Pine, prestige and politics of the Late Classic Maya at Xunantunich, Belize

Abstract

Comparing the source of a commodity with the social levels of the people amongst whom it is found can reveal important aspects of social structure. This case study of a Maya community, using archaeological and ethnographic data, shows that pine and pine charcoal was procured at a distance and distributed unevenly in settlements. The researchers deduce that this commodity was not freely available in the market place, but was subject to political control.

5 Situating Power and Locating Knowledge: A Paleoethnobotanical Perspective on Late Classic Maya Gender and Social Relations

“…Paleoethnobotanical investigations were undertaken at both Pook's Hill and Chan Nòohol in order to better understand human–plant interactions at the sites (Lentz et al 2005; Morehart 2001; Robin 1999). A total of 69 archaeobotanical samples have been analyzed from Pook's Hill to date (Morehart 2001).…”

“…Access to pine was not simply an ecological concern but likely was mediated by the political economy (Lentz et al 2005; Morehart 2002:261–264; see Hastorf and Johannessen 1991 for a similar Andean example). Pine was a valued item throughout the Lowlands, serving both utilitarian and ritual purposes, though it is locally scarce in many regions (Lentz 1999; Lentz et al 2005; Morehart 2002; Morehart et al 2005; Thompson 1970:146). In the Roaring Creek Valley, the political center Cahal Uitz Na may have had developed centralized control over pine and other resources from the Maya Mountains (e.g., slate and granite).…”

Famine Foods and Food Security in the Northern Maya Lowlands: Modern Lessons for Ancient Reconstructions

“…There is an abundance of existing literature surrounding prestige foodstuffs, differential access to resources, and the active manipulation of resource circulation in Classic Maya society, across various regions (Emery 2003; Hageman and Goldstein 2009; Hall et al 1990; LeCount 2001; Lentz 1991; Lentz et al 2005; Morehart and Butler 2010:601; Somerville et al 2013). Typical ways to look for manifestations of such resource manipulation in the archaeological record include examining “regularity and homogeneity” based on necessity rather than social status in household access to resources (Alonso Olvera 2013:46; Hirth 1998).…”

Siguiendo los rastros de los depósitos rituales: esbozo de un marco arqueológico para el estudio de las prácticas rituales en Palenque

“…cuperado restos de dicha conífera, y en esos casos se trataba de un recurso no local. El pino estuvo presente en eventos rituales realizados en cuevas de Belice (Morehart, Lentz y Prufer, 2005), y en contextos rituales del sitio de Xunantu nich, Belice (Lentz et al, 2005), así como en una de las ofrendas más tempranas y elaboradas de Caracol, Belice (Chase y Chase, 2006). En cada caso, se obtuvo de otros lugares para la ocasión.…”