The Maya Cranial Photogrammetry Project

Summary

The Maya Cranial Photogrammetry Project aims to create a large digital repository for the purpose of comparative shape analyses to test hypotheses relating to ethnic and political distinctions among ancient Maya groups. The shape of skeletons reflects a combination of genetic and environmental influences on development and thus comparison of skeletal variability provides an important means to reconstruct microevolutionary processes. In particular, because of its complex morphology the skull has been the focus of evolutionary biology studies, including those focused on humans. Most often in anthropological contexts, size and shape variables are quantified and compared as part of biodistance studies, relying on the basic assumption that people sharing similar morphological features share a common ancestry when compared to groups with fewer shared features. My study utilizes metric and non-metric data collected digitally from 3D photogrammetry models of crania and mandibles to perform biodistance analyses, which will allow me to map the genetic relationship between geographically-bounded and culturally distinct subgroups within Mesoamerica. Observers will have the opportunity to explore and manipulate the 3D models on a computer and will also be exposed to various visualization options for comparing shape variations.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20436