Metabolomic Residue Studies of Foodways in the Motul de San José Polity, Petén, Guatemala

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Recent Research in the Petén Lakes Region, Petén, Guatemala" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The subject of ancient Maya cuisine continues to fascinate researchers, but little is known about the “recipes” that may have been used by different people at different times across the Maya world. This study takes a metabolomic approach to residue analysis to compare flavors and preparation methods during the occupation of capital and satellite sites in the Motul de San José polity located on the north shore of the Lake Petén Itzá in Guatemala. While traditional residue analyses target single markers of particular interest, most often cacao in the Maya region, metabolomics test more broadly across a wide range of possible inclusions to provide a multi-marker result including foods such as cacao, but also flavorings, stimulants, or other ingredients used to bind or thicken prepared dishes. We include food preparation tools (grinding stones) and ceramic cooking and serving vessels from households of different status levels, periods of occupation, and local environmental resource availabilities, providing a valuable perspective on foodways of the Petén region.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Recent Research in the Petén Lakes Region, Petén, Guatemala   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36443.0