Economic Foundations of Mayapán Project: Results of the 2001 Season

Faunal Analysis

A sideline project on the analysis of faunal remains was also initiated by Masson and Amanda Schreiner on all of animal bone from surface collections of 2001, a sample of the houselot excavations of Brown (1999), and a sample of the monumental zone excavations of Peraza (Masson et al. 2002). Some interesting preliminary results have emerged. For the site as a whole (Figure 21), mammals were the mainstay of the diet (43%), with birds (14%) representing the second most common category. At least half of these bird bones are turkey, although some parrot has also been identified. White tail deer and dog were the most common mammals consumed at Mayapán, with far fewer quantities of brocket deer and peccary represented (Figure 22). Comparisons of monumental zone fauna to that of outlying houselots tested by Brown (and our surface concentrations) reveals a striking contrast. Dog bones are scarce in houselot samples analyzed, suggesting that this species may have been a preferred ritual food. Birds also appear proportionately greater in the monumental zone compared to their distribution at the site as a whole (Figure 23).

Variation is also observed within monumental zone contexts (Figure 24). Dog was particularly important at the Caracol midden (Q-152), along with turkey/bird bone and iguana. Dog was also common near the Q-79 platform. Deer appears more common at the Cenote Ch’en Mul platform (Q-153) and at the Castillo (Q-162). Much of the dog and deer bone at the Caracol were those of nearly mature subadults or very young adults, based on scarce tooth wear and the presence of unfused long bone epiphyses (Figure 25, shown below). One context at Q-162 has eleven deer mandibles with smaller numbers of postcrania. At least five deer are represented, and four of these are young adults or juveniles. Many other contexts in the monumental zone also have primarily immature or very young adult dog and deer bones. These age profiles suggest these animals were not procured through random hunting activities, but were likely to have been yard-raised at Mayapán and killed at a young age for use in ritual and feasting. Game is thus another resource that we have identified at Mayapán, and this correlates nicely with ethnohistoric references that suggest this site harbored game resources for exchange with coastal sites (Landa 1941:40).

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