Elucidation of the Ceramic Production System in the Classic Maya

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23099
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0103:History, archaeology, museology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: Imaizumi Kazuya 北海道大学, 文学研究院, 専門研究員 (90850446)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 古代マヤ文明 / 古典期 / ティカル遺跡 / 発掘調査 / 土器生産体制 / 一般層の実態 / 整理作業

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Previous studies of the ancient Maya have focused on large-scale structures such as palaces and temples belonging to the elite class, leaving the lives of the general population and the production and distribution of pottery, the most frequently excavated artifacts, unexplored.
In this study, we focused on the residential areas and residential mounds of the general population, and conducted excavations to clarify the pottery production system in Tikal, which played a central role among the ancient Maya city-states: where, who, and how pottery was produced. In addition, in order to deal with the Corona disaster, we organized the excavated materials and obtained new knowledge about the actual situation of reburial rituals involving fire and burnt bones that were conducted when new dwellings of the general population were constructed.

Free Research Field

考古学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では一般層住居マウンドから出土した遺物の質（材質、精粗）と総量（数量・重量）を基に、先行研究におけるエリート層の私財との比較を行い、古典期マヤにおける一般層の人々の暮らしについてその一端を明らかにした。
こうした一般層に焦点を当てた研究は、研究上の対象の偏りを無くし、所謂「古代マヤ社会」を理解する上で大きな学術的意義を有する。また初期国家段階における社会階層の実態の把握と貧富の差に迫ることができ、現代社会が抱える問題を考察する上で重要な情報を与えるという意味で十分な社会的な意義も有する。