Dietary diversity in the upper belize river valley: A zooarchaeological and isotopic perspective

Abstract

Paleobotanical and faunal evidence suggests that Maya polities across the lowlands followed broadly similar dietary regimes. Maize is generally accepted as the main dietary staple, supplemented by beans and squash, along with a variety of wild and partially cultivated plants (Lentz 1999). Terrestrial wild game, especially whitetail deer, supplied an important protein and lipid source that complemented the mainly carbohydrate calories in the diet. Bone chemistry studies, however, provide greater insight into the variability present in Maya diet. While maize supplied less than half of a day's calories for individuals at some centers, it accounted for as much as 75% of the daily diet at others (Gerry and Krueger 1997). The contribution of animal protein and legumes also varies: individuals in some regions consumed a nearly vegetarian diet while others had regular access to wild game (Gerry 1993; Reed 1999). Variability also exists within populations, and dietary differences exist by sex, age, status, and location. However, no universal pattern is present, and researchers attribute dietary variability to population size, level of agricultural intensification, the social organization of food consumption, and local environmental heterogeneity (Chase et al. 2001; Gerry 1993; Gerry and Krueger 1997; Reed 1999; White et al. 1993; Wright 1997). © 2010 Springer-Verlag New York.