Keywords

Belize -- Antiquities, Corn -- Processing -- Belize -- Santa Rita Corozal Site, Mayas -- Belize -- Santa Rita Corozal Site -- Antiquities, Santa Rita Corozal Site (Belize), Tools, Prehistoric -- Belize -- Santa Rita Corozal Site

Abstract

The manos and metates of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize are analyzed to compare traditional maize-grinding types to the overall assemblage. A reciprocal, back-and-forth grinding motion is the most efficient way to process large amounts of maize. However, rotary movements are also associated with some ground stone implements. The number of flat and trough metates and two handed manos are compared to the rotary-motion basin and concave type metates and one-handed manos to determine predominance and distribution. Flat is the predominant type and, together with the trough type, these grinding stones make up the majority of metates at the site. Manos are highly fragmented, but the two-handed variety is more common among those fragments able to be identified. While this would at first glance support a fully maize dependent subsistence, the presence of two additional non-reciprocal motion metate types and the fact that the trough metates are clustered in one sector of the site suggest that, in addition to maize, significant processing of other foods also occurred in association with these grinding stones.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2011

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Chase, Arlen

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Anthropology

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0004001

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0004001

Language

English

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences, Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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