Sociopolitical network interactions: A case study of the Classic Maya

The organization of Classic Maya society emerged from diverse and overlapping social interactions which shaped a dynamic political landscape. Vying for power, elites legitimized their status by claiming ancestry from various supernaturals and engaged in conspicuous displays of competition, warfare, and ritual practice which were often recorded on stone monuments. By examining the inscribed relationships between Maya centers, we chart organizational changes in sociopolitical networks throughout the Classic period. Methods derived from social network analysis are used to examine temporal changes in the distribution and centralization of political power through different network interactions. We examine the intersection of antagonistic, diplomatic, subordinate, and kinship relationships and discuss how these overlapping networks contributed to dynamic changes in the Classic period. This case study demonstrates how current network analysis techniques can contribute to archaeological studies of the scalar dynamics and organizational changes of past social and political systems.     

Evaluating the use of IKONOS satellite imagery in lowland Maya settlement archaeology

This article presents an extensive evaluation, in several contiguous or near-contiguous areas, of the viability of IKONOS satellite imagery in detecting sub-canopy Maya settlement in Peten, Guatemala. Initial research in and around San Bartolo, Guatemala, led to the conclusion that IKONOS imagery could be highly effective in detecting and predicting Maya settlement of the Preclassic and Classic periods, in zones of dense occupation near swampy lowlands known as bajos. The pioneering methods at San Bartolo are applied here to other regions in the Maya lowlands, but with mixed or unpromising results. Preliminary evaluation indicates that local climate, geology, hydrology, topography, pedology, and vegetation differ dramatically in these other regions, with consequences for wider application of the settlement signature discerned at San Bartolo. Possible reasons for these difficulties are offered in this paper, along with ways to strengthen the use of multispectral imagery in archaeological survey of tropical forests.     

Evidence for Spanish influence on activity induced musculoskeletal stress markers at Pecos Pueblo

In the present study, hypotheses regarding the effect of Spanish contact on some habitual activities among the indigenous population of Pecos Pueblo, New Mexico, are tested using analyses of upper body musculoskeletal stress markers (MSM). Historical records demonstrate that the Spanish desired maize, animal hides, woven cotton mantas, and labour from the Puebloan Indians of this area. Therefore, it is hypothesized that a comparison of MSM data from pre- and post-Spanish contact groups at Pecos would display evidence of intensification of activities related to the procurement of these goods. The MSM data from this research do support the contention that Spanish contact had an effect on habitual activities performed by both sexes; however, the number of muscles demonstrating a statistically significant difference over time is limited. Yet trends in the mean MSM expression as well as rank order of these muscles and others uphold the hypothesized increase in maize production and processing as well as an increase in burden bearing. No evidence is found to support an increase in weaving activity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

What happened in the archaic in the Midwestern United States?

Phillips, James L., and James A. Brown, eds. Archaic Hunters and Gatherers in the American Midwest. New York: Academic Press, 1983. xvi + 349 pp. including index. $45.00 cloth.     

Wealth and Well-being in an Ancient Maya Community

Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory - Inequality is an intrinsic element of contemporary societies, with high income disparity impacting everything from life expectancy to violent crime....     

Teeth of juvenile woodchucks as seasonal indicators on archaeological sites

The woodchuck, Marmota monax, a burrowing scuirid of eastern North America, was a common food animal of prehistoric peoples. Since the species has a single, brief birthing period all juveniles are at a comparable stage of development at a given time. Widths of the continuously growing incisors, development of the cheek teeth and alveoli, and loss of deciduous teeth have been determined from a sample with known dates of collection. These data are compared to juvenile woodchuck remains from an archaeological site to determine season of kill.