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Shell Games: A Middle Preclassic Shell Deposit at the Minor Center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Upper Belize River Valley

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2023

Michael Biggie ,
John P. Walden ,
Kyle Shaw-Müller ,
Michael L. Petrozza ,
Olivia P. Ellis ,
Ian N. Roa ,
Norbert Stanchly ,
Rafael A. Guerra ,
Claire E. Ebert  and
Julie A. Hoggarth
...Show all authors
Michael Biggie*
Affiliation:
Los Angeles Maritime Institute, San Pedro, CA, USA
John P. Walden
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
Kyle Shaw-Müller
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Michael L. Petrozza
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX, USA
Olivia P. Ellis
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Ian N. Roa
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Norbert Stanchly
Affiliation:
AS&G Archaeological Consulting Inc., North York, Ontario, Canada
Rafael A. Guerra
Affiliation:
Faculty of Arts, Science, and Technology, Galen University, Cayo District, Belize
Claire E. Ebert
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Julie A. Hoggarth
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
Jaime J. Awe
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
*
Corresponding author: Michael Biggie; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Recent excavations at the ancient Maya minor center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Belize River Valley revealed an especially large—about 20 million shells—Middle Preclassic (900–300 BC) shell deposit underlying the plaza. Although marine shell species make up a small percentage of the assemblage, most shells are Pachychilus spp., a common freshwater snail known in the southern Maya Lowlands as jute. This report describes the architectural context and assemblage of the deposit and compares it to similar examples in the region. We propose that the Tutu Uitz Na deposit provides one of the earliest examples of depictions of the Maya primordial sea in an architectural context.

Resumen

Resumen

Excavaciones recientes en el antiguo centro menor Maya de Tutu Uitz Na en el valle del río Belice revelaron un depósito de conchas del Preclásico Medio (900–300 aC) especialmente grande (~20 millones de conchas) que subyace a la plaza. Mientras que las especies de conchas marinas constituyen un pequeño porcentaje del conjunto, la mayoría de las conchas son Pachychilus spp., un caracol común de agua dulce conocido en las tierras bajas mayas del sur como jute. Este informe describe el contexto arquitectónico y el ensamblaje del depósito, y lo compara con ejemplos similares en la región. Proponemos que el depósito Tutu Uitz Na proporciona uno de los primeros ejemplos de representaciones del mar primordio maya en un contexto arquitectónico.

Keywords

Preclassic Mayafreshwater shell (jute) depositssacred landscapesceremonial sources of power and authorityPreclásico Mayadepósitos de conchas (jute) de agua dulcepaisajes sagradosfuentes ceremoniales de poder y autoridad
Type
Report
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 35 , Issue 3 , September 2024 , pp. 771 - 778
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for American Archaeology

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References

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