Detecting the functions of patios in a Classic Maya regal palace at La Corona, Guatemala.

Summary

Classic Maya regal palaces were political institutions with many functions, ranging from domestic and ceremonial to administrative. This paper presents the results of the multi-facetted study of three adjoining patios of the palace at the Classic Maya Center of La Corona, Guatemala. Research suggests that these patios, dating to final phases of occupation in the Late Classic (8th and 9th centuries AD), were open spaces dedicated to activities relating to the preparation of food, the manufacture of artifacts, as well as the storage and discard of both perishable and durable goods. This study exhaustively sampled these spaces to study the composition of their stucco floors, associated micro- and macro- artifacts assemblages, and macro-botanical remains.

The results of the artifactual, flotation, and ICP-MS analyses of the sampled patios indicate the ancient functions of those spaces to a scale much finer than traditional archaeological methods could. This study will use these data to consider the economic and logistical roles of the members of Classic Maya palaces in order to better understand the pragmatics associated with the exercise of power in ancient Maya society.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Anthropic activity markers: archaeology and ethnoarchaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15022