The Hidden World of the Maritime Maya: Lost Landscapes along the North Coast of Quintana Roo (original) (raw)
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Anchored in archaeological, bioarchaeological, and chemical research conducted at the coastal enclave of Xcambo, this paper examines Classic period Maya coastal saline economic production and exchange, along with the lifestyle, ethnicity, and mobility of the traders. Nestled in the coastal marshlands of the northern Yucatan, Mexico, Xcambo functioned as a salt production center and port during its occupation, maintaining long-reaching ties with other parts of the Maya world and Veracruz. Considered together, the different data sets document a reorientation in Xcambo’s exchange routes and connections, which are echoed by increasingly diverse cultural affiliations and an increasing geographic mobility of Xcambo’s merchants. This new information confirms the known pattern of gradually intensifying, though still relatively independent, trade dynamics along the Maya coast in the centuries leading up to the so-called “Maya collapse” and the rise of a new merchant league under the control of Chichen Itza. It was this new order that probably led to the swift end of Xcambo soon after a.d. 700.
Journal of Caribbean Archaeology, Special Publication 3, 2010
In addition to the direct evidence of ancient Maya canoe travel from wooden canoe paddle from the K'ak' Naab' salt works, ancient Maya settlement of offshore islands from the Late Preclassic through the Postclassic periods documents waterborne travel. The Preclassic Butterfly Wing shell midden, the Classic Maya trading port of Moho Cay, and the Classic to Postclassic trading port of Wild Cane Cay are highlighted in this paper. A variety of trade goods were transported along the Yucatan, linking dynastic Maya leaders from distant cities. The seafaring skills of the ancient Maya, their interest in exotic trade goods, and the complex organization of Maya society have parallels among Caribbean island societies. Similarities in coastal adaptation and exploitation of marine resources further tie the ancient Maya to ancient peoples in the circum-Caribbean region. Résumé À l'instar de la découverte d'une pagaie en bois dans les salines de K'ak' Naab', attestant la pratique des voyages en canoë par les Mayas anciens, les sites insulaires côtiers occupés par les Mayas anciens, du Préclassique tardif aux périodes post-classiques, nous éclairent sur leur habitude des voyages par eau. Il s'agit notamment de mettre ici en lumière les amas coquillier préclassique de Butterfly Wing, le port de commerce maya classique de Moho Cay, ainsi que le port de commerce maya classique et postclassique de Wild Cane Cay. Divers biens commerciaux ont été transportés le long du Yucatan, reliant ainsi les familles dirigeantes mayas de villes éloignées. Les compétences maritimes des anciens Mayas, leur intérêt pour le commerce de produits exotiques, et l'organisation complexe de leur société présentent des parallèles avec les sociétés insulaires des Caraïbes. Des similitudes dans l'adaptation côtière et l'exploitation des ressources marines existent entre les anciens Mayas et les anciennes populations de la région circum-caraïbe. Resumen Del Preclásico Tardío al Postclásico Tardío hay evidencia de la práctica de viajar por el agua entre los Mayas. Es evidenciado no solamente por evidencia directa como el caso del remo de canoa de madera de la mina de sal K'ak' Naab', sino también por los asentamientos Mayas en islas litorales. En este artículo se enfoca en el conchero Butterfly Wing del Preclasíco, el puerto comercial Maya Clásico de Moho Cay y el puerto de comercio del Clásico-Postclásico de Wild Cane Cay. Una gran variedad de productos de Journal of Caribbean Archaeology
2011
"The region between the Maya capital of Chichen Itza and its port site on the Gulf ofMexico was one of the most heavily traversed landscapes during the Classic period. Vast quantities of trade goods were conveyed inland from the coast on the backs of long-distance traders. This study explores the experiences of these traders as they transported raw materials such as shell and obsidian as well as finished ornaments to the urban center in exchange for salt from the northern salt beds of Yucatan. We utilize archaeological data from sites along this trade route with a focus on Xuenkal, where we have conducted excavations into the nature of regional changes during the expansion of Chichen Itza since 2004. Archaeological data coupled with view-shed and travel-time analyses provide a nuanced perspective on the travel experiences of the traders who maintained one important component of the Classic Maya economy."
2015
In this study I explore the social archaeology of a Maya coastal port community through household archaeology at the site of Isla Cerritos, a small center for maritime trade on the north coast of Yucatán, Mexico from c.300 BCE to 1250 CE. Known as the principal port for the regional polity of Chichén Itzá during the Terminal Classic Period (800-1100 CE), the island is located at the crossroads of a rich marine resource zone, a major salt production area, and the confluence of sea and overland trade routes that served greater Mesoamerica. While the economic importance of trading enclaves such as Isla Cerritos is often recognized, the domestic contexts of these kinds of settlements remain understudied, so we know less about who actually lived in these communities, how they were organized socially, and how the maritime branch of Maya culture related to and contributed to Mesoamerican civilization. This goal of this thesis is to combine the recent archaeological excavation of three resi...
This paper explores a particular ceramic type, Vista Alegre Striated, an assumed locally produced utilitarian cooking vessel, recovered at the coastal Maya site of Vista Alegre during the Terminal Classic period (AD 800-1100). This study investigates the variations present within this type and how these differences inform production practices at the site and in the region. I use a three-point comparison of recovery locations: a pit feature at the site representing a single depositional episode, intrasite recovery locations, and a regional sample. Through these analyses I highlight various diversities in rim formations that suggest a diversity of producers over time.