Life and death in the southeastern Maya periphery: Bioarchaeological and isotopic analysis of the Uxbenká burial population

Summary

The southern Belize region is typically considered geographically and culturally peripheral to the primary activity areas of the ancient Maya. Although researchers have documented the development of a "southern Belize style" in terms of architecture and material culture, to date very little systematic work has been undertaken to understand health, diet, and mortuary behavior in the region. Ten years of excavations at Uxbenká have yielded rich evidence of a continuous occupation spanning from the Late Preclassic to the Terminal Classic, with evidence of human activity at least as early as the Archaic period. Human burials were recovered from a diverse range of civic and residential contexts, providing substantial insight into life and death among the ancient Maya of southern Belize. This paper draws on skeletal, dental, mortuary, archaeological, and isotopic data as a means to investigate health, diet, and mortuary trends at Uxbenká during the span of its occupation. We also identify continuing evidence of ancestor veneration and status disparities reflected in burial practices and mortuary treatments. These studies expand our understanding of the biological consequences of increased social complexity as the Uxbenká polity transformed from a small agricultural community into an important regional geopolitical center.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Interdisciplinary Approaches to Studying Human Social Dynamics: A Case Study from Southern Belize   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17189