Identifying the First Public and Domestic Constructions at Pacbitun, Belize

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Investigations in Plazas A and B of the site core at Pacbitun indicate that initial occupation began in the early Middle Preclassic period (900–600 BC). At this time, a small agricultural community was established in Plaza B beginning with a few domestic structures built just above bedrock. These early domiciles would also function as workshops for the production of marine shell beads. During the late Middle Preclassic (600-300 BC), the size of the community in Plaza B expanded five-fold, with rectangular-shaped platforms replacing the early apsidal structures and the shell bead industry intensifying significantly. It is during this period that two large ceremonial platforms were erected at the site. While these buildings represent the first two monumental constructions at Pacbitun, their unique physical and spatial attributes say much about their distinct identities as they relate to each another and to the domestic structures of Plaza B. The purpose of this presentation is to detail these distinct identities and discuss what each might tell us about the residents living and working in Plaza B. Comparative data from other sites will be utilized to see how Pacbitun fits within the broader Mamom sphere sweeping across the lowlands at this time.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 32176