In Search of the “Maya Diet”: Is Regional Comparison Possible in the Maya Tropics?

Abstract

For years archaeologists have attempted to describe the ancient “Maya diet” and other pan-Maya patterns in the use of animals. We need such descriptions before we can understand what animal-use choices were defined by regional culture values rather than by local resource availability. But differences in archaeological methods and theoretical focus as well as biases imposed by variability in preservation and taphonomy, both between and within sites, obstruct our comparing data sets from various Maya sites, and thereby recognizing the ancient pan-Maya animal-use patterns. This paper compares data from archaeological sites across the Maya world, discussing the theoretical premises of the research and the biases in recovery methods and preservational conditions, to evaluate the utility of the data for regional comparison. The paper discusses the possibilities for a realistic interpretation of regional or pan-Maya animal- use patterns and presents suggestions for increasing sample comparability and regional interpretation.