Zooarchaeological and Stable Isotope Analysis of Deer at Isla Cilvituk, Campeche, Mexico
Creators: name: Paisley C. Palmer
Publisher: name: New Mexico State University (NMSU)
Year: 2018
Subjects: subject: Northern Maya Lowlands
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/geographic-keyword/85470/northern-maya-lowlands
subject: Terminal Classic through Late Postclassic period (AD 600-1500)
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/temporal-keyword/8409/terminal-classic-through-late-postclassic-period-ad-600-1500
subject: LOWLAND MAYA
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/culture-keyword/4430/lowland-maya
subject: Isla Cilvituk, Campeche, Mexico
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-name/136107/isla-cilvituk-campeche-mexico
subject: Stairway
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/333/stairway
subject: Ancient Structure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/335/ancient-structure
subject: Agricultural Field or Field Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/274/agricultural-field-or-field-feature
subject: Temple
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/338/temple
subject: Terrace
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/278/terrace
subject: Water Control Feature
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/279/water-control-feature
subject: Ancient Church / Religious Structure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/312/ancient-church-religious-structure
subject: Town / City
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/255/town-city
subject: Ancient Governmental Structure
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/319/ancient-governmental-structure
subject: House
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/259/house
subject: stelae
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/4835/stelae
subject: House Mound
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/260/house-mound
subject: chultun
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/4836/chultun
subject: Plaza
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/331/plaza
subject: Platform Mound
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/268/platform-mound
subject: Pyramid
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/site-type/332/pyramid
subject: Pollen
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/13/pollen
subject: Shell
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/14/shell
subject: Ceramic
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/1/ceramic
subject: Chipped Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/2/chipped-stone
subject: Dating Sample
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/3/dating-sample
subject: Fauna
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/4/fauna
subject: Ground Stone
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/7/ground-stone
subject: Building Materials
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/8/building-materials
subject: Macrobotanical
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/10/macrobotanical
subject: Metal
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/material-type/11/metal
subject: Terminal Classic-Postclassic transition
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/168303/terminal-classic-postclassic-transition
subject: Lacustrine settlement
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/161744/lacustrine-settlement
subject: Household Archaeology
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/134855/household-archaeology
subject: Settlement Ecology
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/155480/settlement-ecology
subject: Postclassic Lowland Maya
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/143468/postclassic-lowland-maya
subject: Resilience
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/other-keyword/28/resilience
subject: Archaeological Overview
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/1/archaeological-overview
subject: Historic Background Research
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/18/historic-background-research
subject: Data Recovery / Excavation
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/5/data-recovery-excavation
subject: Methodology, Theory, or Synthesis
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/6/methodology-theory-or-synthesis
subject: Reconnaissance / Survey
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/7/reconnaissance-survey
subject: Site Evaluation / Testing
valueUri: https://core.tdar.org/browse/investigation-type/10/site-evaluation-testing

description: The purpose of my thesis is to analyze the deer from the zooarchaeological
assemblage recovered from the archaeological site of Isla Cilvituk, Campeche,
Mexico, to determine if environmental depression affected Isla Cilvituk. Isla Cilvituk
is a Maya archaeological site located in a lacustrine region on the Yucatán peninsula.
Environmental depression is defined as the destruction of ecosystems by the
mismanagement of resources and/or climate shifts. I focus on deforestation and
animal diversity. Through my research I address three questions 1) Is environmental
depression factor at Isla Cilvituk, 2) Were deer managed by the inhabitants of the
island, and 3) How does the variability in taxonomic abundance and biodiversity at
Isla Cilvituk compare to other zooarchaeological assemblages of the Yucatán
Peninsula? Taxonomic abundance and biodiversity measures, allometry, and stable
carbon isotope analysis are used to address these questions. This research adds upon previous investigations of household ecology and human-animal relationships at Isla Cilvituk, environmental depression being a cause of the Maya collapse, the isotopic record of the Maya Lowlands, and the extremely limited allometric data in the Maya Lowlands. The results from my research all point to the same conclusion, environmental depression was not a factor at Isla Cilvituk, or likely anywhere on the Yucatán peninsula at point in Maya history.