The Ancient Maya of the Belize Valley: Half a Century of Archaeological Research

Description

“Ambitious and comprehensive. It presents the results of two decades of research in a Maya lowland region that has seen more activity than most. Its chapters are synthetic, contributing to both archaeological theory and to culture history. . . . Will be a boon to students and professional archaeologists.”—Journal of Field Archaeology “Brings together recent findings and interpretations by many of the archaeologists active in and around the Belize Valley, one of the most intensively studied regions of the Maya lowlands. . . . A substantial contribution to Maya archaeology in particular, and Latin American anthropology in general.”—Journal of Latin American Anthropology “As Maya scholars raise increasingly clearer and better informed questions about the development of Maya civilization over two and a half millennia, the very rich data sets from the Belize Valley that this highly recommended volume discusses are certain to play a crucial role in providing new answers and even more clarified questions.”—Journal of Anthropological Research “The result is an outstanding body of evidence from Belize Valley that contributes to understanding the organization and dynamics of Maya society in general, and provides a stimulating basis for further research. Strongly recommended.”—Choice Rodney Carlisle, professor of anthropology and field school director at Texas Statue University–San Marcos, is the author of Archaeology at Cerros Belize, Central America, volume 2, The Artifacts. A volume in the series Maya Studies, edited by Diane and Arlen Chase Cvr Table of Contents vii List of Figures xi List of Maps xv List of Tables xvii Foreword xix 1 The Archaeology of the Belize Valley in Historical Perspective 1 2 Retrospective 15 3 Middle Formative Prehistory of the Central Belize Valley 25 4 Archaeological Investigations at Blackman Eddy 47 5 Major Center Identifiers at a Plazuela Group Near the Ancient Maya Site of Baking Pot 69 6 Ancient Maya Settlement in the Valley of Peace Area 85 7 Cahal Pech 103 8 The Role of “Terminus Groups” in Lowland Maya Site Planning 125 9 Buenavista del Cayo 149 10 Xunantunich in a Belize Valley Context 168 11 The Royal Charter at Xunantunich 180 12 Buenavista del Cayo, Cahal Pech, and Xunantunich 191 13 The Ancient Maya Center of Pacbitun 207 14 Defining Royal Maya Burials 228 15 Integration among Communities, Center, and Regions 238 16 The Classic Maya Trading Port of Moho Cay 257 17 Problems in the Definition and Interpretation of “Minor Centers” in Maya Archaeology with Reference to the Upper Belize Valley 273 18 The Emergence of Minor Centers in the Zones between Seats of Power 287 19 The Terminal Classic to Postclassic Transition in the Belize River Valley 305 20 Polities, Politics, and Social Dynamics 320 21 Diverse Voices 335 References Cited 349 Contributors 403 Index 407