We’re excited to share our new open-access article exploring how the Ancient/Ancestral Mayas of Alabama, Belize, utilized granite—a coarse-grained igneous rock—in their everyday lives. This topic is especially significant because East-Central Belize lacks the extensive limestone deposits found in most of the Maya lowlands.

Here is the abstract: “This article outlines our research into granite use by the ancient Maya of the Alabama Townsite—a Late to Terminal Classic (ca. a.d. 700–900) rapid-growth community in East-Central Belize, part of the Eastern Maya Lowlands. One of our initial hypotheses regarding the seemingly sudden appearance of the town toward the end of the Late Classic period focused on granite as a staple resource exploited by its residents. We highlight current results of local geological surveys and related spatial, geochemical, and petrographic studies; preliminary analyses of surface-collected and excavated archaeological assemblages and architectural elements; and attempts at community-engaged experimental archaeology. We conclude that while ancient Alabamans did not extract granite as a staple resource for export, which could have fueled the community’s growth, they nonetheless valued granite in many ways, which we highlight in our discussion.”

Many thanks to Drs. Jon Spenard, Marieka Brouwer Burg, and Tawny Tibbits for inviting us to contribute to this Special Compact Section of the journal “Ancient Mesoamerica.” (One of our figures even made the issue cover!)

Here is a link to the article, and a list of the other articles in the section by our incredible colleagues can be found below:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ancient-mesoamerica/article/granite-value-among-the-ancient-maya-of-alabama-belize/A7D8D85796E23953323DE4686A3B2265?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Article&utm_campaign=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Issues&WT.mc_id=New%20Cambridge%20Alert%20-%20Issues

Other articles in the Special Compact Section include:

“Recent Advances in Granite Ground Stone Studies in the Eastern Maya Lowlands” by Marieka Brouwer Burg, Jon Spenard, Tawny Tibbits, Matthew Tibbits

“Hypothesizing Exchange Mechanisms of Granite Ground Stone Tools” by Marieka Brouwer Burg, Eleanor Harrison-Buck, Tawny Tibbits

“An Introduction To The Ancient Maya Granitic-Rock Quarry- Workshops Of The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize” by Jon Spenard, Michael Mirro, Javier Mai, Konane Martinez, Moses Flores, Mikaela Weber, Andres Berdeja, Jaime Wojak, Adam Niesley, Franklin Qurios

“A Granitic Ground Stone Tool Quarry in Belize: Using Chaine Operatoire as a Context for Framing Future Research” by Joan S. Schneider

“A Granite Tool Producing Community on the Western Periphery of Pacbitun, Belize” by Adam King, Terry Powis

“Giving Glory to Granite” by Elizabeth Graham