E-Groups and Classic Maya Ritual: Recent Investigations at Tz’unun, 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.

Maya E-groups served as foci of political and ritual practices from the Preclassic through Terminal Classic. In addition to the hallmark western pyramidal and eastern range structures, these groups are often populated by a number of ancillary structures. This paper details recent investigations of one such structure located at the site of Tz’unun in northwestern Belize. Excavations revealed this modest-sized building was likely a funerary temple with origins in the Late Preclassic. Multiple caches attest to its continued importance during the Early and Late Classic. The deposition of two large termination deposits marked the cessation of activities and abandonment of the group during the Terminal Classic. Both the contents and symbolism of these ritual deposits are discussed.

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)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24948