| This thesis examines the mortuary assemblage from the ancient Maya centre of Minanha, located in the North Vaca Plateau of west-central Belize. The study is an intra-site mortuary analysis that highlights the major trends of a comparative analysis of sociopolitical or socioeconomic status across temporal periods. The assemblage spans from the Late Preclassic (400 B.C.- A.D. 100) to the Early Postclassic (A.D. 900-1200). Analysis indicates that occupants of Minanha's Late Classic (A.D. 675-810) epicentre/royal court complex invested more energy in their grave constructions and grave offerings than other segments of the community, and that changes in the mortuary record correspond roughly with sociopolitical changes at the centre. Inter-site comparisons at the end of the thesis demonstrate that the Minanha mortuary assemblage fits with the Vaca Plateau regional trends, and that Minanha may have been influenced by the centers of Pacbitun, and/or Caracol.;Keywords: Maya, ancient Maya, Belize, Minanha, mortuary, social status, burial. bioarchaeology, osteology. |
