Continuity and Change from the Classic to Late Postclassic: Perspectives from Placencia Lagoon, Belize

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Maritime Maya: Current Archaeology of Coastal Yucatan, Mexico, and Belize" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The coastal area of Placencia Lagoon, Belize has long served as a vital economic resource. During the Late Classic period, the ancient Maya utilized the hyper-saline brackish water of the lagoon to produce salt, which was essential for their diet. The salt producers likely resided on Placencia Cay, trading salt with inland city centers experiencing population growth. The pottery used for salt making exhibited similar attributes to that from the Paynes Creek Salt Works, suggesting shared technological practices. By the Postclassic period, salt production had ceased, and Placencia Village was eventually established at the tip of Placencia Peninsula. Throughout occupation phases, the coastal Maya who lived in this area engaged in and benefitted from maritime trade. In this paper, I will integrate data from the Placencia Lagoon sites into a GIS to analyze settlement patterns and their relationship to coastal resources. Additionally, the results of obsidian sourcing and pottery analysis will be interpreted in the context of a maritime economy. The location of sites surrounding the lagoon and on nearby cays enabled the coastal Placencia Maya to access non-local materials that integrated their communities into a broader economic network.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• The Maritime Maya: Current Archaeology of Coastal Yucatan, Mexico, and Belize

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 50397