Social identification is the perception of oneness with, or belongingness to, some human aggregate. Archaeologists demonstrate the identity of Maya elites of urban centers by examining their energy expenditure in burial preparation, house... more
Social identification is the perception of oneness with, or belongingness to, some human aggregate. Archaeologists demonstrate the identity of Maya elites of urban centers by examining their energy expenditure in burial preparation, house and platform construction, access to luxury items, and cranial and dental modifications among other attributes and comparing it to the non-elites. Although non-elites are commonly defined to include some urban residents, all hinterland residents are considered to be non-elites. This paper proposes that some hinterland residents also identified as elites. Specifically I hope to demonstrate how a small number of hinterland residents used the symbols and material culture of “Elite” social identity to align themselves with the elites of the urban centers and used this identity to gain and maintain power within the organization of the rural community.
Investigations of the ancient Maya site of Ka'Kabish, in Northern Belize, have begun to reveal the history of this medium sized center. Excavations of the site core, along with survey and reconnaissance of settlement in the periphery has... more
Investigations of the ancient Maya site of Ka'Kabish, in Northern Belize, have begun to reveal the history of this medium sized center. Excavations of the site core, along with survey and reconnaissance of settlement in the periphery has provided a means for understanding the size and chronology of Ka'Kabish. These methodological strategies have allowed archaeologists at the site to document the distribution and density of ancient structures, as well to understand the developmental trajectory of the monumental core. These investigations have revealed that the ancient Maya occupied the site as early as the Middle Formative (1000 BC – 400 BC), until its abandonment, in the Terminal Classic (AD 800 – 1000). The settlement zone remained occupied following the Terminal Classic abandonment of the site core, with evidence suggesting occupation at late as the Late Post-Classic (AD 1300 – 1542). These studies are allowing archaeologists in the greater Maya subarea to understand the variability in the rise and fall of ancient Maya polities. Investigations at Ka'Kabish add to this growing body of literature, providing yet another example of the transformations occurring during the Late to Terminal Classic period.
This report summarizes the activities of the 2015-2017 seasons of the Medicinal Trail Hinterland Communities Archaeological Project (MTHCAP) which is located between the La Lucha uplands and the Rio Bravo Escarpment atop a ridge, and best... more
This report summarizes the activities of the 2015-2017 seasons of the Medicinal Trail Hinterland Communities Archaeological Project (MTHCAP) which is located between the La Lucha uplands and the Rio Bravo Escarpment atop a ridge, and best characterized as a terraced community. Medicinal Trail is a dispersed hinterland community of a few formal courtyard groups, numerous informal clusters of mounds and multiple landscape modifications such as terraces, depressions, and linear features. It is located in the Belize portion of the Three Rivers Region in the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, owned and operated by the Programme for Belize (PfB) and is approximately 6 to 8 km east of the major site of La Milpa.
