Erin Thornton
Washington State University, Anthropology, Faculty Member
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In comparison to pre-Hispanic sites, relatively few zooarchaeological as- semblages from Colonial and Historic-period Mesoamerica have been reported. Although a few faunal studies have focused on subsistence and economic changes... more
In comparison to pre-Hispanic sites, relatively few zooarchaeological as- semblages from Colonial and Historic-period Mesoamerica have been reported. Although a few faunal studies have focused on subsistence and economic changes associated with the Spanish Colonial period during the sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries, there are hardly any assemblages from lowland Maya and non-Maya settlements dating to the eighteenth– twentieth centuries. This chapter presents the analysis of animal remains recovered from the site of Holotunich in northern Belize, which was occu- pied as a San Pedro Maya settlement in the late-nineteenth century and as a seasonal British logging camp in the early-twentieth century. During both occupations, the residents of Holotunich used Old World domesticates as well as wild terrestrial and aquatic fauna found in the forests and riverine habitats surrounding the site. The results provide some evidence for cultural interaction between Maya and non-Maya populations living at the site in terms of dietary habits. Although the Holotunich faunal assemblage is rela- tively small, it provides preliminary information about animal-use patterns for this understudied period within the Maya cultural region.
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Thornton, Erin Kennedy and Kitty F. Emery (2005) Estudio Preliminar de la Utilizacion Animal Durante el Preclasico Tarde en El Mirador. In 2004 Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueologicas en Guatemala ( J.P. Laporte, B. Arroyo, and H.E.... more
Thornton, Erin Kennedy and Kitty F. Emery (2005) Estudio Preliminar de la Utilizacion Animal Durante el Preclasico Tarde en El Mirador. In 2004 Simposio de Investigaciones Arqueologicas en Guatemala ( J.P. Laporte, B. Arroyo, and H.E. Mejia, editors). Guatemala Instituto de Antropologia e Historia, Chapter 75, pp. 1-8. http://www.famsi.org/reports/03101es/75thornton_emery/75thornton_emery.pdf.
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In comparison to pre-Hispanic sites, relatively few zooarchaeological as- semblages from Colonial and Historic-period Mesoamerica have been reported. Although a few faunal studies have focused on subsistence and economic changes... more
In comparison to pre-Hispanic sites, relatively few zooarchaeological as- semblages from Colonial and Historic-period Mesoamerica have been reported. Although a few faunal studies have focused on subsistence and economic changes associated with the Spanish Colonial period during the sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries, there are hardly any assemblages from lowland Maya and non-Maya settlements dating to the eighteenth– twentieth centuries. This chapter presents the analysis of animal remains recovered from the site of Holotunich in northern Belize, which was occu- pied as a San Pedro Maya settlement in the late-nineteenth century and as a seasonal British logging camp in the early-twentieth century. During both occupations, the residents of Holotunich used Old World domesticates as well as wild terrestrial and aquatic fauna found in the forests and riverine habitats surrounding the site. The results provide some evidence for cultural interaction between Maya and non-Maya popul...
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A multimethod archaeometry study (zooarchaeological, isotopic, ancient DNA, paleobotanical, and radiocarbon dating) of a spider monkey sacrificed in the ceremonial center of Teotihuacan, Mexico (1 to 550 CE) is interpreted as a diplomatic... more
A multimethod archaeometry study (zooarchaeological, isotopic, ancient DNA, paleobotanical, and radiocarbon dating) of a spider monkey sacrificed in the ceremonial center of Teotihuacan, Mexico (1 to 550 CE) is interpreted as a diplomatic gift exchange with neighboring Maya. Not only does this spider monkey provide the earliest known instance of primate translocation and captivity in Mesoamerica, it helps date incipient modes of interregional diplomacy between two major powers during Early Classic Mesoamerica: Teotihuacan and the Maya. Details of human–primate interaction include age at capture and transport (before ∼3 y of age), captive duration (over 2 y), anthropogenic diet (staple was maize, though secondary resources unique to anthropogenic diet including arrowroot and chili pepper were also found), context of sacrifice (tethered and associated with complete golden eagle and an array of other statecrafts), and general site context (including presence of Maya vessels and Maya-st...
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<p>Pre-Hispanic range of <i>M. ocellata</i> and <i>M. gallopavo</i><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042630#pone.0042630-Schorger1"... more
<p>Pre-Hispanic range of <i>M. ocellata</i> and <i>M. gallopavo</i><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042630#pone.0042630-Schorger1" target="_blank">[<b>2]</b></a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042630#pone.0042630-Steadman1" target="_blank">[6]</a> in Mesoamerica, and location of discussed archaeological sites.</p
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a<p>AMS dates from zooarchaeological specimens found in association with the turkey bones (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042630#pone.0042630.s007"... more
a<p>AMS dates from zooarchaeological specimens found in association with the turkey bones (<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042630#pone.0042630.s007" target="_blank">Table S2</a>).</p>b<p>aDNA identification was confirmed through repeat extractions and amplification.</p
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<p>Archaeological turkey (•) osteometrics compared with mean (±2 standard deviations) <i>M. gallopavo</i> (male ▪, female ▴); and <i>M. ocellata</i> (male □, female ▵) <a... more
<p>Archaeological turkey (•) osteometrics compared with mean (±2 standard deviations) <i>M. gallopavo</i> (male ▪, female ▴); and <i>M. ocellata</i> (male □, female ▵) <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0042630#pone.0042630-Steadman1" target="_blank">[<b>6</b>]</a>.</p
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The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centres in the Southwest USA and Mesoamerica, several questions regarding the number of... more
The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centres in the Southwest USA and Mesoamerica, several questions regarding the number of progenitor populations, and the timing and intensity of turkey husbandry remain unanswered. This study applied ancient mitochondrial DNA and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analysis to 55 archaeological turkey remains from Mexico to investigate pre-contact turkey exploitation in Mesoamerica. Three different (sub)species of turkeys were identified in the archaeological record (M. g. mexicana, M. g. gallopavo and M. ocellata), indicating the exploitation of diverse local populations, as well as the trade of captively reared birds into the Maya area. No evidence of shared maternal haplotypes was observed between Mesoamerica and the Southwest USA, in contrast with archaeological evidence for trade of other domestic products. Isotopic analysis indicates a ra...
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Description of archaeological sites and contexts, and detailed methods for radiocarbon dating, isotopic analysis and ancient DNA analysis.
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Available online xxxx The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is unique in being the only major vertebrate animal domesticated in ancient North/Central America. Despite its unique status, its history of use,management, and domestication has... more
Available online xxxx The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is unique in being the only major vertebrate animal domesticated in ancient North/Central America. Despite its unique status, its history of use,management, and domestication has received relatively little attention in comparison to other domesticated animals. The history of turkey management and domestication is thus a large gap in our knowledge of animal husbandry, and how andwhy animal domestication developed in ancient North/Central America. This introductory article presents background on the history of turkey husbandry and domestication research to contextualize the collected papers presented in this special issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. The contribution of each paper is discussed in regards to past and current research trends, and how they articulate with likely directions for future research. © 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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El Mirador is among the largest Preclassic settlements in the Maya lowlands. The site has attracted attention due to its size and antiquity, but also for its location within a region containing few perennial water sources such as lakes... more
El Mirador is among the largest Preclassic settlements in the Maya lowlands. The site has attracted attention due to its size and antiquity, but also for its location within a region containing few perennial water sources such as lakes and rivers. This report presents a preliminary and largely descriptive analysis of faunal remains recovered during early excavation of the site between 1978 and 1983. The zooarchaeological assemblage provides baseline information regarding past patterns of animal use, acquisition and exchange at El Mirador that may be compared with other Preclassic faunal assemblages from across the Maya lowlands. Intra-site temporal comparisons are also drawn between animal use during the site’s primary Late Preclassic occupation, and a less extensive period of settlement during the Classic Period. Keywords: El Mirador , Maya Preclassic, Guatemala, Zooarchaeology Resumen: El Mirador es uno de los mayores asentamientos Preclasicos de las tierras bajas maya. El yacimie...