Soil Differences and Their Implications for Plaza Function and Site Organization at Maax Na, Belize

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Ancient Maya Landscapes in Northwestern Belize, Part I" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In 2016 the Maax Na Archaeology Project systematically tested the soils of two major plazas at Maax Na, a large prehispanic site located in the Three Rivers Region of Belize. Tests in the West Plaza sought to determine whether phosphorus levels there supported its identification as a marketplace during the Late Classic (C.E. 600-850). Similar tests at other sites have suggested that regular, linear distribution of high soil phosphate levels could signal an ancient market area, in conjunction with other marketplace indicators. Sampling of the North Plaza, thought to be the main ceremonial plaza at the site, was aimed at testing this proposition by determining if phosphate levels were consistent or varied across the site. Also of interest were data on heavy metal concentrations, which can signal different activities. Recently completed geochemical analyses of the samples reveals the two plazas had strikingly different chemical signatures, giving new insights into plaza functions and site organization.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Ancient Maya Landscapes in Northwestern Belize, Part I   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24774