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

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47including three additional cave entrances. This extensive cave system is actually formedby a central branch more than 400 m in length (Brady 1990b:440). A surfaceinvestigation revealed various mounds and other architectural structures associated withthis elaborate cave system. This surface exploration also uncovered an opening that mayhave been deliberately blocked with rocks (Brady et al. 1991:655). Moreover, anexploration of the deeper passages of Cueva de Sangre revealed a chamber with largequantities of human remains (Brady et al. 1991:655). Given the size of the cave and thelarge volume of artifactual material recovered, it would be best to consider this cavesystem in terms of the various operations conducted.Cueva de Sangre represents the most elaborate cave system associated with thesite of Dos Pilas. Because of its sheer size and numerous side passages, this cave systemwas divided into four operations during the 1990 field season. Operation III is a smallbranch that runs parallel to Operation II. Several side passages were found associatedwith Operations II through IV. During the following two field seasons, seven moreoperations were carried out in Cueva de Sangre (Figure 6). The artifactual material andthe human remains that were surface collected throughout this extensive cave systemclearly demonstrate the use of the caves by the ancient Maya.The remains of three architectural structures were found in close proximity to thecave entrance of Operation I. One of these structures appeared to be the remains of awall that may have been built to seal off this entrance (Brady 1990b:442). Six squaremeters of limestone pavement were also discovered near this entrance. A large quantityof ceramic was deposited on the cave floor. Many complete vessels as well as
48Fig. 6. Complete map of Cueva de Sangre. More than 3.2 km of this cave were mappedand surveyed over three field seasons during the Regional Petexbatun Cave Project(After Brady et al. 1997: Figure 1).concentrations of ceramic sherds were mapped. Most of the ceramic material dates tothe Early and Late Classic periods, however, material dating as early as the LatePreclassic Period was also collected (Brady 1990b:450, Scott 1994a:541).A portion of Operation I consists of a cave branch with a muddy hollow that fillswith water during the rainy season. This area is flanked on both sides by a tall, rockycornice that may have been used as a platform by the ancient Maya. A large proportionof the artifactual material recovered from this first operation was located in this muddy
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HUMAN SKELETAL REMAINS OF THE ANCIE
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iiiABSTRACTHuman Skeletal Remains o
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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 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: 46excavation uncovered evidence of
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
Page 81 and 82: 70CNP2-24-1CNP2-26-1CNP2-27-1CNP2-2
Page 83 and 84: 72modification was one of the more
Page 85 and 86: 74result from a small sample size,
Page 87 and 88: 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
Page 93 and 94: 82CS9-06-1CS11-03-2CS11-03-3CS11-03
Page 95 and 96: 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
Page 103 and 104: 92the operation and the cave seem m
Page 105 and 106: 94between these two types of activi
Page 107 and 108: 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
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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
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112TABLE 12. NISPs, MNIs, and PNIs
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114processed for secondary burial (
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116in mind that this and the many o
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118an adult male recovered from an
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120Cueva de Los QuetzalesThe skelet
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122some doubt. These assessments ba
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124CHAPTER VIIICONCLUSIONSThe infor
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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
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132Pohl M, Pohl J. 1983. Ancient Ma
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134Pre-Columbian Archaeology. Oxfor
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APPENDIX IINVENTORY FOR CUEVA DE EL
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CD2-01-8B pelvis R complete ischium
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APPENDIX IIINVENTORY FOR CUEVA DE R
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CNP2-07-1/10 femur L prox.1/2 shaft
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CNP2-12-1/13 humerus R dist.1/2 sha
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CNP2-20-1/11 femur L nearly complet
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CNP2-26-1/1 long bone ? 4+ fragsCNP
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CNP2-28-1/35 mandible L no teeth &
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APPENDIX IIIINVENTORY FOR CUEVA DE
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CRM4-03-1/1 tibia R shaft frag, cor
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CS1-77-2/3 sacrum A anterior aspect
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CS2-11-1/2 radius R complete shaft,
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CS5-07-1/11 frags ? 7 fragsCS5-07-1
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CS9-02-1 B7 tibia L prox.2/3 shaft,
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CS9-04-1/3 tibia R prox.1/2 shaft,
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CS9-06-1/14 femur L complete shaft,
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CS11-05-1/3 long bone ? 15 fragsCS1
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CS11-05-1 grp.B/1 vertebra A centru
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CKP2-03-1/10 femur L complete shaft
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CKP2-04-1/3 femur L dist.1/2 shaft,
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CKP9-06-1 tibia R CKP 62-63; prox.1
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CQ1-10-11 upper I2 R root is formin
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