Demystifying jadeite: an underwater Maya discovery at Ek Way Nal, Belize

McKillop, Heather; Harlow, George E.; Sievert, April K; Smith, Clint; Wiemann, Michael C.

doi:10.15184/aqy.2019.35

Cited by 9 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…The stamping found on jars at Ek Way Nal is more similar to the monkey and S motifs from Lubaantun than to the abstract motifs from Altar de Sacrificios, Seibal, and the Petexbatún. Elsewhere in the Paynes Creek Salt Works there are abstract motifs like the Petexbatún unit stamps, as well as the suite of motifs at Ek Way Nal ( McKillop 2019).…”

Section: Dating the Wooden Buildingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only one additional chert artifact from Ek Way Nal was studied for use-wear, so there may reasonably be more tools that were used to process fish or meat. Buildings A and C were among the six buildings dated to the Terminal Classic during the main use of Ek Way Nal, which evidently included salt-making and processing fish and/or meat (McKillop 2019).…”

Section: Mckillop and Sillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A laurel leaf chert biface in Building C, artifact F, has use-wear indicating that it was used to cut or whittle wood (Figures 14a and 15; McKillop and Aoyama 2018:Figure 4a). The rosewood handle (Dalbergia stevensonii) for the jadeite gouge in Building J was carved from a larger piece of wood (McKillop et al 2019). Each of the wooden building posts was sharpened at the base before the post was driven into the ground during building construction.…”

Section: Wood Workingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although not all of these factors can be evaluated from the surface mapped artifacts and buildings at Ek Way Nal, they provide a foundation for evaluating salt production at the site (see also McKillop 2019McKillop , 2021Sills and McKillop 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The same process of salt production is carried out using salt springs elsewhere in the Maya highlands, including San Mateo Ixtatán and Ixapa (Andrews 1983), but Sacapulas has the most detailed record, likely since salt was still being produced when Reina and Monaghan (1981) carried out their field research. Brine-boiling is a common method worldwide, currently and in the past, with summaries for Mesoamerica (Andrews 1983;McKillop 2019McKillop , 2021Williams 2021) and elsewhere throughout the world (Brigand and Weller 2015;Li and von Falkenhausen 2010). Variations on brine-boiling, including the use of large pans to evaporate brine that has been concentrated in salinity in raised wooden devices, are described in studies elsewhere in Mesoamerica (Castellon 2016;Liot 2000;Williams 2021).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Briquetage and Brine: Living and Working at the Classic Maya Salt Works of Ek Way Nal, Belize

McKillop

Sills

2021

Ancient Mesoam

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Systematic flotation survey and spatial analysis of artifacts at the submerged salt work of Ek Way Nal reveal evidence of a residence, salt kitchens, and additional activities. Ek Way Nal is one of 110 salt works associated with a Late to Terminal Classic (A.D. 600–900) salt industry known as the Paynes Creek Salt Works. Wooden posts that form the walls of 10 buildings are remarkably preserved in a peat bog below the sea floor providing an opportunity to examine surface artifacts in relation to buildings. Numerous salt kitchens have been located at the Paynes Creek Salt Works by evidence of abundant briquetage—pottery associated with boiling brine over fires to make salt. As one of the largest salt works with 10 buildings, there is an opportunity to examine variability in building use. Systematic flotation survey over the site and flagging and mapping individual artifacts and posts provide evidence that the Ek Way Nal salt makers had a residence near the salt kitchens, along with evidence of salting fish for subsistence or surplus household production. The results are compared with ethnographic evidence from Sacapulas and other salt works.

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Section: Dating the Wooden Buildingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mckillop and Sillsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Wood Workingmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Briquetage and Brine: Living and Working at the Classic Maya Salt Works of Ek Way Nal, Belize

McKillop

Sills

2021

Ancient Mesoam

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Testing the Waters: Tzeltal Maya Rituals, Reconnaissance, and Survey of Lakes in the Lacanhá Basin, Chiapas, Mexico

2020

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Human–environment interactions at Ta'ab Nuk Na, a submerged Maya salt works site in Belize

Foster,

McKillop,

Sills

2023

Ancient Mesoam

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Sea-level rise and settlement are investigated at Ta'ab Nuk Na, an ancient Maya salt works in Belize, by examining samples from wooden posts and marine sediment. The samples included Post 145 of Building B and the Nunavut beam, along with marine sediment columns cut from beside both wooden posts. The sediment columns were sampled at 2 cm intervals. Loss-on ignition confirmed the presence of organic material. Identifying the organic content involved removing nonorganic material from the sediment and sorting the organic material under magnification. This procedure established that most of the organic material was red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle). Red mangroves tolerate salt water, but under conditions of sea-level rise, the plants grow vertically to keep their leaves above water. Sediment, leaves, and detritus trapped in the prop roots form mangrove peat, which serves as a proxy for sea-level rise. AMS dating of fine red mangrove roots determined that the local sea levels rose at Ta'ab Nuk Na throughout the Late Classic period and continued into the Postclassic period. Radiocarbon dates obtained from the wood-post samples yielded Late Classic–period dates. Comparing the radiocarbon dates from the wooden posts and the sediment core samples determined that the site was abandoned before the rising seas flooded the area. Evidently, sea-level rise did not play a role in site abandonment.

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Demystifying jadeite: an underwater Maya discovery at Ek Way Nal, Belize

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 9 publications

References 29 publications

Briquetage and Brine: Living and Working at the Classic Maya Salt Works of Ek Way Nal, Belize

Briquetage and Brine: Living and Working at the Classic Maya Salt Works of Ek Way Nal, Belize

Testing the Waters: Tzeltal Maya Rituals, Reconnaissance, and Survey of Lakes in the Lacanhá Basin, Chiapas, Mexico

Human–environment interactions at Ta'ab Nuk Na, a submerged Maya salt works site in Belize

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