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Mayan Ritual Animal Use Faunal Assemblage Assessment (Methd (horizontal…
Mayan Ritual Animal Use Faunal Assemblage Assessment
When/Where
Cancuen
Reservoirs
North
Palace
Middens
Cancuen Regional Project 2005-2007
50km from Queva de los Quetzales at Las Placayas site
Ritual Animal use in caves
Late Classic
Reign of Taj Chan Ahk 757-796AD
Reign of Son - Kan Maax 796-800AD
Methd
Taxon ID, element, side, portion, completeness, pathologym age, sex, cultural and natural modifications
Assemblages compared with other sites
midden tested differently for specific fauna
horizontal excavation
2x2m grid
trowel and handpick
6.35 sieve
3 strata
N+Palace
3 strata
fauna in lower 2 strata
strata 1 contained few remains, not incl in study
no CLEAR stratigraphic separation
short duration
natural springs
Intrusive specimen omitted
apple snaile, cane toads, swamp eels, small bodied turtles
NISP = 51
photographic references and zoooarch ID guides
Unidentified specimen sent to Florida Museum of Natural History
Quantification
NISP
Palace
1031 specimen/22% totzl assemblage
white tailed deer - 114 ; 11.1%
Domestic Dog - 58 ; 5.6%
peccary - 50 ; 4.8%
CART- 310; 30.1%
more scarce molluscs than middens
Mammal (deer) - 120 ; 11.6%
Table 4
Figure 4 NISP%
Turtle - 45% (87% CART)
Dog - 7.5%
Peccary - 8%
Deer (14%)
Turtle
Figure 6 Skeletal Element distribution
Observed/Expected NISP
Peccary
Cranium 4 specimen more than expected
Front limb 3 more than expected
Distal foot 4 less than expected
Deer
Axial 9 less than expected
Hind limb 9 more than expected
Distal foot 6 more than expected
Figure 8 Artificially modified NISP%
Marine shell adornments = 80%NISP Palace
less diverse range fauna
dieatary high class fauna (food)
not trash deposit
intentional deposition
North
217 specimen
White Tailed Deer = 16 ; 7.4%
Peccary 17 ; 7.8%
Mammal (deer) = 26 ; 12%
Central American river turtle= 35 ; 16.1%
Domestic Dog - 12 ; 5.5%
Table 4
Figure 4 %NISP
Turtle - 34% (73%CART)
Dog - 8%
Peccary - 12%
Deer - 12%
Figure 8 Artificially modified NISP% (of all mod.d artifacts)
Marine shell adornment - 22% North Res
bone pick/awl - 30% north res
freshwater shell adornments - 18% north res
better preserved, less fragmented than palace
High Peccary NISP compared to other sites
numbers of unidentified remains.
less affected by differences in sample identifiability because it prevents midden species abundance from being diluted by larger
reduces sample size, comparisons of relative taxa abundance are
site middens are conducted using subsamples restricted to specimens identified below the level of taxonomic class. Although this
enhanced preservation of the reservoir fauna, comparisons with
Due to
Midden
1,443 Specimen
CART - 63 ; 11.3
Mammal (deer) 572 ; 39.6%
Domestic Dog - 23 ; 1.6%
Peccary - 7 ; 0.5%
WTD - 133 ; 9.2%
Table 4
Figure 4
Turtle - 36% (25% CART)
Dog - 4%
Peccary - 2%
Deer - 27%
Figure 6 Observed/expected (NISP)
Peccary
Front limb 3 more than expected
Cranium 4 more than expected
Distal foot 4 less than expected
Deer
Cranium 2 more than expected
hind limb 7 more than expected
Distal foot 3 less than expected
fragments of saame element counted as 1 when refitted
overrepresentation of cranial and
hind-limb elements, or elements from the left side of the body
Palace has more white tailed deer, marine molluscs + crocs
dogs
complete and young
elite
turtle shells
musical
ritual
higher NISP:MNI
Intrasite differences in fragmentation are thus
assessed through ratios such as NISP:MNE with higher NISP:
MNE indicating greater element fragmentation
Whole elements are excluded
percentage of vertebrate and mammalian NISP identified below the level of taxonomic
class
Lower percent NISP identified below class thus reflects greater quantities of highly fragmented, eroded, and nondiagnostic specimens