The Historical Ecology of the Postclassic Itza Maya in Lake Petén Itzá

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 Petén lakes region, Guatemala, has a rich and diverse ecology and abundant locally available resources including terrestrial, amphibious, and aquatic animals. The Postclassic (1100–1525 CE) sites in this region are mainly located on the lakeshore, suggesting that the Postclassic people were attracted to the lakeshore location because of the rich resources of its lacustrine environment. In this paper, we explore archaeological evidence for the exploitation of animal resources, especially fish, at Nixtun-Ch’ich’ on Candelaria Peninsula in Lake Petén Itzá. Recent excavation at the small Postclassic hamlet on the southern lakeshore of the peninsula encountered a Postclassic midden that contained abundant animal resources. We present preliminary findings of the analysis of fish otoliths collected from the midden through flotation, and combined with the analysis of net sinkers, explore fishing technology and procurement strategies. We also present isotopic data from a sample of mammals to consider where terrestrial game was acquired. The combined evidence suggests that the Itza Maya were actively exploiting locally available resources during the Postclassic period.

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): 36025.0