Political Dynamics in the Northwestern Petén from the Preclassic to the Classic: The View from La Cariba, Guatemala

Summary

La Cariba was a relatively small minor center in the northwestern Petén, but was situated in an area of important political dynamics with far-reaching consequences in the Maya world. During the Late Preclassic, the region may have been heavily influenced by El Mirador. Eventually, during the Late Classic, the nearby center of La Corona became a strong ally and vassal of the Kaan dynasty at Dzibanche and later Calakmul. Formal investigations at La Cariba since 2012 have revealed that La Cariba transitioned from an active center during the Late Preclassic to a close ally or administrative center of La Corona during the Late Classic. The data from La Cariba, incorporating architecture, ceramics, lithics, obsidian, epigraphy, and iconography, contribute to our understanding of the history of this region. By focusing our attention on smaller peripheral sites, we can understand the strategies of rulers of sites such as La Corona in incorporating and maintaining control over their peripheries. In particular, La Cariba shows how the political strategies practiced by the earlier Kaan dynasty were adopted at a smaller scale, and with only brief success, by the later La Corona lords.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

Spatial Coverage