Investigating Ancient Maya Resiliency at Xunantunich, Belize

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Despite more than a century of intensive archaeological research, factors leading to the Classic Maya Collapse continue to be debated by Maya archaeologists. This presentation discusses the Classic Maya Collapse and its effects on the people of Xunantunich, Belize. Investigations from the 2018 field season, carried out by the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance project and the Xunantunich Archaeology and Conservation project, targeted minor architectural features, such as platforms and walls, to establish a chronology of construction and function for these features. Collected data demonstrate evidence of human response to collapse in the form of minor architectural development and reorganization of public space within Xunantunich’s monumental center. This research provides a better understanding of how the ancient Maya restructured their physical environment during a time of substantial change.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25639