The Use of Animals by the Pre-Hispanic Maya of the Northern Lowlands

In this paper we examine recent zooarchaeological finds from the pre-His- panic northern lowland Maya sites of Champotón, Chichén Itzá, Dzibil- chaltun, Sihó, Xcambó, and Yaxuná using archaeological perspectives com- bined with ethnohistoric and ethnographic data. In addition to discussing how zooarchaeological data can contribute to the investigation and expla- nation of archaeological phenomena in the northern Maya lowlands, we will focus on two principal themes in this paper. First, we demonstrate how faunal remains from domestic middens can indicate broad patterns of ani- mal consumption at a regional level. Second, we analyze how animal bones recovered in apparent ritual contexts appear similar to forms of animal sac- rifice and ritual consumption known from Postclassic codices, ethnohistoric sources, and modern day ritual behavior of the rural Maya. The combination of zooarchaeological, archaeological, historic, and ethnographic data gives us a deeper understanding of ancient Maya civilization.