ANCIENT MAYA MARKETS AND THE ECONOMIC INTEGRATION OF CARACOL, BELIZE

    Authors

    D. Z. Chase;A. F. Chase

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Anc. Mesoam.

    Keywords

    CLASSIC-MAYA; DISTRIBUTIONAL APPROACH; ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD; CRAFT; PRODUCTION; EXCHANGE; CHUNCHUCMIL; POWER; Archaeology

    Abstract

    Modeling Classic period social and economic systems of the ancient Maya has proven difficult for a number of reasons, including sampling, preservation, and interpretational biases. As more archaeological research has been undertaken, views about the Classic period Maya (A.D. 250-900) have become progressively more complex. Because neither Maya art nor hieroglyphic texts contain substantial information on ancient economic systems, some archaeologists have tended to deemphasize the impact of ancient economies in reconstructions of the Classic period Maya civilization. Archaeological research at Caracol, Belize, however, has recovered evidence of the road systems, marketplaces, and production areas that served as the backbone of the site's economic infrastructure. When combined with artifact distributions, these data demonstrate the existence of an economy based on surplus household production with distribution in elite-administered markets. The archaeological data from Caracol not only elucidate how marketplaces were embedded in the Maya landscape, but also how they were used to integrate the site.

    Journal Title

    Ancient Mesoamerica

    Volume

    25

    Issue/Number

    1

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    239

    Last Page

    250

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000340708800014

    ISSN

    0956-5361

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