Emery, K.F., E.K. Thornton, N.R. Cannarozzi, S.D. Houston, H. Escobedo (2013) Ancient Animals of the...

Chapter 13

ArChAeologiCAl AnimAls of the southern mAyA

highlAnds: ZooArChAeology of KAminAljuyu

Kitty F. Emery, Erin K. Thornton, Nicole R. Cannarozzi, Stephen Houston, and Héctor Escobedo

The site of Kaminaljuyu in the Valley of guatemala dominated the politics and economics of the southern highlands of the maya during the middle and later Preclassic periods. The site therefore lies at the heart of several important discussions about early settlement, politics, and economics in the maya highlands. This paper presents the analysis of animal remains recov-ered in the core of the site during excavations by the Proyecto Arqueológico Parque Kaminaljuyu. The importance of other lacustrine/terrestrial fauna from the site surroundings highlights a reliance on locally available fauna despite the importance of dog. Comparison with previous animal remain studies conducted in the site provides a clearer picture of animal use by the residents of Kaminaljuyu and the ancient environs of the site. our findings shed light on the use of local and nonlocal animals, both domestic and wild, in ritual and daily life. furthermore, the spatial and chronological distribu-tion of domestic-dog remains suggests an important role for dogs at this site that is in keeping with Preclassic assemblages in other lowland and coastal areas. We argue that dogs may have been an important elite commodity during this early period of political expansion. our results highlight the value of detailed contextual information in revealing differences in animal use by various members of the community.

The highland guatemalan site of Kaminaljuyu is notable for its early and lengthy occupation (1200 BCe to 900+ Ce), its extensive connec-tions throughout the maya world, and its monumental mud-brick or adobe constructions, elaborate stone artwork, and rich burials. located in the Valley of guatemala and today lying under part of modern gua-temala City, the site covers some five square kilometers and originally included over 200 mud-brick platforms and pyramidal mounds (figure 1). several recent excavations at the site of Kaminaljuyu have provided

381

382 the Archaeology of mesoamerican Animals

intriguing new data about the ancient city and its residents including very early evidence of large hydraulic engineering works, intensive agriculture, massive earthworks, large-scale communal cooking areas, carved-stone monuments with hieroglyphic inscriptions, and evidence for marked vari-ation in social status and political interactions (fahsen 2001; ohi 1994; Ponciano 2000; Popenoe de hatch 1991, 1993, 1997; Valdés 1997, 1998; Valdés and Popenoe de hatch 1996).

The most recent of these studies were conducted by the Parque Ka-minaljuyu Archaeology Project in 2003 and 2004, designed by héctor escobedo and guided and supported financially by stephen houston, with additional assistance from the universidad del Valle de guatemala. These studies resulted in a comprehensive understanding of the stratig-raphy in the Parque Kaminaljuyu, an area of monumental construction known to be the center of teotihuacan-style buildings and large-scale plazas (houston et al. 2003; A. l. smith 1964). The full integration of zooarchaeological and other environmental analyses into this project al-low us to consider the connections between the site settlements, politics, and landscape.

Kaminaljuyu was established as a major settlement in the middle Pre-classic period (ca. 900 BCe), although there is evidence for occasional use of the area prior to that date. The site was predominantly abandoned by the end of the late Classic period (ca. 900 Ce) with only limited reoc-cupation thereafter (figure 2). The site had significant population growth and architectural development as early as 700 BCe and hydraulic con-struction began as early as 600 BCe (Popenoe de hatch 1997; Popenoe de hatch et al. 2002). during the late Preclassic, this site is considered to have been the largest settlement and most powerful political seat in the guatemalan highlands (houston et al. 2003; ivic de monterroso and Alvarado galindo 2004; Popenoe de hatch 1991, 2001). located on the edge of the now-extinct lake miraflores, the Preclassic settlement was situated among abundant lacustrine and terrestrial resources including agriculturally fertile lands (likely irrigated via the complex canal system), secondary forests, and animals of many types. Around 200 Ce, at the end of the terminal Preclassic, lake mirafores disappeared, significantly altering the surrounding landscape. Whether this resulted from climatic drying, overexploitation of the lake for irrigation, or seismic shifting along a geologic fault is unclear (Popenoe de hatch et al. 2002), but the impact was significant for this sophisticated early settlement.

Zooarchaeology of Kaminaljuyu 383

The later history of the site was complex, part of a swath of settlement across the Valley of guatemala, involving sites of diverse political and social character. By the second quarter of the first millennium Ce, it had evidence for at least some contact, perhaps indirect, with the great mexi-can city of teotihuacan (Braswell 2003; houston et al. 2003). This was associated with a dramatic shift in ceramics, and by some interpretations, ethnicity (Popenoe de hatch 2002; robinson et al. 2002). The cessation of monumental sculpture artworks culminate in the Amatle phase during which key sectors of Kaminaljuyu continued in use, including at least one palace sector (Cole 2006).

GULF OF MEXICO

CARIBBEAN SEA

PACIFIC OCEAN

HONDURAS

BELIZE

YUCATAN

CHIAPAS

GUATEMALA

PETEN

EL SALVADOR

Rio Motegua

Rio Pasion

Rio San Pedro

Rio Hon

do

Rio Usumacinta

Rio Chixoy

Rio Chamelecon

Rio Grijalva

Lago Itzabal

LagoPeten Itza

New

Riv

er

Lago Atitlan

Lago Yajoa

Belize

Rive

r

Rio C

omayagua

0

0

100

100 200 km

200 miles

SEIBAL•

COLHA

DZIBILCHALTUN•

KAMINALJUYU•

CERROS •

•

URIAS•

CUELLO •

LAGARTERO•

•

CARACOL

ALTAR DE SACRIFICIOS

•

• COPAN

PASO DE LA AMADA

LA BLANCA •

CUAUHTEMOC

•

• •NARANJO

figure 1. map of mesoamerica with Kaminaljuyu and other sites mentioned in the text. map by emery.

384 the Archaeology of mesoamerican AnimalsPe

riod

Date

Envi

ronm

enta

l Cor

rela

tion

Sett

lem

ent

Politi

cs

Post

clas

sic90

0 –

1525

CE

Sett

lem

ent o

n de

fens

ible

lo

catio

ns in

val

ley

perim

eter

Brea

kdow

n of

com

mer

cial

ne

twor

ks

Late

Cla

ssic

600

– 90

0 C

E (A

mat

le)

Conti

nued

occ

upati

on,

aban

done

d at

end

of p

erio

dCo

ntinu

ing

trad

e an

d po

litica

l ne

twor

ks

Early

Cla

ssic

200

– 60

0 CE

(Aur

ora)

Larg

e sc

ale

re-e

xpan

sion,

po

pula

tion

grow

thTe

otihu

acan

con

necti

ons a

nd

expa

nded

trad

e ne

twor

ks

Term

inal

Pre

clas

sic10

0 –

200

CEAD

200

Lag

o M

iraflo

res d

ry,

cana

ls ab

ando

ned

Late

form

ative

col

laps

e at

per

iod

endi

ng, p

opul

ation

redu

ction

Poss

ible

pop

ulati

on m

obili

ty

(fore

ign

cera

mic

war

es)

Late

Pre

clas

sic40

0 BC

E–10

0 CE

Cana

ls ex

pand

ed/r

econ

stru

cted

as

wat

er le

vel f

alls,

mon

umen

tal

eart

hwor

ks, i

nscr

ibed

m

onum

enta

l scu

lptu

res

Peak

con

stru

ction

in c

erta

in

area

s of s

iteRe

gion

al c

apita

l, co

asta

l co

nnec

tions

and

trad

e

Mid

dle

Prec

lass

ic60

0 –

400

BCE

(Pro

vide

ncia

)60

0 BC

can

als b

egun

and

ex

pand

edEm

erge

nt g

row

thSm

all c

omm

uniti

es w

ith c

ivic

/ce

rem

onia

l fun

ction

s

Early

Pre

clas

sic12

00 –

600

BCE

Firs

t sett

lem

ents

; som

e ar

chi-

tect

ural

dev

elop

men

t by

700

BCE

Figu

re 2

. Chr

onol

ogy

of th

e Kam

inalj

uyu

site.


The waxing and waning of Kaminaljuyu’s political power and settle-ment expanse occur within a broad span of political, economic, and environmental transitions in ancient mesoamerica. The middle Preclas-sic is traditionally considered a period of early and developing societal complexity in the maya world. The characteristics that would define the Classic maya civilization are clearly in evidence by the late Preclassic. At regional centers such as Kaminaljuyu, the political elite may have wo-ven a complex web of alliances, trade relations, and lineage ties that en-dured, with some notable breaks, through the history of the Classic maya. Across the region, and also at Kaminaljuyu, the early and late Classic

figure 3. map of the site of Kaminaljuyu, adapted from sanders 1969 by emery, to show the location of the Parque Kaminaljuyu project excavations and other excavations from which comparative samples will be discussed. This chapter primarily presents analyses of animal remains from the Parque Kaminaljuyu project excavations.


Lab

Area de Vigilantes

Baños

Garito

Baño SOBaño NE

Baño de Vigilantes

Entrado

I-3/6

F-5/4

E-8/1

E-5/9

F-6/8F-6/7

D-8/3

A-8/1

E-9/2

D-8/4

H-3/1

E-4/7

A-8/5

F-5/2

D-7/9

D-7/2

D-6/3

A-8/3A-8/4

D-9/2

A-8/2

D-6/6

G-5/5

D-9/6

C-7/4

C-6/5

G-5/8

I-3/16I-3/17

F-2/15

F-7/17

E-9/23

B-8/13

F-2/10

E-8/23

A-7/10

E-9/13

E-4/12

E-10/8

E-5/20

E-5/12

E-7/18

B-8/21

A-9/15

A-9/12

H-4/20

E-6/10

F-4/23

D-9/12

C-6/17

D-6/23

F-2/20

D-6/20F-6/11

D-8/23

D-7/13

D-7/11

D-8/21

C-6/14

B-10/14

C-10/11

E-10/11

H-3/20

D-10/25

C-10/13

D-10/12

C-10/21

D-10/14

B-10/12

C-10/14

D-10/21

C-10/15

E-10/12

B-10/11

9090

8585

9595

100

100

8585

9090

9595

9595

9090

9090

9090

9090

9090

5959

9595

100100

LegendModern Buildings

Testpits

Acropolis Excavation

Palangana Excavation1mcontour

5mcontour

Parque Kaminaljuyu2004

Original Map Prepared byZachary NelsonCarlos Chiriboga

Magnetic

0 40 80 120 16020Meters

With Additional Help from

Matilde IvicJuan Pablo Rodas

Proyecto Parque Kaminaljuyu

Hector EscobedoStephen Houston

Acropolis periphery

Ballcourt 2Str. C-II-15

Str. C-II-6

Palangana Lower Plaza

Palangana Upper Plaza

Palangana periphery

Pyramid C-II-3

Str. C-II-8

Site areas and labels added by Emery

NW Acropolis

figure 4. detailed map of the Parque Kaminaljuyu showing the excavation regions and units of the Parque Kaminaljuyu project excavations. original map by the Proyecto Arqueológico Parque Kaminaljuyu, modified by emery to reflect zooarchaeological analytical units.

periods both terminate in population shifts, city abandonments, and po-litical changes that have been discussed in terms of environment, climate, and social process (Beach et al. 2006; demarest et al. 2004; hodell et al.


1995; Popenoe de hatch et al. 2002). until recently, very few archaeologi-cal projects conducted in the guatemalan highlands have included zooar-chaeological identifications (for exceptions see Ashmore 1987; Woodbury and trik 1953). however, recent work at Kaminaljuyu (reported here and also in emery 2001b) and neighboring sites (emery 2002b) can provide additional data for considering the important cultural and environmental history of the guatemalan highlands.

This chapter presents the analysis of the 2,518 animal remains recovered from 117 proveniences by the Parque Kaminaljuyu Project (houston et al. 2003; houston et al. 2005; ivic de monterroso and Alvarado galindo 2004). excavations initiated by this study included deep 2 × 2 m probes, 72 in total, some close to 11 m in depth, sunk into the reserve known as the Parque Kaminaljuyu (figure 3). At present, this area remains among the few preserved sectors of this important ancient city. The animal remains that resulted from these excavations include materials from the Preclassic (middle, late, and terminal), Classic (primarily late Classic), and the historic/modern periods. As such, the assemblages provide a perspective on Kaminaljuyu animal use over the years of changing political power, population density, and environmental transition. The Parque Kaminal-juyu excavations concentrated on the elite and administrative core of the site, but focused on nonstructural contexts, with a few exceptions, such as elevated platforms (figure 4). The remains in this corpus therefore include residues distributed around the peripheries of the massive mud-brick elite structures of the Parque Kaminaljuyu, offering vital information on the daily use of animals in and around these structures. to present a broader view of Kaminaljuyu animal use, we also review two other analyses of animal remains from the site. The first reports on animal remains from the tombs of the elite structures of mounds A and B in the southeastern part of the site (Kidder, jennings, and shook 1946). The second provides data from the residences and agricultural fields of the southern portion of the site (emery 2001b; Popenoe de hatch 1993, 1997; Valdés 1998). Although our limited zooarchaeological samples cannot yet answer the broad questions that surround the site’s history, we attempt here to open a small window on Kaminaljuyu and its environs.


Study AreA

The Kaminaljuyu landscape is dominated by the broad flat plain of the Valley of guatemala and the surrounding string of hills and volcanic mountains of the southern sierra madre mountains. Kaminaljuyu itself sits at approximately 7,200 feet or 2,195 m above sea level, and lies close to the only major natural pass connecting the Pacific coastal plain and the motagua Valley (michels 1979). its location would have allowed the Kaminaljuyu residents to control a route between the coast, the northern interior, and the Caribbean (Brown 1977). With its temperate climate, seasonal rain, and fertile volcanic soils, the region as rich with resources and propitious for agriculture. however the volcanic landscape with its steep slopes and ravines presented risks of soil erosion, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. (information on the paleoenvironment of the region is available in such publications as freidel et al. 2007, 2008.) in the center of the site was a lake, called the lago miraflores by the excavators, which disappeared around 200 Ce. The miraflores lake would have provided a stable water supply, and the impetus for the construction of the sophis-ticated canal systems that ran through the site. The lake would also have served as a convenient source of rich lacustrine resources such as turtles, fish, molluscs, and water fowl.

locally abundant highland terrestrial fauna include many species that prefer open or lightly forested environments, such as rabbits, deer, quails, and armadillos. The site of Kaminaljuyu is also located within a few days travel of upland cloud forest, lowland tropical forest and the Pacific coast, which contain very different faunal complements. Cloud and lowland for-ests are home to tapirs, monkeys, colorful birds, and tropical cats such as jaguars and ocelots, while the coast provides marine fishes, invertebrates, and large marine mammals.

Proyecto Parque Kaminaljuyu

This chapter details primarily the animal remains recovered by the Parque Kaminaljuyu project excavations conducted between 2003 and 2004 in the Parque Palangana of Kaminaljuyu located in the northwest-ern segment of the site (see figure 3 for location of the Parque Palangana relative to the rest of the site). The large earthen mounds of this area in-clude the so-called Acropolis and Palangana complexes, the Ballcourt, the C-ii-15 pyramid, and several smaller mounds (see figure 4 for a detailed


map of this focus area of excavation and analysis). it remains unclear whether the Parque structures were residential in the Preclassic and early Classic period, but, during the late Classic Amatle phase, the Acropolis did appear to have palatial buildings suitable for royal residence (hous-ton et al. 2003). The Parque Kaminaljuyu excavations consisted of 72 test pits arranged systematically and evenly spaced so as to plumb all sectors of the reserve, in sondages that hit sterile soil in most cases. excavations were primarily in areas around the peripheries of the core structures and therefore likely represent midden materials or other refuse from the users (possibly the residents) of this area.

earlier work in the Parque Kaminaljuyu by A. l. smith and g. espi-noza, in the 1940s and 1950s and early 1960s respectively, was supple-mented in the late 1960s by more extensive excavations by Penn state in the so-called Palangana portion of the Parque (Cheek 1977; A. l. smith 1964). salvage documentation by houston and his team as part of the Parque Kaminaljuyu project retrieved some useful data, including a com-plex succession of construction and a series of internally consistent radio-carbon dates (houston et al. 2003). together the data indicate over 1400 years of sustained occupation (ivic de monterroso and Alvarado galindo 2004:258–259). There is evidence for middle Preclassic occupation from the Providencia phase (ca. 600 BCe to 400 BCe), matching similar ma-terials found to the north of Kaminaljuyu at the site of naranjo (Arroyo 2007). substantial platforms were constructed during these middle and late Preclassic periods. it was in the Classic period, especially in the early Classic, that most monumental construction took place, overlain by thin-ner but still impressive deposits of buildings from the late Classic Amatle phase (ca. 600–800 Ce). only a hint of Postclassic materials occurs near the ballcourt (op. d6/20) and the surface of the Palangana (op. h3/1). it is likely that this chronology reflects a highly episodic history of con-struction, with the majority of its bulk, at least in this sector, dating to the early Classic period. These excavations also showed that the degree of mixing in certain levels was great, in part because of strong reshaping and remodeling of earthen deposits during construction. it is clear too that the margins of the Parque were much affected by modern road construction.


Methods

The faunal remains discussed in this report were recovered by screening with 2–3 mm mesh and extraction in the field. materials were processed (cleaned and curated) immediately in an on-site facility. The remains were identified by several experts between the years of 2004 and 2007. in 2004, emery and Thornton examined all faunal remains recovered by the Proj-ect on-site in guatemala and identified a subset of these immediately using a digital image collection as comparison. The corpus of remains was exported to the environmental Archaeology Program laboratory at the florida museum of natural history. There, they were identified by em-ery and graduate student nicole Cannarozzi in 2006. final analyses were completed by emery in 2007.

standard zooarchaeological identification procedures were followed by all faunal analysts involved in this study (discussed in greater detail in gray-son 1984; Klein and Cruz-uribe 1984; rackham 1994; reitz and Wing 1999). taxonomic identifications were made using reference collections from the florida museum of natural history environmental Archaeol-ogy Program. more specialized identifications were made using various other florida museum osteological collections, including those housed in the divisions of malacology, herpetology, ornithology, and mammal-ogy (internet accessible databases of these collections are also available on the florida museum website). taxonomic nomenclature presented here is based on faunal guides for the region (emmons 1997; howell and Webb 1994; lee 2000; reid 1997) and the most recent accepted information from the integrated taxonomic information system (www.itis.gov), re-trieved january 2008.

data recorded for each specimen included closest taxonomic identi-fication, element, element side, and element portion, including specific location and proportion of the segment remaining. Age- and sex-defining characteristics were also noted, and age was calculated by degree of fusion of bone epiphyses and degree of dental eruption (reitz and Wing 1999). Cultural and noncultural modifications were also observed, including: ar-tifactual modifications; butchering and other animal-preparation modifi-cation; burning (scored as browned, charred, and calcined); carnivore and rodent gnawing; weathering, root etching, and other taphonomic features; and, finally, pathologies.

The number of identified specimens count or nisP, a ratio of faunal fragments per taxon to total faunal fragments, was calculated for each ap-


propriate provenience grouping and for each taxonomic class. fragments that could be refit were counted conservatively as one specimen. teeth still embedded in the alveoli (tooth sockets) were recorded as part of the larger specimen, otherwise they were counted as separate. nisP counts offer ana-lytical advantages because they are relatively unmodified and refer directly back to the sample. however, the counts are negatively biased in several ways: by overrepresenting species with very numerous elements such as turtles and armadillos (ringrose 1993) and underrepresenting species with fragile elements such as fish or birds or juvenile animals (grayson 1989; hare 1980).

Distribution of the Parque Kaminaljuyu Faunal Collection

The faunal assemblage excavated by the Proyecto Parque Kaminaljuyu includes a total of 2518 identified vertebrate remains (see table 1 for the taxonomy of the assemblage including all scientific and common names). The remains were recovered from 117 proveniences or excavation loci as defined by the project. spatial distribution was evaluated with direct ref-erence to the structures and site areas that were the focus of archaeological investigation. in this study we have divided the site into eight areas (fig-ure 4), including Acropolis excavations (one unit with animal remains on the nW structure of the Acropolis, and several in low-lying areas around the periphery of the Acropolis, these are indicated separately on figure 4 for clarity but are combined for analysis), Palangana excavations (one in the lower plaza, one in the upper plaza, and several in the se periphery of the complex), and excavations associated with Ballcourt 2, and structures C-ii-6 and C-ii-8.

most of the animal remains were recovered from units around (and generally to the north of ) structure C-ii-8, and another large proportion was recovered from the se periphery of the Palangana. smaller propor-tions were found in the Palangana lower plaza, the units on and around Ballcourt 2, the periphery of the Acropolis, and the upper plaza of the Palangana. negligible samples were recovered from structure C-ii-6 and the nW Acropolis excavation (table 2). in comparison between broad site areas, the Palangana excavations recovered almost half of all remains (43%), structure C-ii-8 and the neighboring ballcourt area recovered an-

392 the Archaeology of mesoamerican AnimalsTa

ble 1

. tax

onom

y of

the K

amin

aljuy

u as

sem

blag

e inc

ludi

ng n

isP

and

nis

P/cla

ss.

CLAS

SO

RDER

FAM

ILYTA

XON

OM

IC ID

COM

MO

N

NAM

EN

ISP

%N

ISP

NIS

P/CL

ASS

NIS

P/CL

ASS%

Actin

opte

rygi

i (w

as O

stei

chth

yes)

Ost

eich

thye

sbo

ny fi

shes

331.

3111

04.

37

Actin

opte

rygi

iSe

mio

noti-

form

esLe

piso

stei

dae

Lepi

sost

eus s

pga

rs71

2.82

Actin

opte

rygi

iPe

rcifo

rmes

Cich

lidae

Cich

laso

ma

spAm

eric

an

cich

lid fi

shes

20.

08

Actin

opte

rygi

iPe

rcifo

rmes

Cent

ropo

mid

aeCe

ntro

pom

us

spro

balo

s and

sn

ooks

20.

08

Actin

opte

rygi

iPe

rcifo

rmes

Serr

anid

aeSe

rran

idae

grou

pers

10.

04

Actin

opte

rygi

iPe

rcifo

rmes

Lutja

nida

eLu

tjanu

s cf

apod

ussc

hool

mas

ter

snap

per

10.

04

Repti

liaTe

stud

ines

Kino

ster

nida

eKi

nost

erno

n sp

mud

and

mus

k tu

rtle

s1

0.04

10.

04

Aves

Anse

rifor

mes

Anati

dae

Anas

stre

pera

gadw

all d

uck

10.

04

Aves

Galli

form

esO

dont

opho

ridae

Colin

us sp

bobw

hite

qua

il1

0.04

50.

20

Aves

Aves

bird

s3

0.12

Mam

mal

iaPr

imat

esHo

min

idae

Hom

o sa

pien

s sa

pien

shu

man

s18

0.71

2039

80.9

8

Mam

mal

iaCa

rniv

ora

Cani

dae

Cani

s lup

us

fam

iliar

isdo

mes

tic d

og12

14.

81

Zooarchaeology of Kaminaljuyu 393M

amm

alia

Carn

ivor

aCa

nida

eU

rocy

on c

ine-

reoa

rgen

teus

gray

fox

10.

04

Mam

mal

iaAr

tioda

ctyl

aBo

vida

eBo

s tau

rus

dom

estic

cow

50.

20

Mam

mal

iaAr

tioda

ctyl

aSu

idae

Sus s

crof

ado

mes

tic p

ig16

0.64

Mam

mal

iaAr

tioda

ctyl

aCe

rvid

aeCe

rvid

aede

ers

30.

12

Mam

mal

iaAr

tioda

ctyl

aCe

rvid

aeO

doco

ileus

vi

rgin

ianu

sw

hite

taile

d de

er5

0.20

Mam

mal

iaRo

denti

aGe

omyi

dae

Ort

hoge

omys

sp

gian

t poc

ket

goph

er1

0.04

Mam

mal

iaLa

gom

orph

aLe

porid

aeSy

lvila

gus s

pco

ttont

ail

rabb

its1

0.04

Mam

mal

iaM

amm

alia

mam

mal

s18

6874

.19

Vert

ebra

tave

rteb

rate

s35

814

.22

358

14.2

2

Unk

now

nun

know

n2

0.08

20.

08

Non

-faun

alno

nfau

nal

30.

123

0.12

TOTA

L25

1810

0.00

2518

100.

00

*NIS

P is

Num

ber o

f Ide

ntifie

d Sp

ecim

ens,

pre

sent

ed h

ere

as re

lativ

e pr

opor

tions

(%N

ISP)

of t

he to

tal a

ssem

blag

e an

d (%

NIS

P/Cl

ass)

of

each

cla

ss-le

vel t

axon

omic

gro

up.


Site

Are

aCh

rono

logi

cal P

erio

dN

ISP/

Perio

d%

NIS

P/Pe

riod

NIS

PN

ISP%

Dom

inan

t /S

ite A

rea

/Site

Are

a/S

ite A

rea

/Site

Are

a

Acro

polis

–NW

Acr

opol

isLa

te C

lass

ic2

100.

002

0.08

Acro

polis

per

iphe

ryLa

te P

recl

assic

8349

.70

167

6.63

Acro

polis

per

iphe

ryLa

te C

lass

ic1

0.60

Acro

polis

per

iphe

ryLa

te C

lass

ic/M

oder

n3

1.80

Acro

polis

per

iphe

ryM

oder

n79

47.3

1

Acro

polis

per

iphe

ryM

ixed

10.

60

Ball

Cour

t 2M

iddl

e Pr

ecla

ssic

143.

7237

614

.93

Ball

Cour

t 2La

te P

recl

assic

10.

27

Ball

Cour

t 2La

te P

recl

assic

/Ear

ly C

lass

ic/

Late

Cla

ssic

165

43.8

8

Ball

Cour

t 2Ea

rly C

lass

ic/L

ate

Clas

sic16

744

.41

Ball

Cour

t 2La

te C

lass

ic/M

oder

n28

7.45

Ball

Cour

t 2M

oder

n1

0.27

Mou

nd C

-II-6

Late

Cla

ssic

(mix

ed)

1055

.56

180.

71

Mou

nd C

-II-6

Late

Cla

ssic

/Mod

ern

844

.44

Mou

nd C

-II-8

Late

Pre

clas

sic1

0.11

878

34.8

7

Mou

nd C

-II-8

Late

Pre

clas

sic/E

arly

Cla

ssic

/La

te C

lass

ic86

598

.52

Tabl

e 2a.

dist

ribut

ion

of re

mai

ns b

y ch

rono

logi

cal p

erio

d (a

ll as

sem

blag

es).

Zooarchaeology of Kaminaljuyu 395M

ound

C-II

-8La

te C

lass

ic/M

oder

n12

1.37

Pala

ngan

a - l

ower

pla

zaLa

te P

recl

assic

130

33.0

839

315

.61

Pala

ngan

a - l

ower

pla

zaTe

rmin

al P

recl

assic

142

36.1

3

Pala

ngan

a - l

ower

pla

zaLa

te P

recl

assic

/Ear

ly C

lass

ic98

24.9

4

Pala

ngan

a - l

ower

pla

zaLa

te C

lass

ic23

5.85

Pala

ngan

a - S

E pe

riphe

ryM

iddl

e Pr

ecla

ssic

559.

4858

023

.03

Pala

ngan

a - S

E pe

riphe

ryM

iddl

e Pr

ecla

ssic

/Lat

e Pr

ecla

ssic

172.

93

Pala

ngan

a - S

E pe

riphe

ryLa

te P

recl

assic

379

65.3

4

Pala

ngan

a - S

E pe

riphe

ryTe

rmin

al P

recl

assic

10.

17

Pala

ngan

a - S

E pe

riphe

ryLa

te/T

erm

inal

Pre

clas

sic3

0.52

Pala

ngan

a - S

E pe

riphe

ryLa

te P

recl

assic

/Ear

ly C

lass

ic12

020

.69

Pala

ngan

a - S

E pe

riphe

ryEa

rly C

lass

ic1

0.17

Pala

ngan

a - S

E pe

riphe

ryLa

te C

lass

ic4

0.69

Pala

ngan

a - u

pper

pla

zaLa

te P

recl

assic

7673

.08

104

4.13

Pala

ngan

a - u

pper

pla

zaPr

ecla

ssic

/Ear

ly C

lass

ic28

26.9

2

TOTA

L25

1825

1810

0.00

*nis

P is

pre

sent

ed h

ere

as a

bsol

ute

and

relat

ive

prop

ortio

ns o

f eac

h sit

e ar

ea w

ithin

chr

onol

ogica

l per

iods

(%n

isP/

Perio

d/si

te A

rea)

and

for e

ach

site a

rea a

s a w

hole

(%n

isP/

site

Are

a).


Perio

dCh

rono

logi

cal P

erio

dN

ISP

%N

ISP

NIS

P%

NIS

P

Gro

uped

Dom

inan

t /P

erio

d/P

erio

d/G

roup

ed/G

roup

ed

Prec

lass

icM

iddl

e Pr

ecla

ssic

692.

7490

275

.80

Mid

dle

Prec

lass

ic/L

ate

Prec

lass

ic17

0.68

Late

Pre

clas

sic67

026

.61

Term

inal

Pre

clas

sic14

35.

68

Late

/Ter

min

al P

recl

assic

30.

12

Clas

sicEa

rly C

lass

ic1

0.04

208

17.4

8

Early

Cla

ssic

/Lat

e Cl

assic

167

6.63

Late

Cla

ssic

401.

59

Mod

ern

Mod

ern

803.

1880

6.72

TOTA

L11

9010

0.00

1190

100.

00

Tabl

e 2b.

dist

ribut

ion

of re

mai

ns am

ong

suba

ssem

blag

es u

sed

in th

e chr

onol

ogica

l com

paris

on (m

ixed

asse

mbl

ages

wer

e not

inclu

ded)

.

*nis

P is

pre

sent

ed h

ere

as a

bsol

ute

and

relat

ive

prop

ortio

ns o

f ea

ch c

hron

olog

ical

perio

d (%

nis

P/Pe

riod)

and

for

bro

ader

ch

rono

logi

cal g

roup

s (%

nis

P/g

roup

ed).


other 50 percent of the remains, and a small proportion (7%) were recov-ered from the Acropolis and neighboring structure C-ii-6.

each of the excavation regions can be subdivided further by date of deposition. The majority of the Kaminaljuyu remains have been dated to the Preclassic period, particularly the late Preclassic. A fairly large subset of the remains comes from the Classic period or from mixed early and late Classic deposits. The Palangana excavations revealed predominantly Preclassic materials, some limited late Classic materials, and no mod-ern materials. in general, these deposits were chronologically unmixed, presenting clearly dated assemblages (figure 5). The Acropolis nW and periphery excavations were also relatively unmixed, and included late Preclassic, late Classic, and modern materials. These provide an invalu-able comparison between ancient and modern activities around this im-posing construction. The intervening area excavations revealed middle Preclassic through modern materials. Around structure C-ii-8, the area of densest faunal accumulation, many of the remains were recovered from chronologically mixed deposits making interpretation more complex.

Preservational Condition of the Parque Kaminaljuyu Faunal Collection

faunal remains were fairly well preserved, although highly fragmented. Weathering was not noted on most remains, and there was no evidence of

figure 5. Proportion of specimens in the Parque Kaminaljuyu excavation region collected from deposits of mixed chronology.


NISP 2518

Number of Proveniences with Animal Remains 117Density (NISP/Number of Proveniences with Animal Remains) 21.52

Number of Mammal Remains 2039

Number of Fragments* 1867

Fragmentation Ratio 91.56

Number/percent identified to class/order 2267 90.03Number/percent identified to family 251 9.97Number/percent identified to genus 247 9.81Number/percent identified to species 168 6.67

*calculated as any portion of mammalian bone under 1 percent of the total original bone size

Table 3. taphonomic characters of the Parque Kaminaljuyu assemblage.

bio-erosion, suggesting relatively rapid burial of discarded remains. Pres-ervation rates were calculated using density, fragmentation of mammal bone, and the proportion of all remains that could be identified to the level of family or better (table 3). mammalian bone is used as the stan-dard for fragmentation rate calculations because the density and fragility of bone varies between animal classes. The overall density of recovered remains was fairly high when compared to other sites. however, the pro-portion of faunal material that could be identified to the level of family or better is low (26%), and the rate of fragmentation of mammalian bones is correspondingly high. These values suggest that the animal remains of the Kaminaljuyu community were highly fragmented predepositionally or by crushing after deposition.

Archaeological reports by the excavators highlight the extensive evi-dence of matrix churning and earth movement in the Parque deposits (houston et al. 2003; ivic de monterroso and Alvarado galindo 2004). This finding supports the possibility that bone fragmentation was at least partially the result of postdepositional activities.


Description of the Parque Kaminaljuyu Faunal Remains

The Kaminaljuyu animal remains represent a total of 21 taxa or animal groups (table 1). These include four classes (bony fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals). By far most of the remains were from mammals (figure 6). only a single reptilian remain was recovered (a mud-turtle carapace fragment), and only five bird remains. The bird remains were telling, how-ever, in that they included both land birds (a bobwhite quail) and wa-ter birds (a gadwall duck). fish were fairly common and included local freshwater fish species such as the gar and cichlids, and several species of marine fishes that would have been brought to the site from the coast. These nonlocal marine fish include snooks, groupers, and snappers (0.16% of the total fauna).

The most commonly identified animals were the mammals (figure 7). The remains of eight separate taxa of mammals were recovered, including domestic cow and pig from deposits defined as modern or mixed with modern materials. Animals recovered from pre-hispanic archaeological contexts were, in order of frequency, the domestic dog, white-tailed deer, fox, rabbit, and pocket gopher. The last three species were found as only a single example each. deer was also surprisingly rare, with only five speci-mens recovered, including four foot bones and a mandible fragment. This is an unusual distribution. most maya faunal assemblages are dominated by deer bones and tend not to include as many distal and cranial elements as limb bones. The most common species by far was the domestic dog, with 121 specimens.

The dogs of the Parque Kaminaljuyu excavations included at least eight juveniles, two subadults, 13 adults, and 10 individuals for which age could not be defined, but likely not juvenile (table 4). All but a few specimens were identifiable at the species level as domestic dog, the others are most likely dog bones but given the remote possibility of coyote in the region during the pre-hispanic period (hidalgo mihart et al. 2004; Kidder, jen-nings, and shook 1946), these were identified only to genus. We believe these remains to be dog since the biological evidence for pre-hispan-ic coyotes in the maya highlands is nonexistent (hidalgo mihart et al. 2004). sufficient dog bones were recovered to allow an informal assess-ment of different sizes. two specimens were specified as coming from large dogs, five from medium/large dogs, 15 from medium dogs, two from med/small dogs, and eight from small dogs. more detailed morphometric


bony fishes, 4.37%

reptiles, 0.04%birds, 0.20%

mammals,80.98%

Taxonomic Classes of the Parque Kaminaljuyu Animal Remains

domestic dog79.08%

gray fox0.65%

domestic cow and pig

13.73%

deer5.23%

giant pocket gopher0.65%

cottontail rabbit0.65%

Proportion of Non-Human Mammalian Remains

figure 6. Proportion of each taxonomic class in the Parque Kaminaljuyu remains.

figure 7. Proportion of each mammalian taxa in the Parque Kaminaljuyu remains.

analyses are being conducted at the flmnh laboratory in the hopes of determining dog race using metric equivalents from Valadez Azúa and other authors (e.g., Valadez et al., this volume, Valadez Azúa et al. 1999).

A Chronological Perspective

given the very long history of occupation at the site of Kaminaljuyu, it is appropriate to compare assemblages between time periods (see table 5


for values discussed in this section). many of the excavation units from which faunal remains were recovered were chronologically mixed, com-plicating comparisons of animal use over time. Therefore, in this analysis we compare only assemblages from unmixed units with clearly defined chronological markers (highlighted in table 2). This limits the sample size for study but emphasizes the patterns for each period.

The earliest animal remains found at Kaminaljuyu were from the mid-dle Preclassic (3% of the collection). These were recovered only from de-posits associated with Ballcourt 2. They are all mammalian remains and are predominately unidentifiable fragments of mammal long bone, telling us little. The only identifiable species is the domestic dog and other inter-mediate mammalian remains may also be dog. large mammals are also represented and may be artiodactyls.

The late Preclassic period includes a much larger (27% of the assem-blage) and more diverse inventory. This collection contains the highest number of taxa and is dominated by mammals although both fish and bird remains are also present. The nonmammals include both freshwater fish including the American cichilds (Cichlasoma) and ducks (Anas), in-dicating a reliance on local water resources, but also the marine snapper (Lutjanus), signaling a link to the coast during this period. dogs domi-nate the assemblage, accounting for 10 percent of the full assemblage. Although white-tailed deer are very common at other maya sites, this is the only Preclassic period at Kaminaljuyu in which either white-tailed deer or cervids in general appear. many of the fragmentary mammalian and large-mammal long bones may also be deer although they were not identifiable.

The terminal Preclassic assemblage (6% of the assemblage) was also diverse given the small size of the collection. This included the freshwater gar, also well represented in other mixed deposits and likely an important part of the diet, along with quail. Again, the reliance on local freshwater resources is clear, but the quail indicates the presence of open fields dur-ing this period. Again, the domestic dog is very common (6% of the as-semblage).

The early Classic is represented unfortunately only by a single vertebrate remain, found in the se Periphery of the Palangana. The late Classic as-semblage is also fairly small (2% of the full assemblage) but with remains dispersed fairly widely across the site. When considered as a combined Classic period assemblage, including deposits of mixed early/late Clas-sic date, the collection represents some 8 percent of the assemblage, but


Site Area Date Size MNIAcropolis periphery Late Preclassic ? 1 imm+Acropolis periphery Modern ? 1 juvenileAcropolis periphery Modern large 1 imm+Acropolis periphery Modern medium 1 adultAcropolis periphery Modern small 2 adultBall Court 2 Late Classic or Modern ?Ball Court 2 Late Classic or Modern medium/large 1 imm+Ball Court 2 Late Classic or Modern medium/small 1 imm+Ball Court 2 Late Classic or Modern small 1 adultBall Court 2 Late Preclassic ? 1 adultBall Court 2 Middle Preclassic ? 2 adultsMound C-II-8 Late Classic or Modern ? 1 unknownMound C-II-8Late Preclassic or Early/Late Classic ? 1 cf adultPalangana - lower plaza Late Preclassic ? 1 juvenilePalangana - lower plaza Late Preclassic medium/large 1 adultPalangana - lower plaza Late Preclassic small 1 adult

Palangana - lower plaza Terminal Preclassic medium2, 1 subadult, 1 juvenile

Palangana - lower plaza Terminal Preclassic medium/large 1 juvenilePalangana - lower plaza Terminal Preclassic small 1 juvenilePalangana - SE periphery Late Preclassic ? 1 adultPalangana - SE periphery Late Preclassic medium/large 1 imm+

Palangana - SE peripheryLate Preclassic or Early Classic ?

Palangana - SE peripheryLate Preclassic or Early Classic medium

1 imm+, 1 poss subadult

Palangana - SE peripheryLate Preclassic or Early Classic medium/small 1 imm+

Palangana - SE periphery Terminal Preclassic ? 1 adultPalangana - upper plaza Late Preclassic ?

Palangana - upper plaza Late Preclassic medium3 juvenile, 1 adult, 1 imm+

Table 4. distribution of dog remains from the Parque Kaminaljuyu across excavation regions and chronological periods.

*mni (minimum number of individuals) has been calculated for each period within each excavation region and taking dog size into consideration. The category imm+ includes specimens that are older than juveniles, but for which it is impossible to know whether they are immature, subadult, or adult. dog size can only be determined from complete remains, so specimens marked with ? are from unknown-sized dogs.


Prec

lass

ic

Late

Cla

ssic

Hist

oric

/ M

oder

nM

iddl

eLa

teTe

rmin

al

Tota

l Fish

es0.

003.

293.

507.

500.

00

Fres

hwat

er F

ish0.

000.

300.

000.

000.

00

Mar

ine

Fish

0.00

0.15

2.80

2.50

0.00

Turt

les (

none

in u

nmix

ed d

epos

its)

Tota

l Bird

s0.

000.

302.

100.

000.

00

Grou

nd B

irds

0.00

0.00

0.70

0.00

0.00

Fres

hwat

er B

irds

0.00

0.15

0.00

0.00

0.00

Mam

mal

s88

.41

70.0

093

.01

85.0

00.

00

Dogs

*4.

3510

.30

6.29

0.00

22.5

0

Cerv

ids*

*0.

000.

900.

002.

500.

00

Pock

et G

ophe

r/Ra

bbit*

**0.

000.

000.

002.

500.

00

Cow

/Pig

**0.

000.

000.

000.

0023

.75

NIS

P To

tal

6967

014

340

80

*% in

term

edia

te m

amm

als

13.0

55.

9716

.78

2.50

17.5

0

**%

larg

e m

amm

als

11.5

93.

130.

0015

.00

20.0

0

***%

smal

l mam

mal

s0.

000.

000.

700.

001.

25

not

e tha

t for

chro

nolo

gica

l ana

lyse

s onl

y, un

mix

ed d

epos

its ar

e inc

lude

d.

Tabl

e 5. P

ropo

rtion

of s

elect

ed ta

xa in

chro

nolo

gica

l con

text

(som

e tax

a are

gro

uped

).


adds only more large mammal remains and little additional information. however, it is telling that, alone, the small late Classic assemblage is still fairly diverse, with five nonoverlapping taxa, and that it still contains a large proportion of fish, one of which is a marine species. The links to the coast were clearly still operative at this point. other species include the white-tailed deer and the rabbit (both represented by a single specimen). of importance is the fact that no dog remains were identified in this late Classic assemblage or in the mixed early/late Classic deposits.

finally the modern assemblage represents 3 percent of the Kaminal-juyu assemblage and includes both cow (Bos taurus) and domestic pig (Sus scrofa) in fairly high proportions, but also exhibits a large number of dog remains (23% of the assemblage, 18 of 37 identified to genus). intrigu-ingly, many modern deposits were found near the Acropolis, an imposing structure still today, and the dog remains include a left lower forelimb that was interred with a handful of coins, suggesting an intentional burial. A study of modern ceremonial activities is worthy of future consideration.

A Spatial Perspective on the Parque Kaminaljuyu Excavation Area

The prominence of the architectural features of the Parque Kaminal-juyu and the evidence for long construction sequences for many of them require that we also ask whether any patterns of animal use are evident in spatial distributions. in this analysis we compare the Parque Kaminal-juyu subareas of the Palangana, and then compare the Palangana to the Acropolis, structure C-ii-8, and Ballcourt 2 areas (table 6, figure 4).

The Palangana subassemblages are, on the whole, internally consistent in terms of taxa. All are dominated by unspecified medium- to large-sized mammals. each assemblage also contains a fairly large proportion of fish remains. By far the greatest numbers of fishes were found in the lower pla-za, with far fewer recovered in the Palangana periphery and upper plaza. most assemblages include freshwater fishes, with the highest proportion found in the lower plaza. marine fish species were found in the se pe-riphery and lower plaza. each assemblage also contains a large proportion of dog remains, but the largest collection was found in the upper plaza. The Palangana lower plaza and periphery contain cervid remains in small proportions, and both upper and lower plazas yielded small numbers of ground birds. in overview, the Palangana lower plaza contains the highest diversity of animal taxa and overlaps in many ways with the se Periphery. The upper plaza is distinct in providing very little besides domestic dog.


These patterns, and particularly that of the upper plaza, are similar to the Acropolis periphery. This area is characterized by a high percentage of dog remains (30% of the Acropolis periphery assemblage), but also contains smaller numbers of fish (although no marine fish), birds, and cervids. The nW Acropolis does not contain enough remains to allow a comparison. dogs are also found in very small proportions in deposits associated with the Ballcourt and structure C-ii-8, while some modern domestic animal remains were found in association with structure C-ii-6. But, in all cases, these assemblages are so fragmented that the majority of the remains were not identifiable beyond mammalia. They provide little comparative value.

A Spatial Perspective on the Kaminaljuyu Site as a Whole

The above spatial and chronological analyses clarify that animal-use pat-terns varied over both space and time in the Parque Kaminaljuyu. This variability emphasizes the need for a broader understanding of animal use by the Kaminaljuyu residents outside this Parque area. unfortunately very few zooarchaeological assemblages are available from the Kaminaljuyu site outside the Parque area, but two will be useful in providing a somewhat wider perspective on possible differences within the site (see figure 3 for the location of other excavations for which animal remains were reported).

early excavations were carried out by Carnegie institution projects of the 1930s and 1940s in mounds A and B, some distance from the present Parque Kaminaljuyu (Kidder, jennings, and shook 1946). These studies included analysis of animal materials from the early Classic burial tombs of the A and B structures, affording a valuable counterpoint to the sample described here. The authors report stingray spines associated with each of the principal skeletons of the tombs. Crocodile scutes were recovered from one tomb, and seven complete turtles (identified as Trachemys scripta) that may have been used as rattles were found in three tombs. in one tomb excavators identified two species of quail (a single individual of Cyrtonyx ocellatus and at least 40 individuals of Colinus cf leucopogon) and a parakeet skull (Aratinga holochloea). Perforated and unperforated teeth of dogs (in all tombs), of a coyote (in one tomb), and of white-lipped peccary (in three tombs) were recovered along with several complete dog skeletons deposited possibly as sacrifices in each of three tombs. The paired jaws of several different felids including jaguar (Panthera onca in five tombs), puma (Puma concolor, modified into a two-pronged awl in one tomb), and jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi in one tomb) are interpreted as mask ele-


Acro

polis

Pala

ngan

a

Ballc

ourt

2C-

II-8

C-II-

6Pe

riphe

ryN

WLo

wer

Pl

aza

Upp

er

Plaz

aPe

riphe

ry

Tota

l Fish

es0.

6024

.68

0.96

1.89

Fres

hwat

er F

ish19

.22

0.34

Mar

ine

Fish

0.25

0.17

Turt

les

0.25

Tota

l Bird

s0.

600.

760.

96

Grou

nd B

irds

0.25

Fres

hwat

er B

irds

0.60

Mam

mal

s98

.40

87.7

083

.33

85.0

350

.00

63.6

189

.42

68.4

5

Dogs

*2.

660.

4630

.54

3.82

23.0

82.

93

Cerv

ids*

*0.

601.

020.

52

Pock

et G

ophe

r/Ra

bbit*

**50

.00

0.17

Cow

/Pig

II11

.11

11.3

8

NIS

P To

tal

376

878

1816

72

393

104

580

*% in

term

edia

te m

amm

als

0.80

7.74

0.00

13.7

750

.00

8.65

8.65

10.0

0

**%

larg

e m

amm

als

50.0

05.

2466

.67

10.7

80.

001.

538.

652.

41

***%

smal

l mam

mal

s0.

000

0.00

0.60

0.00

0.25

0.00

0.00

Tabl

e 6. P

ropo

rtion

of s

elect

ed ta

xa in

spat

ial c

onte

xt (s

ome t

axa a

re g

roup

ed).


ments. The authors also report finding bat, mouse, and rat bones, which are probably intrusive elements. These data complement the current anal-ysis by adding additional examples of turtles, quails, and dogs, but add the important new examples of felids, crocodiles, and stingrays, all vital ritual inclusions in maya ceremonial deposits from the Preclassic onward. it is important to emphasize that these Carnegie remains were excavated from early Classic assemblages, a period for which the Parque Kaminaljuyu assemblage had very little data.

The second comparative analysis is the miraflores assemblage. The Proyecto Arqueológico miraflores ii was carried out in the southwest pe-riphery of the site, directed by juan Antonio Valdes and marion Popenoe de hatch between 1994 and 1995. The miraflores area of Kaminaljuyu included several residential structures and low platforms with firepits, and agricultural fields (Popenoe de hatch 1993; Valdés 1998). several canals and their several channels feeding into probable agricultural areas were also excavated in this area (Barrientos Quezada 1997). The remains from these smaller residences and agricultural fields provide an incisive com-parison with the remains associated with the larger Parque structures. The majority of these remains dated to the late Preclassic and early Classic periods (Valdés 1998).

These excavations recovered animal remains identified by emery (2001b) that included turtle (testudines, cf. emydidae), cervids, white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbit, large mammals, including large, domestic mammals. Although the sample is limited, it differs from that of the Parque Kaminaljuyu in terms of the dominance of white-tailed deer (which are virtually absent in the Parque sample) and the absence of dog (which predominates in the Parque sample). The miraflores deer remains included several complete distal elements, and bones of the rear and fore-limbs, but no cranial, vertebral, or pelvic/pectoral girdle elements. These remains were found primarily in a single structure and may represent a single individual. The absence of fish remains may be a result of differ-ential recovery methods since no screening was done during this project. given the fact that these excavations were directly associated with the canals, fish should be expected.

overall, this comparative assessment of animal-use patterns in these three very different areas of the site reveals some important differences. Primary among these are the presence of dog only in the tomb and Parque excavations (where it is particularly abundant), and the scarcity of deer in those same deposits.


Discussion

Animal remains from the site of Kaminaljuyu are fundamental to our understanding of the southern highlands of mesoamerica. They represent the first large compilation of such analyses from any site in the region and, in particular, from a site that was at the core of political and social transi-tions during the Preclassic and later periods. The remains provide fresh perspectives on habitats and the use of both local and nonlocal species, all with implications for environments, trade, and political change. They provide a particularly important picture of dog use during the Preclassic period, especially in view of combined chronological and spatial patterns in animal use.

overall, the Kaminaljuyu animal remains excavated by the Proyecto Parque Kaminaljuyu and earlier projects fit well within the corpus of animal remains found at other maya sites (emery 2004f ). dogs, deer, turtles, birds, and fishes are included, and mammals represent the most significant resource in all deposits. many of the fauna would have been locally available, indicating an environment of primarily open, lacustrine, and lightly forested ecozones. some domestic animals such as dogs, and local animals such as quail and turtles, were included in both ritual and domestic deposits, suggesting their importance in many aspects of ancient Kaminaljuyu life. nonlocal species were also recovered in tomb deposits (jaguars, stingrays) and debitage associated with structures (marine fish). Clearly, trade and extensive regional contacts were also a pervasive part of life at Kaminaljuyu.

Environment and Environmental Stability at Kaminaljuyu

The animal remains of Kaminaljuyu provide a view of the surrounding landscapes. The species recovered in the various site excavations suggest that the past habitat of the area was open and grassy—quail, rabbits, and pocket gophers all prefer these habitats—with some lightly forested areas for edge browsers like deer. There were significant freshwater resources nearby, as gar, cichlid fishes, duck, and mud/musk turtle require these re-sources. This pattern accords closely with the natural setting modeled by Popenoe de hatch and others, who propose a fairly settled region beside the ancient lake miraflores and its canal systems (Popenoe de hatch et al. 2002).


however, a more detailed chronological analysis of the Parque Kami-naljuyu fauna hints at minor environmental changes over the occupation of the site. during the late Preclassic period, the high proportion of freshwater fishes, including cichlids, which tend to prefer well-oxygenat-ed waters, and water birds, which prefer some open shoreline, along with deer, correlate well with a lacustrine environment that was still partially forested. The terminal Preclassic and late Classic assemblages include gar, a fish that survives well in less-oxygenated waters, quail (an open habitat bird), and rabbits (open habitats), consistent with other research that the lake was less expansive during this time (Popenoe de hatch et al. 2002). in the terminal Preclassic, the canal systems were first modified and expanded in response to diminishing water supply, and then aban-doned as the lake disappeared (Valdés 1998). The presence of gar suggests the canals may also have been overwhelmed by algae and sediments. our results also suggest that forests retreated over the period of occupation of the site since various open-habitat species and the deer, which favors dis-turbed and agricultural landscapes, are more common in the later periods. such a forest retreat might be attributed either to expanding settlement and agriculture, or to changing climate and lacustrine conditions.

Exotics and Trade

The Kaminaljuyu animal remains offer perspective on questions of trade. in addition to local fish species, the Kaminaljuyu residents used ma-rine fish such as snook and snapper, and the cartilaginous stingray whose spine is ubiquitous as a tomb inclusion across the maya realm (haines et al. 2008). These exotics, whether from Caribbean or Pacific coast, indicate strong trade connections throughout occupation of the site. As well, the tombs of the site contained birds and wild cats from the more tropical lowlands (or cloud forest) though none were found elsewhere on the site. Certainly, Kaminaljuyu was a nexus of political contact as well as a trading hub between various regions of mesoamerica (love 2007). The site wit-nessed the probable movement of such products as salt, cacao, fruits, and ceramics from areas as distant as the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, north-central mexico (teotihuacan), Chiapas, and the isthmus of tehuantepec, the interior lowlands of Peten and northern honduras, and even further south into the intermediate area. such trade goods were likely used on site as displays of status, wealth, and power, both in secular and sacred con-texts. however, the exotic animal remains are not ubiquitous across time


or space. The marine bony fish are most common in the terminal Preclas-sic and late Classic periods, and the stingrays from the tombs are early Classic. The higher proportion of these exotics in later periods more likely reflects expanding trade connections associated with the increasing politi-cal importance of the site. This late distribution does not offer support for the intriguing possibility that the first residents of this highland region were from the Pacific coast (see, e.g., love 2007; Popenoe de hatch 2002; robinson et al. 2002).

A spatial perspective provides further detail about the use of nonlocal species as status symbols or ritual items. no exotics were found among the miraflores assemblages excavated from smaller residences and agricultur-al fields. Perhaps exotic species here, as elsewhere in the maya realm, were primarily available to those wealthy enough to acquire them, and perhaps the residents of the smaller homes excavated by the Carnegie group were not as wealthy as those in the Parque Kaminaljuyu. or perhaps the activi-ties associated with exotic species (trade, feasting, status displays, ceremo-nial activities) were not carried out around these homes.

All lowland taxa were found only in the tombs of the Kaminaljuyu elite excavated by the Carnegie group and dated to the early Classic. The felids likely reflect the strong regal connections displayed in mayan iconography between royalty (kingship) and large cats. The lowland birds were highly symbolically charged and their bright feathers decorated the costumes of the maya elite. The lowland fauna are interesting in view of recent findings that several of the secondary human skulls also found in these tombs are likely from southern maya lowland individuals (Valdés and Wright 2004; l. e. Wright et al. 2010).

marine bony fishes on the other hand, were found only in structures and middens. They may therefore have played a different role, perhaps as special-status or special-occasion food. interestingly, marine fishes appear only to have been associated with the lower Palangana and its periph-ery, and the inclusion of cranial elements suggests these were whole fish. Additional archaeological information from this structure might reveal a specific link between these marine exotics and the residents of this struc-ture, their activities, and their regional connections. marine fish are also found in Preclassic epicentral structures at other lowland maya sites such as Caracol (teeter 2001), suggesting this may be a widespread pattern.


Dogs and Kings

A key result of this analysis of faunal remains from the Parque Kami-naljuyu is the very high proportion of dogs, including all ages and three different size classes probably indicating different types. The high propor-tion of dog in these deposits is countered by the surprisingly low propor-tion of white-tailed deer. however, it is possible that many more deer remains are included among the highly fragmented mammalian bones that could not be identified further. deer is usually a common species in open highland areas unless secondary forests are nonexistent, and always a frequent component of maya faunal assemblages, particularly those from elite deposits. The relatively low proportion of deer should not be taken as evidence for the lack of these animals as a food source since they are common at contemporaneous sites (emery 2002b). it is the proportionate frequency of dog as opposed to deer and other species that is surprising.

The chronological perspective reveals that dogs are very common in both Preclassic and modern intrusive deposits excavated by the Parque Kaminaljuyu, but are not present in any Classic period assemblages from the site. Kaminaljuyu is not alone in its Preclassic focus on dog in me-soamerica. dogs have been identified as important food resources along with turtles and marine fish at several formative period gulf Coast sites (Peres et al. this volume; Wing 1978, 1981). recent work on formative assemblages from Pacific coastal sites has also recovered some assem-blages dominated by dog (e.g., la Blanca [Blake et al. 1992; Wake and harrington 2002] and Cuauhtémoc [rosenswig 2007] in the soconusco region). At many inland maya sites with animal remains from a variety of time periods, dog remains are proportionately higher in Preclassic depos-its than in later deposits (e.g., dzibilchaltun [Wing and steadman 1980], tamarindito [emery 2010], Ceibal [Pohl 1990], Caracol [teeter 2001]). But this is not true for all inland maya sites. (for a larger review of dog distributions over time, see emery 2004f.)

The spatial distribution reveals additional details that expand the chron-ological findings. The dog is not equally common in all parts of the site. dogs were found only in the Parque Kaminaljuyu and the early Classic Kaminaljuyu tombs, and not in the Preclassic miraflores residences. This is not a function of differential preservation or fragmentation because no bones of intermediate-sized mammals were found in the miraflores ex-cavations. even within the Parque Kaminaljuyu, dog remains are differ-entially distributed. most are located in and around the Acropolis and in


the upper plaza of the Palangana. in comparison, the few deer found at the site were found primarily in the miraflores excavations. in the Parque Kaminaljuyu they were found only in the lower plaza of the Palangana and in the Acropolis. They were not noted in the tomb excavations by the Carnegie.

Why, then, were dogs so important at the site of Kaminaljuyu dur-ing the Preclassic and who was using them? As the only true maya do-mesticate before the late Postclassic introduction of the domestic tur-key (Meleagris gallopavo; hamblin 1984), the dog has been the subject of considerable discussion (see also götz and stanton and emery et al., this volume). Archaeological, zooarchaeological, iconographic, and eth-nographic research indicates its ancient use both as a steady source of meat for many communities (Clutton-Brock and hammond 1994; Wing 1978) and as an important component of ritual (Pohl and feldman 1982; shaw 1991, 1999). dogs were also used for medicine, tribute payment, hunting, and companionship, and after death, their bones and teeth were used as ritual objects and for personal adornment (Clutton-Brock and hammond 1994:825; hamblin 1984:114). Valadez et al. (this volume) provide an excellent overview of mesoamerican dogs.

Wing suggested that dogs were more common during the Preclassic because they represented a stable food supply during periods of early agri-cultural and settlement expansion (Wing 1978). Archaeological evidence for dog consumption (based primarily on butchery marks, burning, and deposition in residential middens) has been reported from many Preclas-sic maya sites. however, the Preclassic period has not been shown to have had any lack of other animal food resources (see various zooarchaeological analyses including several reviews in emery 2004c, 2004f, 2007). At Ka-minaljuyu, there is no evidence for a diminished food supply during the early periods of occupation since these are the periods during which most faunal material was accumulated and during which we see the greatest proportion of high-value food animals.

instead we might look to the details of dog-remain distribution at Ka-minaljuyu to propose an alternative explanation. At Kaminaljuyu, dogs were apparently associated with the administrative/residential complexes of the Parque and the tombs of the elite structures. They were not associ-ated with the residences and agricultural fields to the south of the site. This pattern is reinforced by analyses in residential deposits at the neigh-boring Preclassic rural site of urias where dogs were not more abundant than other mammals, and were certainly not more abundant than deer


(emery 2002b). rosenswig has shown that dogs were more abundant in elite centers than in village sites in Conchas phase Cuauhtémoc on the Pacific coast (rosenswig 2007). Pohl has also noted that higher propor-tions of dog are found at the sites of Cuello (Wing and scudder 1991) and Colha (shaw 1991) during the late Preclassic period of political cen-tralization and stratification than in the earlier more egalitarian middle Preclassic period (compiled by Pohl 1994). dogs are also more common in late Preclassic epicenter burial and ceremonial deposits at the major site of Caracol, a pattern that disappears during the later Classic period (teeter 2001:258–261). These comparative data support a link between dog abundance, developing political centers, and the residents or users of their administrative and ceremonial structures.

in this context, the symbolic and ritual significance of the dog is key. for the maya, dogs were associated with death and the journey to the underworld, as well as with regeneration and yearly renewal ceremonies (Pohl 1981, 1983). They are also symbolically associated with fire and may be interpreted as protectors of the hearth ( j. e. Thompson 1972). Ar-chaeologically across the maya world, dog skeletons and isolated remains are found in human burials (götz and stanton, this volume; see also hamblin 1984; Kidder, jennings, and shook 1946; Pollock and ray 1957; tourtellot 1990), and other special deposits such as caches, caves, and ce-notes (Pendergast 1969; Pohl 1983; savage 1971; Wing 1978; Wing and steadman 1980). This pattern is spatially extensive too. Preclassic dogs in Central mexico are found almost exclusively linked to ritual deposits (e.g., at tlatilco, see Valadez Azúa et al., this volume). dogs, a domesticat-ed resource, were likely specifically linked to status and ritual, a situation that is no longer true today. it is possible that the Preclassic dominance of dogs at Kaminaljuyu and elsewhere might be related less to the need for a stable food supply, and more to the need for a stable supply of a status/ritual linked symbol during the period of developing political complexity.

While it is possible that dogs were used by the elite only as sacrifices or as personal food items, it is important to note that dogs have also been linked to feasting activities (Koželsky 2005; shaw 1995). isotopic analysis of canid remains further suggests that some maya dogs were preferential-ly fed maize (van der merwe et al. 2000; C. d. White et al. 2001, 2004), particularly those dogs found in deposits associated archaeologically with feasting (Koželsky 2005; C. d. White et al. 2004). While the Kaminal-juyu animal remains are too limited to provide evidence for feasting ac-tivities, much current literature has discussed the role of competitive food


displays and control of resources as a part of early status confirmation and consolidation (e.g., see Bray 2003; Clark and Blake 1994; hayden 1995). feasts can be defined in myriad ways, but are generally seen as providing a means to engage a larger community in preconceived ideals, to garner political and social support, and to confirm rank within hierar-chies by competitive displays. Competitive feasting in particular may have been important in establishing elite power during the early periods of developing social complexity (Clark and Blake 1994) and in consolidat-ing and confirming that power during later periods (rosenswig 2007). As a source of food, sacrifice, and feast element, dogs may have been used as emblematic of wealth and prestige by providing a controllable and steady resource during a period of developing political and social stratification across ancient mesoamerica.

regardless of how they were used, at Kaminaljuyu the evidence sug-gests that dog remains are most common in association with large, pos-sibly ceremonial or administrative constructions, and particularly during the period of political consolidation. Their absence from the residences excavated in the miraflores area may indicate that dogs were not used in activities carried out in the small households of this sector, or their remains were not discarded here. interestingly, dog remains are also less common during contemporaneous occupation at the smaller, hamlet site of urias (emery 2002b), further emphasizing the pattern of association between dogs and centers of political power.

Perhaps dog-related activities were specifically carried out around the larger complexes, with the residents of the Parque Kaminaljuyu limit-ing the availability of dog as a means to ensuring elite control over this resource. to further increase the value of these animals, the Kaminaljuyu elite may have intentionally emphasized their symbolic importance by in-cluding them as sacrifices in ceremonial activities, hence their importance in the Kaminaljuyu burials.

Conclusions

The animal remains from the Parque Kaminaljuyu excavations contrib-ute to our knowledge of animal use in the southern highland region of the maya world, an area where very few zooarchaeological studies have been conducted. The residents and users of the Parque area of Kaminaljuyu concentrated heavily on dog, but also relied on a fairly diverse comple-


ment of local and nonlocal resources. marine fish as well as locally abun-dant species were included in their daily lives, while dogs, local fauna, and lowland exotics were incorporated in their ritual activities. The role of this site as a trade and travel conduit is clear in the consistent inclusion of marine fish from the coast in residential deposits from all time periods. The animal remains express possible environmental changes that confirm other suggestions of a gradual drying in the region and the disappearance of the lake miraflores on which the site residents undoubtedly depended.

The most intriguing information comes from the combined temporal and spatial data on dog use. This species was important at Kaminaljuyu during both late and terminal Preclassic periods and, just as securely, it was not important during the Classic periods. This suggests that at Kami-naljuyu, the use of this species was tied to periods of early and developing complexity and political power at the site. equally important, however, is the more precisely defined distribution of dog remains across the site as underscored by spatial analysis and the comparative samples from other studies. dogs were frequent in tombs and in discard accumulations as-sociated with the large edifices of the Parque Kaminaljuyu, but were not found in association with the smaller residential structures and agricul-tural fields of the southern miraflores excavations. noteworthy is the fact that dog remains were found in large quantities only in the massive Parque Kaminaljuyu administrative/residential complexes, the Acropolis and the upper plaza of the Palangana, and in the tombs of the elite. it is possible that the dog was first important as a stable resource as argued by Wing (1978), but that its value was not solely as a food, but also as a status resource claimed and used by an early and competitive elite.

Acknowledgements

The faunal analysis of the Kaminaljuyu remains was generously sup-ported by funding from stephen houston and Brigham young univer-sity, as subvented by dr. Kenneth Woolley and mr. spencer Kirk, who supported travel to guatemala, transport to and from the site, housing and food while on the project, and the costs of shipping materials to florida. The national geographic society, in a grant to houston, also supported field research at Kaminaljuyu. logistical help came from the universidad del Valle de guatemala. The florida museum of natural history provided laboratory support in florida including supplies for


analysis, undergraduate student support in materials inventory and cu-ration, and stipends for the expert graduate students who assisted with the identifications. These students have had many years of training, also funded by the university of florida and the florida museum. Permission for the excavation of the site of Kaminaljuyu, the export, and the analysis of the environmental remains was generously granted by the instituto de Antropología e historia de guatemala. Project members of the Proyecto Arqueológico Kaminaljuyu facilitated all aspects of this research, from the original excavation, storage, and recording of the environmental remains, through assistance with acquiring permissions and arranging research fa-cilities and shipping. Their support is most gratefully acknowledged, and in particular, thanks are offered to marion hatch, matilde ivic, and Zach-ary nelson. special thanks to our anonymous reviewers and to Chris götz who offered excellent suggestions to improve this work.

KeywordsKaminaljuyu, maya, dog, Preclassic, highlands

Digital Companiondigital content related to this chapter is published with open Context (emery et al. 2013), accessible at the following link: http://dx.doi.org/10.6078/m7g44n65

Emery, K.F., E.K. Thornton, N.R. Cannarozzi, S.D. Houston, H. Escobedo (2013) Ancient Animals of the...

Documents

Transcript of Emery, K.F., E.K. Thornton, N.R. Cannarozzi, S.D. Houston, H. Escobedo (2013) Ancient Animals of the...