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PREHISPANIC MAYA BURNT LIME INDUSTRIES: PREVIOUS STUDIES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2018

Kenneth E. Seligson*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Southern California, 3260 S. Vermont Ave., Suite 352, Los Angeles, California 90089
Soledad Ortiz Ruiz
Affiliation:
Residencial Copilco 300, Edificio 15, Departamento 404, Copilco-Universidad México, C.P. 04360, Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
Luis Barba Pingarrón
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Prospección Arqueológica, Instituto de Investigaciones Antropológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán México, 04510 Distrito Federal, Mexico City, Mexico
*
E-mail correspondence to: [email protected]

Abstract

Burnt lime has played a significant role in daily Maya life since at least as far back as 1100 b.c., and yet its ephemeral nature has limited archaeological studies of its production. The application of new surveying and remote sensing technologies in recent decades is now allowing for a more in-depth investigation of the burnt lime industries that existed in different subregions of the Maya area. This article provides an overview of the current understanding of pre-Hispanic Maya burnt lime production. It then presents an analysis of the factors influencing the development and identification of distinct subregional lime production industries, including: lime consumption requirements and inter-site spacing; natural environment; local social and economic trajectories; and the objectives and survey universes of archaeological investigations. In reporting the tremendous advances made over the past few decades, this paper encourages archaeologists to include a focus on identifying lime production features in their research agendas.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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