The noble beast: status and differential access to animals in the Maya world

In the Maya world of Central America some animal species were used as luxury goods and foods, access to which was differentially available on the basis of social rank or authority. Zooarchaeological research in the Petexbatún region of Guatemala reveals complexity in the distribution of animal remains between hierarchically ranked residences. In a comparison of animal use between elite households at Aguateca, resource access reflects variations in social rank, not occupational differences between high-status families. Diachronic analyses of species used throughout the Petexbatún region also indicate changes in status-differentiated use of favoured animals during periods of political stress. Variability in both samples is explained as the effect of individual or household responses to locally specific social and historical conditions.