Historical and Archaeological Perspectives on the Itzas of Petén, Guatemala ed. by Prudence M. Rice and Don S. Rice (review)

Historical and Archaeological Perspectives is one of few books about the history and archaeology of the Itza Maya of Peten, Guatemala—the last Maya peoples conquered by the Spaniards. Rice and Rice have dedicated much of their careers to researching the Itza Maya and building multidisciplinary perspectives, particularly through ethnohistory and studies of material culture. The authors of the book's eighteen chapters focus on colonial-period Itza, not the few contemporary Itza people now remaining in the region, though they do weave modern linguistic material into their discussions. Archaeology receives slightly more treatment in the volume than does history. The authors consulted mainly published documentary sources to compile their useful historical information. The editors have extensive practice with intertwining historical with archaeological data from their previous companion volume about the Kowoj Maya, the Itzas' rivals—The Kowoj: Identity, Migration, and Geo-politics in Late Postclassic Petén, Guatemala (Boulder, 2012). We have more documents and literature about the Itza than about the Kowoj Maya.

The Itza Maya maintained an indigenous kingdom centered on the politico-religious capital of Noh Peten (Flores Island) before and after the Spaniards arrived. This indigenous group raided and traded with Maya under Spanish rule, drawing the attention of the Spaniards for pacification and religious conversion. The historical interest in the Itza Maya (also Itzá, Peten Itza, and Itzaj in the literature) is also related to their independent economic, political, and religious organization on the colonial frontier. Most works published on the Itza are in Spanish. Many of the studies in English appeared twenty years ago or even earlier. Yet, scholars know little about Itza Mayan history and culture when compared to other Maya, such as the K'iche, Kakchiquel, and Yucatec peoples. Because of this book, however, we know more about the past Itza Maya than about their neighboring Maya—including the Yucatec and the Ch'olti-speaking Lacandon, Mopan, and Ch'ol—due to the dearth of historical and archaeological research about them.

Previous work focused on Itza Maya culture and the conquest through the use of primary and secondary Spanish and indigenous sources. This book synthesizes the historical information related to Itza Maya origins, ethnic identity, political structure, and population distribution and presents material evidence about these topics. The editors have extensive knowledge of the ethnohistoric record compiled by their colleagues, which they include throughout the volume. However, archaeologists (mostly the editors) wrote the majority of the book's chapters with contributions from a linguist. Historians will be interested in the discussion of the written accounts and how archaeological evidence can help to reconstruct Itza history and society. Archaeologists will appreciate the utilization of material remains—mainly architecture, ceramics, and stone tools—together with written sources to learn more about Itza Mayan ethnicity, population movements, social structure, and political factionalism.

The first part of the book provides an introduction to the environment and geography of the Department of Peten in the southern Maya lowlands, where the Itza kingdoms were located, and describes neighboring Maya groups. The editors lay out the theoretical and historical underpinnings of Itza history, society, migrations, and identity. In his linguistic comparisons, Charles Andrew Hofling shows that Itza Maya have a deep history of interaction with other Yucatec-speaking peoples, in addition to sustained contact with Ch'olan speakers surrounding them to the west and south. Mark Brenner's chapter discusses the geology, sedimentation, natural history, and origins of Lake Peten Itza, the human impact on and around the lake, and the evidence for climate change from lake sediment data.

The second part of the book addresses issues regarding the origins of the Itza Maya in Peten. Prudence Rice succinctly summarizes previously published hieroglyphic, archaeological, and historical research and explores Itza migrations from and to Peten and the northern part of the Yucatan Peninsula, supplemented with comparative information, using published native...