The Hidden Dead: Bioarchaeology of Ancient Maya Cave Ritual Conference/Lecture Thursday, February 15, 2024 The event started -225 days agoMultiday event - 0 days 7:30 PM 8:30 PM Wilson Hall Room 168 AIA Spring 2024 Lecture Series: Dr. Gabriel Wrobel, Department of Anthropology, Michigan State University Use of caves by the ancient Maya appears to be ubiquitous. Archaeological explanations of Maya mortuary contexts in caves – in academic journals, television programs, and the popular press – have focused almost exclusively on sacrificial ritual. However, this rather sensationalist interpretation is not so clear-cut. This talk will cover some of the extensive pan-Mesoamerican corpus of ethnographic, ethnohistoric, epigraphic, iconographic, and linguistic sources to demonstrate how the Maya incorporated caves into their worldview and ritual. This talk then demonstrates the ways in which skeletal data can inform competing models of Maya mortuary cave use by highlighting recent bioarchaeological research in central Belize by the Central Belize Archaeological Survey (CBAS) Project. Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the North Alabama Society of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA). Details Category Conference/Lecture department Art Art History and Design, College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences Audience Public, Students, Faculty and Staff, Alumni Contact Dr. Lillian Joyce 256.824.6114 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Venue Wilson Hall301 Sparkman DriveHuntsville, AL 35899View map More Dates SHARE