Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Maya Projectile Technology

Southern Illinois University At Carbondale, Carbondale IL

Investigators

Abstract

Under the direction of Dr. Prudence Rice, Mr. Nathan Meissner will analyze small chipped-stone projectile points manufactured by Postclassic Mayan peoples to gain insight into their economic and trade practices. This regional study will examine similarities and differences in the manufacturing technology of projectile (arrow) points from multiple sites throughout the Maya lowlands, including Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. The selection of sites will also allow comparisons among various cultural sub-groupings of Mayan-speaking peoples. Data generated from this seven-month study will be used to address two general anthropological questions that are yet to be fully answered in Mesoamerica: (1) How does large-scale trading and heightened social interaction impact technological systems at traditional levels of social organization? (2) To what degree might cultural boundaries impact aspects of tool production during periods of intensified social interaction? Point technologies in the form of arrow tips provide an excellent source of data to address these questions, as raw material procurement strategies, the design process, and the use life of artifacts encode important information about past behaviors. This study will generate new data on small points produced by Maya through a combination of macroscopic technological analysis, X-Ray Florescence (XRF), site-based spatial analysis, and protein residue analysis using cross-over immuno-electrophoresis (CIEP). Macroscopic analysis will be the basis for creating a taxonomic classification of technological styles. XRF will be used to chemically source the origins of obsidian traded into the Maya lowlands from volcanic regions in highland Guatemala and Mexico, and reconstruct trade patterns. Spatial analysis and protein residue identification will provide important clues concerning contexts of bow-and-arrow use that relate to hunting, warfare, and ritual activities. A technological systems framework will be used to interpret variability of these data at a local level and a regional level, and will contribute to an anthropological understanding of past economies and the political geography of the Postclassic lowland Maya. The project will provide graduate student training. It will also help to create partnerships between academic and governmental institutions in Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. This study will also create the first taxonomic classification of its kind, providing future researchers a system for more refined site-to-site comparisons of small point technology. The results of this study will be disseminated in various forms including a dissertation, papers presented at academic conferences, and peer-reviewed journal articles in both English and Spanish. All data resulting from the project will be shared online in the form of an interactive website, and will also be uploaded to the Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR) for electronic sharing.