Keywords

Maya Archaeology, Ritual Practices, Sociopolitical Transformations, Intra-polity Interactions, Settlement Archaeology

Abstract

This dissertation examines how peripheral communities at the ancient Maya site of Pacbitun, Belize, exercise agency through their ritual practices from the Middle Preclassic to the Late Classic periods. By focusing on public, semi-public, and private/domestic contexts, this study investigates how these peripheral households engaged with, maintained, or diverged from the elite ideologies emerging in the epicenter. Through a diachronic analysis of architecture and ritual deposits, particularly burials, this research traces the evolving interactions between the periphery and the epicenter across five major sociopolitical transformations. Fieldwork involved targeted excavations at select peripheral households and public ceremonial groups, supplemented by ceramic seriation and AMS radiocarbon dating to establish a clear chronology. The results indicate that peripheral communities consistently demonstrated a high degree of autonomy. They actively participated in early epicenter practices, maintained round structure rituals in later periods, and adapted or resisted the shifts toward centralized elite control. These communities became increasingly engaged with epicentral practices beginning in the Early Classic period, with this engagement culminating in the Late Classic/Terminal Classic period. These findings challenge traditional models of centralized elite dominance, suggesting that peripheral groups at Pacbitun played a dynamic role in shaping sociopolitical and ritual landscapes. The study provides a nuanced perspective on ancient Maya society and underscores the importance of examining peripheral agency in broader archaeological discourse. Future research on similar settlements will benefit from this focus on the complexities of local engagement, adaptation, and resistance within ancient polities.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Michael Callaghan

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Department of Anthropology

Degree Program

Integrative Anthropological Sciences

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029017

Language

English

Release Date

12-15-2024

Access Status

Dissertation

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

Accessibility Status

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