The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals
Recognition of the role of animals in ancient diet, economy, politics, and ritual is vital to understanding ancient cultures fully, while following the clues available from animal remains in reconstructing environments is vital to understanding the ancient relationship between humans and the world around them. In response to the growing interest in the field of zooarchaeology, this volume presents current research from across the many cultures and regions of Mesoamerica, dealing specifically with the most current issues in zooarchaeological literature. Geographically, the essays collected here index the different aspects of animal use by the indigenous populations of the entire area between the northern borders of Mexico and the southern borders of lower Central America. This includes such diverse cultures as the north Mexican hunter-gatherers, the Olmec, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Central American Indians. The time frame of the volume extends from the earliest human occupation, the Preclassic, Classic, Postclassic, and Colonial manifestations, to recent times. The book's chapters, written by experts in the field of Mesoamerican zooarchaeology, provide important general background on the domestic and ritual use of animals in early and classic Mesoamerica and Central America, but deal also with special aspects of human-animal relationships such as early domestication and symbolism of animals, and important yet otherwise poorly represented aspects of taphonomy and zooarchaeological methodology. Spanish-language version also available (ISBN 978-1-937040-12-3).
1115050671
The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals
Recognition of the role of animals in ancient diet, economy, politics, and ritual is vital to understanding ancient cultures fully, while following the clues available from animal remains in reconstructing environments is vital to understanding the ancient relationship between humans and the world around them. In response to the growing interest in the field of zooarchaeology, this volume presents current research from across the many cultures and regions of Mesoamerica, dealing specifically with the most current issues in zooarchaeological literature. Geographically, the essays collected here index the different aspects of animal use by the indigenous populations of the entire area between the northern borders of Mexico and the southern borders of lower Central America. This includes such diverse cultures as the north Mexican hunter-gatherers, the Olmec, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Central American Indians. The time frame of the volume extends from the earliest human occupation, the Preclassic, Classic, Postclassic, and Colonial manifestations, to recent times. The book's chapters, written by experts in the field of Mesoamerican zooarchaeology, provide important general background on the domestic and ritual use of animals in early and classic Mesoamerica and Central America, but deal also with special aspects of human-animal relationships such as early domestication and symbolism of animals, and important yet otherwise poorly represented aspects of taphonomy and zooarchaeological methodology. Spanish-language version also available (ISBN 978-1-937040-12-3).
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The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals

The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals

The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals

The Archaeology of Mesoamerican Animals

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Overview

Recognition of the role of animals in ancient diet, economy, politics, and ritual is vital to understanding ancient cultures fully, while following the clues available from animal remains in reconstructing environments is vital to understanding the ancient relationship between humans and the world around them. In response to the growing interest in the field of zooarchaeology, this volume presents current research from across the many cultures and regions of Mesoamerica, dealing specifically with the most current issues in zooarchaeological literature. Geographically, the essays collected here index the different aspects of animal use by the indigenous populations of the entire area between the northern borders of Mexico and the southern borders of lower Central America. This includes such diverse cultures as the north Mexican hunter-gatherers, the Olmec, Maya, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Central American Indians. The time frame of the volume extends from the earliest human occupation, the Preclassic, Classic, Postclassic, and Colonial manifestations, to recent times. The book's chapters, written by experts in the field of Mesoamerican zooarchaeology, provide important general background on the domestic and ritual use of animals in early and classic Mesoamerica and Central America, but deal also with special aspects of human-animal relationships such as early domestication and symbolism of animals, and important yet otherwise poorly represented aspects of taphonomy and zooarchaeological methodology. Spanish-language version also available (ISBN 978-1-937040-12-3).

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781937040154
Publisher: Lockwood Press
Publication date: 11/15/2013
Series: Archaeobiology , #1
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 780
File size: 8 MB

About the Author

Christopher M. Gotz is Profesor-Investigador (lecturer & researcher), Facultad de Ciencias Antropologicas, UADY. Kitty F. Emery is Associate Curator of Environmental Archaeology, Florida Museum of Natural History.

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix

List of Tables xix

Abbreviations xxv

1 Introduction Christopher M. Götz 1

Northwest Area and Central Plateau

2 Dog Remains from the Marismas Nacionales Elizabeth S. Wing 23

3 Coastal Resources in the City of the Gods Bernardo Rodríguez Galicia Raúl Valadez Azúa 49

4 Birds of the Pre-Hispanic Domestic Spheres of Central Mexico Eduardo Corona-Martínez 81

5 The Zooarchaeology of Olmec and Epi-Olmec Foodways along Mexico's Gulf Coast Tanya M. Peres Amber M. Vanderwarker Christopher A. Pool 95

6 Animal Use in the Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca, Mexico Heather A. Lapham Andrew K. Balkansky Ayla M. Amadio 129

7 Animal Economies in Pre-Hispanic Southern Mexico Heather A. Lapham Gary M. Feinman Linda M. Nicholas 153

Northern Maya Lowlands

8 The Use of Animals by the Pre-Hispanic Maya of the Northern Lowlands Christopher M. Götz Travis W. Stanton 191

9 Animal Consumption at the Monumental Center of Mayapán Marilyn A. Masson Carlos Peraza Lope 233

10 Archaeofauna at Isla Cilvituk, Campeche, Mexico: Residential Site Structure and Taphonomy in Postclassic Mesoamerica Rani T. Alexander John A. Hunter Sean Arata Ruth Martínez Cervantes Kristen Scudder 281

Southern Maya Lowlands and Maya Highlands

11 Inferring the Archaeological Context through Taphonomy: The Use of the White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Chinikihá, Chiapas Coral Montero López 315

12 Late-Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century Animal Use by San Pedro Maya and British Populations at Holotunich, Belize Erin Kennedy Thornton Olivia Ng Cackler 351

13 Archaeological Animals of the Southern Maya Highlands: Zooarchaeology of Kaminaljuyu Kitty F. Emery Erin Kennedy Thornton Nicole R. Cannarozzi Stephen Houston Héctor Escobedo 381

Mesoamerica's Southern Neighbors

14 Preliminary Analysis of the Zooarchaeology of the San Cristóbal Site, Nicaragua: The Bounty of Mohammed's Paradise David N. Rewniak Paul F. Healy Morgan Tamplin 417

15 Molluscs as Food in a Prolific Coastal Environment: Evidence for Selective Foraging and Taphonomy from Cueva de los Vampiros (Central Panama) Diana Rocío Carvajal Contreras 443

16 Pre-Columbian Exploitation of Birds around Panama Bay Richard G. Cooke David W. Steadman Máximo Jiménez Ilean Isaza Aizpurúa 479

17 Crawling and Walking at the Same Time: Challenges in "Animal Archaeology" in Northern South America Elizabeth Ramos Roca 531

Taxonomic Reviews of Mesoamerican Fauna

18 The Dog in the Mexican Archaeozoological Record Raúl Valadez Azúa Alicia Blanco Padilla Bernardo Rodríguez Galicia Gilberto Pérez Roldán 557

19 Bats in Ancient Mesoamerica Laura Navarro Joaquín Arroyo-Cabrales 583

20 Conclusion: From Zooarchaeological Remains to a Human Context Kitty F. Emery 607

References Cited 631

List of Contributors 721

Subject Index 725

Index of Places 743

Taxonomic Index 749

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