The development of Middle Preclassic (900–300 BC) ceremonial architecture is receiving more attention by archaeologists conducting research in the Maya Lowlands. Although a few examples have been partially excavated, there is still a dearth of information on how and why monumental constructions were originally built. This is largely because early structures often lie below several layers of sequential architecture, making them difficult to locate. Even when Middle Preclassic architecture is identified, exposure is often too limited to fully investigate its form and function. A well-preserved and accessible Middle Preclassic platform would be a rare find and could greatly enhance our knowledge and understanding of the subject. At Pacbitun, Cayo District, Belize, such a discovery has been made beneath the artificially raised surface of the main plaza. To make the most of this opportunity, five seasons of excavation worked to expose this massive building in its entirety. In this article, we provide details concerning the structural design of the platform and its abandonment, as well as present potential architectural comparisons. We conclude by reevaluating complexity at Pacbitun.
This volume on the earliest lowland Maya pottery began without a name and remained nameless until it was nearly completely written. Like the pre-Mamom era itself, even now a better moniker eludes us, and the reader will note that, while the participating authors agree there is something called pre-Mamom, we cannot yet reach consensus on exactly how to define it, set parameters on it, or place it precisely in absolute or relative time. In fact, we are not yet certain whether we have one pre-Mamom component or multiple, sequential pre-Mamoms, nor are we clear about exactly how many ceramic spheres we have encountered in our collective surveys and excavations. There is, however, substantial agreement among the authors on one point: the first potters in the Maya lowlands may not have been recognizably Maya when they started firing ceramics about 1000 BC, but they were by the time the pre-Mamom period ended around 600 BC. This evolution is evident in the ensuing Mamom ceramic sphere (600-300 BC), which constituted a broadly recognizable tradition in the Maya lowlands, materialized in the collective acceptance of waxy ware ceramic technology, monochrome slips, common vessel forms, and inferred similar functionality that undergirded
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.