Plants of the Underworld: Ritual Plant Use in Ancient Maya Cave Ceremonies

Paleoethnobotanical Investigations

Archaeobotanical sampling yielded a number of well preserved food remains including domesticated crops and the fruits of economically useful trees. Numerous species of wood charcoal were recovered as well.

Actun Nak Beh was the only cave that yielded carbonized remains of edible tree fruits. The pits of nancé (Byrsonima crassifolia) (Figure 2, shown above) and the endocarps of the cohune palm (Attalea cohune) (Figure 3) were retrieved from a Late Classic burial located at the cave’s entrance.

Archaeobotanical specimens from domesticated cultigens were found at Actun Chapat, Actun Chechem Ha, and Barton Creek Cave. Evidence of domesticated crops from Actun Chapat consist of maize fragments (Zea mays) (Figure 4, shown above), beans (Phaseolus sp.), and squash rinds (Cucurbita sp.). Maize cobs and kernel fragments were retrieved from Actun Chechem Ha as well (Figure 5). Also at Chechem Ha, microfloral analysis conducted on soil from complete vessels and residues from ceramic sherds yielded maize starch grains (Figure 6). The best-preserved domesticated food remains were found at Barton Creek Cave. Maize and beans were found in hearth features and burials distributed throughout the cave. A single, large hearth feature at Barton Creek Cave yielded an amazing assemblage of domesticates, including squash rinds and the seeds of two species of squash, Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita pepo (Figure 7, shown below). The assemblage also included 41 chile pepper (Capsicum annum) seeds (Figure 8) and the fruit bases (calyxes) of chile peppers and maize remains (Figure 9). The maize remains consist of complete and fragmented cobs and kernels. Some cobs have the husks still intact, while others are small, underdeveloped basal cobs. Also, maize stem fragments were found in abundance (Figure 10). The numerous maize stems, in conjunction with the entirely unprocessed ears and basal cobs, suggest that entire maize plants were deposited. The same observation can be made of the squash and chile peppers because the seeds of each were found in association with fragments of their fruits. A carbonized textile fragment was recovered from the same feature (Figure 11). The cloth is composed of Z-spun, S-plied warp and weft elements, woven into a 2 X 2 twill pattern (Figure 12). Electron microscopy revealed that cotton fibers were used to manufacture the textile.

Finally, many wood charcoal remains were identified in the archaeobotanical assemblage. The most ubiquitous charcoal recovered was pine (Pinus sp.) (Figure 13). All caves yielded pine remains, although the distribution of pine varied among the cave sites. A wide variety of hardwoods were identified also, including avocado (Persea sp.), habín (Piscidia sp.), copal (Protium sp.), and cacao (Theobroma sp.).

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