A Chemical and Mineralogical Analysis of Lime Plaster from the Holmul Area, Peten, Guatemala

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Recent Investigations in Maya Archaeology, Epigraphy, Bioarchaeology, and Zooarchaeology by the Holmul Archaeological Project in Northeastern Peten, Guatemala" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The presence of pozzolanic plaster in the Holmul region suggests the use of specialized production methods seen elsewhere in Mesoamerica. The Teotihuacan Entrada, during which Teotihuacanos maintained a presence in the Maya area, is one major event that impacted lime plaster composition in the Maya Lowlands. We use X-Ray Diffraction, X-Ray Fluorescence, and Microscopic Petrography to determine lime plaster wall, floor, and stair mineralogical and elemental composition across three sites in the Holmul region: Holmul, La Sufricaya, and Chochkitam. We present the results of this multi-faceted approach and demonstrate how lime plaster studies can contribute to discourse on the social and political changes of the Maya Lowlands.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Recent Investigations in Maya Archaeology, Epigraphy, Bioarchaeology, and Zooarchaeology by the Holmul Archaeological Project in Northeastern Peten, Guatemala   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50854