Ritual and Movement in the Preclassic Hinterlands of the Mopan River Valley

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Preclassic Landscape in the Mopan Valley, Belize" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Evidence from the Mopan River valley continues to clarify the nature and extent of Preclassic occupation of the region. The hinterland community of San Lorenzo sits directly across the river from both Xunantunich and Actuncan, sites with substantial Preclassic construction and ritual use. Using data gathered from this ancient community, this paper focuses on the role of focal nodes within a wider landscape, analyzing the potential for movement and interactions across the built and natural environments. While not monumental in scale, San Lorenzo boasts several Preclassic structures, including a round ritual structure that was likely used for gatherings of the local community. Numerous analogous structures are documented across the lowlands and seem to be most commonly found at or near sites that also include a Preclassic E Group. This paper explores the role of outlying communities in the construction and use of monumental spaces and conceptualizes how movement at different scales may shape community identity and social memory through the creation of space/place.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• The Preclassic Landscape in the Mopan Valley, Belize

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32127