Beneath the Surface: Analyzing the Significance of Maya Cave Taphonomy in the Preservation of a Commingled, Fragmentary, Skeletal Assemblage

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Subterranean" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Cueva de Sangre is a 3.5-kilometer cave that is a highly complex, multi-cave system, in Dos Pilas, Petén, Guatemala, that includes riverine environments, seasonally inundated passages as well as dry areas. Use of the cave has been dated ceramically from the Late Preclassic to the Terminal Classic (400 BC – AD 800). This study examines the varied taphonomic processes of a fragmentary, commingled skeletal assemblage recovered within the cave. The taphonomy observed in Cueva de Sangre demonstrates the differences in the archaeological and geological context seen throughout this cave. The taphonomic alterations examined include a combination of manganese coating, calcium carbonate deposition, water erosion, as well as other taphonomic weathering processes such as longitudinal cracking and cortical flaking. The diverse taphonomy observed will aid in the interpretation of this skeletal assemblage. This study will deepen our knowledge of both the cave’s environment and its role in protecting Maya heritage.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Subterranean   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 37906.0