstractApplication of the type-variety analytical procedure to Preclassic ceramic material excavated from mound-fill deposits at Chalchuapa, El Salvador, has provided important indications of possible ceramic relationships between this site-zone and the Maya Lowlands. Of the five ceramic complexes, the earliest (the Tok ceramic complex) seems related to the Early Preclassic (Cuadros phase) of south coastal Guatemala and Mexico. Pottery of the early Middle Preclassic (the Colos and Kal ceramic complexes) appears to involve certain direct type-variety relationships with the Lowland Maya Xe and Mamom ceramic spheres. Late Middle Preclassic pottery (the Chul ceramic complex) is evidently almost exclusively affiliated with Highland Guatemala (the Providencia phase at Kaminaljuyu). Pottery of the Late Preclassic and "Protoclassic" (the Caynac ceramic complex) at Chalchuapa continues to reflect these ties (now with the Miraflores, Arenal, and Santa Clara phases at Kaminaljuyu). Apart from such ties, however, there are also significant indications of renewed ceramic connections with the Maya Lowlands during this time interval that we believe might have been of some consequence for the development of the Classic Lowland Maya. The implications of these ceramic relationships for the problem of the initial occupation of the east-central Maya Lowlands and the later intrusive Floral Park ceramic sphere at Barton Ramie are discussed. The paper also considers the implications of this evidence for the type-variety analytic procedure and proposes a tentative outline of Preclassic ceramic relationships in the Maya area.

Obsidian Procurement and Distribution in the Tikal-Yaxha Intersite Area of the Central Maya Lowlands

1997 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anabel Ford ◽  
Fred Stross ◽  
Frank Asaro ◽  
Helen V. Michel
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Characterization ◽  
Source Area ◽  
Classic Period ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Terminal Classic ◽  
Residential Units ◽  
Preclassic Period ◽  
Characterization Studies ◽  
Lowland Maya

AbstractObsidian from known outcrops in the Mesoamerican highlands has been recovered from lowland Maya sites, providing significant evidence for long-distance procurement and local redistribution of obsidian by the ancient Maya. Prior chemical-characterization studies of obsidian from the lowland Maya area provide a foundation for the study of Tikal-Yaxha obsidian presented here. The samples used in this analysis came from middens associated with 12 residential units located between Tikal and Yaxha and dating from the Preclassic through Terminal Classic periods. The results of chemical sourcing of the Tikal-Yaxha samples generally lend support to current interpretations of changes in obsidian distribution and procurement in the central Maya lowlands. During the Preclassic period, most obsidian was imported from the San Martín Jilotepeque-Río Pixcaya source area. Obsidian from the El Chayal source predominated throughout the Classic period, although some Mexican Pachuca obsidian appeared in Early Classic contexts, and Ixtepepque obsidian was apparently restricted to the Terminal Classic period.

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