With National Science Foundation support, Dr. Patricia A. McAnany and graduate student Satoru Murata will conduct one field season of archaeological research at Wits Cah Ak'al, a Classic period (AD 250 -900) Maya site in Belize, Central America. While the site is located immediately adjacent to the most heavily traveled highway in the country, and hence is highly visible, it has never been excavated by archaeologists. Nevertheless, from the surface artifact assemblage,it is clear that the site was involved in an ancient form of salt production during the Classic period, likely of a specialized nature. Survey at the site so far puts the site size at over 260 ha (1 sq. mile), making Wits Cah Ak'al one of the largest salt production sites in the Maya region. Interestingly, at nearly 10 km from the coast, the site is also the most inland salt production locale along the Caribbean. Finally, there is some tantalizing evidence which suggests that the site also may have been a locale of intensive pottery production -making it, if confirmed, one of the first such sites to be documented in Maya archaeology.
Dr. McAnany and Mr. Murata will be aided by a team of researchers representing diverse fields, including geography, geology, palynology, archaeometry, and archaeology. The goals of the research are to (1) precisely bracket the time period during which salt production was conducted at the site, (2) determine the various techniques that were utilized for this purpose, (3) explain the apparent rise and fall of this industry, (4) explicate the anomaly of site location, and (5) gather evidence that will substantiate or refute the conjecture that Wits Cah Ak'al also was a pottery production center. The team of investigators will work closely together, both in the field and in the labs in order to realize these goals, utilizing cutting edge technology including remote sensing, soil chemical analysis, pollen core analysis, thin-section petrography, chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy of ceramics, and replicative experiments.
New information on ancient Maya salt production garnered through this project will complement and enhance current knowledge of the nature of this industry which was an integral part of Classic Maya economy. The project also will contribute to archaeology on a wider scale, by adding invaluable data to the growing body of literature on specialization studies - an area pertinent to researchers of all ancient complex societies.
The field season also is part of Boston University's Belize Archaeological Field School. Twelve undergraduates from BU and elsewhere will receive in-depth and hands-on experience and training in archaeological fieldwork and lab analyses. Furthermore, nearly half of the site is currently owned by a private landowner who wished to develop it for cultural/eco-tourism. Therefore, it is crucial to minimize the impact of development, which can be realized through maintaining close dialogue with the landowner. Finally, because the site is located immediately adjacent to the most heavily traveled highway in the country, Wits Cah Ak'al is constantly subjected to the dangers of looting; in fact, several of the largest mounds have already been looted. In order to mitigate these dangers, The researchers intend to work with local authorities and the local media to disseminate information regarding the site to the wider public.
