New Evidence for Late Classic Maya Food Processing at Xunantunich, Belize: Preliminary Results of Starch Grain Analysis

Summary

At Xunantunich, Belize, thousands of worked chert bladelets were found in Late to Terminal classic deposits near residences in Groups D and E. Initially, these implements were thought to represent tools used in craft production of slate or other materials. However, little crafting debris or debitage was encountered within deposits where the tools were recovered. Edge-wear analysis suggests the tools were used on organic material, either hardwood or softer materials like tubers. Starch grain analysis was employed to determine whether the tools were used to grate manioc or other tubers. Underground plant products are difficult to identify archaeologically due to poor preservation of macroremains and are underrepresented in discussions about Maya subsistence. Fortunately, starch from these plant parts often preserves on stone tools. The large number of washed and unwashed worked bladelets recovered from Xunantunich provide an ideal assemblage for study. The residues extracted from the chert bladelets were compared to experimental chert flakes used to grate manioc, macal, sweet potato and cocolmeca. This paper presents the surprising results of this study. We argue that these tools were not the product of crafting activities, but rather, the remains of subsistence related activities, specifically intensive tuber processing.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

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