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Maya Marine Subsistence: Isotopic Evidence from Marco Gonzalez and San Pedro, Belize

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jocelyn S. Williams ,
Christine D. White  and
Fred J. Longstaffe
Jocelyn S. Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 (jocelynwilliams@trentu.ca)
Christine D. White
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C2
Fred J. Longstaffe
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7
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Abstract

This article presents stable nitrogen and carbon isotopie analyses of diet at the Maya sites of Marco Gonzalez and San Pedro, Belize. This study, which provides important insight into social organization, trade, and subsistence economy for the Postclassic and Historic periods (ca. A.D. 900–1650), also expands our understanding of the distribution of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes within coral reef food webs off coastal Belize. Marco Gonzalez and San Pedro represent the first documented ancient Maya populations whose diet consisted mostly of marine resources with a minimal reliance upon maize. Although these sites do not appear highly stratified, and there are no dietary differences between sexes or status, the inhabitants of Marco Gonzalez incorporated more mainland-terrestrial animals and maize into their diet than the people of San Pedro. This finding supports the postulated roles of these two settlements, where Marco Gonzalez had trade ties to the mainland site of Lamanai and San Pedro was a small fishing village.

Este artículo presenta análisis isotópicos de nitrógeno y carbono estables de la dieta en los emplazamientos mayas de Marco González y San Pedro, en Belice. Este estudio, que provee una importante comprensión de la organización social, comercio y economía de subsistencia en los períodos Posclásico e Histórico (alrededor de los años d. C. 900–1650), también expande nuestro entendimiento de la distribución de los isótopos estables de carbono y nitrógeno dentro de las cadenas alimenticias marinas y de arrecifes en la costa de Belice. Marco González y San Pedro representan las primeras poblaciones mayas antiguas documentadas cuya dieta consistía en su mayoría de recursos marinos, con una mínima dependencia del maíz. Aunque estas sitios no parecen ser altamente estratificadas, y no muestran diferencias dietéticas entre sexos o posición social, los habitantes de Marco González incorporaron más animales terrestres y/o maíz en sus dietas que la gente de San Pedro. Este hallazgo apoya los roles postulados para estos dos asentamientos, en que Marco González tenía vínculos con el sitio de tierra adentro de Lamanai y San Pedro era una pequeña villa de pescadores.

Type
Part 1: Themed Section on Tehnology Approaches
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , March 2009 , pp. 37 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 by the Society for American Archaeology.

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