Nonmetric (morphological) and metric analyses of dental traits and dentition are an established and effective, but still much underutilized, means of determining biological relationships among the individuals comprising a population over several generations. Combining such dental analyses, a social organizational typology adapted from social psychology, and small sample statistics, this study hazards a trial examination of the evidence for biological affinity within and between three archaeologically perceived social groups represented in the Classic-period Belize Valley community of Buenavista del Cayo. The groups comprise traditional high elite and commoner categories, and a putative middle level of intermediate elites. Findings suggest a dichotomous kinship structure of elites and non-elites, but one within which there had emerged an emically and archaeologically distinct “middle” status group of intermediate elites or subelites that remained affined by blood to the subordinate non-elite commoners and peasantry. The study differs from previous examinations of ancient Maya social organization in employing a truly integrated bioarchaeological approach to the topic rather than what have generally been intrinsically insular archaeological or osteometric approaches.

中文翻译：

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第一步——上伯利兹河谷的牙列、亲属关系、社会群体和地位：对伯利兹中西部经典玛雅社会组织的小样本洞察

牙齿特征和牙列的非度量（形态）和度量分析是一种确定且有效但仍未充分利用的方法，用于确定构成几代人口的个体之间的生物学关系。结合此类牙科分析、改编自社会心理学的社会组织类型学和小样本统计数据，本研究冒着对布埃纳维斯塔经典时期伯利兹山谷社区代表的三个考古学感知社会群体内部和之间的生物亲和力证据的试验性检验德尔卡约。这些群体包括传统的高级精英和平民类别，以及假定的中级精英。研究结果表明精英和非精英的二元亲属结构，但在其中出现了一个在伦理学和考古学上截然不同的“中间”地位群体，由中等精英或次精英组成，他们仍然与下属的非精英平民和农民有血缘关系。该研究与以前对古代玛雅社会组织的研究不同，它采用了真正综合的生物考古学方法来研究该主题，而不是通常本质上孤立的考古学或骨测量学方法。