Elizabeth H. Paris discusses the presence of metals and metalworkers in Mayapan in Post-Classic Mesoamerica.

Date
2008
Type
Academic / Technical Report
Source
Elizabeth H. Paris
Non-LDS
Hearsay
Direct
Reference

Elizabeth H. Paris, “Metallurgy, Mayapan, and the Postclassic Mesoamerican World System,” Ancient Mesoamerica 19, no. 1 (2008): 49-50

Scribe/Publisher
Ancient Mesoamerica
People
Elizabeth H. Paris
Audience
Reading Public
Transcription

TYPES OF METAL ARTIFACTS AT MAYAPAN

The artifacts in the Mayapan assemblage shows that residents were selectively producing and consuming artifacts that were items of personal adornment that could be worn and displayed as portable wealth. Bells were by far the most numerous artifact in the study, representing 85.067% (N = 319) of the assemblage (N = 381), and were both imported and manufactured at Mayapan itself (Table 2). Evidence that they were worn as clothing adornments comes from the notable discovery of small strings attached to some of the bells. It is still uncertain whether the strings were made of cotton, henequen, or some other fiber. They were stained blue-green from contact with the bells, and it is possible that contact with the copper allow contributed to their preservation. The strings were less than 1 mm diameter and likely attached the bells to clothing.

PRODUCTION TOOLS

Recent finds of crucibles at two different locations at Mayapan strongly suggest the presence of specialized metalworkers. A cache in Structure R-183b (Figure 4a), an elite house to the east in the ceremonial center, consisted of a small olla containing 282 bells, two crucibles, 24 bell clusters, and three failed bells, all buried together at the base of the exterior of the western wall and surrounded by production debris such as casting sprues and a prill Structure Q-92 (Figure 4b), a small house at the northern end of the central plaza of the ceremonial center, uncovered another two crucibles containing copper or copper ore (Figure 5; see also Peraza Lope et al. 2003). The crucibles were offerings in a multiple burial containing five individuals located under the floor along the interior back wall of the house. The crucibles from Q-92 were tecomates of established ceramic types.

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