Equality in the Periphery of Lamanai: Assessing a Maya Community in the 10th and 11th Centuries a.d.

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper explores the spatial distribution of the built environment in the 10th and 11th centuries a.d. in the periphery of Lamanai, a Precolumbian Maya site in northern Belize. Analysis of structures, labor investments, and ceramic distributions indicates that the periphery was characterized by a small, monumental core between Lamanai and Ka’kabish, known as Coco Chan, which radiated outwards, with smaller structures in the periphery. Ceramic assemblages and their distributions show that artifacts are concentrated near Coco Chan, which may indicate differences in access to materials in the periphery of Lamanai. The Gini Index, a method used to measure dispersion, shows that the settlement (i.e., area per structure) has a relatively high degree of economic equality as compared to other areas in the Maya world. The structures and ceramic assemblages in the periphery of Lamanai may help to explain its uninterrupted occupation history.