The Anthropology of Mesoamerican Caves
Reviews in Anthropology, 36: 245–278, 2007 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0093-8157 print=1556-3014 online DOI: 10.1080/00938150701436636 THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF MESOAMERICAN CAVES Paul F. Healy Brady, James E., and Keith M. Prufer, eds. In the Maw of the Earth Monster: Mesoamerican Ritual Cave Use. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2005. viii þ 438 pp. Prufer, Keith M., and James E. Brady, eds. Stone Houses and Earth Lords: Maya Religion in the Cave Context. Boulder: University Press of Colorado, 2005. xv þ 392 pp. Caves used in antiquity had multiple functions and often long use his- Downloaded By: [Wichita State University] At: 16:24 13 July 2007 tories. While many were employed for shelter, some became ritual sites. Revitalized interest in caves in Mesoamerica combines archaeology, ethnography, ethnohistory, epigraphy, and osteology. The current, gen- eral anthropological study of caves offers exceptional insights into early Mesoamerican customs, ceremonies, and beliefs, and indicates that caves played a significant role in religion. The evidence suggests that some caves were perceived as vital aspects of a sacred landscape and connec- tions to the supernatural underworld. Continuity of indigenous ritual practices associated with caves remains to the present. Keywords: Archaeology, caves, ethnography, ethnohistory, Mesoamerica, religion PAUL F. HEALY is Professor of Anthropology at Trent University. His area focus includes Mesoamerica, the Isthmo-Colombian (Intermediate) area, and the Caribbean. Archaeological research interests are settlement and subsist- ence, technology and economics, religion, and culture change. His fieldwork during the past 30 years concentrated in Belize, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Among his publications are ‘‘Preclassic Maya of the Belize Valley: Key Issues and Questions’’ in Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology, Vol.
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