The Early Ceramic History of Cahal Pech: Implications for Local Identity and for the Rise of Regionalism in the Maya Lowlands

Summary

Ongoing ceramic analysis at Cahal Pech have allowed for a more complete understanding of the Cunil Ceramic Complex that was originally defined by Awe in 1992. These data provide important information on the early inhabitants of the site and reflect the formation of new political strategies and identities. The innovation of ceramic manufacture and the display of specific symbols suggest that a rising elite was firmly in place by around 1000 B.C. in the Belize Valley. Recent finds suggest that similar but diverse and independent groups were scattered throughout the Maya lowlands and provide information on an emerging lowland Maya tradition. As these populations grew, a more uniform ceramic style reflects greater interregional interaction and increased political networks by the end of the Middle Preclassic.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Exploring Two Thousand Years of Human Habitation in the Belize Valley: Situating Cahal Pech in Lowland Maya Prehistory

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