Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 155 views

    Mortuary Practices of Ancient Mesoamerica

    Uploaded by

    api-313595295
    The document summarizes four case studies of ancient Mesoamerican burial practices spanning from the preclassic to postclassic periods. The studies examine: 1) Burials at Formative K'axob in Belize showing changes over time in burial position and increasing tomb elaboration. 2) Evidence of ongoing tomb reuse and periodic clearing at Ejutla, Oaxaca, with remains of over 100 individuals found scattered. 3) Mix of primary and secondary burials and skull overrepresentation at Xuenkal, Yucatan suggesting culturally selected predepositional practices. 4) Reevaluation of early postclassic burials at Teotihuacan showing varied burial positions, locations

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Mortuary Practices of Ancient Mesoamerica

    Uploaded by

    api-313595295
    155 views13 pages
    The document summarizes four case studies of ancient Mesoamerican burial practices spanning from the preclassic to postclassic periods. The studies examine: 1) Burials at Formative K'axob in Belize showing changes over time in burial position and increasing tomb elaboration. 2) Evidence of ongoing tomb reuse and periodic clearing at Ejutla, Oaxaca, with remains of over 100 individuals found scattered. 3) Mix of primary and secondary burials and skull overrepresentation at Xuenkal, Yucatan suggesting culturally selected predepositional practices. 4) Reevaluation of early postclassic burials at Teotihuacan showing varied burial positions, locations

    Original Title

    mortuary practices of ancient mesoamerica

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document summarizes four case studies of ancient Mesoamerican burial practices spanning from the preclassic to postclassic periods. The studies examine: 1) Burials at Formative K'axob in Belize showing changes over time in burial position and increasing tomb elaboration. 2) Evidence of ongoing tomb reuse and periodic clearing at Ejutla, Oaxaca, with remains of over 100 individuals found scattered. 3) Mix of primary and secondary burials and skull overrepresentation at Xuenkal, Yucatan suggesting culturally selected predepositional practices. 4) Reevaluation of early postclassic burials at Teotihuacan showing varied burial positions, locations

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    155 views13 pages

    Mortuary Practices of Ancient Mesoamerica

    Uploaded by

    api-313595295
    The document summarizes four case studies of ancient Mesoamerican burial practices spanning from the preclassic to postclassic periods. The studies examine: 1) Burials at Formative K'axob in Belize showing changes over time in burial position and increasing tomb elaboration. 2) Evidence of ongoing tomb reuse and periodic clearing at Ejutla, Oaxaca, with remains of over 100 individuals found scattered. 3) Mix of primary and secondary burials and skull overrepresentation at Xuenkal, Yucatan suggesting culturally selected predepositional practices. 4) Reevaluation of early postclassic burials at Teotihuacan showing varied burial positions, locations

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    You are on page 1of 13

    Burial Practices of

    Ancient Mesoamerica
    Four Case Studies

    A Little Background
    Case studies span from the preclassic/formative period
    to the post classic
    Primary and secondary burials/interments and
    continuous use of tombs
    Many of these sites were dated by their ceramic
    complex

    Mortuary Ritual at Formative Kaxob, Belize

    72 burial contexts and 103 individuals


    Who and how?
    Under floors of domestic structures--household dedication ceremonies
    3 types of primary interment: extended, flexed, and seated
    Secondary and primary burials
    Changes over time
    Preference shifts from extended to flexed/seated burials, back and forth
    Variation from household to household
    Burial pits become larger and more elaborate
    Preservation
    Preservation bias may leave females and young individuals underrepresented
    Difficult to sex
    Grave wealth
    2 categories: shell and pottery

    Tombs and Tomb Reuse in Ejutla, Oaxaca

    Ongoing tomb use; ongoing occupation by a common group


    Periodic clearing of tomb
    Burial populations could be seriously deflated
    5 individuals (plus a dog) found in tomb
    Evidence of previous interments
    Over 100 human teeth, bones, and bone fragments found in midden
    contexts in close proximity
    Comparison of Research Done at Monte Alban, Tomb 7
    Primary or secondary burials? Perhaps answer lies in continual tomb use
    What evidence do we have to support this?
    Grave wealth suggests deposition over a period of time
    Disarray of bones--sequential interments

    Late Classic Maya Mortuary Practices at Xuenkal, Yucatn


    (Structure FN-183)

    4 grave receptacles (3 cists, 1 crypt)


    Minimum number of individuals: 18 or 23
    What do we know about them?
    Primary and secondary interments or perhaps...?
    Mix of primary and secondary burials--continual use
    Significance of the skull
    Overrepresentation of the skull
    Culturally selected for predepositional purposes
    Intentional cranial deformation
    Trophy skull?
    Underrepresentation of infants and females
    Grave goods; what and any implications?

    Burial Practices in the Early Postclassic at Teotihuacan


    (after the fall of Teotihuacan)

    Reevaluation of research done by Vaillant and Linn ca. 1931-1932


    Excavations at Las Palmas zone (Vaillant)
    10 Skull burials and human remains; who and how?
    Grave goods and offerings; what kind?
    Xolalpan Compound (Linn)
    16 early postclassic burials; who and how?
    Grave goods and offerings; what kind?
    Las Palmas Compound (Linn)
    6 burials; who and how?
    Grave goods and offerings; what kind?
    Oztotlan Compound (Linn)
    2 burials in stone lined burial feature; who and how?
    Grave goods and offerings; what kind?
    Cueva de las Varillas, Tunnels East of the Pyramid of the Sun (Manzanilla)
    13 burials in man-made cave (purpose?); who and how?

    Questions, anyone?

    References
    Traci Arden, et al. (2010). A Taphonomic Approach to Late Classic Maya Mortuary
    Practices at Xuenkal, Yucatn, Mexico. Journal of Field Archaeology, 35, pp
    365-379.
    Christina M. Elson and Kenneth Mowbray (2005). Burial
    Practices in Teotihuacan in the Early Postclassic Period: The Vaillant and Linn
    Excavations (19311932). Ancient Mesoamerica, 16, pp 195-21.
    Patricia A. McAnany, Rebecca Storey and Angela K. Lockard
    (1999). Mortuary Ritual and Family Politics at Formative and Early Classic K
    axob, Belize. Ancient Mesoamerica, 10, pp 129-146.
    William D. Middleton, Gary M. Feinman and Guillermo Molina Villegas (1998). Tomb
    Use and Reuse in Oaxaca, Mexico. Ancient Mesoamerica, 9, pp 297-307.

    You might also like