Late Classic Lithics Caches in Northwestern Belize: Technology and Symbolism

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Ceremonial Lithics of Mesoamerica: New Understandings of Technology, Distribution, and Symbolism of Eccentrics and Ritual Caches in the Maya World and Beyond" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

During the Late Classic, lithic artifacts, including eccentrics, served as the primary elements of many Lowland Maya caches. Despite this general pattern, technological and iconographic analyses illuminate the distinct character of individual caches, particularly in relation to artifact production, acquisition, and cache symbolism. This paper presents comparative data from two Late Classic caches recovered in northwestern Belize: one from an elite residential group at Blue Creek and, the other from a termination deposit located within the E-group at the site of Tz’unun. In terms of technology, the caches exhibit significant differences in raw material preferences, degree of artifact standardization, and artisan skill. Eccentric symbolism also varies, with references to celestial phenomena, deities, acts, and social roles.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Ceremonial Lithics of Mesoamerica: New Understandings of Technology, Distribution, and Symbolism of Eccentrics and Ritual Caches in the Maya World and Beyond   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24098