Ancient Maya Commoners

Chapter 4. Of Salt and Water: Ancient Commoners on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala

CHAPTER 4 Of Salt and Water: Ancient Commoners on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala bárbara arroyo The study of commoners poses several problems in archaeology. First, the definition for commoners is a very broad one, normally referring to a person not of the nobility, a member of the common people, and second, it is difficult to clearly identify them on the archaeological record. Arlen and Diane Chase mentioned that the actual identification of ‘‘. . . commoners can be accommodated using traditional archaeological data, but with a bit more rigor than has sometimes been used in the past’’ (1992:12). Specifically for the Maya, they further argue that concepts such as egalitarian and two-class complexes are broad categories that are not overly helpful in interpreting the archaeological record. Contributions from this volume may help us understand useful ways to approach the study of commoners in Maya prehistory. Commoners Research on the Pacific Coast Almost every archaeological project carried out on the Pacific coast of Guatemala has focused on a general problem: aspects such as the origins and evolution of complex societies (Arroyo 1994; Coe 1961; Pye and Demarest 1991), the role of the Olmec and Teotihuacán on the Pacific coast (Love 1989), and the transition of chiefdoms to states (Bove et al. 1993). While the role of commoners is important to help understand the questions just mentioned, most projects have focused on single sites or regional surveys (Bove 1989; Chinchilla 1996). This has been done to gain a general perspective on the settlement hierarchy of a particular area and chronology and to obtain a wide sample of material that can provide information on ancient settlement patterns. Here, I present data from the 74 Bárbara Arroyo Figure 4.1. Map of the Pacific coast of Guatemala showing the location of sites mentioned in the text Early Formative to the Postclassic that provide information on coastal commoners. Early Formative Commoners The earliest occupation documented to date on the Pacific coast of Guatemala corresponds to the Early Formative (1500–800 BC) period. We now have an ample perspective of the early occupation covering the regions between La Victoria and the Tecojate Zone and farther to the east (Figure 4.1). It is known that population density was low, the settlement was concentrated on the edges of estuaries and mangroves, and each region developed differently. There is a need to address regions individually to understand the different levels of social complexity and the role of commoners by region. Although a developed chiefdom may have existed in Of Salt and Water 75 Chiapas, and perhaps along the western Pacific coast, the remaining section seems to have been organized in a less complex manner. La Victoria, Salinas La Blanca, and El Mesak The sites of La Victoria, Salinas La Blanca, and El Mesak (see Figure 4.1), located in a rich area of estuaries and swamps, have been identified as fishing hamlets (Coe 1961; Coe and Flannery 1967; Pye and Demarest 1991). Excavation findings include living floors and associated features such as postholes, hearths, ceramics, and subsistence remains. The inhabitants subsisted on a variety of aquatic resources and mangrove fauna, demonstrating the importance of estuary products as food. Crude milling stones are present and, with them, inferential evidence for agriculture.Textile art is partly preserved through decorative impressions on pottery. Cordage of agave and cotton fibers is impressed on pottery. The only evidence for ritual activity at La Victoria is illustrated by the presence of figurines. In contrast, at El Mesak, excavations uncovered a ceremonial construction dating to 1090±60 BC, suggesting a greater degree of social complexity than earlier research had revealed (Pye et al. 1999), hence showing the diverse social dynamics of the Early Formative society. At Salinas La Blanca, dating to the end of the Early Formative, there is a slightly different pattern from that of La Victoria and El Mesak. Michael Coe and Kent Flannery (1967:71) proposed a self-sufficient and totally sedentary hamlet, well adapted to coastal farming life. Although more research in this region is needed to better understand the Early Formative, groups that settled on the western Pacific coast of Guatemala evidence relatively complex behavior. Archaeological sites consist of two or more mounds, and large buildings suggest some kind of ceremonial activity. Suchitepéquez and Escuintla Most of the archaeological sites found in the area of Suchitepéquez and Escuintla...