Under the direction of Dr. Prudence Rice, MS Leslie Cecil will collect data for her doctoral dissertation. She will conduct both stylistic and technological analysis on a large series of potsherds from Postclassic sites in the Peten region of Guatemala. The Peten was inhabited by Mayan speaking peoples and the archaeology of the Classic period - the height of Mayan development in the region - is well known. The early Spanish explorers in the region encountered the descendents of these groups and the written descriptions they recorded have been extensively analyzed. However it is difficult to match this written record with individual Classic period Mayan groups. During the intervening Postclassic period, the highly centralized form of social organization which resulted in the construction of impressive temples and monuments was transformed and populations were redistributed into smaller more dispersed and independent units. Archaeologists wish to understand why and how this process occurred and thus, in recent years have increasingly focused on the Postclassic period. They have learned that it is difficult to match individual sites to places and groups mentioned in the Spanish descriptions and MS. Cecil's research is directed towards this goal.
Ceramics can be fabricated in a variety of ways and the potential variation in the form and decoration on the finished products are practically endless. Pottery is produced and used in a social context and its final form reflects unspoken group rules as do other aspects of culture. Through both stylistic and technological analysis of potsherds from a number of Postclassic Peten sites, MS Cecil will determine commonalties and differences among sites, define larger social units and then hopefully link these to ethnohistorically described groups.
This research is important for several reasons. It will provide insight into what is commonly regarded as the "collapse" of Mayan society. It will help to refine an analytic technique of potentially wide archaeological applicability and assist in training a promising young scientist.
