Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant: The Origins Of Social Stratification

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Although one of the central goals of anthropological archaeology is to understand the origins of social, economic, and political inequality and its long-term effects, the emergence of complex society in many parts of the ancient world is poorly understood. Under the supervision of Dr. Douglas Kennett, Claire Ebert will conduct archaeological research to examine the emergence of sociopolitical and economic inequality between households during the Middle and Late Formative Periods (ca. 900 BC - 350 AD) at the ancient Maya site of Cahal Pech in the Belize Valley. In the Maya lowlands, the Formative Period represents a critical transition for domestic, social, economic, and political organization, and previous research has focused on the growth of large regional centers and the strategies used by the ancient Maya elite to gain, maintain, and legitimize their power during this time. This project considers the role of hinterland households in influencing status differentiation. Archaeological studies of households, the most fundamental socio-economic unit in ancient societies, provide a long-term perspective on the complex processes that influence domestic transformation, that in turn affect broader cultural patterns at the regional level. Understanding resource distribution between households can shed light on the social and economic contexts that led to the emergence of institutionalized socio-economic inequality.Differences in architecture and artifacts between households occupied during the Middle to Late Formative at Cahal Pech will be measured to determine the types of activities that the households performed (e.g., food procurement and preparation, tool manufacture, craft production, exchange) and how access to raw materials, subsistence resources, and exchange networks varied over time. Two primary questions are addressed: 1) Did differential social status exist between households during the Middle and Late Formative Periods, and is it visible in the material record (artifacts and architecture)? 2) Was there a relationship between domestic craft production, inter-household exchange, and social status? The project combines traditional archaeological survey and excavation of ancient settlements with innovative applications of spatial analyses using high-resolution Lidar data, AMS 14C dating, trace element analysis of ceramic and obsidian artifacts, and statistical analyses to understand changing ancient Maya domestic organization. Public and community outreach also form a strong component of the project. Throughout the project undergraduate students from the US, Canada, the UK, and Belize will be involved in field and laboratory research, cultivating their ability to express and apply scientific concepts to real-world situations in both laboratory and field situations. Research results will be presented at public and professional forums in the US and Belize including universities and local schools.