The Social Dimensions of Production and Consumption within Late Classic Colha, Belize

Abstract

Research in the Late Classic settlement at Colha, Belize, a Maya site known for its lithic industry, has revealed important internal differences within the community. Significantly, not all households were engaged in tool production. Among those that were, while the distribution of everyday goods was relatively uniform, production was not. Investigations in the workshops revealed important differences in the types of tools made and in the methods used. Among the non-chertworking households, excavations suggested that many were involved in farming, some even in intensive agriculture. Analysis of their material inventories showed, too, that there were differences in the range and quality of tools and other items available to their inhabitants. This article explores the social implications of such variability within a well-established, major production center.