Mobility in the Central Maya Lowlands: Strontium, Oxygen, and Carbon Isotope Values from La Corona and El Perú-Waka’

Summary

The movement of Classic Maya people has been recorded in numerous epigraphic texts. These references, along with migration studies at Tikal, Copán, and other smaller communities, suggest that there was a considerable amount of migration among Maya centers. We present the results of strontium, oxygen, and carbon stable isotope analysis of 71 individuals buried at the sites of La Corona and El Perú-Waka’ in the northwest Petén, Guatemala. The sample includes single and multiple burials, non-burial deposits, and individuals from residential groups on the outskirts of La Corona and El Perú. We also describe the residential life histories of 14 individuals, including Lady K’abel. Initial analysis reveals little long-distance migration and suggests that most movement occurred among Central Lowland centers, lending support to the history recorded in the epigraphic texts. We also discuss the use of elemental data to differentiate populations in the Maya region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage