Pottery production in a limestone-poor region of the Maya lowlands: Thin section petrography and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) analysis on pottery from Uxbenká, southern Belize

Abstract

We use thin section petrography and SEM-EDS to analyze fabrics, slips, and paints on ceramics from the Classic Period Maya center of Uxbenká located in the Toledo District of southern Belize. Pottery produced in southern Belize differs from other regions of the Maya lowlands due to the underlying bedrock composed of interbedded calcareous sandstones and siltstone rather than limestone. Our analyses indicate that Late to Terminal Classic (c. CE 600-900) pottery at Uxbenká was produced in five primary fabric groups using locally available raw materials. The composition of red slips is indistinguishable from the associated ceramic fabrics. White and orange slips on polychrome vessels are composed of very fine calcareous sandstone rather than micritic limestone used in other regions. Pottery production changed over time from the Early Classic (c. AD 250/300-600) to the Late Classic Period when crystalline calcite temper was used less frequently. This is the first study to analyze pottery from southern Belize using petrography and SEM-EDS. These data provide information on pottery production practice at Uxbenká where potters did not have access to limestone derived raw materials and will aid in evaluating social and economic interactions between southern Belize and other regions of the Maya lowlands.