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

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13crude stone walls, simple altars, artificial platforms, and cave carvings point to theMaya’s attempt at creating a particular cultural atmosphere in the cave, ritual orotherwise.Eduardo Quiroz CaveThe cave system is situated northeast of the site of Caracol in the southern CayoDistrict of the Vaca Plateau in Belize. No surface site was found associated with thecave. Of the six chambers explored and investigated, four of these were associated withsome type of artificial construction. For example, the first chamber produced theremains of several dry-laid masonry walls, small earth terraces, and a portion of a plasterfloor (Pendergast 1971). The walls found throughout the chambers were constructed outof rough-hewn blocks of limestone. The most extensive concentration of artificialconstructions was located between the second and third chambers. The Maya created avery narrow passageway (55-65 cm in width) between these chambers by filling theexisting tunnel with large limestone blocks (Pendergast 1971). There was a similarconstruction between the fifth and sixth chambers. According to Pendergast (1971:11),“the intent seems to have been to make movement from one area to another as difficultas possible, perhaps partly to increase the aura of mystery surrounding the cave or tokeep hidden from the eyes of onlookers the ceremonies carried out in the deeper recessesof the caverns.”Río Frío Cave EThis dry cave is located in western Belize in the Vaca Plateau. An abundance ofceramics was found throughout the cave; however, other artifacts were not as well
14represented. A ceramic analysis revealed that most of the activity conducted within thecave might date to the Late Classic period (Pendergast 1970). One of the more tellingartifacts encountered in the cave entrance was a stalagmite in the form of a seated figure.Pendergast (1970) suggests that the figure may have represented an important idolworshipped by the ancient Maya, and may have played a role in the ritual use of thecave. A similar feature was also discovered in Footprint Cave in Belize; it consisted of amask with exaggerated and grotesque features (Graham et al. 1980). Unlike the figurefrom Río Frío Cave E, the mask appears to have been carved into a stone outcroppinginside the cave. A flat surface above the mask may have served as a surface for burningofferings, evidenced by a blackened area on the cave wall (Graham et al. 1980:169).Cave artThe artistic reproduction of important Maya figures, rituals, scenes of life anddeath, etc. have been depicted on a number of mediums, i.e. ceramic vessels, stelae,murals, and monumental architecture. As the archaeological record attests, the walls ofcaves have also been utilized for the creative efforts of the ancient Maya. Given theritual and sacred significance of the cave, the discovery of paintings and other rock art inthis subterranean context should not be a surprise. There are a handful of Maya cavesites that have produced some form of Maya cave painting and rock art. One of themore impressive collections of Maya cave paintings and hieroglyphic text werediscovered at the site of Naj Tunich.
Page 1 and 2: HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE ANCIE
Page 3 and 4: iiiABSTRACTHuman Skeletal Remains o
Page 5 and 6: vACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis research was
Page 7 and 8: viiCHAPTERPageIV SITE DESCRIPTIONS
Page 9 and 10: ixLIST OF FIGURESFIGUREPage1 Map of
Page 11 and 12: xiLIST OF TABLESTABLEPage1 Caves of
Page 13 and 14: 2Fig. 1. Map of the Petexbatun regi
Page 15 and 16: 4prove or disprove my hypothesis. T
Page 19 and 20: 8Caves are also known to share an o
Page 21 and 22: 10Artifactual materialThe artifacts
Page 23: 12activities, which included bloodl
Page 27 and 28: 16based on the identification of th
Page 29 and 30: 18when a structure is placed over o
Page 31 and 32: 20The Copan Ritual Caves Project la
Page 33 and 34: 22sacrificial victims. The identifi
Page 35 and 36: 24CHAPTER IIIMATERIALS AND METHODSS
Page 37 and 38: 26InventoryMy analysis began with a
Page 39 and 40: 28responsible. A precise methodolog
Page 41 and 42: 30After rounding up to the highest
Page 43 and 44: 32and subadults are differentiated
Page 45 and 46: 34demonstrate the practice of inter
Page 47 and 48: 36Implements such stone tools may h
Page 49 and 50: 38of the young woman involved the r
Page 51 and 52: 40Fig. 3. Caves of the Petexbatun.
Page 53 and 54: 42I) consisted of an excavation in
Page 55 and 56: 44Cueva de Río El DuendeCueva de R
Page 57 and 58: 46excavation uncovered evidence of
Page 59 and 60: 48Fig. 6. Complete map of Cueva de
Page 61 and 62: 50these remains were recovered by m
Page 63 and 64: 52Dos Pilas as a dominant polity in
Page 65 and 66: 54Fig. 7. Map of Cueva de Los Quetz
Page 67 and 68: 56CHAPTER VNISP AND MNI - AN ANALYS
Page 69 and 70: 58Cueva de El DuendeOne hundred for
Page 71 and 72: 60feet were the most common skeleta
Page 73 and 74: 62estimates indicate that Cueva de
Page 75 and 76:
64skeletal elementpedal phalangemet
Page 77 and 78:
66TABLE 4. MNI for Cueva de Río El
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68five rooms in Operation CNP2. Roo
Page 81 and 82:
70CNP2-24-1CNP2-26-1CNP2-27-1CNP2-2
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72modification was one of the more
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74result from a small sample size,
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76material examined in this study,
Page 89 and 90:
78TABLE 7. MNI for Cueva de Sangre.
Page 91 and 92:
80MNI considered material from 41 l
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82CS9-06-1CS11-03-2CS11-03-3CS11-03
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84Three hundred and fifty meters of
Page 97 and 98:
8626 individuals (Table 9). I ident
Page 99 and 100:
88calculated an MNI at the level of
Page 101 and 102:
90TABLE 11. MNI for Cueva de Los Qu
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92the operation and the cave seem m
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94between these two types of activi
Page 107 and 108:
96represent the sample with evidenc
Page 109 and 110:
98The second group consists of eigh
Page 111 and 112:
100One of the deeper cut marks was
Page 113 and 114:
102CNP2-07-1/18A complete left femo
Page 115 and 116:
104occur throughout the bone. The f
Page 117 and 118:
106The identification of human-made
Page 119 and 120:
108harsh effects of the active envi
Page 121 and 122:
110did not affect this particular b
Page 123 and 124:
112TABLE 12. NISPs, MNIs, and PNIs
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114processed for secondary burial (
Page 127 and 128:
116in mind that this and the many o
Page 129 and 130:
118an adult male recovered from an
Page 131 and 132:
120Cueva de Los QuetzalesThe skelet
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122some doubt. These assessments ba
Page 135 and 136:
124CHAPTER VIIICONCLUSIONSThe infor
Page 137 and 138:
126LITERATURE CITEDAnderson AH. 196
Page 139 and 140:
128Brady JE, Rodas I. 1995. Maya Ri
Page 141 and 142:
130Johnston FE. 1962. Growth of the
Page 143 and 144:
132Pohl M, Pohl J. 1983. Ancient Ma
Page 145 and 146:
134Pre-Columbian Archaeology. Oxfor
Page 147 and 148:
APPENDIX IINVENTORY FOR CUEVA DE EL
Page 149 and 150:
CD2-01-8B pelvis R complete ischium
Page 151 and 152:
APPENDIX IIINVENTORY FOR CUEVA DE R
Page 153 and 154:
CNP2-07-1/10 femur L prox.1/2 shaft
Page 155 and 156:
CNP2-12-1/13 humerus R dist.1/2 sha
Page 157 and 158:
CNP2-20-1/11 femur L nearly complet
Page 159 and 160:
CNP2-26-1/1 long bone ? 4+ fragsCNP
Page 161 and 162:
CNP2-28-1/35 mandible L no teeth &
Page 163 and 164:
APPENDIX IIIINVENTORY FOR CUEVA DE
Page 165 and 166:
CRM4-03-1/1 tibia R shaft frag, cor
Page 167 and 168:
CS1-77-2/3 sacrum A anterior aspect
Page 169 and 170:
CS2-11-1/2 radius R complete shaft,
Page 171 and 172:
CS5-07-1/11 frags ? 7 fragsCS5-07-1
Page 173 and 174:
CS9-02-1 B7 tibia L prox.2/3 shaft,
Page 175 and 176:
CS9-04-1/3 tibia R prox.1/2 shaft,
Page 177 and 178:
CS9-06-1/14 femur L complete shaft,
Page 179 and 180:
CS11-05-1/3 long bone ? 15 fragsCS1
Page 181 and 182:
CS11-05-1 grp.B/1 vertebra A centru
Page 183 and 184:
CKP2-03-1/10 femur L complete shaft
Page 185 and 186:
CKP2-04-1/3 femur L dist.1/2 shaft,
Page 187 and 188:
CKP9-06-1 tibia R CKP 62-63; prox.1
Page 189 and 190:
CQ1-10-11 upper I2 R root is formin
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