"The Only True People"

In The Only True People, a multidisciplinary group of archaeologists, linguists, ethnographers, ethnohistorians, and epigraphers evaluate views of Maya history and prehistory in order to more accurately characterize the unique nature of the people known as the Maya by exploring the construction of their identities in the past and the present. Each author evaluates what makes identifiable sociocultural units, or “ethnicities,” distinctive, investigating ethnicity at a number of Maya sites across different time periods: from the northern reaches of the Yucatan to the Southern Periphery, and from the Classic period to the modern day. The volume challenges the notion of an ethnically homogenous “Maya people” within their region and chronology, and the authors explain how their work contributes to the definition of “ethnicity” for ancient Maya society

"The Only True People"

In The Only True People, a multidisciplinary group of archaeologists, linguists, ethnographers, ethnohistorians, and epigraphers evaluate views of Maya history and prehistory in order to more accurately characterize the unique nature of the people known as the Maya by exploring the construction of their identities in the past and the present. Each author evaluates what makes identifiable sociocultural units, or “ethnicities,” distinctive, investigating ethnicity at a number of Maya sites across different time periods: from the northern reaches of the Yucatan to the Southern Periphery, and from the Classic period to the modern day. The volume challenges the notion of an ethnically homogenous “Maya people” within their region and chronology, and the authors explain how their work contributes to the definition of “ethnicity” for ancient Maya society

The experimental determination of the function of obsidian scrapers recovered from the formative period site of La Laguna, Tlaxcala, Mexico: a scanning electron microscope approach

Small obsidian scrapers recovered at the archaeological site of La Laguna and other sites throughout Central Highland Mexico have been interpreted as tools used to process Mexican agave plants for the production of sap. Ethnographic research conducted by Parsons and Parsons (1990) illustrated a striking similarity between the form and function between the modern iron scrapers utilized by modern populations to scrape agave plants for the production of sap and archaeologically recovered obsidian scrapers. However, these tools are possibly multi-purpose implements and Parsons and Parsons (1990) suggest the use of high-powered microscopic analysis to sort out agave scrapers from tools used to process other materials. Using replica obsidian scrapers, several materials were processed to understand the formation of microscopic use-wear on the edge surfaces of tools used to scrape agave, local Mexican woods, deer bone and deer hide. These tools were analyzed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and compared to archaeological tools from La Laguna. Analysis indicated that use-wear formation from each different material was distinguishable from one another based on the development and prevalence of microflaking, polishing, and striations. As a result, likely functions were assigned to archaeological tools based on the unique wear patterns present on their used edges. Results indicate that residents were creating spoon-shaped obsidian scrapers to process maguey for sap, while some scrapers were created as multipurpose implements. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Terminal ritual deposits and abandonment processes at Aguacate Uno, Belize

This study examines terminal deposits as the result of micro-scale processes of collapse at the Maya site of Aguacate Uno, Belize and posits that contextual comparisons of artifact assemblages from terminal deposits can lead to a better understanding of site-specific activities surrounding the final years of occupation, abandonment, and revisitation. Considering the fact that terminal deposits have many similar attributes, notably high concentrations of ceramic sherds, it is important to take into account the context and content of materials found in them in order to determine the activities that led to their creation. This thesis examines ritual events as one of the many activities that produced terminal deposits and is concerned with recognizing material and contextual differences between different types of terminal ritual deposits and distinguishing these deposits from construction fill and refuse. Using this contextual approach, the terminal ritual deposits at Aguacate Uno support the interpretation that the site was differentially abandoned during the Late to Terminal Classic periods. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Identity formation among the Ancient Maya as reconstructed from late Preclassic to early Classic domestic contexts at the site of Actuncan, Belize

This research examines the visual properties of household ceramics to gain an understanding of domestic ritual construction and the diacritics of kinship, socio-economic status, and polity at the site of Actuncan, Belize. Ritual deposits associated with dedications, terminations, and burials are considered to be the remains of performances in which material markers of identity may have been deployed to foreground social identities including kin, status, and polity affiliations. In the absence of clear iconological emblems, more subtle variations in the physical appearance of ceramic vessels, including vessel size, surface finish, and color, are explored as potential markers of social identity. Comparisons of these variables are made between households and across socio-economic status categories and time periods. The evidence presented here provides a better understanding of ritual and the selective use of ceramic bowls, dishes, and plates during its enactment. Two categories of domestic ritual, dedications and terminations, were found to follow distinct patterns in their display of shared cosmological constructs, particularly in the use of surface color, luster, and style (as measured by ceramic type). Additionally, these types of rituals are considerably different in their degree of malleability over time. Termination rituals, in particular, were more flexibly constructed and stood out as venues for demonstrating social differentiation among Actuncan households as the site underwent political and ideological shifts in the Early Classic period. Differences in the use of surface color and luster in open vessel forms, rather than closed forms, speak to internalized cosmological and social orders. Exploring these further will assist archaeologists in identifying emic categories of social identification. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries

Uncovering ancient Maya exchange networks: using the distributional approach to interpret obsidian exchange at Actuncan, Belize

This study seeks to understand the type of exchange at work at Actuncan, a mid-sized Maya site located in the upper Belize River valley, by examining the distribution of obsidian across households of differing rank. Hirth's "distributional approach" is applied at Actuncan and later critiqued as an inappropriate model for identifying marketplace exchange at eastern lowland Maya sites. Comparative distributional analyses were conducted on six elite households and six non-elite plazuela groups. In addition, the obsidian was evaluated for type and efficiency of production, color, and geological source. The color and source were analyzed in order to better understand whether different types or colors of obsidian were exchanged differently by the ancient Maya of Actuncan. The evidence provided by this research led to a better understanding of the obsidian sources accessed at Actuncan which include the central Mexican source, Pachuca, and Guatemalan sources: El Chayal, Ixtepeque, and San Martin Jilopeteque. In addition, it became clear that households of all ranks had access to obsidian, but the amount of access varied over time and across space. The data was inconclusive as to the type of exchange occurring at Actuncan, since differing forms of standardization provided inconsistent results. When the results of this study are examined in the light of other investigations at Actuncan, it seems unlikely that marketplace exchange ever emerged at this site, however more research is required before any well supported arguments can be made for or against a marketplace at Actuncan (Published By University of Alabama Libraries