Large material accumulations from single events found in the archaeological record are frequently defined as evidence of ritual. They are interpreted as generalized deposit categories that imply rather than infer human motivations. While useful in the initial collection of data, these categories can, over time, become interpretations in and of themselves. The emic motivations behind the formation process of ‘ritual deposits’ ought to be considered using a relational ontology as an approach to understanding how past populations interacted with non-human actors, such as structures and natural features on the landscape. The present study evaluates the assembly and possible function of a dense deposit of artifacts recovered from a Classic period sweat bath at Xultun, Guatemala. Analyses of the various artifact types and human remains in the deposit in relation to what is known of the social history of the sweat bath itself illustrate ontological relationships among offered materials as well as between the offering and the personified place in which it was recovered. We observe that with a better understanding of place, it is possible to evaluate the ritual logic in Classic Maya material negotiations.

中文翻译：

---

重温过去：危地马拉 Xultun 的经典玛雅人和埋葬汗水浴之间的物质谈判

考古记录中发现的单一事件的大量物质积累经常被定义为仪式的证据。它们被解释为暗示而不是推断人类动机的广义存款类别。虽然在最初的数据收集中很有用，但随着时间的推移，这些类别本身就可以成为解释。应该使用关系本体论来考虑“仪式沉积物”形成过程背后的主宰动机，作为理解过去人口如何与非人类行为者相互作用的方法，例如景观上的结构和自然特征。本研究评估了从危地马拉 Xultun 的经典时期汗水浴中回收的密集文物沉积物的组装和可能的功能。对沉积物中各种文物类型和人类遗骸的分析与已知的汗水浴本身的社会历史有关，说明了所提供材料之间以及所提供材料与回收它的拟人化地点之间的本体论关系。我们观察到，通过更好地理解场所，可以评估经典玛雅材料谈判中的仪式逻辑。