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Refining Kaminaljuyu Chronology: New Radiocarbon Dates, Bayesian Analysis, and Ceramics Studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 August 2020

Bárbara Arroyo ,
Takeshi Inomata Open the ORCID record for Takeshi Inomata [Opens in a new window] ,
Gloria Ajú ,
Javier Estrada ,
Hiroo Nasu  and
Kazuo Aoyama
Bárbara Arroyo
Affiliation:
Proyecto Zona Arqueológica Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Takeshi Inomata*
Affiliation:
School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
Gloria Ajú
Affiliation:
Proyecto Zona Arqueológica Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Javier Estrada
Affiliation:
Proyecto Zona Arqueológica Kaminaljuyu, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Hiroo Nasu
Affiliation:
Faculty of Biosphere-Geosphere Science, Okayama University of Science, Okayama 700-0005, Japan
Kazuo Aoyama
Affiliation:
Faculty of Humanities, Ibaraki University, Mito 310-8512, Japan
*
(inomata@email.arizona.edu, corresponding author)
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Abstract

Since Kaminaljuyu was first systematically excavated in the 1930s, the chronology of the site has been fraught with confusion and scholarly disagreement. In recent years, scholars generally adopted the chronology presented by Shook and Popenoe de Hatch (1999) as the most authoritative account. In 2014, however, Inomata and colleagues proposed a revision of this chronology by shifting its Preclassic portion (including the Las Charcas and Providencia phases) roughly 300 years later in time. In this article, we analyze a total of 108 radiocarbon dates with Bayesian statistics, tying them to detailed ceramic analysis. These dates include previously reported dates, measured after the year 2000, as well as 68 new radiocarbon dates obtained from Kaminaljuyu and nearby sites. The results largely support Inomata and coauthors’ (2014) revised Preclassic chronology, placing the Las Charcas–Providencia transition around 350 BC and the Providencia–Verbena transition around 75 BC. In addition, we present new dates on the Early Classic period, although some ambiguity remains for the Esperanza phase, when Teotihuacan-related elements were introduced to Kaminaljuyu. The revised chronology, combined with environmental data, suggests an explosive increase in population and construction activity during the Verbena and Arenal phases.

Desde las primeras investigaciones sistemáticas de la década de 1930, la cronología de Kaminaljuyu ha estado llena de confusiones y desacuerdos entre colegas. En años recientes, los investigadores generalmente adoptaron la cronología presentada por Shook y Popenoe de Hatch (1999) como el reporte más confiable. Sin embargo, en 2014, Inomata y colaboradores propusieron una revisión a esta cronología al mover su porción del Preclásico (incluyendo las fases Las Charcas y Providencia) unos 300 años más tarde en el tiempo. En este artículo, analizamos con estadística Bayesiana un total de 108 fechas de radiocarbono, amarradas a un detallado análisis cerámico. Aquí se incluyen fechas previamente reportadas, que fueron analizadas después del año 2000, así como 68 nuevas fechas de radiocarbono recuperadas en Kaminaljuyu y sitios cercanos. Los resultados apoyan la cronología revisada de Inomata y colaboradores (2014), colocando a la transición Las Charcas-Providencia alrededor de 350 aC y la de Providencia-Verbena cerca de 75 aC. Además, presentamos nuevas fechas del periodo Clásico Temprano, aunque persiste la ambigüedad para la fase Esperanza, cuando los elementos relacionados a Teotihuacan fueron introducidos en Kaminaljuyu. La cronología revisada, combinada con datos ambientales, sugiere un incremento explosivo en población y actividad constructiva durante las fases Verbena y Arenal.

Keywords

MayaKaminaljuyuchronologyceramicsradiocarbon datesBayesian analysisMayaKaminaljuyucronologíacerámicafechas radiocarbonoanálisis bayesiano
Type
Article
Information
Latin American Antiquity , Volume 31 , Issue 3 , September 2020 , pp. 477 - 497
Copyright
Copyright © 2020 by the Society for American Archaeology

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