The Bioarchaeological and Mortuary Patterns at Holtun, Guatemala: an Analysis of Residential and Plaza Burials

Summary

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

In the Maya area, bioarchaeological and mortuary analysis can help identify patterns of mortuary ritual and social experience of past peoples. However, there is very little bioarchaeological and mortuary evidence for the developing complexity and social experience of the Preclassic period. Major ceremonial centers like Naranjo, Tikal, and Yaxha surround Holtun, which suggests it articulated with the broader sociopolitical sphere of the Petén region. This research uses osteobiographic narratives to contextualize the mortuary and biological profiles of 19 individuals interred at Holtun to examine bioarchaeological variation by residential structures and through the Preclassic and Late Classic periods of occupation. This research also incorporates statistical clustering and a comparative osteobiographic approach to identify broad patterns of shared mortuary and biological variation within Holtun and other sites of the Petén region. The results of this analysis contribute to our first understandings of Preclassic period mortuary and biological variation in the southern lowlands and Holtun’s relationship to nearby ceremonial centers. Examining the daily lived experiences of individuals within Holtun and the greater Petén area through a comparative approach increases our understanding of shared ancient Maya social identities and mortuary rituals ubiquitous in the region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33491