Intensive Agriculture, Social Status, and Maya Diet at Pacbitun, Belize

The reconstruction of diet using analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of human bone collagen from the recently discovered Maya civic-ceremonial site of Pacbitun, Belize, provides some insight into the relationship between the role of intensive agricultural practice and site abandonment. Maize dependency appears to have changed in degree from the Early Classic (Tzul phase A.D. 250-550) to the Terminal Classic (Tzib phase A.D. 700-900) periods. Maize consumption reaches its peak during the period of greatest wealth and prosperity (A.D. 250-700) but falls toward the end of the sequence when agricultural intensification and maximum population size coincide (A.D. 700-900). The Pacbitun data are compared to those from Lamanai and Copán to create a picture of regional diversity and environmental distinction. Intrapopulational analysis also indicates that access to maize varied by age, sex, and social status.