HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE ANCIENT MAYA IN THE ...

95deposition of the individual(s) in the caves, or may have been ritually significantin its own right.3) Secondary burial – the skeletal deposit may represent the remains of individualsexhumed from a primary burial site and re-deposited in these caves. The marksmay indicate the physical evidence of post-mortem burial activity, i.e. thecleaning of any residual soft tissue associated with the bones. The disarticulationand dismemberment of a semi-decomposed body may have warranted theseparation of skeletal elements from tendons, ligaments, etc. for easier transportand deposition. These bones may represent the venerated remains of certainindividuals that were secondarily buried in these caves, or bones that wereremoved from primary burials for other more mundane reasons (Boyd and Boyd1997, Nelson et al. 1992).4) Cannibalism – cut marks found on particular human skeletal elements, i.e. longbones and cranial material may resemble activities associated with the processingof an animal carcass for consumption. Cannibalistic behavior may be inferredbased on the type and anatomical location of the cut marks (White 1992).In the case of the skeletal remains from these caves, one or more of these activities mayhave occurred at some point during the extent of the caves’ use by the ancient Maya.The sampleOnly 10 of more than 1,000 bones in the skeletal collection recovered from thecaves of the Petexbatun show possible evidence of bone modification. Seven femurshafts, one tibia shaft, the ischial portion of a pelvis, and an incomplete parietal bone