Date of Award
5-1-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Anthropology
First Advisor
Carolyn Freiwald
Second Advisor
Christine Lee
Third Advisor
Kate Centellas
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Three deposits of perinates, infants, and young children within two non-residential superstructures of Buenavista del Cayo, Belize, display evidence of daily maintenance and care. A total of ten subadult individuals, aged 39.4 weeks gestation to 3 years, from the archaeological site of Buenavista were recovered during 2018 excavations. Signs of care and daily maintenance include survivorship through the vulnerable neonatal period (first twenty-eight days) and transition into infancy, survivorship with potential pinprick lesions on external and internal zygomatic, parietal, and pars basilaris, and intentional maintenance of the body after death. Identification of care and daily maintenance at Buenavista informs the analysis of other child burials and future research found at Buenavista and other nearby Maya sites, providing additional evidence of nonspecific lesions that can be attributed to child development but could also be consistent with metabolic disorders and vitamin deficiencies. The social and biological context of these Early Classic (AD 400-600) children, who were developing their personhood and completely reliant on the care and resources of members in their community, contrasts with the typical discussions of childhood on the Maya, which often focus on disease, violence, and mortality. While caregiving and care receivers are largely overlooked in bioarchaeology and the Maya area, this study supports recent arguments for its presence and suggests the need to incorporate caregiving and caregivers into broader discussions of ancient health.
Recommended Citation
Hall, Lindsey, "Health and Care: Childhood Among the Classic Period Maya at Buenavista del Cayo, Belize" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 8824.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/8824