Little house in the jungle: The causes of variation in house size among modern Kekchi Maya

Interpreting variation in the size and quality of houses is a difficult task for the archaeologist. Are larger houses a sign of a larger household, of a higher-status household, or of a household which has lived at the site longer than others? This paper uses ethnographic data on the Kekchi Maya to test these alternative explanations. The discussion reveals a complex relationship between social positions, wealth, and house size. It is suggested that houses serve different symbolic functions in settlements with different kinds of economies.