| This study involved reconstructing diet at the ancient Maya site of Minanha, Belize, through the use of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of both bone collagen and bioapatite. The stable isotope data were compared to radiocarbon, paleoenvironmental, and archaeological datasets to investigate whether diet changed with time and what factors may have influenced food choices over time. The Minanha isotope data are consistent with a mixed diet including a variety of C3 and C4 resources, and animals from lower trophic levels. Higher status diets (defined by burial location at the site) were characterized by variety, while lower status individuals consumed a larger proportion of maize. Although the whole diet was constant over time, the amount/type of protein consumed increased over time. While various droughts have been documented in this area in the past, they did not produce any significant changes in overall dietary patterns. Conversely, socio-political factors at least partly explain some of the dietary changes over time. The Minanha isotope data were also consistent with regional dietary patterns. This thesis demonstrates the resilience of ancient subsistence practices in the face of climatic instability and highlighted the important impact of social and political factors on diet and subsistence economy.;Keywords: Ancient Maya, Belize, north Vaca Plateau, Minanha, paleodiet, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, bone collagen, bone bioapatite, radiocarbon dates, paleoenvironmental and socio-political dynamics. |
