Under the direction of Dr. E. Wyllys Andrews MS Jenifer Piehl will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. She will conduct archaeological excavation at the Mayan site of Baking Pot, located in Belize, and analyze the materials which she and other researchers collect. She will focus on the relative status of women at this Classic Mayan site and the results of her study will provide insight into how this complex society was organized. It is clear that the Mayans divided themselves into lineages and residential units and that clear status distinctions existed between individuals. However is not known whether status distinctions cut across lineage groups or whether entire lineages were ranked as units relative to each other. Through the study of females and variation of status within this gender based group, underlying principles of Mayan organization can be addressed. Past work at Baking Pot has yielded a series of burial remains but the number of individual graves is not great enough to permit statistical analysis. MS Piehl will participate in the excavation of domestic areas in order to increase sample size. She will then study both new and old material and analyze the skeletons themselves as well as associated grave goods. On the basis of the amount and nature of the latter insight into status is possible. Elite individuals are buried with non-utilitarian objects crafted from rare materials often imported from considerable distances. Analysis of skeletal remains also provides extremely important information. Stress indicators such as defects in tooth enamel, caries, premortem tooth loss and thickness of cranial bone provide insight into health and nutrition. Isotopic analysis of bone can indicate relative access to valued food resources such as corn. Through such analyses ranges of variation within and between genders can be determined. This research is important for several reasons. It will shed light on how Mayan civilization arose and was maintained. It will provide data of interest to many archaeologists and assist in training a promising young scientist.
