A Biological Profile of an Individual from Xultún Using Bioarchaeological, Starch, and Isotopic Analyses

Summary

Micro and macroscopic bioarchaeological analyses enable archaeologists to generate biological profiles of past individuals, including characteristics such as diet, sex, age, occupational stress, pathologies, and social status, among others. In this paper, we discuss the significance of a Maya individual by constructing a biological profile from both micro and macroscopic analyses. The individual of interest was excavated during the 2012 field season at Xultún, Guatemala in a patio situated in the southeast portion of the site. The burial contained the remains of two additional individuals and was located just outside the Grupo Taaj structure, a small mural room dating to the Late Classic period. Through the use of microscopic analyses, such as starch and isotopes, and multiple macroscopic analyses, we provide a thorough investigation of this individual’s life, as preserved in the archaeological record, in order to provide insight into the importance of the burial and the role of both women and book makers in Maya society. Furthermore, this study expands on the role of an individual in Maya society and how that is reflected in a mortuary context, more specifically in the Classic period site of Xultún.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22029