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FIRST STEPS–DENTITION, KINSHIP, SOCIAL GROUPS, AND STATUS IN THE UPPER BELIZE RIVER VALLEY: SMALL SAMPLE INSIGHTS INTO CLASSIC MAYA SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IN CENTRAL WESTERN BELIZE
- Source :
- Ancient Mesoamerica. 32:16-38
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2019.
-
Abstract
- Nonmetric (morphological) and metric analyses of dental traits and dentition are an established and effective, but still much underutilized, means of determining biological relationships among the individuals comprising a population over several generations. Combining such dental analyses, a social organizational typology adapted from social psychology, and small sample statistics, this study hazards a trial examination of the evidence for biological affinity within and between three archaeologically perceived social groups represented in the Classic-period Belize Valley community of Buenavista del Cayo. The groups comprise traditional high elite and commoner categories, and a putative middle level of intermediate elites. Findings suggest a dichotomous kinship structure of elites and non-elites, but one within which there had emerged an emically and archaeologically distinct “middle” status group of intermediate elites or subelites that remained affined by blood to the subordinate non-elite commoners and peasantry. The study differs from previous examinations of ancient Maya social organization in employing a truly integrated bioarchaeological approach to the topic rather than what have generally been intrinsically insular archaeological or osteometric approaches.
- Subjects :
- Typology
Social psychology (sociology)
education.field_of_study
060102 archaeology
Geography, Planning and Development
Population
030206 dentistry
06 humanities and the arts
Commoner
Social group
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Geography
Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
Kinship
Ethnology
Maya
0601 history and archaeology
education
Social organization
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14691787 and 09565361
- Volume :
- 32
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Ancient Mesoamerica
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........014eeec5a73e94371e2af7c3e3ca11d8