High-precision radiocarbon dating of political collapse and dynastic origins at the Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala
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Inomata_PNAS_radiocarbon_2016_ ...
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Final Accepted Manuscript
Author
Inomata, TakeshiTriadan, Daniela
MacLellan, Jessica
Burham, Melissa
Aoyama, Kazuo
Palomo, Juan Manuel
Yonenobu, Hitoshi
Pinzón, Flory
Nasu, Hiroo
Affiliation
School of Anthropology, University of ArizonaIssue Date
2017-02-07
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NATL ACAD SCIENCESCitation
High-precision radiocarbon dating of political collapse and dynastic origins at the Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala 2017, 114 (6):1293 Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesRights
Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by National Academy of Sciences.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
The lowland Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala, had a long history of occupation, spanning from the Middle Preclassic Period through the Terminal Classic (1000 BC to AD 950). The Ceibal-Petexbatun Archaeological Project has been conducting archaeological investigations at this site since 2005 and has obtained 154 radiocarbon dates, which represent the largest collection of radiocarbon assays from a single Maya site. The Bayesian analysis of these dates, combined with a detailed study of ceramics, allowed us to develop a high-precision chronology for Ceibal. Through this chronology, we traced the trajectories of the Preclassic collapse around AD 150–300 and the Classic collapse around AD 800–950, revealing similar patterns in the two cases. Social instability started with the intensification of warfare around 75 BC and AD 735, respectively, followed by the fall of multiple centers across the Maya lowlands around AD 150 and 810. The population of Ceibal persisted for some time in both cases, but the center eventually experienced major decline around AD 300 and 900. Despite these similarities in their diachronic trajectories, the outcomes of these collapses were different, with the former associated with the development of dynasties centered on divine rulership and the latter leading to their downfalls. The Ceibal dynasty emerged during the period of low population after the Preclassic collapse, suggesting that this dynasty was placed under the influence from, or by the direct intervention of, an external power.Note
No embargo; published online before print on January 23, 2017ISSN
0027-84241091-6490
Version
Final accepted manuscriptSponsors
Alphawood Foundation; National Geographic Society; National Science Foundation [BCS-0750808, BCS-1518794]; National Endowment for the Humanities [RZ-51209-10]; Agnese Nelms Haury Program of the University of Arizona; Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan [21101003, 21101002]; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI [21402008, 26101002, 26101003]Additional Links
http://www.pnas.org/lookup/doi/10.1073/pnas.1618022114ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1073/pnas.1618022114