Shell Games: A Middle Preclassic Shell Deposit at the Minor Center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Upper Belize River Valley

Michael Biggie; John P. Walden; Kyle Shaw-Müller; Michael L. Petrozza; Olivia P. Ellis; Ian N. Roa; Norbert Stanchly; Rafael A. Guerra; Claire E. Ebert; Julie A. Hoggarth; Jaime J. Awe

doi:10.1017/laq.2023.15

Shell Games: A Middle Preclassic Shell Deposit at the Minor Center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Upper Belize River Valley

Michael Biggie, John P. Walden, Kyle Shaw-Müller, Michael L. Petrozza, Olivia P. Ellis, Ian N. Roa, Norbert Stanchly, Rafael A. Guerra, Claire E. Ebert, Julie A. Hoggarth, Jaime J. Awe

Anthropology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent excavations at the ancient Maya minor center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Belize River Valley revealed an especially large - about 20 million shells - Middle Preclassic (900-300 BC) shell deposit underlying the plaza. Although marine shell species make up a small percentage of the assemblage, most shells are Pachychilus spp., a common freshwater snail known in the southern Maya Lowlands as jute. This report describes the architectural context and assemblage of the deposit and compares it to similar examples in the region. We propose that the Tutu Uitz Na deposit provides one of the earliest examples of depictions of the Maya primordial sea in an architectural context.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Latin American Antiquity
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/laq.2023.15
State	Accepted/In press - 2023

Keywords

Preclassic Maya
ceremonial sources of power and authority
freshwater shell (jute) deposits
sacred landscapes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Archaeology
History
Archaeology

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10.1017/laq.2023.15

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title = "Shell Games: A Middle Preclassic Shell Deposit at the Minor Center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Upper Belize River Valley",

abstract = "Recent excavations at the ancient Maya minor center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Belize River Valley revealed an especially large - about 20 million shells - Middle Preclassic (900-300 BC) shell deposit underlying the plaza. Although marine shell species make up a small percentage of the assemblage, most shells are Pachychilus spp., a common freshwater snail known in the southern Maya Lowlands as jute. This report describes the architectural context and assemblage of the deposit and compares it to similar examples in the region. We propose that the Tutu Uitz Na deposit provides one of the earliest examples of depictions of the Maya primordial sea in an architectural context.",

keywords = "Preclassic Maya, ceremonial sources of power and authority, freshwater shell (jute) deposits, sacred landscapes",

author = "Michael Biggie and Walden, {John P.} and Kyle Shaw-M{\"u}ller and Petrozza, {Michael L.} and Ellis, {Olivia P.} and Roa, {Ian N.} and Norbert Stanchly and Guerra, {Rafael A.} and Ebert, {Claire E.} and Hoggarth, {Julie A.} and Awe, {Jaime J.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Society for American Archaeology.",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.1017/laq.2023.15",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Latin American Antiquity",

issn = "1045-6635",

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AU - Petrozza, Michael L.

AU - Ellis, Olivia P.

AU - Roa, Ian N.

AU - Stanchly, Norbert

AU - Guerra, Rafael A.

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AU - Hoggarth, Julie A.

AU - Awe, Jaime J.

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AB - Recent excavations at the ancient Maya minor center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Belize River Valley revealed an especially large - about 20 million shells - Middle Preclassic (900-300 BC) shell deposit underlying the plaza. Although marine shell species make up a small percentage of the assemblage, most shells are Pachychilus spp., a common freshwater snail known in the southern Maya Lowlands as jute. This report describes the architectural context and assemblage of the deposit and compares it to similar examples in the region. We propose that the Tutu Uitz Na deposit provides one of the earliest examples of depictions of the Maya primordial sea in an architectural context.

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Shell Games: A Middle Preclassic Shell Deposit at the Minor Center of Tutu Uitz Na in the Upper Belize River Valley

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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