Incensarios, Copal, and Speleothems: Interpreting the Function of Chultun 3 at Mul Ch'en Witz

Summary

Chultunes are ubiquitous throughout the southern Maya lowlands, but their function is still under debate. A central problem in the interpretation of these subterranean features is the paucity of artifacts recovered from within them. Within Chultun 3 at Mul Ch’en Witz, an area located within the larger site of La Milpa in northwestern Belize, several artifacts suggesting ritual activity were encountered. These artifacts include an intact vessel, an incensario, burnt jute, fire-affected limestone, and speleothems. These artifacts were found in association with fragmented human remains, which suggests the importance of the items within the subterranean context. This poster will report on these artifacts, discovered during preliminary excavations by the Contested Caves Archaeological Project (CCAP) in 2017.

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): 21416