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

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17better understanding the vast cave system directly associated with the site of Dos Pilas.A study of the settlement configuration of Dos Pilas showed a correlation between cavesand the major architecture of the site. This would suggest that the Maya intentionallyplanned and erected structures of importance directly above or in close proximity to thesystem of caves in the area. For example, the largest ceremonial structure, the ElDuende complex, is situated directly above an underground spring that runs throughCueva de Río El Duende (Brady 1997) (Figure 2). According to Brady (1997:614),Fig. 2. Map of El Duende pyramid in relation to Cueva de Río El Duende. Thesettlement configuration of Dos Pilas demonstrates the intentional placement of the site’smain ceremonial structure above Cueva de Río El Duende (After Brady et al. 1991:Figure 37.21).
18when a structure is placed over or in close proximity to a cave, the “surface architecturebecomes an extension of and interwoven into the sacred landscape.” The surfacestructure and the associated cave become a “cave complex.” For this reason, Brady(1997) believes this pattern of cave utilization is more widespread in the Maya area.This type of settlement configuration has been identified in Maya (e.g. Mayapan,Chichen Itza, Las Pacayas), as well as non-Maya sites (e.g. Teotihuacan).Documentation of man-made caves throughout Mesoamerica also points to theimportance of these subterranean spaces in regions where caves do not naturally occur(Brady 1997).The extensive system of caves at Dos Pilas has also procured ceramicassemblages dating back to the Preclassic. This suggests that these subterranean spaceswere important features before the rise of Dos Pilas as a dominant regional polity (Brady1997:610). This belief of the cave as ritual and sacred space clearly manifests itself inthe Late Classic construction of major architecture over the vast system of cavesassociated with the site, as well as the intentional deposition of human remainsthroughout these caves.Human skeletal materialThe discovery of human remains within a niche or in a pool of water is not anuncommon find in the caves of the Maya area. Deposits of human skeletal material ofvarying size and states of preservation have been found in virtually all caves in the Mayaarea that show evidence of human use (Gibbs 2000, Owen 2002, Pendergast 1971, Rueet al. 1989). Sites such as Talgua Cave in northeastern Honduras demonstrate that burial
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 and 24: 12activities, which included bloodl
Page 25 and 26: 14represented. A ceramic analysis r
Page 27: 16based on the identification of th
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
Page 79 and 80:
68five rooms in Operation CNP2. Roo
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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.
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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
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8626 individuals (Table 9). I ident
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88calculated an MNI at the level of
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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
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96represent the sample with evidenc
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98The second group consists of eigh
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100One of the deeper cut marks was
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102CNP2-07-1/18A complete left femo
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104occur throughout the bone. The f
Page 117 and 118:
106The identification of human-made
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108harsh effects of the active envi
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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
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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
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128Brady JE, Rodas I. 1995. Maya Ri
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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
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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
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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
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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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