Animal utilization by the Cozumel Maya: interpretation through faunal analysis Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Hamblin, Nancy Lee Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 11/10/2021 13:10:15 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/565460 ANIMAL UTILIZATION BY THE COZUMEL MAYA; INTERPRETATION THROUGH FAUNAL ANALYSIS by Nancy Lee Hamblin A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 8 0 - Copyright 1980 Nancy Lee Hamblin (c ) 1980 NANCY LEE HAMBLIN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Final Examination Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Nancy Lee Hamblin entitled ANIMAL UTILIZATION BY THE COZUMEL MAYA: INTERPRETATION________ ■■ THROUGH FAUNAL ANALYSIS_______________________________________ and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement *or the Degree of ________ Doctor of Philosophy_________________________ . L i __ M f r l c A . / f Date / f f a n A /y- i m Date Date Date Date Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate's submission of the final copy of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. Dissert Date STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to bor­ rowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: To my husband, John Patrick Green,. who has stood patiently beside me, offering support and encouragement whenever it was needed over the past five years0 Only he knows the many difficulties which had to be faced in this research project and helped to shoulder part of the burden0 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The scientific analysis of a body of data as large and diverse as the Cozumel fauna necessarily involves a lengthy learning process on the part of the researcher» This would not have been possible with­ out the information, advice, and encouragement so generously supplied by many individuals. It seems appropriate to mention Dr, Bruce D» Smith, then a graduate student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who was responsible for giving me a taste of faunal analysis and who encouraged me to pursue it, I especially wish to thank all the members of my dissertation committee: Professor Stanley J, Olsen, my chairman, Dr, William L 0 Rathje, and Dr, R» Gwinn Vivian, Each of these men provided invaluable guidance, support, and constructive criticism during the course of this study as well as on the thesis itself, I am particularly grateful to Professor Stanley J, Olsen who first introduced me to the formal study of zooarchaeology. In addition, he kindly lent me several of his comparative specimens, suggested pertinent references, provided labora­ tory space, and generally offered his assistance in many ways, I am indebted to Dr, William L, Rathje and Dr, Jeremy A, Sabloff, co­ directors of the Cozumel Archaeological Project, for making the Cozumel faunal material available to me. Bill Rathje provided constant and unfailing support in a variety of ways during this project, for which V I am very grateful«, He consistently gave me useful advice on reference materials and other practical matters, granted access to the archae­ ological field notes, provided funds for the analysis of soil samples, was instrumental in obtaining financial support from the National Geographic Society for this work, and was of inestimable help to me when I needed personal encouragement0 Gwinn Vivian did an especially fine job of editing the rough draft of this manuscript and offered his cheerful support and encouragement along the way0 I would also like to thank the many people who aided in the identification and preliminary analysis of the faunal materials. Dr. Elizabeth S. Wing allowed me to use the comparative fish collec­ tions at the Florida State Museum in Gainesville, patiently helped me learn how to identify the thousands of fish bones in this sample, and generously provided the hospitality of her home during this time. Dr. Amadeo M. Rea aided immeasurably in identifying the bird remains. He not only used his personal comparative collection and that of the University of Arizona Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, but borrowed material from the U.S. National Museum (Smithsonian Institution) in Washington, D.C. and obtained permission from Lyndon L. Hargrave for us to use his bird collection in Prescott, Arizona. Dr. Pierce Brodkorb (University of Florida, Gainesville) also helped me to identify some of the bird bones. The reptile and amphibian re­ mains were identified with the generous aid of Dr. Thomas R. Van Devender (University of Arizona, Department of Geosciences) who lent me specimens from his personal collection and offered many constructive suggestionso Kevin Moody, of the same department, was also helpful in identifying the turtle specimens. In addition, I am grateful to Dr. Donald A. Thomson (University of Arizona, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Curator of Fishes) who supplied information on the ecology and habits of reef fishes; to Dr. Lyle K. Sowls (Head of the Arizona Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Arizona) who helped determine the ages of the. Cozumel peccary remains and provided modern peccary skulls for comparative measurements; and to John Bo' Sparling (then of the University of Arizona Department of Anthropology) who obtained comparative crab specimens for me and helped in the preliminary sorting and identification of the faunal sample. Thanks are also due John Carpenter (University of Arizona, Department of Anthropology) for measuring all of the dog, peccary, and rabbit specimens used in this study. Several individuals in other specialized fields provided valuable assistance as well. Ted McCreary, head of The University of Arizona Soils, Water, and Plant Tissue Testing Laboratory, analyzed the Cozumel soil samples and kindly interpreted them for me. Dr. Richard A. Thompson (University of Arizona, Department of Anthro­ pology) gave helpful advice concerning the use and interpretation of statistical techniques for this project. I am grateful to Susan Ciolek-Torrello and Carol Margolis (University of Arizona Computer Center, Research Support Section) for their help in the computer analysis phase of this research. Similarly, I wish to thank my hus­ band, John P. Green (City of Tucson Computer Services Division) for his continual advice and moral support on computerizing these data. vii The fieldwork aspect of this project was greatly facilitated by Luis Rojas, resident of Cozumel, who served as translator and guide to the archaeological sites on the island, supplied pertinent infor­ mation on local animals and plants, and was generally helpful in many ways. Dr» Mary Pohl (Florida State University, Department of Anthro­ pology, Tallahassee) generously provided faunal data from her work in the Peten and offered many good suggestions, particularly on the analysis of the Cozumel birds, David A, Phillips (University of Arizona, Department of Anthropology) acted as consultant on Mayan archaeology, especially with reference to Cozumel, He dated the ex­ cavated proveniences on the island as closely as possible, using ceramics, so that temporal comparisons could be made here, Anthony P, Andrews (University of Arizona, Department of Anthropology) provided constructive criticism of the bird chapter. His wife, Barbara McClatchie Andrews, was responsible for photographing and preparing several of the illustrations, I would also like to thank my sister, Linda Hamblin Jones, for typing portions of the rough draft, drafting several of the illustrations, and for her continual moral support during the writing of this thesis. Hazel Gillie typed the final ver­ sion and was most helpful in taking care of many last-minute details. The necessary financial support for fieldwork, travel expenses, and computer analysis was provided by a grant from the National Geo- . graphic Society, a United States Steel Foundation Fellowship, and a Sigma XI Grant-in-aid-of-Research, viii Finally, I wish to express my very deep appreciation to Mrso Dorothy Caranchini, our graduate secretary. She has gone far beyond the call of duty in providing advice, encouragement, and even a shoulder to cry on, whenever necessary during these past several yearso TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES oooooooooooooooooooooo xix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 0 o • • • o o o <> • o e • o * <> • o xviii ABSTRACT oooooo o © © © © © o©©©©©©©©©©©©xxx lo INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND © © © © © © © © © © © © © © © 1 The