Las Ruinas de Arenal and the Buenavista del Cayo Polity: Political Dynamics in the Western Belize River Valley

Summary

The socio-political and economic interactions of Las Ruinas de Arenal, a small but architecturally rich center in the lower Mopan River Valley, are explored through a focused investigation of select Classic period (250-850 CE) pottery from general occupation and special deposits. The study combines ceramic typological data with evaluations of artistic style and paste chemical composition. Previous archaeological investigations by Taschek and Ball found scant evidence of foreign influence in Las Ruinas elite institutional behavior during the Middle and Late Classic periods in spite of the site being located only 5 kilometers south of Xunantunich, a major Late Classic center closely aligned with the powerful Naranjo polity to the west. This study scrutinizes the ceramic record from Las Ruinas to further assess the socio-political relations of Las Ruinas with local and "foreign" entities.

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): 20196