Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: Reconstructing Ancient Maya Cuisine Across Time and Space: Macro and Microbotanical

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

Under the guidance of Dr. Gayle Fritz, Ms. Clarissa Cagnato will conduct archaeological excavations at three sites in Northwestern Petén, Guatemala - an area that remains one of the least investigated in the Maya region. During the 2012 and 2013 field seasons through the recovery and analysis of macro- and microbotanical remains the researcher will seek to address issues regarding the subsistence of the ancient Maya populations that occupied the area during the Classic period (AD 250-900). Two of the main goals are to reconstruct the subsistence strategies, and to determine how variations across time and space relate to broader social and political changes. Ms. Cagnato's research uses multiple techniques to address these questions, including analysis of plant macro-remains (those visible to the naked eye), and microscopic plant remains in the form of starch grains, together with analyzing the residues left behind on ceramic vessels. While the benefits of paleoethnobotanical approaches in archaeology are recognized, few systematic studies have been applied in the Maya region. Therefore, the subsistence strategies and choices of the ancient Maya populations are still not well understood, and this project will be the first in the immediate region. In order to maximize the understanding of food practices through time and space, the research will focus on investigating areas of food processing (kitchens) and food disposal (trash pits) from three sites: La Corona, El Peru-Waka, and El Achiotal. These sites will provide key information about plant consumption and how it may have changed through time, as they were occupied at different time periods, and each has its own intricate political history of alliances and war. The research will aid in understanding the varying patterns of food consumption across time and space. It also seeks to address the resource management strategies and use of the natural environment, an important topic to conservationists today. This intensive paleoethnobotanical study will contribute not only to a better understanding of the past, but also addresses more contemporary topics, namely conservation and environmental management. Moreover, the continued presence of archaeological research in the region provides support for local workers, and deters looting of the site and exploitation of the fragile tropical forest. The results from this project will be published in peer-reviewed publications and presented at conferences and symposia in both Guatemala and internationally. These efforts will highlight the importance of using multiple lines of paleoethnobotanical analysis in archaeological research, and provide a starting point for future scholars of the ancient Maya. The research will foster international collaboration between Guatemalan and US students.