The Last Groups Standing: Living Abandonment at the Ancient Maya Center of Minanha, Belize

Abstract

The most archaeologically visible dimension of the Classic Maya Collapse is the abandonment of monumental royal courts. Yet, in some cases, non-elite populations lived for centuries in and around Classic Maya centers without rulers. Processes of abandonment among Classic Maya commoners are detectable and reflect their own ritual and social practices divorced from the ritual performances undertaken by the ruling elite. We study the abandonment context and chronology of three domestic groups from the Contreras Valley, an agricultural community located on the outskirts of the Classic Maya center ofMinanha, Belize. There, several artifact assemblages were deposited at the time of abandonment, representing termination rituals. This study goes beyond the ideological dimension of termination rituals to examine how these ceremonies helped reshape the identity of social groups who were about to abandon their home. We explore how the last inhabitants of a mostly abandoned landscape lived through this process of gradual depopulation. Moreover, we evaluate potential explanations for the archaeological processes behind the occurrence or non-occurrence of termination rituals in different domestic groups.

Point Counter Point: Interpreting Chipped Chert Bifaces in Terminal Classic “Problematic” on-Floor Deposits From Structures A2 and A3 at Cahal Pech, Belize

“…The reasons for termination, whether reverential or desecratory, may affect the conditions of the objects. Desecratory termination may incorporate the destruction of locations by burning or damaging architectural features and/or burials, possibly associated with defeat in warfare (Demarest et al 1997;Garber 1983;Golden et al 2016;Harrison-Buck 2012, 2016Harrison-Buck et al 2007; Iannone 2005Iannone , 2010Inomata 2003Inomata , 2016Lamoureux-St-Hilaire et al 2015;Mock 1998b;Pagliaro et al 2003;Palka 2003;Schwake and Iannone 2016;Suhler and Freidel 2003;Yaeger 2010). Whether the product of desecratory or reverential termination, the conditions of the objects in problematic deposits can vary, with some being damaged or broken, conceivably on purpose, to "kill" them or remove their life-force (see Walker [1995] for "kratophanous material culture").…”

Community Resilience and Urban Planning during the Ninth-Century Maya Collapse: A Case Study from Actuncan, Belize

“…In fact, many abandoned Preclassic and Classic period centres became pilgrimage destinations (Andres & Pyburn 2004;Brown 2011;Hansen et al 2008;Robin et al 2012). Where populations dwelled amongst the monumental ruins, they continued to interact with the past on a daily basis (Halperin 2014;Lamoureux-St-Hilaire et al 2015;Mixter 2017a;Navarro-Farr 2016). Perhaps because of their association with transcendent cosmological concepts, triadic pyramid groups in particular remained places of reverence (Halperin 2014).…”

Explaining Variability in on-Floor Assemblages: The Behavioral-Contextual Method

“…Considerable doubt has justifiably been raised about the ceremonial significance of exposed offerings . We argue that, to be most convincing, termination rituals should be associated with structural primary deposits, tying all offerings within a localized ritual cycle (Lamoureux-St-Hilaire et al 2015).…”