With National Science Foundation support Dr David Webster will conduct one season of archeological field research at Copan Honduras. This large Mayan site has been the focus of extensive excavation, much of it by Dr. Webster and his colleagues, and the basic history and settlement pattern are well known. The site is large, contains both massive stone architecture as well as many small associated settlements and house mounds. It was occupied over much of Mayan prehistory and thus documents both the rise and subsequent decline of this society. In previous work Dr. Webster located a compound which appears to have been the residence of an elite group. With National Science Foundation support he will extend his survey and excavation in this area. He will clear the vegetation, re-establish a grid and map in all ancillary structures. At least one 2x2 meter trench will then be excavated adjacent to each such structure down to sterile soil. A large shallow trench will also be cut down to the latest living surface in front of one set of structures to search for signs of residential activities such as cooking. Finally a long trench will be excavated to tie this area in with other regions of the site. Trash middens and burials, usually found at the rears of such buildings will provide materials for absolute date determinations. With relatively simple technology Mayan peoples developed large city-like settlements with monumental architecture which indicates the ability to mobilize and control large numbers of people and to bind them together into functioning social units. Based on differences in the size of residence compounds and differences in relative wealth of grave goods it is clear that society was organized in a hierarchical fashion and that developed religious, economic and political systems supported this differentiation. However surprising little is known about elites themselves and how they lived and exercised control. It is unclear whether the concept of `elite` is useful or not since archaeologists do not know how much variation exists within and between Mayan sites. This project will help to yield an answer since it will provide systematic information about one such group. Based on research to date this residence appears to span the period which includes both Classic and Postclassic periods and thus records both the apex and decline of the site. Thus it may be possible to determine how elite roles changed over time. This research will provide data of interest to many archaeologists. It will shed light into how social differentiation emerges and is maintained and how the Mayan civilization functioned at the height of its development.
