Abstract

JOHNSON, Lisa M.. Tracing the ritual deposits: establishing an archaeological framework for the study of ritual practices in Palenque. Estud. cult. maya [online]. 2018, vol.52, pp.51-76. ISSN 0185-2574.  https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.ecm.2018.52.932.

Excavations throughout the eastern Maya lowlands of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize have revealed widespread patterns in ritual practice, including patterns in the types of materials used in ritualized offerings and human burials placed within the floors and plazas of public temples and private homes. Yet, the material traces of past ritualized events appear to be markedly different in the western lowlands, particularly at the city of Palenque. This article discusses the caches recovered from Palenque’s temples as well as the preliminary results of excavations carried out in a residential group and finds that the materials included in these ritual deposits often include possible organic materials rather than the typical materials found in eastern lowland examples. To consider just how practice was distinct in this region, a more comprehensive approach to an archaeology of ritual is proposed, one that includes a consideration for the micro-scale residues of ritualized actions.

Keywords : ritual; microarchaeology; offerings; Palenque; Group IV.

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