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

122some doubt. These assessments based on NISPs and relative skeletal elementfrequencies demonstrate that primary activity predominantly occurred in these caves.Estimates of the minimum and probable number of individuals for each caveprovide a demographic profile of the entire cave system. A conservative estimate of100-150 individuals illustrates that the intentional burial or deposition of the dead inthese various caves did occur. It is unlikely that the skeletal material in these caves wasproduced by natural taphonomic processes, insomuch as that they were deposited by theancient inhabitants of Dos Pilas and Las Pacayas. Moreover, it appears that both sexesand all age groups were afforded equal burial/depositional access to these caves.Several elements from five of the six caves contain evidence of possible cutmarks caused by human agents. The best evidence of secondary activity is identified ascut marks on an incomplete hipbone from Cueva de El Duende and a nearly completeleft femur from Cueva de Los Quetzales. An additional six elements also have bonemodification, however, the morphology and anatomical location do not confirm that theyare human-made cut marks. The secondary placement of several cranial bones in Cuevade Sangre is also evidence of intentional secondary activity. There is no archaeologicalor osteological evidence to support the practice of human sacrifice within these caves;however, the collective demographic profile of these subterranean spaces resembles thedemographics of the sample of mutilated crania recovered from the skull pit of Colha(Massey and Steele 1997). This, however, is not conclusive evidence for the occurrenceof human sacrifice within the caves of the Petexbatun region.