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University of California, San Diego UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title The social implications of ritual behavior in the Maya Lowlands : a perspective from Minanha, Belize Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2488f75d Author Schwake, Sonja Andrea Publication Date 2008 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO The Social Implications of Ritual Behavior in the Maya Lowlands: A Perspective from Minanha, Belize. A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology by Sonja Andrea Schwake Committee in charge: Professor Geoffrey E. Braswell, Chair Professor Guillermo Algaze Professor Paul Goldstein Professor Elizabeth Newsome Professor Eric Van Young 2008 Copyright Sonja Andrea Schwake, 2008 All rights reserved. The dissertation of Sonja Andrea Schwake is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm: _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2008 iii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my mother, Janja Van Lehn (Janette Schwake). Her endless support, love, and encouragement have helped me on so many occasions and I could not have completed this without her. She has an astonishing strength of spirit, and she has always taught me to reach for my dreams. Thanks Mom, you are the most amazing woman in the world, and a great inspiration to me. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page........................................................................................... iii Dedication.................................................................................................. iv Table of Contents.........................................................................................v List of Figures........................................................................................... vii List of Tables ...............................................................................................x Acknowledgments..................................................................................... xii Vita........................................................................................................... xvi Abstract.................................................................................................... xix I. Introduction..................................................................................................1 II. Ritual Theory, Mortuary Archaeology, and the Ancient Maya...................6 Theoretical Approaches to Ritual and Religion.....................................7 Mortuary Archaeology.........................................................................28 Mortuary Analysis in the Maya Area...................................................44 Cache and Ritual Offerings in the Maya Area.....................................56 Conclusion ...........................................................................................62 III. Research Design.........................................................................................66 Sampling Strategy and Methodology...................................................69 Excavation Biases ................................................................................71 Archaeological Expectations ...............................................................73 Conclusion ...........................................................................................77 IV. Environment, History, Site Description, and Previous Research ..............79 Environment, Climate, Flora, and Fauna.............................................79 Geology of Belize and the Vaca Plateau..............................................84 A Brief History of Modern Belize .......................................................87 History of Investigations at Minanha...................................................95 Site Description..................................................................................102 General Interpretations of Minanha Archaeology .............................105 Conclusion .........................................................................................108 V. Case Study: Minanha ...............................................................................113 Excavations in Group A.....................................................................113 v Excavations in Group S .....................................................................140 Excavations in the MRS4 Group .......................................................157 Conclusion .........................................................................................164 VI. Comparative Regional Perspectives ........................................................219 The Southeast Petén Region ..............................................................221 The Belize Valley Region..................................................................234 The Vaca Plateau Region...................................................................250 Similarity and Disjunction: Trends in the Mortuary Sample.............263 Conclusion .........................................................................................271 VII. Mortuary Archaeology at Minanha .......................................................303 Regional Tradition: Commoner Mortuary Practice ............................305 Representation of Group Identity: Lesser Elite Mortuary Practice ....308 Social Memory and Community: Apical Elite Mortuary Practice......315 Discussion and Conclusion.................................................................322 VIII. The Minanha Mortuary Assemblage.....................................................331 Appendix..................................................................................................337 References................................................................................................357 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1: Graph of traditional hierarchical model of social organization..............64 Figure 2.2: Graphic representation of triangulation effect for lesser elites ...............65 Figure 4.1: Top plan and section of the site from the 1927 expedition ...................110 Figure 4.2: Regional location of Minanha ...............................................................111 Figure 4.3: Site core of Minanha .............................................................................112 Figure 5.1: Structure 3A with location of excavation units.....................................165 Figure 5.2: Incensario fragment...............................................................................166 Figure 5.3: Top plan of Unit 3A-1 (3A-1st construction).........................................167 Figure 5.4: Profile Unit 3A-1...................................................................................168 Figure 5.5: Chert eccentric lithics............................................................................169 Figure 5.6: Sierra Red: Society Hall vessel .............................................................170 Figure 5.7: Top plan of Structure 3A, Units 3A-1, 3A-2, and 3A-3........................171 Figure 5.8: Top plan of Unit 3A-2...........................................................................172 Figure 5.9: Top plan of Units 3A-2 and 3A-3, top of 3A-B/3 capstones ................173 Figure 5.10: Structure 3A, running profile of Burial 3A-B/3...................................174 Figure 5.11: Top plan Unit 3A-2 and Burial 3A-B/3.................................................175 Figure 5.12: East-West running profile of Structure 3A............................................176 Figure 5.13: Top plan, Structure 4A, Unit 4A-1, Level 3..........................................177 Figure 5.14: Unit 4A-1, profile looking east..............................................................178 Figure 5.15: Top plan Structure 4A, Unit 4A-1, Level 5...........................................179 Figure 5.16: Top plan of Group S, showing location of Structure 77S`....................180 Figure 5.17: Profile map of Structure 77S, Unit 77S-1 .............................................181 vii Figure 5.18: Top plan of Unit 77S-1, Level 3............................................................182 Figure 5.19: Top plan of Burial 77S-B/1...................................................................183 Figure 5.20: Top plan of Burial 77S-B/1, Units 77S-1 and 77S-2 ............................184 Figure 5.21: Profile of Structure 77S, Unit 77S-2 .....................................................185 Figure 5.22: Top plan of Burial 77S-B/2 chamber, Structure 77S ............................186 Figure 5.23: Profile map of Burial 77S-B/2...............................................................187 Figure 5.24: Top plan of Burial 77S-B/2, Structure 77S ...........................................188 Figure 5.25: Shell adorno and pin from Burial 77S-B/2............................................189 Figure 5.26: Late Classic period Tu-Tu Camp ceramic group vessel........................190 Figure 5.27: Late Classic orangeware plate from Burial 77S-B/2.............................191 Figure 5.28:
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