Residue analysis of ceramic vessels from the Copan sub-stelae cache offerings

Summary

Developing new ways to study collections of archaeological materials housed in storage facilities and museums is a key challenge for the future of archaeological research. Following the contextual re-identification of ceramic objects housed in Copan’s Centro Regional de Investigaciones Arqueológicas in 2013-2014, our team performed residue analysis on several objects that were excavated from sub-stela and altar caches at Copan during the 1930s. With their contexts re-established, these vessels hold great potential for understanding the types of offerings made during stela dedicatory rituals. We present preliminary results from a residue analysis project to determine the types of offerings contained within the vessels. Our results provide insight into the various types of ancient Maya ritual drinks and liquids used in ceremonial contexts.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Community Diversity in the Archaeological Past and the Complicated Present: Ongoing Field Research and Civic Engagements in the Copan Valley, Honduras   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage