Holtun: Investigations at a Preclassic Maya Center

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Holtun: Investigations at a Preclassic Maya Center" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This session will detail investigations by the Holtun Archaeological Project (HAP) over the course of almost 10 years of archaeological research in the Maya Lowlands of Guatemala. Our primary focus has been the development of social inequality during the Preclassic period, but we have also investigated other topics such as human resiliency, heterarchy, and power dynamics in the Preclassic and beyond. Papers will cover the history of research at the site in general and focus on recent materials analysis such as fauna, obsidian, and ceramics, as well as methods like geochemical analysis of soils and isotope analysis of human bone. We will also touch on elements of social organization and political and economic control in terms of water management, trade and redistribution, craft production, and commensalism. In addition, we will review conservation recommendations and avenues for future research.