Living at the Ritz: Investigations of the Palace Complex at Lower Dover, Belize

Summary

Palatial complexes are distinct architectural features within ancient Maya civic ceremonial centers. Maya palaces are commonly multi-roomed complexes featuring attributes such as corbelled roofing, benches, private courtyards, and other decorative attributes. Archaeologists suggest palatial complexes serve as multifunctional spaces for the elite residents. These functions include residential space as well as ritual space for events such as feasts, dances, and other social events. Excavations at the Late Classic site of Lower Dover, located in the Belize Valley, revealed the presence of many of these attributes. This paper discusses results of recent excavations conducted under the auspices of the BVAR Project during the 2016 field season in the palace complex at Lower Dover. The data recovered contributes to our understanding of the site’s occupation chronology as well as structural layout and function of the palace. This research further enhances our understanding of Lower Dover’s position within the political landscape of the Belize Valley during the Late Classic period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17675