Maya Metallurgical Technology in Late Postclassic-Spanish Colonial Times: The View from Lamanai, Belize
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Recent archaeometallurgical studies at the ancient Maya site of Lamanai, located in northern Belize, have begun to reveal the nature of copper metallurgy in the centuries just prior to and during Spanish contact in the Southern Maya Lowland Area. Metal technology appeared very late in this area of Mesoamerica, and only a few sites have yielded firm evidence of Maya experimentation with this relatively new technology. More copper artifacts have been recovered from controlled archaeological excavations at Lamanai than at any other site in the Southern Maya Lowland area. A total of 187 copper objects dating to the 12th through 16th centuries AD have been recovered; among these objects are ingots or pigs, blanks, prills and a substantial number of mis-cast objects, many of which are bells. This poster summarizes the results of research conducted by the Maya Archaeometallurgy Project between 1999 and 2007 at Lamanai, Belize. The archaeological contexts in which copper bells, axes, needles, fish hooks, rings, and clothing ornaments have been recovered will be summarised along with our interpretations of the meanings these objects had in the lives of the Maya who made and used them. Forming technologies used in the creation of Maya copper artifacts as well as their chemical compositions were studied using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence and optical light microscopy. In addition, a number of copper artifacts were analysed using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. The results of chemical compositional and microstructural analyses will be presented and discussed in the contexts of larger social and economic spheres that were part of the Maya world just before and during Spanish contact in Belize.
