An osteotaphonomic and GIS-based analysis of an ancient Maya tomb from Uxbenká, Belize

The goal of this thesis research is to uncover whether Tomb L2, a Classic period (A.D. 250 – A.D. 900) Maya tomb from Uxbenká, Belize, represents a funerary or non-funerary (sacrificial) context. I conduct an in-depth analysis of the mortuary behavior in Tomb L2 through a complete bioarchaeological assessment of skeletal remains using a multi-disciplinary approach combining osteotaphonomic observations, multiple minimum number of individual (MNI) techniques, and GIS software. I differentiate between the two forms of ritual activity by comparing demographic distribution, style of body treatment, spatial association of elements, surface taphonomy, and sequence of deposition, among other variables to expected characteristics of ancient Maya funerary and non-funerary (sacrificial) behavior and their associated osteotaphonomic signatures. Utilizing the mortuary data uncovered from Tomb L2, the current study seeks to contextualize Tomb L2 within the mortuary program of Uxbenká by assessing the ways in which mortuary practices at Tomb L2 are similar or different from those practiced elsewhere at the site. I focus on synthesizing mortuary data from burial contexts at Uxbenká to reconstruct the mortuary program and explore how Tomb L2 mortuary practices aligned or diverged from that program. The results indicate that Tomb L2 depicts a clear funerary status consistent with established models of ancestor veneration. Various aspects of mortuary behavior observed in Tomb L2 overlap with those exhibited by other burial contexts at Uxbenká such as the number of individuals in a grave space, and preferred body treatment, while diverging in other ways such as MNI, elaborateness of funerary architecture, trauma, and the presence of rare, ritually significant grave inclusions. These findings contribute significantly to our knowledge of the overarching mortuary program conducted by the ancient Maya of Uxbenká, as well as the diversity and complexity of mortuary treatments performed by the ancient Maya.