Copyright by Lauri McInnis Thompson 2005 The Dissertation Committee for Lauri McInnis Thompson Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: A Comparative Analysis of Burial Patterning: The Preclassic Maya Sites of Chiapa de Corzo, Kaminaljuyu, Tikal, and Colha Committee: Fred Valdez, Jr, Supervisor Claud Bramblett Maria Franklin Joel Sherzer David Stuart A Comparative Analysis of Burial Patterning: The Preclassic Maya Sites of Chiapa de Corzo, Kaminaljuyu, Tikal, and Colha by Lauri McInnis Thompson, B.A.; M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin December 2005 Dedicated to Donel Barry McInnis, my editor, my mentor, my Dad. Acknowledgements Although I wrote this dissertation, it is actually the work of many individuals without whose time and support it could never have been completed. First, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Fred Valdez, director of the Mesoamerican Archaeological Research Laboratory. His editorial comments not only helped me keep my dissertation manageable, but they also pushed me to produce a much better dissertation. He gave me constant direction and encouragement and afforded me many opportunities for study, research, and work. I feel fortunate to have had such an advisor – I do not think I could have asked for more. Special thanks are due to Dr. Claud Bramblett, to whom I owe my love of anthropology and osteology. Since the beginning of my studies in the summer of 1999, he has not only encouraged me, but has also cheerfully continued to be a willing part of my education. I am extremely grateful to my committee members, Drs. Maria Franklin, David Stuart, and Joel Sherzer, for their time and willingness to serve on my committee, and for their sincere support along the way. Their thoughtful insights have not only helped my dissertation, but have given me new questions and thoughts to pursue as I continue my journey in academia. I am exceedingly grateful to Dr. Thomas Hester who generously allowed me access to the unpublished Colha data. His hands-on approach to learning archaeology v brought life to ancient lithic materials and to people of the past, and will forever impact the way I think about and teach archaeology. I would like to thank the Programme for Belize Archaeological Project for the opportunities allowed from working at such a rich site. It is an amazing place for education in the field of archaeology and the ancient Maya. I hope to be permitted to continue to have a part in future excavations and field schools. I am extremely honored to have been awarded various grants and scholarships that helped make my educational dream a reality: two scholarships from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund; the Kathryn Spence Nance Memorial Scholarship and the Bernice Milburn Moore Scholarship from the Texas Exes Association; and two grants for my fieldwork from the University of Texas at Austin Study Abroad Office. The financial support of these institutions was an integral part of my educational success. I am forever grateful to the staff of the Anthropology Department at the University of Texas at Austin for their support throughout my years of study. Their support was emotional – always extremely encouraging, and logistical – always making sure I had what I needed in terms of paperwork and paychecks. I would especially like to mention Pam Becker, Jenni Jones, and Andi Shively for helping me successfully navigate the sometimes turbulent waters of the graduate school experience. My field friends, Gaye Gaither and Liwy Grazioso, though they live far away, have both been great sources of support. Gaye provided me with necessary reality checks along the way; her dry wit always made me smile. Liwy supplied me with pertinent publications unavailable in the United States and a warm friendship that I treasure. I owe Palma Buttles-Valdez a huge thank you for helping me negotiate the conversion of electronic files – a necessity to be allowed to actually graduate! I also want vi to recognize her as a supportive ear and smiling face at my defense, she will probably never know how much that meant. To Dr. Shirley Mock, I am eternally indebted for the tremendous opportunity she gave me, to grow in both knowledge and confidence, when she entrusted me with her “Red Lady of Saktunja”. She is not only a role model for me, but also a dear friend. I look forward to many more shared field experiences and academic collaborations. I am grateful to Dr. Brandon Lewis, the Director of the Dos Barbaras Project under permit granted by the Institute of Archaeology to PfBAP, for allowing me to participate in many excavations involving skeletal materials. The experience was invaluable to my growth as both an archaeologist and an osteologist. His sense of humor in the field was an added bonus! I hopefully look forward to shared future field seasons. I would like to thank Frank and Julie Saul, the best of dig partners and true comrades of some interesting field experiences. They acted well beyond their role as mentors – they became friends who encouraged me both in my studies and my life, never failing to extend opportunities to learn. To Heather Ball, my friend, who encouraged me to return to school and to achieve what was possible. Without her, I might never have continued my education and thereby missed discovering the world of anthropology which I dearly love. For her friendship and support, I give my special thanks. To Amy Erhlich and Anne Houser, friends from my daughter Hailley’s early years, who made my return to school possible by generously opening their homes not only at some very early hours, but also for frequently extended hours during my first semester of summer school (1999). Their kindness permitted me to leave Hailley in great care, thus allowing me to focus on my studies while she was having fun! Due to their vii help, my first foray back to school was a success and helped pave the way to where I stand today. I am eternally indebted to them. I also need to extend a huge thanks to a great many field friends, undergraduate coworkers, and graduate compatriots for their friendship, encouragement, and on occasion supportive shoulders. The list is long, and undoubtedly someone is unintentionally left off – for this I apologize in advance: Laura Alport, Grant Aylesworth, Ray Drainville, Ashley Gosselin-Ildari, Eva Garrett, Rigden Glaab, Pam Gellar, David Hyde, Glen Jones, Yoav Me-Bar, Richard Meadows, Rachel Menegaz, Magda Muchlinski, Micaela Obledo, Marisol Rincon-Cortes, Jenny Saul, Anne Scott, Christyna Solhan, Rissa Trachman, Skye Wagner and family, Brigette Wetz, Katherine Whitcome, and Adrienne Witzel. To Dr. John Kappelman, I am grateful for his patience as a boss, and thankful for the sense of perspective and sanity that he has helped me keep along the way. Our coffees and lunches gave me mental and physical sustenance, I will be forever appreciative for all of his encouragement and friendship. I owe my children, Hailley and Ricky Thompson, a huge debt of gratitude, for their understanding and patience as I pursued a goal that made enormous demands on my mental capacity, time, and energy. They are great kids who make me proud. Special thanks are due to Michael Martin, for his persistent push to finish, for his ability to help me focus on the pertinent issues when I was sidetracked with worry (which was often), and for always willingly pitching in to help out, on all fronts of my life. His patience with me was greatly appreciated. Without his love and encouragement, the perseverance of my educational quest would have surely wavered. Finally, I want to acknowledge the contribution of my parents, Don and Lorraine (Txa Txa) McInnis. My mom, Txa Txa, with her cheering and encouragement and viii unflagging faith in my endeavors, has been a constant source of strength. My dad, Don, to whom this dissertation is dedicated, is the armchair archaeologist who first inspired my wanderlust. He has been my rock (and my editor); without his constant help and encouragement, this work would not have come to fruition. His love of learning has been my inspiration as I pursued my studies. ix A Comparative Analysis of Burial Patterning: The Preclassic Maya Sites of Chiapa de Corzo, Kaminaljuyu, Tikal, and Colha Publication No._____________ Lauri McInnis Thompson, PhD. The University of Texas at Austin, 2005 Supervisor: Fred Valdez, Jr. Understanding cultures of the past is an endeavor that can be approached from many directions, with one of the most common paths being archaeology’s traditional focus on the material remains of civilizations. It is, however, the case that many of the ruins and monuments that provide such obvious evidence of these cultures also serve as the final resting places for their creators. Analyses of ancient peoples and their inhumation (burial) practices can yield valuable information about their behavior and life ways as well as the culture’s social and demographic structure. William Coe once stated, with regard to the human skeletal remains of Piedras Negras, that “Observations and measurements, when feasible, have been given in the hope that someday there will be sufficient data for a revealing synthesis of Maya skeletal remains” (Coe 1959:121). Today, 46 years later, that synthesis does not yet exist. Most x previous osteological research has consisted of simple reports on metric analysis, aging, sexing, pathology, and stature of remains from a single locale. This dissertation attempts an answer to William Coe’s call for synthesis by undertaking a systematic osteological study of four major sites across the Maya area: the highland Maya site of Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala, the lowland Maya sites of Tikal, Guatemala and Colha, Belize, and Chiapa de Corzo in Mexico (Figure 1).