Terminal Deposits and Terminal Classic Collapse: An Analysis of the Proportional Distribution of Artifacts from Terminal Deposition Events at the Site of Baking Pot, Belize

Summary

Throughout the Maya Lowlands, archaeologists have identified Terminal Classic deposits associated with the final activities in ceremonial and domestic spaces. These features include concentrations of cultural material deposited in the corners of plazas and courtyards. At the site of Baking Pot, Belize, the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance (BVAR) project has identified several of these terminal deposits. This presentation will shed light on the types of artifacts that were deposited during these final events to answer questions related to the nature of abandonment activities. We also employ this data to identify the cultural significance of ritual deposition of cultural materials, to ascertain how distinct combinations of artifact classes can yield information on human behavior, and to demonstrate how the terminal deposits at Baking Pot offer additional information about abandonment activity in the Maya Lowlands.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21140