Architecture, Ritual, and Social Identity at Late Postclassic Zacpetã©N

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ARCIDTECTURE, RITUAL, AND SOCIAL IDENTITY AT LATE POSTCLASSIC ZACPETEN, PETEN, GUATEMALA: IDENTIFICATION OF THE KOWal

Timothy W. Pugh

B.s. M.A.

A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree

Department of Anthropology In the Graduate School Southern Illinois University Carbondale

March 2001 UMI Number: 3019263

UMf

UMI Microform 3019263 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.

Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, M148106-1346 Copyright by Timothy W. Pugh 2001

March 8, 2001

I hereby recommend that the dissertation prepared under my supervision by Timothy W. Pugh

Entitled Architecture, Ritual, And Social Identity At Late Postclassic Zacpeten, Peten, Guatemala' Identification Of The Kowoj

be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY degree

In Charge ofDissertation _~2>.1RY Head ofDepartment

Committee for the Final Examination

5 ______AN ABSTRACT FOR THE DISSERTATION OF

TIMOTHY W. PUGH for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in ANTHROPOLOGY, presented on March 28, 2001 at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

TITLE: Architecture, Ritual, and Social Identity at Late Postclassic Zacpeten, Peten, Guatemala: Identification of the Kowoj.

MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Don S. Rice

This project investigates the ceremonial architecture and associated ritual practices of Late Postclassic (A.D. 1250 to 1540) and Contact Period (A.D. 1541 to 1697)

Zacpeten, Peten, Guatemala to observe the ritualized construction of social boundaries by the Kowoj, an ethnic group occupying the site from approximately A.D. 1400 to 1697.

Ritual perfonnances are among the most powerful means through which social groups communicate infonnation about themselves to themselves and others and are important media for storing and remembering collective memories. The ceremonial architecture at

Zacpeten recorded crucial infonnation concerning Kowoj history, social organization, and cosmogony.

Zacpeten is an archaeological site on a peninsula in Late Salpeten, which lies in an area believed to have been occupied by the Kowoj. The Kowoj were the enemies of the Itza, the most powerful group in the region. In A.D. 1697, the Spaniards, who had been attempting to convert the Itza to Christianity for approximately 172 years, conquered the Itza capital, Nojpeten, which rested on an island in Lake Peten Itza. The conquest ofNojpeten led to the subjugation of the Itza and Kowoj, many of whom were resettled in mission communities. While information regarding the Kowoj is sparse, they

were known to have had fortified settlements in the northeast portion of the region and

claimed to have migrated from Mayapan in Yucatan, Mexico. The Itza, who occupied the western and southern portions of the Peten lakes region, claimed to have migrated from Chich'en Itza also in Yucatan.

Archaeological excavations at Zacpeten cleared shallow humus and collapse from ceremonial and domestic architecture and revealed in situ artifacts and features. The distributions of artifacts were utilized to reconstruct activity areas in ceremonial and domestic contexts. Rituals at Zacpeten were repetitive, ordered, traditional, formal and occurred in special/sacred contexts. The ritual assemblages housing the performances were constructed very similar to those of other sites in the Kowoj region and had layouts nearly identical to those of Mayapan. These ceremonial groups did more than materially define the Kowoj region; they likely acted as proof of migration from Mayapan and social continuity with the city and served as foundations ofKowoj identity.

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The present work would have been impossible without the previous research in central Peten conduct by Dr. Don Rice, my dissertation chair, and Dr, Prudence Rice, one of my committee members. The thesis of this dissertation is largely based upon suppositions made or suggested by their earlier work. Dr. Grant Jones, another committee member, also deserved thanks for reconstructing the seventeenth century political geography of Central Peten. I would also like to thank the other committee members, Dr. Andy Hofting and Dr. Jonathan Hill for their editing, suggestions, and patience. I am also grateful to Myra Kaha for support during the final year of dissertation writing. Jimee Choi and Christi McGee deserve thanks for proofing and encouragement.

I also thank Tedi Thomas for being helpful, as always.

I would also like to acknowledge the direct contributions that various people have made to research at Zacpeten. I apologize to anyone I have left out of this list. Intensive excavations were conducted at Zacpeten from 1995 until 1997 under my direction and the

Guatemalan co-director, Licenciado Romulo Sanchez Polo, a professor at Centro

Universitario de Peten. Specific excavations were supervised by the field directors and students from Centro Universitario de Peten and Southern Illinois University at

Carbondale. The CUDEP students included Maria Anavisca, Benito Burgos, Bayron

Castellanos, Francisco Enriquez, Enrique Monterroso, Jose Maria Penados, Ramon Puga,

Ivo Romero, Mirium Salas, Ana Sanchez, and Carlos Sanchez. The SlUC students

iii included Christopher Andres, Matt Rockmore, and Kevin Schwarz. The Guatemalan

field workers lived in the nearby towns ofIxlu and El Remate and included Don Transito

Lima, Fidencio Chak, Jose Hernandez, Gustavo Perez, Marcos Rodriguez, Reymundo

Espino, Francisco Lopez, Santos Cervantes, Fidencio Guevara, Francisco Ixpatac, Hilario

Ixpatac, Cesar Acuna, Felix Ixpatac, Natanael Meledrez, Moiser Cervantes, Francisco

Cervantes, Jeremias Cordero, Jose Luis Rodas, Ricardo Ixpatac, Petronilo Soto,

Hermelino Ixpatac, Luis Perez, Alfredo Cante, Isidro Melendrez, Ovidio Lima, Hector

Soto, Victoriano Alfaro, Ricardo Morales, Jorge Lima, Murcial Ixpatac, Domingo

Rodriguez, Manuel Lima, Marvin Perez, David Rodriguez, Samuel Perez, Valentin

Ixpatac, Oliverio Mendoz, Hugo Escobar, Bernave Hernandez, and Jose Antonio

Hernandez.

Leslie Cecil directed the analysis of non-censer ceramics and as the laboratory director, organized all of the materials in the lab. Censers were analyzed by Dr. Prudence

Rice, Leslie Cecil, Matt Rockmore and myself. I would like to thank Leslie for insisting that I take all the good screens, buckets, and workers and Matt Rockmore for happily filling out lot cards ad infinitum. The author directed the analysis of non-ceramic artifacts discussed in this dissertation. Bill Duncan has conducted a preliminary osteological analysis including the investigation of butchering marks on human bone, some of which is included below. With the exception of the butchering marks and other noted analyses, the osteological interpretations listed below were made by the author.

Laboratory assistants included Miriam Claderon, Iris Avelar, Mario Reinoso, Aura Soto,

Yulissa Lopez, Eliza Suntecun, Jose Luis Portillo, Martha Rax, Henry Esquivel, Manuel

Gregorio, Rony Toraya, Marlon Gonzalez, Victor Ubaldozoc, Mario Roberto Ramirez,