Ancient Maya Salt Making Activities as Revealed Through Underwater Excavations and Sediment Chemistry, Paynes Creek National Park, Belize

Summary

Underwater excavations at Early Classic Chan b’i (A.D. 300-600) and Late Classic Atz’aam Na (A.D. 600-900) ancient Maya salt works in Paynes Creek National Park, Belize, reveal activity areas associated with a substantial salt industry for distribution to the southern Maya inland inhabitants. At these sites, wooden architecture and salt making artifacts are abundantly preserved in a peat bog composed of red mangrove. We describe the excavation methods at this shallow, submerged underwater site, screening, analysis of recovered material, and collection of sediment for chemical analysis. The artifacts are overwhelmingly briquetage—pottery used to evaporate salty water by heating over fires to make salt. These excavations coupled with the results of sediment chemistry at Chan b’i indicate additional activity areas inside and outside of wooden buildings some of which are not evident from the artifacts recovered during excavations. The spatial distribution of briquetage and chemical analysis is evaluated in relation to interior and exterior of buildings and lines of palmetto palm posts. An abundance of briquetage and charcoal and the scarcity of domestic artifacts indicate that the sites were specialized salt works and not physically attached to households adding a new interpretation at the place of production.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Flooded Ancient Maya Salt Works, Paynes Creek National Park, Belize

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15656