Analysis of late preclassic period lime plaster floors at Holmul, Guatemala

Abstract

This article investigates lime plaster composition and floor construction at the ancient Maya center of Holmul in northern Guatemala during the Late Preclassic period (400 BCE – 250 CE). The mineralogical and chemical composition of these lime plaster floor samples were obtained through the analysis of thin sections via Polarizing and Optical Microscopy, SEM-EDS, and portable XRF. Examination of these archaeological plasters determined that significant improvements were made to the lime plaster technology at Holmul during the Late Preclassic period and were accompanied by the incorporation of barite into the lime plaster. This research also revealed the early utilization of alternative materials for floors in civic-ceremonial centers, as one floor sample was composed of clay plaster and another of a compacted sascab. Finally, by building upon prior plaster studies conducted at neighboring centers, this article provides a better understanding of plaster production in the Cival region. It also offers insight into a potential local tradition involving the addition of barite to the lime plaster at the sites of Cival, Holmul, and San Bartolo.