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

iiiABSTRACTHuman Skeletal Remains of the Ancient Maya in the Caves of Dos Pilas, Guatemala.(August 2003)Amador Minjares, Jr., B.A., University of Notre DameChair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Lori E. WrightThis study focuses on the assessment of the depositional activity that occurred insix caves of the Petexbatun region of the Peten, Guatemala through a quantitativeanalysis of the human skeletal material recovered from them. Five of these caves areassociated with the site of Dos Pilas; the sixth cave (Cueva de Los Quetzales) is locatedbeneath the site of Las Pacayas. The cave is an important aspect of the Mayaworldview, as evidenced in the artifactual and skeletal material found in caves byarchaeological exploration. My study is specifically focused on the assessment of theprimary and/or secondary burial of Maya dead within these caves via analyses of therelative skeletal element frequencies, the minimum and probable number of individuals,and the identification of human cut marks. Based on these lines of evidence and datafrom preliminary reports, between 100 and 150 individuals of both sexes and various agegroups were primarily deposited/buried in these caves. Secondary activity may beinferred based on evidence of human-made cut marks on several elements. There is noosteological evidence to support the hypothesis of human sacrifice. I was unable todetermine the status of the individuals deposited in the caves. The best interpretation isthat several types of depositional activity occurred within these caves over time.