The Origins and Identities of the Colha Skull Pit Skeletal Remains

Summary

The lithics production center of Colha in northern Belize provides skeletal evidence relevant to ongoing debates about the role of violence among the Maya of Central America. The Colha Skull Pit (Op. 2011) dates to the Terminal Classic period and consists of thirty individuals, represented only by cranial remains. The skeletal remains include both males and females and range in age from children to old adults. Cranial and dental modifications are prevalent in this feature and many of the skulls exhibit cut marks. This unique mortuary deposit has been interpreted in a variety of ways, ranging from sacrifice, to a reverential, ceremonial treatment of elites and planned abandonment of the site, to the systematic, violent destruction of the ruling class. We examine the origins and identities of these individuals directly using strontium (87Sr/86Sr), carbon (δ13C), and oxygen (δ18O) isotopic ratios of human tooth enamel. We evaluate variability in diet and mobility patterns during the lifetimes of the Skull Pit individuals in order to better understand the Skull Pit feature and the cultural behavior that produced it.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Spatial Coverage