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

121sample demonstrate that several types of depositional activity may have played a role inthe formation of the cave samples, including secondary burial or deposition. Forinstance, the calculation of the number of identified specimens indicates that bonesrepresentative of the entire human skeleton are present in varying quantities andfrequencies throughout the caves. This would suggest that the caves might have beenpredominantly used as spaces for either primary burial or primary deposition. A primaryburial may have involved the interment of a body and perhaps a few grave goods in agrave within the cave. However, the cave itself might represent the physical grave, thusnecessitating no further interment under the cave floor. Thus, the primary deposition ofa body with or without associated grave goods on the surface of the cave floor may alsoexplain the deposits recovered from these caves. Over time, the effects of an active caveenvironment have produced deposits of commingled remains, which resemble secondarydepositional activity. Cueva de Sangre produced the best evidence for primary burial ordeposition. Caves such as Cueva de El Duende and Cueva de Los Quetzales alsoproduced relative skeletal element frequencies that are consistent with primary activity;however, the evidence is not conclusive. The remains from Cueva de Río Murciélagosare consistent with secondary activity despite the use of excavation in the recovery ofthese elements. The remains collected from Cueva de Río El Duende, Cueva de Sangre(with the exception of the articulated skeleton), and Cueva de Kaxon Pec may representsecondarily deposited samples, based on the high relative skeletal element frequencies oflong bone and cranial material; however, the recovery method (surface collection) raises