Papers by Kenneth Seligson
Ancient Mesoamerica, 2019
Burnt lime has played a significant role in daily Maya life since at least as far back as 1100 b.... more Burnt lime has played a significant role in daily Maya life since at least as far back as 1100 b.c., and yet its ephemeral nature has limited
archaeological studies of its production. The application of new surveying and remote sensing technologies in recent decades is now
allowing for a more in-depth investigation of the burnt lime industries that existed in different subregions of the Maya area. This article
provides an overview of the current understanding of pre-Hispanic Maya burnt lime production. It then presents an analysis of the factors
influencing the development and identification of distinct subregional lime production industries, including: lime consumption
requirements and inter-site spacing; natural environment; local social and economic trajectories; and the objectives and survey universes of
archaeological investigations. In reporting the tremendous advances made over the past few decades, this paper encourages archaeologists
to include a focus on identifying lime production features in their research agendas.
Heritage, 2020
This paper explores specific challenges that archaeologists face when attempting to involve a bro... more This paper explores specific challenges that archaeologists face when attempting to involve a broader community of local stakeholders in cultural heritage research. We combine our perspectives as a US-based archaeologist and a local community member in a discussion of practical approaches for promoting more equitable research collaborations in the Puuc region of the northern Maya lowlands. The format of the paper includes a blend of dialogue, narrative, and analysis. First, we evaluate the importance of engaging in social interactions outside of the fieldwork setting and examine the limitations to full-coverage community participation. Next, we discuss the structural barriers discouraging greater local interest in cultural heritage research. We assess the potential of linguistic education and digital conservation programs for encouraging broader-scale engagement with knowledge production. Finally, we highlight the importance of employment by archaeological research projects as the critical factor influencing local participation in heritage-related activities. Barring immediate structural changes to the socio-economy of the Yucatán, the most significant way to promote local involvement in cultural heritage projects is for archaeologists and community members to work together to try to secure funding for more sustainable employment opportunities.
Anthropology Now, 2018
Everyone knows that archaeologists raid
tombs, awaken cursed mummies and
spend a good deal of tim... more Everyone knows that archaeologists raid
tombs, awaken cursed mummies and
spend a good deal of time fighting Nazis. We
frankly do not know what we would do in
the field without our trusted whips and pistols.
These popular media depictions of the
archaeologist as old-timey adventurer may
seem obviously false or distorted to some
readers. However, the proliferation of “archaeological”
narratives including references
to aliens, swashbuckling heroes and “lost”
civilizations, coupled with minimal archaeological
education at primary and secondary
levels, has had actual impacts on the way
college-age students understand archaeology
and our human past. Teaching students to deconstruct
and decode these narratives is undoubtedly
an important method for preventing
a complete popular media takeover of the
general public’s conception of archaeology.
It is equally important, however, to combine
this critical analysis with the production of
creative, evidence-based representations of
archaeology and archaeologists by students
fluent in a wide range of media.
The Mayanist, 2019
Although the origins of Classic Maya civilization can be traced back millennia, much focus in the... more Although the origins of Classic Maya civilization can be traced back millennia, much focus in the popular imagination continues to be on the transitional phase toward the end of the Classic Period colloquially known as the Maya “collapse.” The main objective of this paper is to shift focus to the resilience of Classic Maya society and contribute to the growing spotlight on Prehispanic Maya environmental resource conservation practices. From agricultural terraces, elaborate reservoir systems and careful agroforestry practices to burnt-lime pit-kilns, Classic Maya civilization supported massive populations in a challenging tropical forest environment for over 700 years. Toward the end of the Classic Period, inhabitants of the Puuc region of the Northern Maya Lowlands recognized that they were dealing with population-induced environmental stresses, possibly exacerbated by natural climate change. Their development and widespread use of a fuel-efficient burnt lime pit-kiln technology during this period is an example of socio-ecological adaptability in the form of communal environmental resource management. This paper evaluates Late and Terminal Classic Period Puuc resource conservation through the lens of Resilience Theory and argues for the importance of adaptability and a willingness to change in response to climatic or environmental variability – a lesson that is worth heeding by contemporary society.
Powdered lime was one of the most significant materials in the daily lives of the Prehispanic May... more Powdered lime was one of the most significant materials in the daily lives of the Prehispanic Maya, yet archaeologists have uncovered relatively little evidence of production methods or locales prior to the Spanish conquest. The recent identification of a series of pit-kilns dating to the Late and Terminal Classic periods (ca. A.D. 650–950) in and around the site of Kiuic in the Puuc region of the northern lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula provides the opportunity to investigate a sub-regional Prehispanic lime production technology. Here we present the preliminary excavation results of nine pit-kilns and then describe the experimental reconstruction and firing of a lime pit-kiln. The results indicate that the pit-kilns are more fuel-efficient than the aboveground pyres used during the postconquest period. This in turn suggests that Prehispanic inhabitants of the Puuc managed their consumption of natural resources for producing lime during a period of sociopolitical, demographic, and environmental stresses.
This study discusses the investigation of a series of pit-kilns in and around the prehispanic sit... more This study discusses the investigation of a series of pit-kilns in and around the prehispanic site of Kiuic in the Puuc region of the northern Maya lowlands and presents the multiple lines of evidence that identify these structures as lime production features. The study reports the results of systematic excavations, archaeometric analyses, archaeological experiments, ethnographic inquiries, and spatial analyses. Burnt lime has been used for architectural, dietary, hygienic, and other purposes by the Maya for at least three millennia and yet its importance in prehispanic Maya society is belied by the lack of lime production features identified in the archaeological record. The identification of these structures as lime production features has implications for understanding subregional differences in socioeconomic organization and resource management practices among the prehispanic Maya. This report provides a model for using multiple methods and analyses to investigate and identify lime production kilns that can be applied to societies and landscapes throughout the Maya area and the broader premodern world. En este trabajo se presenta la investigación llevada a cabo en una serie de hornos de tierra en y alrededor del sitio prehispánico de Kiuic en la región Puuc de las tierras bajas Mayas del norte. Se presentan múltiples líneas de evidencia que permiten identificar estas estructuras como hornos para la producción de cal. Se reportan los resultados de excavaciones sistemáticas, análisis arqueométricos, experimentos arqueológicos, investigaciones etnográficas y análisis espaciales. La cal fue y sigue siendo utilizada por los Mayas para fines arquitectónicos, dietéticos e higiénicos, entre otros, durante al menos tres milenios. Sin embargo, su importancia en la sociedad Maya prehispánica contrasta con la falta de rasgos para producción de cal identificados en el registro arqueológico. La identificación de estas estructuras como hornos para la producción de cal tiene implicaciones para comprender las diferencias subregionales en la organización socioeconómica y las prácticas de manejo de recursos entre los Mayas prehispánicos. Este trabajo proporciona un modelo para el uso de múltiples métodos y análisis para investigar e identificar los hornos de producción de cal que se puede aplicar a las sociedades y paisajes a lo largo de la zona Maya y del mundo pre-moderno.
Burnt lime has been crucial for architectural, dietary, and other purposes in Maya society since ... more Burnt lime has been crucial for architectural, dietary, and other purposes in Maya society since as far back as 1100 BCE. The recent identification of a series of pit-kilns used for lime production in the Puuc region of the northern Yucatán Peninsula allows for an unprecedented investigation of the socioeconomic organization of the Pre-Columbian lime industry. This article reports on the importance of burnt lime to Maya society and presents the results of spatial analyses of the pit-kilns in relation to other archaeological and environmental features. The distribution of the lime production features indicate that the Pre-Columbian lime industry was decentralized and organized at the small corporate group level. Some of these groups likely incorporated limestone extraction and processing into a broader multi-crafting subsistence strategy. Those small corporate groups that did not produce their own lime would have had to acquire it from producing groups through an intra-community exchange system. Spatial analyses also indicate that lime production locations reflect a desire to limit both pre-and post-production material transportation efforts. The study provides a model for investigating the production and distribution of a perishable craft good that can be used for examining perishable goods in ancient societies beyond Mesoamerica. The small-scale, decentralized lime production organization identified in the northern Maya lowlands can now be compared with systems of production and exchange of perishable goods in other pre-modern societies around the world.
Papers Presented by Kenneth Seligson
Annular structures in and around the Puuc Maya site of Kiuic have been identified as Prehispanic ... more Annular structures in and around the Puuc Maya site of Kiuic have been identified as Prehispanic pit-kilns for producing burnt lime. This paper presents the evidence supporting this interpretation of the annular structures and discusses the implications of these findings for understanding Prehispanic Maya environmental resource conservation practices and the socioeconomic organization of the burnt lime industry.
Technical Reports by Kenneth Seligson
in Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporada 2015: Informe Técnico al Consejo de Arq... more in Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporada 2015: Informe Técnico al Consejo de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, México, Arq. Tomás Gallareta Negron, Dr. George J. Bey, Dr. William Ringle, Directors
in Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporada 2014: Informe Técnico al Consejo de Arq... more in Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporada 2014: Informe Técnico al Consejo de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, México, Arq. Tomás Gallareta Negron, Dr. George J. Bey, Dr. William Ringle, Directors
in Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporadas 2012-2013: Informe Técnico al Consejo ... more in Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporadas 2012-2013: Informe Técnico al Consejo de Arqueología del Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, México. Arq. Tomás Gallareta Negron, Dr. George J. Bey, Dr. William Ringle, Directors
Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporada de Campo 2011. Informe técnico al Consejo ... more Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporada de Campo 2011. Informe técnico al Consejo de Arqueología de INAH, 2012, pp. 5-1–5-37.
Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporada de Campo 2010. Informe técnico al Consejo ... more Proyecto Arqueológico Regional de Bolonchén, Temporada de Campo 2010. Informe técnico al Consejo de Arqueología de INAH, 2011, 4-1–4-43.
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Papers by Kenneth Seligson
archaeological studies of its production. The application of new surveying and remote sensing technologies in recent decades is now
allowing for a more in-depth investigation of the burnt lime industries that existed in different subregions of the Maya area. This article
provides an overview of the current understanding of pre-Hispanic Maya burnt lime production. It then presents an analysis of the factors
influencing the development and identification of distinct subregional lime production industries, including: lime consumption
requirements and inter-site spacing; natural environment; local social and economic trajectories; and the objectives and survey universes of
archaeological investigations. In reporting the tremendous advances made over the past few decades, this paper encourages archaeologists
to include a focus on identifying lime production features in their research agendas.
tombs, awaken cursed mummies and
spend a good deal of time fighting Nazis. We
frankly do not know what we would do in
the field without our trusted whips and pistols.
These popular media depictions of the
archaeologist as old-timey adventurer may
seem obviously false or distorted to some
readers. However, the proliferation of “archaeological”
narratives including references
to aliens, swashbuckling heroes and “lost”
civilizations, coupled with minimal archaeological
education at primary and secondary
levels, has had actual impacts on the way
college-age students understand archaeology
and our human past. Teaching students to deconstruct
and decode these narratives is undoubtedly
an important method for preventing
a complete popular media takeover of the
general public’s conception of archaeology.
It is equally important, however, to combine
this critical analysis with the production of
creative, evidence-based representations of
archaeology and archaeologists by students
fluent in a wide range of media.
Papers Presented by Kenneth Seligson
Technical Reports by Kenneth Seligson
archaeological studies of its production. The application of new surveying and remote sensing technologies in recent decades is now
allowing for a more in-depth investigation of the burnt lime industries that existed in different subregions of the Maya area. This article
provides an overview of the current understanding of pre-Hispanic Maya burnt lime production. It then presents an analysis of the factors
influencing the development and identification of distinct subregional lime production industries, including: lime consumption
requirements and inter-site spacing; natural environment; local social and economic trajectories; and the objectives and survey universes of
archaeological investigations. In reporting the tremendous advances made over the past few decades, this paper encourages archaeologists
to include a focus on identifying lime production features in their research agendas.
tombs, awaken cursed mummies and
spend a good deal of time fighting Nazis. We
frankly do not know what we would do in
the field without our trusted whips and pistols.
These popular media depictions of the
archaeologist as old-timey adventurer may
seem obviously false or distorted to some
readers. However, the proliferation of “archaeological”
narratives including references
to aliens, swashbuckling heroes and “lost”
civilizations, coupled with minimal archaeological
education at primary and secondary
levels, has had actual impacts on the way
college-age students understand archaeology
and our human past. Teaching students to deconstruct
and decode these narratives is undoubtedly
an important method for preventing
a complete popular media takeover of the
general public’s conception of archaeology.
It is equally important, however, to combine
this critical analysis with the production of
creative, evidence-based representations of
archaeology and archaeologists by students
fluent in a wide range of media.