An Introduction to Archaeology at Holtun, Guatemala

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Holtun: Investigations at a Preclassic Maya Center" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The archaeological site of Holtun, Guatemala has been documented as an intermediate-sized Maya center with occupation spanning the Middle Preclassic through Terminal Classic periods. The site is situated approximately 35 km southwest of Tikal and 12.3 km to the south of Yaxha. The formal site consists of a monumental epicenter built atop a karstic hill positioned along a northeast-southwest axis. According to the most recent mapping at the site, the epicenter consists of 14 groups and 86 structures, all showing evidence of stone construction with a significant outlying, rural population. Major monumental architecture consists of a Middle Preclassic E-Group, Late Preclassic Triadic Group, ballcourt, stone-enclosed causeway, and various elite residential groups of stone architecture. This paper will introduce the session and give background on investigations at the site including the Holtun Archaeological Project (HAP) which began in 2010, as well as investigations that preceded it. We will detail the major findings of HAP, especially those that have been previously published. These include methods for preservation and recording of monumental art and ceramic analysis. Findings that are not able to be presented in the session will also be discussed, including bioarchaeological data and possibilities for future investigations.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Holtun: Investigations at a Preclassic Maya Center   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39190.0