Urban Reworking as Political Action at the Ancient Maya City of Actuncan, Belize

Summary

This paper begins with a question: What does it mean to live amongst ruins? The literature on ancient Maya urbanism focuses to a large extent on how urban spaces are arranged and what this says about social and political organization. However, the long occupations of many Maya centers resulted in urban centers that reflect a palimpsest of decision-making over centuries rather than a single grand plan. Indeed, evidence at many Maya sites suggests that urban plans were reworked as buildings were built, destroyed, renovated, repurposed, and abandoned based on present needs. So-called "problematical deposits"—detritus left in and on abandoned spaces and buildings—provide evidence that the later Maya acknowledged the differentially utilized nature of their urban centers. Yet, modifications to the urban landscape result from decisions made by someone: households, communities, leaders, or conquerors. As such, palimpsest urbanism is both a way of life and a product of political action. Here, I draw on data from the Maya site of Actuncan, Belize to consider the ramifications of inhabiting and modifying a long-occupied center.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21561