Chan

by Robin, Cynthia; Chase, Diane Z.; Chase, Arlen F.

• ISBN13: 9780813039831
• ISBN10: 0813039835
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-06-03
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Florida

Summary

The farming community of Chan thrived for over twenty centuries, surpassing the longevity of many larger Maya urban centers. Between 800 BC and 1200 AD it was a major food production center, and this collection of essays reveals the important role played by Maya farmers in the development of ancient Maya society. Chanoffers a synthesis of compelling and groundbreaking discoveries gathered over ten years of research at this one archaeological site in Belize. The contributors develop three central themes, which structure the book. They examine how sustainable farming practices maintained the surrounding forest, allowing the community to exist for two millennia. They trace the origins of elite Maya state religion to the complex religious belief system developed in small communities such as Chan. Finally, they describe how the group-focused political strategies employed by local leaders differed from the highly hierarchical strategies of the Classic Maya kings in their large cities. In breadth, methodology, and findings, this volume scales new heights in the study of Maya society and culture.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. ix
List of Tables	p. xi
Foreword	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Introducing the Chan Site: Farmers in Complex Societies	p. 1
Time, Space, and Landscapes
A Changing Cultural Landscape: Settlement Survey and GIS at Chan	p. 19
Ceramics and Chronology at Chan	p. 42
Agricultural Practices at Chan: Farming and Political Economy in an Ancient Maya Community	p. 71
Agroforestry and Agricultural Production of the Ancient Maya at Chan	p. 89
Life in a Farming Community Center
Ritual in a Farming Community	p. 113
Nonroyal Governance at Chan's Community Center	p. 133
"Empty" Spaces and Public Places: A Microscopic View of Chan's Late Classic West Plaza	p. 150
Diversity across the Chan Community
Recognizing Difference in Small-Scale Settings: An Examination of Social Identity Formation at the Northeast Group, Chan	p. 173
Organization of Chert Tool Economy during the Late and Terminal Classic Periods at Chan: Preliminary Thoughts Based upon Debitage Analyses	p. 192
Limestone Quarrying and Household Organization at Chan	p. 207
Bodies, Material Culture, and Meaning
The Chan Community: A Bioarchaeological Perspective	p. 231
Creating Community with Shell	p. 253
Obsidian Acquisition, Trade, and Regional Interaction at Chan	p. 271
Contextualizing Ritual Behavior: Caches, Burials, and Problematical Deposits from ChanÆs Community Center	p. 289
Conclusion
Learning from an Ancient Maya Farming Community	p. 311
References	p. 343
List of Contributors	p. 383
Index	p. 387
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