Investigations of Middle Preclassic Public Architecture at the site of Blackman Eddy, Belize

Conclusions

The new evidence from Blackman Eddy suggests that both the architectural tradition of decorating structures with mask facades and the triadic form of architecture may have antecedents in the Middle Preclassic. There seems to be continuity between ritual activity of the Middle Preclassic and the Late Preclassic time periods. This ritual activity appears to be related to elite interaction with the supernatural emphasizing the basic theme of life, death and rebirth. The recent discoveries of a Middle Preclassic mask armature, as well as elaborate public architecture and defined sacred space at Blackman Eddy, Belize indicates that the Middle Preclassic Maya social structure may have been more complex than previously thought. It appears that there may have been some type of formal rulership in place at this time. This is not to suggest that the institution of kingship emerged during the Middle Preclassic, however the basic ideological framework from which the institution developed may have been in place allowing for an easy transition to centralized leadership.

Structure B1 at the site of Blackman Eddy has provided a unique opportunity to investigate possibly the earliest documented public architecture in the Maya Lowlands. Unauthorized bulldozing activity destroyed the western portion of the mound. The remaining portion of the mound was in danger, as large sections were eroding and collapsing into the bulldozer cut. This unfortunate situation, however, prompted the Belize Department of Archaeology to allow full horizontal exposure of each construction phase. This type of excavation is extremely time consuming and expensive. The generous funding from FAMSI greatly assisted with the cost of labor, transportation, and analysis. This funding allowed the opportunity to intensively investigate and salvage architecture dating to the early Middle Preclassic. Data pertaining to the early Middle Preclassic is limited and the new information from Blackman Eddy will no doubt greatly increase our knowledge about the prehistory and origins of the Maya.

Previous Page  |  Table of Contents  |  Next Page

Return to top of page