Dissertation Research: An Archaeological Investigation of Baking Pot, Belize

在E. wylyys Andrews博士的指导下，jennifer Piehl女士将为她的博士论文收集数据。她将在位于伯利兹的玛雅遗址“烘焙锅”进行考古发掘，并分析她和其他研究人员收集的材料。她将专注于女性在这个经典玛雅遗址的相对地位，她的研究结果将为了解这个复杂的社会是如何组织起来的提供洞见。很明显，玛雅人将自己划分为血统和居住单位，并且个人之间存在明显的地位差别。然而，尚不清楚地位差异是否在谱系群体中存在，或者整个谱系是否以彼此相对的单位排列。通过研究女性和这个基于性别的群体中的地位变化，可以解决玛雅组织的基本原则。过去在“烘焙锅”的工作已经发现了一系列的埋葬遗骸，但单个坟墓的数量不够多，无法进行统计分析。皮尔将参与国内地区的挖掘工作，以增加样本量。然后，她将研究新的和旧的材料，并分析骨骼本身以及相关的坟墓物品。根据后者的数量和性质来洞察地位是可能的。精英们的陪葬品是非实用物品，这些物品由稀有材料制成，通常是从很远的地方进口的。对骨骼残骸的分析也提供了极其重要的信息。压力指标，如牙釉质缺陷、龋齿、死前牙齿脱落和颅骨厚度，提供了对健康和营养的洞察。骨骼的同位素分析可以显示出有价值的食物资源，如玉米的相对获取途径。通过这种分析，可以确定性别内部和性别之间的变化范围。这项研究之所以重要，有几个原因。它将揭示玛雅文明是如何产生和维持的。它将提供许多考古学家感兴趣的数据，并帮助培养一位有前途的年轻科学家。

Under the direction of Dr. E. Wyllys Andrews MS Jenifer Piehl will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. She will conduct archaeological excavation at the Mayan site of Baking Pot, located in Belize, and analyze the materials which she and other researchers collect. She will focus on the relative status of women at this Classic Mayan site and the results of her study will provide insight into how this complex society was organized. It is clear that the Mayans divided themselves into lineages and residential units and that clear status distinctions existed between individuals. However is not known whether status distinctions cut across lineage groups or whether entire lineages were ranked as units relative to each other. Through the study of females and variation of status within this gender based group, underlying principles of Mayan organization can be addressed. Past work at Baking Pot has yielded a series of burial remains but the number of individual graves is not great enough to permit statistical analysis. MS Piehl will participate in the excavation of domestic areas in order to increase sample size. She will then study both new and old material and analyze the skeletons themselves as well as associated grave goods. On the basis of the amount and nature of the latter insight into status is possible. Elite individuals are buried with non-utilitarian objects crafted from rare materials often imported from considerable distances. Analysis of skeletal remains also provides extremely important information. Stress indicators such as defects in tooth enamel, caries, premortem tooth loss and thickness of cranial bone provide insight into health and nutrition. Isotopic analysis of bone can indicate relative access to valued food resources such as corn. Through such analyses ranges of variation within and between genders can be determined. This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on how Mayan civilization arose and was maintained. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and assist in training a promising young scientist.