Ancient Maya Site Core Settlement at Minanha, Belize: Development, Integration, and Community Dynamics (original) (raw)
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This thesis explores the abandonment of the ancient Maya site of Minanha, situated in the North Vaca Plateau of west-central Belize. The purpose of this research is to study, through a behavioral-contextual approach, the 12 on-floor assemblages that were excavated across the entire social spectrum of the Minanha community, from commoners to royal elites. The research methods include a careful "type-attribute: mode" ceramic analysis, and detailed contextual, architectural observations. Specifically, this thesis explores the timing of the abandonment for each segment of the Minanha community, as well the differential abandonment processes responsible for the creation of each of the 12 on-floor assemblages excavated at the site. Additionally, intra- and inter-site comparisons, will allow for a regionally integrated reconstruction of the abandonment scenario for the broader Minanha community. Finally, this settlement abandonment study will serve to inquire into ancient Maya rituals and social organization, and into the socio- political dynamics ongoing at Minanha during its last phase of occupation.
Life on the Edge: Investigating Maya Hinterland Settlements in Northwestern Belize- M.A. Thesis
2011
The Three Rivers Region of Northwestern Belize was an important area for Classic Maya development. Archaeological sites became known to archaeologists in the 1970s and gained much attention in the early 1990s with the creation of the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project (PfBAP). The PfBAP operates on a 250,000-acre nature preserve, known as the Programme for Belize (PfB). Most of this acreage is covered in semi-deciduous, rugged forest, resulting in unexplored terrain. This precludes exploration of the PfBAP and hinders the understanding of ancient Maya settlement. Thus, settlement studies are particularly difficult to conduct and the relationships between settlements and their environment are not well understood. Though, the Dos Hombres to Gran Cacao Archaeological Project (DH2GC), created by Dr. Marisol Cortes-Rincon of Humboldt State University, is creating a detailed picture of a portion of the PfBAP area by way of interdisciplinary inquiry including archaeology, ecology, and geoarchaeology. The DH2GC is conducting a settlement study along a 12-km transect to map settlement and ecological features between the cities of Dos Hombres and Gran Cacao. This thesis is a complementary project alongside the DH2GC. The ultimate goal of the thesis project is to understand the nature of settlement patterning between large site centers. The main focus is on small courtyard groups that appear within the Dos Hombres suburban area. Analysis of these courtyard groups are through settlement patterning via environmental context and consideration of site-planning planning principles.
2012
This study examines processes of urbanization, including elements of integration and disintegration, at the low-density/dispersed Classic Period (ca. 300-900 C.E.) Maya centre of Buenavista del Cayo in the Lower Mopan River Valley of west-central Belize. Through an examination of the "biographies" of specific non-elite group constituencies (households and communities -people), represented by their material remains (places and things), I examine their impact on the visibility and characterization of urbanization processes at Buenavista through a multi-temporal, materialistic, and nuanced lens known as "life history".
2013
This thesis reports on the 2010 excavations of the North Group and Eastern Court at the ancient Lowland Maya site of Pacbitun. It provides a construction history of the architecture and an analysis of associated artifacts, burials, and caches. The archaeological investigations demonstrate that the seven structures (Strs. 34-40) of this restricted access plazuela group were built in the Early Classic period, and renewed in the Late Classic period. Based on analyses of artifacts (ceramics and lithics), skeletal and faunal remains, and intra- and inter-site comparisons, the North Group functioned as a secondary elite domestic residential group. Reconstruction suggests that the inhabitants here were not commoners; instead, the occupants probably were related to the ruling elite of Pacbitun. Some of the evidence includes the central location and elevation of the North Group, the presence of red painted plaster surfacing, a burial with multiple ceramic musical instruments, and multiple dedicatory caches with exotic goods (e.g., marine shell, jadeite, "Charlie Chaplin" figures).
Complexity, Function, and Rurality: Prehistoric Maya Communities of Northwest Belize
Ancient Mesoamerica
The northwest region of Belize, known as the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area (RBCMA), is a research set-aside of interest for investigating hinterland communities of the prehistoric Maya. The hinterland or rural communities of the RBCMA are as diverse and complex as any across the Maya lowlands. The Programme for Belize Archaeological Project (PfBAP), of northwest Belize, provides various data for identifying and interpreting ancient Maya interactions in the region. With more than 25 seasons of Maya archaeological research in the region, PfBAP researchers are well placed to present aspects of nonurban life that helped make Maya civilization possible. The PfBAP utilizes survey and mapping strategies, material culture analyses, Light Detection and Ranging, and theoretical interests for evaluating ancient Maya life in the region's rural areas. There are four essential components herein contained for the PfBAP investigations of ancient Maya rural settlements in northwest ...
Regional perspective of ancient Maya burial patterns in northwest Belize, Central America
2016
This dissertation represents seven years of dedication, hard work, stress, travel, research, and the wonderful guidance, assistance, and support of numerous individuals. First and foremost, I extend endless gratitude to Dr. Fred Valdez, Jr. Thank you for believing in me and allowing me the wonderful opportunity to work alongside you over the years. I am grateful for everything you have provided me, including your patience and guidance, your humor, and your wonderful treatment of my family. I also would like to thank Dr. Palma Buttles for her support through kindness, warmth, great stories about Fred, and delicious cooking! My family has enjoyed our experiences with yours over the past years, and we hope to continue our relationship in the future! The completion of this dissertation was also possible thanks to the guidance and advice of the wonderful members of my committee. I would like to thank Drs. Michelle Hamilton, Martha Menchaca, Allan Moore, and Sam Wilson for standing by me in this process. I am indebted to you all for your insights into bioarchaeology, cultural anthropology, public outreach and Maya archaeology, and data analysis and statistics. You each have inspired me through your teaching, your research and outreach projects, and your assistance. Thanks so much for putting up with my myriad questions, helping me sort through confusion to find nuggets of clarity (no matter how long it took), and for the kindness and genuineness you showed me over the past years. Thanks also for reading my whole dissertation-I imagine that, in and of itself, was quite the feat! Thank you to the Institute of Archaeology (IA) in Belize and its staff, who entrust researchers at the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project (PfBAP) with the ability to conduct archaeological research at PfB (Programme for Belize) every year. In particular vi I would like to thank Dr. Jaime Awe, George Thompson, Bryan Woodye, Sherilyne Jones, and Dr. John Morris for your dedication and hard work to protect and conserve the archaeological heritage of Belize. Thanks also to the people of Belize-your culture, history, people, food, and environment are absolutely delightful. I have sincerely enjoyed my eight years of visits and fully intend to continue enjoying Belize's wonders in the many years to come! I am also thankful to the University of Texas at Austin (UT), the Graduate School, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Department of Anthropology for all of the support (financial, professional, and intellectual) I have received in the past eight years. My experiences from these institutions have allowed me to grow intellectually, personally, and emotionally and I am forever grateful for the various opportunities I was provided. I would like to extend a warm thank you to the chairs and associate chairs of the Department of