Exploring Early Maya Foodways Using Bulk Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis on Ancient Ceramics
Exploring Early Maya Foodways Using Bulk Stable Carbon Isotope Analysis on Ancient Ceramics

Author: Jaymee Lynn Norman

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 27

ISBN-13:

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This study uses molecular analysis to determine maize use in ceramics from archaeological sites located in northern Belize. The ceramics include three Early Formative period (1300 cal. B.C.) sherds from Pulltrouser Swamp and a Late Formative period (300 B.C.- 300 A.D.) sherd from Cob Swamp. These sherds were compared to molecular results from ceramics from San Estevan spanning the early Middle Formative to Late Formative periods (900 B.C. - 300 A.D.). This research confirms the use of maize in Late Formative contexts but raises questions regarding the extent of maize use in the Early Formative period.

Pre-Columbian Foodways
Pre-Columbian Foodways

Author: John Staller

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2009-11-24

Total Pages: 691

ISBN-13: 1441904719

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The significance of food and feasting to Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures has been extensively studied by archaeologists, anthropologists and art historians. Foodways studies have been critical to our understanding of early agriculture, political economies, and the domestication and management of plants and animals. Scholars from diverse fields have explored the symbolic complexity of food and its preparation, as well as the social importance of feasting in contemporary and historical societies. This book unites these disciplinary perspectives — from the social and biological sciences to art history and epigraphy — creating a work comprehensive in scope, which reveals our increasing understanding of the various roles of foods and cuisines in Mesoamerican cultures. The volume is organized thematically into three sections. Part 1 gives an overview of food and feasting practices as well as ancient economies in Mesoamerica. Part 2 details ethnographic, epigraphic and isotopic evidence of these practices. Finally, Part 3 presents the metaphoric value of food in Mesoamerican symbolism, ritual, and mythology. The resulting volume provides a thorough, interdisciplinary resource for understanding, food, feasting, and cultural practices in Mesoamerica.

Her Cup for Sweet Cacao
Her Cup for Sweet Cacao

Author: Traci Ardren

Publisher: University of Texas Press

Published: 2020-12-08

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 1477321640

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For the ancient Maya, food was both sustenance and a tool for building a complex society. This collection, the first to focus exclusively on the social uses of food in Classic Maya culture, deploys a variety of theoretical approaches to examine the meaning of food beyond diet—ritual offerings and restrictions, medicinal preparations, and the role of nostalgia around food, among other topics. For instance, how did Maya feasts build community while also reinforcing social hierarchy? What psychoactive substances were the elite Maya drinking in their caves, and why? Which dogs were good for eating, and which breeds became companions? Why did even some non-elite Maya enjoy cacao, but rarely meat? Why was meat more available for urban Maya than for those closer to hunting grounds on the fringes of cities? How did the molcajete become a vital tool and symbol in Maya gastronomy? These chapters, written by some of the leading scholars in the field, showcase a variety of approaches and present new evidence from faunal remains, hieroglyphic texts, chemical analyses, and art. Thoughtful and revealing, Her Cup for Sweet Cacao unlocks a more comprehensive understanding of how food was instrumental to the development of ancient Maya culture.

Ancient Maya Diet in the Three Rivers Region of Northwest Belize
Ancient Maya Diet in the Three Rivers Region of Northwest Belize

Author: Denise E. Knisely

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 126

ISBN-13:

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The goal of this thesis is to examine the diet of ancient Maya living in Northwest Belize using stable isotopic analysis of human bone collagen. The specific area of study is within the boundaries of the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, a nature preserve in the Three Rivers Region. This conservation district includes 250,000 acres (~1,052 km2) of land and more than fifty ancient Maya sites. The Programme for Belize Archaeological Project (PfBAP) has conducted original research in this area since 1992 and has amassed a large collection of artifacts from sites that varied in size and socio-political complexity. The scope of this study includes two primary regional political centers - La Milpa and Dos Hombres, and seven associated satellite sites. This thesis analyzes patterns of intra-site hierarchy and heterarchy using stable carbon (d13C) and stable nitrogen (d15N) isotope ratios obtained from human bone collagen from nine Maya sites. As these sites are geographically clustered and have similar access to dietary resources, I predicted that the individuals sampled will likewise have similar d13C and d15N values. As noted at similar Maya sites, the individuals in the Three Rivers Region should have consumed a diet consisting primarily of terrestrial animals and a mix of maize and forest resources. Beyond a few extreme outliers, this does seem to be the pattern of consumption in the majority of the sites sampled.

The Archaeology of Food
The Archaeology of Food

Author: Katheryn C. Twiss

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2019-11-14

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 1108474292

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Surveys the archaeology of food: its methods and its themes (economics, politics, status, identity, gender, ethnicity, ritual, religion).

An Introduction to Archaeological Chemistry
An Introduction to Archaeological Chemistry

Author: T. Douglas Price

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2010-10-17

Total Pages: 340

ISBN-13: 1441963766

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Archaeological chemistry is a subject of great importance to the study and methodology of archaeology. This comprehensive text covers the subject with a full range of case studies, materials, and research methods. With twenty years of experience teaching the subject, the authors offer straightforward coverage of archaeological chemistry, a subject that can be intimidating for many archaeologists who do not already have a background in the hard sciences. With clear explanations and informative illustrations, the authors have created a highly approachable text, which will help readers overcome that intimidation. Topics covered included: Materials (rock, pottery, bone, charcoal, soils, metals, and others), Instruments (microscopes, NAA, spectrometers, mass spectrometers, GC/MS, XRF & XRD, Case Studies (Provinience, Sediments, Diet Reconstruction, Past Human Movement, Organic Residues). The detailed coverage and clear language will make this useful as an introduction to the study of archaeological chemistry, as well as a useful resource for years after that introduction.

Isotopes in Palaeoenvironmental Research
Isotopes in Palaeoenvironmental Research

Author: Melanie J. Leng

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2006-03-09

Total Pages: 334

ISBN-13: 9781402025037

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This thorough reference shows how stable isotopes can be applied to understanding the palaeoenvironment, with chapters on the interpretation of isotopes in water, tree rings, bones and teeth, lake sediments, speleothems and marine sediments. The book offers detailed advice on calibration, including a multi-proxy approach, using isotope signals from different materials or combined with other palaeoenvironmental techniques, to enhance the reliability of readings.

Archaeological Science
Archaeological Science

Author: Michael P. Richards

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2020-01-16

Total Pages: 467

ISBN-13: 0521195225

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An accessible and wide-ranging introduction to the exciting and expanding field of archaeological science, for students, professionals and academics.

The Science of Roman History
The Science of Roman History

Author: Walter Scheidel

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2019-10-15

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 0691195986

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With state-of-the-art contributions by scholars who are leaders in their respective fields, this edition describes how the integration of natural and human archives is changing the entire historical enterprise.