A New Radiocarbon Sequence from Lamanai, Belize: Two Bayesian Models from One of Mesoamerica’s Most Enduring Sites

Hanna, Jonathan A.; Graham, Elizabeth; Pendergast, David M.; Hoggarth, Julie A.; Lentz, David L.; Kennett, Douglas J.

doi:10.1017/rdc.2016.44

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…In addition to osteological and paleopathological analysis, high-resolution AMS radiocarbon dating ( 14 C; Kennett et al 2014, 2017a) was conducted on bone collagen from all four individuals excavated at Altica. While it has been established that Altica is the earliest-known village in the Teotihuacan Valley occupied during the Early–Middle Formative period (Nichols 2015) based on ceramic and lithic analysis (Stoner et al 2015), radiocarbon dating is crucial for improving site chronologies (Culleton et al 2012; Ebert et al 2016; Hanna et al 2016; Hoggarth et al 2014; Kennett et al 2011, 2017a; Watson et al 2015). Additionally, radiocarbon dating of human remains is particularly important at Altica, because the pits are the only intact features and the bones will provide the most accurate dates for their final use.…”

Section: Biogeochemical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

A Glimpse of the People of Altica: Osteological and Isotopic/Radiocarbon Analysis

2019

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Altica is a rare first-farming village site in the Basin of Mexico that has survived to modern times. Thus, it provides a glimpse into life during the Early–Middle Formative period. While valuable archaeological information on the village was recovered in excavation, only four burials comprising four individuals were recovered, a very small sample. Two individuals are older-aged females; the third, a middle-aged male, was accompanied by prestigious nonperishable goods and indicates that there are status differences even at this early date. The final individual was a young male buried in a deviant manner, suggesting possible foul play. While all individuals have indicators of periods of poor health, stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen paint a more complete picture of the types of foods these individuals consumed over their lifetime. Radiogenic strontium isotopes of tooth enamel identify one individual, the young male buried in a deviant manner, as non-native to the Altica region. Thus, there is mystery in the manner of death, but even in this small sample, the wider connections Altica had that are so evident in the artefactual analysis are found in the skeletons. In addition, accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating provides a chronology of occupation through the people.

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Section: Biogeochemical Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

A Glimpse of the People of Altica: Osteological and Isotopic/Radiocarbon Analysis

2019

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“…The sitewide appearance of bow and arrow weaponry may have occurred near the start of the Yglesias phase around a.d. 1450 (Graham 2004). Unfortunately, recent radiocarbon results from Lamanai did not include a Yglesias-era sample, or data from Structure N9–56, a building thought to date between a.d. 1350–1544 (Hanna et al 2016:3). Tipu is known for its turbulent history between a.d. 1400 and 1700, and it is difficult to tease out terminal Late Postclassic from Contact period contexts due to strong indigenous cultural continuity before 1544 (Graham 2011:50, 52).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unfortunately, recent radiocarbon results from Lamanai did not include a Yglesias-era sample, or data from Structure N9-56, a building thought to date between a.d. 1350-1544(Hanna et al 2016. Tipu is known for its turbulent history between a.d.…”

Section: Samplementioning

confidence: 99%

A Social Network Analysis of the Postclassic Lowland Maya Obsidian Projectile Industry

Meissner

2017

Ancient Mesoam

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This study addresses the role of prehistoric ethnopolitical divisions, factionalism, and alliances in macroregional economic models. The Mesoamerican Late Postclassic period (a.d. 1350–1525) is characterized by its “cosmopolitan” economy featuring long distance exchange of raw materials and finished products. Such characterizations are examined through a provenance analysis of small obsidian projectile points from the Maya lowlands of Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. Obsidian artifacts are analyzed using portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and social network analysis (SNA) methods, revealing at least four sub-networks of point procurement that belonged to nine different ethnopolitical divisions. Local production of points is approached using a novel method of two-mode analysis, demonstrating in some cases that the sources of local obsidian debitage and debris did not coincide with the sources of finished point assemblages. Such information reveals the intricacies of Maya exchange and stresses the importance of local political geography during the Late Postclassic.

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“…Zone 5, the east coast in Belize: Fred Valdez recorded codes for ceramic interaction for Lamanai located on the New River in Belize. Lamanai has a long history of occupation (Hanna et al 2016) being particularly important in the Postclassic subperiods. It was connected to the Caribbean Sea near Altun Ha by an east-west route (Pyburn 2008).…”

Section: Elite Ceramics Interaction Codingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lamanai elites were interacting across four patterns (1-4) of the five (0.63, 0.37, 0.47, 0.43, but not 0.02). This is probably because Laminai has such a long history of interaction (Hanna et al 2016) that if anything was going on anywhere at anytime, Lamanai elites attempted to participate. Some factor analysis methods focus on removing ties by rotating principal component axes away from them.…”

Section: Tiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A distribution analysis of the central Maya lowlands ecoinformation network: its rises, falls, and changes

Gunn¹,

Scarborough²,

Folan³

et al. 2017

E&S

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ABSTRACT. We report a study of central Maya lowland dynastic information networks, i.e., six cities' external elite ceramic influences, and how they reflect the decision-making practices of Maya elites over 3000 years. Forest cover, i.e., Moraceae family pollen, was added to the network analysis to provide ecological boundary conditions, thus ecologically moderated information networks. Principal components analysis revealed three dominant patterns. First, the networking of interior cities into powerful polities in the Late Preclassic and Classic periods (400 BCE-800 CE). In a second pattern, coastal cities emerged as key entrepôts based on marine navigation (Terminal and Postclassic periods, 800-1500 CE). Climate dynamics and sustainability considerations facilitated the transition. Forest cover, a measure of ecosystem health, shows interior forests diminished as interior cities networked but rebounded as their networks declined. By contrast, coastal forests flourished with networks implying that the marine-based economy was sustainable. Third, in the Classic, the network-dominant coast, west or east, changed with interior polities' political struggles, the critical transition occurring after 695 CE as Tikal gained dominance over the Calakmul-Caracol alliance. Beginning with the Late Preclassic about 2000 years ago, it is possible to assign names to the decision makers by referencing the growing literature on written Maya records. Although the detectable decision sequence evident in this analysis is very basic, we believe it does open possible avenues to much deeper understanding as the study proceeds into the future. The Integrated History and Future of People on Earth-Maya working group that sponsored the analysis anticipates that it will provide actionable social science intelligence for future decision making at the global scale. Key Words: central Maya lowlands; ceramics; complex-adaptive systems; distribution analysis; forest cover; principal components analysis INTRODUCTIONA network analysis of elite pottery types associated with the archaeological records of multiple sites in the central Maya lowlands can be used to illustrate changing degrees of connectedness between these sites over time. We assume that tracking degrees and duration of connectedness are a means to understand the sustainability of systems that operated at these sites. The method that was utilized collected a uniform data set on information exchange among a sample of communities across the region. Principal components analysis (PCA) was then used to determine changing patterns of network cooperation across space and time as mirrored in material culture. This quantitative analysis is further amplified through the use of Maya historical records that provide information relative to decision making over the same temporal span. Based on the patterns observed in these data sets, it is possible to (1) clarify the kind and strength of relations among communities in the central Maya lowlands and communities outside the region; (2) understand how...

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A New Radiocarbon Sequence from Lamanai, Belize: Two Bayesian Models from One of Mesoamerica’s Most Enduring Sites

Cited by 10 publications

References 82 publications

A Glimpse of the People of Altica: Osteological and Isotopic/Radiocarbon Analysis

A Glimpse of the People of Altica: Osteological and Isotopic/Radiocarbon Analysis

A Social Network Analysis of the Postclassic Lowland Maya Obsidian Projectile Industry

A distribution analysis of the central Maya lowlands ecoinformation network: its rises, falls, and changes

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