Abstract
Archaeobotanical remains of ocote pine have been recovered from different Classic Period (AD 300 - 900) Maya sites indicating use in ritual ceremonies and in household refuse for the fertilization of agricultural fields. Our results in the Palenque region, at the archaeological site of Chinikihá dating to Cal AD 620, suggest that there was no difference in the use of ocote in the residential units compared to that in the palace units. Ocote wood charcoal remains were found in ceremonial contexts, burials, household refuse deposited in home gardens, and patio’s soils. We consider the ancient use of ocote pine alongside modern use of ocote in Guatemala and Chiapas, which has an economic importance with the cutting of pine sticks to sell in regional markets to use as torch for illumination and lighting daily cooking fires.
Highlights
The ancient Maya inhabited the territories known as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize and Mexico (Fig. 1)
Was the pine a sacred plant reserved in ritual practices such as offerings, and food for the gods? Was the pine a material of prestige reserved only to the inhabitants of the palace? Or was, a plant used indiscriminately by all the Maya people in the whole region in domestic units of commoners as well as in the elite residences, to start the fire and light the night? The method we employed in Chinikihá was to sample different contexts: courtyards, burials and household refuse in the palace as in the domestic units
The secondary vegetation of this forest is characterized by the dominance of Trichospermum mexicanum, a soft tree which bark is used to make ropes and mecapales (MONTERO et al 2016, VARELA & TRABANINO 2016). South of this area are the mountains of Chiapas, which have a change in forest cover, starting at 800 meters high with montane cloud forests dominated by Tahté (Pinus maximinoi), like those surrounding the lacandon lagoons of Metzabok and Nahá
Summary
The ancient Maya inhabited the territories known as Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize and Mexico (Fig. 1). During the Classic Period (beginning AD 300), the Maya courts played a central role in articulating the complex mosaic of networks of influence, prestige and alliances that would come to shape the political "landscape" in the North Western lowlands (INOMATA & HOUSTON 2001). Ancient cities such as Palenque, Santa Isabel, Chinikihá, Pomoná, Bonampak, Yaxchilán and Piedras Negras, connected through many kinds of roads, causeways, sacbeob, paths, and sidewalks, exchanged such materials as textiles, ceramic, stone tools, food and drinks, cacao and other forest materials far away in Palenques Hinterland (SILVA DE LA MORA 2008; LIENDO 2014, 2015). We were interested in using charcoal analysis to understand the management and use of wood resources at Chinikihá, non-local taxa (such as pine), and whether these practices were uniform throughout the site, or if they differed between different social classes, activities areas
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
