Isotopic analysis of newly discovered fragments of an Ulúa Valley marble vase at the ancient Maya site of Pacbitun, Belize

Abstract

The discovery of carved marble fragments with a Late Classic-to-Terminal Classic period (550–900 CE) elite burial in the center of a courtyard at the ancient Maya site of Pacbitun, Belize adds to the corpus of Ulúa Valley marble vases fragments found in the Maya lowlands. Confirmation of the vase's origins by both style and stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis shows that the likely source of production is the archaeological site of Travesia in northwest Honduras. In addition to the implications for trade and political connections between the archaeological sites in Belize and Honduras, the direct association of the vase fragments to a potentially desecrated burial highlights some interesting questions about local politics at Pacbitun, Belize.