Patterns of Maya Jade Disposal at Blue Creek, Belize

Part of the Blue Creek Central Precinct project

Author(s): thomas guderjan

Year: 2004

Summary

Jade was the most valued material in the Classic Maya world. Large numbers of jade artifacts have been recovered from diverse contexts from the Maya site of Blue Creek, Belize. This database allows for analysis of the distribution and disposal of jade artifacts. Further, jade’s role in Classic Maya political economies is unclear, with views alternating between jade having functioned as a currency and jade having been controlled by royal elites. The Blue Creek database is used to test the implications of both models.

Cite this Record

Patterns of Maya Jade Disposal at Blue Creek, Belize. thomas guderjan. 2004 ( tDAR id: 6639) ; doi:10.6067/XCV8X928HB

Keywords

Culture
Maya

Material
Building Materials • Ceramic • Chipped Stone • Dating Sample • Human Remains • Macrobotanical • Mineral • Pollen • Shell

Site Name
Blue Creek

Site Type
Agricultural or Herding • Ball Court • Burial Pit • Commercial or Industrial Structures • Domestic Structures • Isolated Burial • Plaza • Pyramid • Resource Extraction / Production / Transportation Structure or Features • Settlements • Structure • Temple • Tomb

Investigation Types
Archaeological Overview • Collections Research • Methodology, Theory, or Synthesis

General
Blue Creek

Temporal Keywords
Aguas Turbias Ceramic Complex, Late Classic I Period (A.D. 600–750) • Cool Shade Ceramic Complex, Early Middle Preclassic Period (1000/800–650 B.C.) • Dos Bocas Ceramic Complex, Late Classic II Period (A.D. 750–830/850) • Leguas Ceramic Complex, Late Preclassic Period (350 B.C.–A.D. 100) • Linda Vista Ceramic Complex, Terminal Late Preclassic Period (A.D. 100/150–250) • Postclassic Period (after A.D. 1000) • Rio Bravo Ceramic Complex, Terminal Classic Period (A.D. 830/850–1000) • Rio Hondo Ceramic Complex, Early Classic Period (A.D. 250–600) • San Felipe Ceramic Complex, Middle Preclassic Preclassic ( 650–350 B.C.)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -88.888; min lat: 17.868 ; max long: -88.848; max lat: 17.897 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Stephen Reichardt

Project Director(s): Thomas Guderjan

File Information

  Name Size Creation Date Date Uploaded Access
patterns-of-maya-jade-disposal-at-blue-creek-belize.pdf 13.36mb Jun 28, 2011 10:12:27 AM Public