Interpreting Maya Economic Activity Using Paleoethnobotany

Summary

Paleoethnobotany is a subfield of archaeology that requires an extensive knowledge of archaeology and botany. Because highly specialized skills are required, presenting data can be difficult. Botanical data must be conveyed in a way that is understood by fellow archaeologists while adhering to standards of botanists. Conveying this information becomes even more difficult when we begin to combine micro and macro botanical methods. Botanical datasets can contribute to a wide range of topics that enhance our understanding of Precolumbian societies. This paper focuses on the contribution that paleoethnobotany can make to our understanding of ancient economies. I focus not only on the subsistence economy, but the contributions to our understanding of economic production, distribution, and consumption on a broader scale. I present a case study from the site of Xunantunich in Belize. Thousands of small unifacial bladelets associated with Late Classic Maya households were discovered at the site and were initially interpreted as crafting tools. A sample of 38 previously washed bladelets and 62 unwashed artifacts yielded starch from several plant species. The results suggest that at least one household at Xunantunich engaged in plant processing activities that exceed that of normal household production activities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• The Science of Organic Residue Analysis and the Art of Cultural Interpretation I

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15256