Gabriela Saldaña | University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) (original) (raw)

Papers by Gabriela Saldaña

BVAR Progress Reports, 2023

Report on architectural consolidation. Maya area. Classic period. Mesoamerica.

Conference Presentations by Gabriela Saldaña

Society for American Archaeology, 88th Annual Meeting Portland, Oregon, 2023

Classic Maya graffiti (AD 300–800) provides a unique perspective of individual experiences, with ... more Classic Maya graffiti (AD 300–800) provides a unique perspective of individual experiences, with figures
etched onto plastered surfaces that were added as secondary elements within existing architecture. In the
Maya lowlands, graffiti is typically found within monumental architecture, as these contexts favor preservation
in tropical environments. The architectural media on which graffiti is found primarily include walls, floors,
benches, door jambs, and vaulted ceilings. However, some portable media such as ceramic and slate have also
been documented. Here we assess the graffiti assemblage from the major ceremonial center Xunantunich in
central Belize to determine categorical themes present within the assemblage including anthropomorphic and
zoomorphic figures, depictions of architecture, geometric patterns, and glyphic annotations, among other
themes. We present a brief comparison of the categorical themes identified in the Xunantunich assemblage
with other graffiti assemblages noted across the Maya lowlands to understand broad patterns in the shared
human experience during the Classic period.

Society for American Archaeology, 86th Annual Meeting, 2021

Analysis of the Built Environment of the Group B Acropolis at Baking Pot: Results of the 2019 Fie... more Analysis of the Built Environment of the Group B Acropolis at Baking Pot: Results of the 2019 Field Season
The ceremonial center of Baking Pot, Belize is one of the longest occupied sites in the Belize River Valley, starting in the Late
Middle Preclassic (600–300 BC) and spanning through the Terminal Classic (AD 750–900/1000) period, with some evidence of
reoccupation during the Late Postclassic (AD 1200–1521) period. Considerable research efforts over the past three decades by the
Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance project (BVAR) have contributed significantly to our understanding of the Baking Pot
site core and its hinterland. In this poster we present the results of recent excavations at Structure B7, a large audiencia (an
elongated multi-roomed structure) that provided the primary formal entrance into the private palatial compound of Group B.
Research in the 2019 field season focused on understanding the organization and spatial layout of elite monumental architecture
based on questions regarding accessibility and interaction between elite agents within such compounds. This poster reports on the
field methods, data collection, and analysis of the architecture and materials recovered during the 2019 field season.

Society for American Archaeology, 88th Annual Meeting Portland, Oregon, 2023

Classic Maya graffiti (AD 300–800) provides a unique perspective of individual experiences, with ... more Classic Maya graffiti (AD 300–800) provides a unique perspective of individual experiences, with figures
etched onto plastered surfaces that were added as secondary elements within existing architecture. In the
Maya lowlands, graffiti is typically found within monumental architecture, as these contexts favor preservation
in tropical environments. The architectural media on which graffiti is found primarily include walls, floors,
benches, door jambs, and vaulted ceilings. However, some portable media such as ceramic and slate have also
been documented. Here we assess the graffiti assemblage from the major ceremonial center Xunantunich in
central Belize to determine categorical themes present within the assemblage including anthropomorphic and
zoomorphic figures, depictions of architecture, geometric patterns, and glyphic annotations, among other
themes. We present a brief comparison of the categorical themes identified in the Xunantunich assemblage
with other graffiti assemblages noted across the Maya lowlands to understand broad patterns in the shared
human experience during the Classic period.

Society for American Archaeology, 86th Annual Meeting, 2021

Analysis of the Built Environment of the Group B Acropolis at Baking Pot: Results of the 2019 Fie... more Analysis of the Built Environment of the Group B Acropolis at Baking Pot: Results of the 2019 Field Season
The ceremonial center of Baking Pot, Belize is one of the longest occupied sites in the Belize River Valley, starting in the Late
Middle Preclassic (600–300 BC) and spanning through the Terminal Classic (AD 750–900/1000) period, with some evidence of
reoccupation during the Late Postclassic (AD 1200–1521) period. Considerable research efforts over the past three decades by the
Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance project (BVAR) have contributed significantly to our understanding of the Baking Pot
site core and its hinterland. In this poster we present the results of recent excavations at Structure B7, a large audiencia (an
elongated multi-roomed structure) that provided the primary formal entrance into the private palatial compound of Group B.
Research in the 2019 field season focused on understanding the organization and spatial layout of elite monumental architecture
based on questions regarding accessibility and interaction between elite agents within such compounds. This poster reports on the
field methods, data collection, and analysis of the architecture and materials recovered during the 2019 field season.