From ritual to refuse: faunal exploitation by the elite of Chinikiha, Chiapas, during the Late Classic Period

Submission note: A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Historical and European Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora.

The faunal exploitation by Maya elite at the site of Chinikiha, Chiapas is explored, especially during the end of the Late/Terminal Classic Period (700-850 AD), a period characterized by an increasing political competitiveness. In order to do so, emphasis is placed on a faunal assemblage located behind a palatial structure was analysed through the application of standard zooarchaeological and isotope analyses. Statistical tests were then applied to test the results and identify patterns in the distribution of materials that would help to define the context in which they were found. The assemblage of Chinikiha probably represents the discarded remains of several feasting events in a one single deposit, Operacion 114. While most of the anthropological and archaeological feast markers are present, specific zooarchaeological markers resulted ambiguous, and suggest that the identification of feasting based exclusively on zooarchaeological markers is not evident, and in absence of other complimentary data, such as ceramics, macrobotanical remains, and a thoroughly analysis of the taphonomic history of the context, there are very few animal-based markers that could be used to define the deposit. Nevertheless, the contextual data reveal that there was a structured behaviour that depart from common daily life meal processing and consuming, and provide new information on faunal exploitation patterns by elite groups in a smaller polity in the Maya Lowlands. The results of this analysis suggests that there is very little change in the way faunal resources were exploited during the Late Classic period, suggesting continuity in the way the elite at Chinikiha managed the faunal resources that were available to them. Furthermore, the minor changes that are observable in the deposit, suggest changes in the depositional history and how the material were integrated in the archaeological record. Other minor variations in access to animal protein were also identified. The isotopic analysis conducted on a human sample likely to represent members of the elite, provides information on differences in access to meat and plant resources based on gender and status. The access to meat was probably highly controlled by the elite, resulting in a differentiated access, possibly reflecting the social role a person had in life. Although the diet was primarily based on the consumption of corn, it is highly possible that it was complemented with some animal protein. Some of this was in the form of deer meat provided by the elite in sponsored feasts. The results of the animal assemblage mostly obtained in the wild, from the immediate surroundings of Chinikiha. This information was complemented with seasonality data that suggest there was a constant supply of animals for ritual and non-ritual uses, and that probably faunal resources were regulated or managed by the elite, anticipating future feasts. The results from Chinikiha provide new evidence for faunal exploitation in the Maya Lowlands, and coincide with published data from other sites, confirming that there was no noticeable change in the consumption patterns of fauna in ritual activities through the Late/Terminal Classic period, and therefore, there is no evidence of the so-called “environmental collapse”. Furthermore, there is some continuity in the exploitation pattern from elite contexts through that period, maintaining the emphasis on a few species of high utility, such as the white-tailed deer and the dog. A pattern of consumption based on prime-aged animals, and more specifically, the use of meaty portions such as the haunch was observed at Chinikiha. Finally, this study suggests that, there was intensification in feasting activities by the elite of Chinikiha, as a means to display their power to other rival polities, especially during the Late Classic period, a period of increased political interactions.