Chemical signatures of ancient activities at Chan b'i - A submerged Maya salt works, Belize

Abstract

Chemical analysis was undertaken at Chan b'i, an Early Classic (300–600CE) ancient Maya submerged salt works to find activity areas not apparent from artifactual materials recovered from excavations. Chan b'i is one of 105 salt works located underwater in Paynes Creek National Park, Belize where wooden buildings are preserved due to mangrove peat matrix. The acidic peat (pH6) preserved wood and other botanical remains, but is not conducive to the preservation of bone. Consequently, the artifactual record may be biased against the preservation of animal food remains and human burials, which are typically found at Maya settlements. In this study, we use inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) to evaluate if there is evidence of other activities in addition to the salt production. The present study extends soil chemistry research to underwater archaeological sites. The results of chemical patterns indicate activity locations inside and outside of wooden architecture not shown by the artifactual remains.