| This thesis presents the results of paleoethnobotanical investigations carried out in seven caves in the upper Belize valley of western Belize. Research focused predominantly on macrofloral materials but also employed starch grain analysis and Mass Spectrometry of carbonized residues. Well-preserved plant and organic remains were recovered. Plant remains consist of domesticated cultigens (e.g., maize, beans, squash, and chile peppers); tree fruits (e.g., nance and cohune); and wood charcoal (especially pine). A textile fragment was found at Barton Creek Cave. These materials are interpreted as the remnants of rituals undertaken in the caves, and this study explores the symbolic significance of the archaeobotanical assemblages by drawing on information in the iconographic, epigraphic, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic records of the Maya. Examination of intersite differences and similarities in the botanical assemblage contributes to understanding the influence of social, political, and economic contexts on regional cave utilization. |
