Holley Moyes

The Ancient Maya Drought Cult: Late Classic Cave Use in Belize

ies have demonstrated that a dry period or drought was coincident with the ninthcentury A.D. Classic Maya collapse. These studies have utilized data sources such as lake cores from the Peten and Yucatán (Brenner et al. 2002; Curtis et al. 1996; Curtis et al. 1998; Dunning et al. 1997; Hodell et al. 1995; Hodell et al. 2001; Rosenmeier et al. 2002) as well as the highresolution sediments from the Cariaco Basin in Venezuela (Haug et al. 2003; Peterson and Haug 2005). Richardson Gill (2000) argued mightily that drought was the driving force behind the collapse, the Preclassic abandonment, and Maya hiatus. While the latter are still debated, it is difficult to disassociate regional drought from the Classic collapse due to the overwhelming cumulative scientific evidence derived from numerous regional studies. Agency theories remind us that it is not the event per se but the human response to it that causes changes in the social order or “collapse.” Recent studies (Aimers 2007; Demarest et al. 2004:546) question the usage of terms such as collapse or fall THE ANCIENT MAYA DROUGHT CULT: LATE CLASSIC CAVE USE IN BELIZE

Ancient Maya Regional Settlement and Inter-Site Analysis: The 2013 West-Central Belize LiDAR Survey

During April and May 2013, a total of 1057 km2 of LiDAR was flown by NCALM for a consortium of archaeologists working in West-central Belize, making this the largest surveyed area within the Mayan lowlands. Encompassing the Belize Valley and the Vaca Plateau, West-central Belize is one of the most actively researched parts of the Maya lowlands; however, until this effort, no comprehensive survey connecting all settlement had been conducted. Archaeological projects have investigated at least 18 different sites within this region. Thus, a large body of archaeological research provides both the temporal and spatial parameters for the varied ancient Maya centers that once occupied this area; importantly, these data can be used to help interpret the collected LiDAR data. The goal of the 2013 LiDAR campaign was to gain information on the distribution of ancient Maya settlement and sites on the landscape and, particularly, to determine how the landscape was used between known centers. The data that were acquired through the 2013 LiDAR campaign have significance for interpreting both the composition and limits of ancient Maya political units. This paper presents the initial results of these new data and suggests a developmental model for ancient Maya polities.

Defining Best 3D Practices in Archaeology

Abstract This research aims to investigate the potential use of three-dimensional (3D) technologies for the analysis and interpretation of heritage sites. This article uses different 3D survey technologies to find the most appropriate methods to document archaeological stratigraphy, based on diverse environmental conditions, light exposures, and varied surfaces. The use of 3D laser scanners and dense stereo matching (DSM) techniques is now well established in archaeology. However, no convincing comparisons between those techniques have been presented. This research fills this gap to provide an accurate data assessment for the Las Cuevas site (Belize) and represents a starting point for the definition of a sharable methodology. Tests in Las Cuevas were conducted to compare both accuracy and density reliability in cave environments using two different techniques: triangulation light laser scanner and DSM. This study finds that DSM is the most economical, portable, and flexible approach for the 3D documentation of archaeological sites today. In fact, DSM allows the 3D documentation process to be done more efficiently, reducing both data acquisition and processing time. Nonetheless, the quantitative comparison presented in this paper underscores the need to integrate this technique with other technologies when the data acquisition of micro-stratigraphy is required.

THE GEOPOLITICS OF EMERGING MAYA RULERS: A Case Study of Kayuko Naj Tunich, a Foundational Shrine at Uxbenká, Southern Belize

Cross-culturally we find that emerging leaders in agrarian societies create ritual ties to the land as a political resource in gaining and maintaining political power. Based on research in ancient Maya caves, we argue that this strategy was followed by emerging Maya kings, who used ritual practice in caves to establish their relationships with deities associated with the earth and its resources. These rites bolstered their legitimacy, supported their right to rule, and established a natural political order. This is borne out both ethnohistorically and ethnographically, by examples in which caves figure prominently in the foundation of communities and in establishing geopolitical boundaries that serve to spiritually anchor leaders to the land by providing the most important ritual venue for the propitiation of local deities. In this paper we demonstrate that this practice has a deep history by examining an Early Classic cave site in southern Belize, Kayuko Naj Tunich, and argue that it served as a foundational shrine for the polity of Uxbenká.

Mapping Ritual Landscapes Using Lidar

Abstract Data collected from aerial lidar scanning provides new opportunities for archaeological survey. It is now possible, in a short period of time, to collect vast amounts of geographic data that would have taken years of pedestrian survey to acquire. This enhances and extends landscape studies by reducing time-frames and cost, encouraging analyses based on real-world data collection on a regional scale. This paper describes an approach for modeling the ritual landscape surrounding the ancient Maya center of Las Cuevas, Belize by analyzing the spatial aspects of ritual cave use. Using lidar-derived data, we describe a method for locating potential cave sites using Local Relief Models, which requires only a working knowledge of relief visualization techniques and no specialized skills in computer programming. Our method located the five known cave sites within our 222 km2 lidar study area—including one with a fissure entrance. We plan to ground-truth potentialities to develop models of the ritual landscape that can be visualized and analyzed. By researching cave use on a regional scale and defining the relationships between caves and surface features, we advance cave studies by deepening our understanding of the ritual landscape and its articulation with ancient Maya socio/political dynamics.

The Kayuko Mound Group: a festival site in southern Belize

Abstract The cave of Kayuko Naj Tunich is believed to have been the location of the accession ceremonies for the royal dynasty of the ancient Maya Uxbenká polity in southern Belize. Little is known, however, about the structures referred to as the Kayuko Mound Group that lie close to the cave. Excavations have now provided evidence for the date of this complex, and experimental research has estimated the labour costs involved in its construction. The results suggest that while both the mound group and the cave were involved in the celebration of royal accession, the former acted as a short-lived festival site in contrast to the enduring significance of Kayuko Naj Tunich.