Final Moments: Contextualizing On-Floor Archaeological Materials from Caracol, Belize

Summary

Excavations within various locales at Caracol, Belize have recovered artifactual materials on the floors of epicentral stone buildings that were associated with the latest occupation of the site epicenter. These deposits are the result of both "de facto" refuse and rapid short-term abandonment processes. In many cases, complete vessels and other artefactual remains were recovered from the floors of Caracol’s epicentral buildings. Other terminal deposits comprise thin sheet-like layers of broken ceramics, stone artifacts, and faunal materials that potentially indicate a break-down in garbage collection during Caracol’s final days. Human remains were recovered from epicentral plaza and building floors, including both whole bodies interpreted to be the result of a sudden violent episode during Caracol’s final days. Other cases are suggestive of ritual offerings of human remains. Still other contexts yielded isolated human long bones and teeth. This paper reviews terminal deposits from Caracol and places these deposits within the broader context of Maya archaeology.

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): 18799