The Role of Offerings in interpreting Architecture: Evaluating Human Remains at Xultun, Peten, Guatemala

Summary

During the 2014 field season at Xultun, Peten, Guatemala, two sets of human offerings and a tomb were identified in the center of "Los Arboles" (XUL12F19); however, the relationship between the different sets of remains and the structure remains unclear. While the Maya are known for placing offerings around tombs and in entryways as closing ceremonies, human offerings are a less-common subset. To date, their role in Maya society is not entirely understood although their presence has been claimed at numerous sites. The goal is to evaluate whether the human remains found at "Los Arboles" can properly be described as offerings through an examination of similar deposits in the Maya Lowlands. The following research will discuss the distinction between ancestral remains and sacrifices, the role of children in ancient Maya society, and that mortuary practices at "Los Arboles." This evaluation of the human remains interred within the site aims to further the understanding of "Los Arboles" as a possible ancestral shrine.

SAA 2015 abstracts made available in tDAR courtesy of the Society for American Archaeology and Center for Digital Antiquity Collaborative Program to improve digital data in archaeology. If you are the author of this presentation you may upload your paper, poster, presentation, or associated data (up to 3 files/30MB) for free. Please visit http://www.tdar.org/SAA2015 for instructions and more information.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Interpreting Changes in Ancient Maya Society: From Landscape and Architecture to Everything in Between

Keywords

Spatial Coverage