New research reveals new details of how the ancient Maya civilization bred and traded dogs. The dogs that lived in the ancient Mayan city of Ceibal resembled those depicted in pottery from Colima state in Mexico.
Courtesy of LACMA/Wikimedia Commons
Ceibal, Guatemala, is one of the oldest Mayan sites. It was an important urban center, partly due to its strategic location on the Pasión River. Its long occupation -- from 1000 BC to AD 950 -- makes it particularly rich in archeology.
Courtesy of Ashley Sharpe, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
The study, led by archaeologist Ashley Sharpe, analyzed the bones of a number of species, including deer, turkeys, cats and dogs. Isotope levels help to reveal the animal's diet. Low levels indicate a diet rich in forest plant material or prey that ate it, and higher levels suggest the animals ate mostly maize and therefore, were fed by humans. The team found high levels in the bones of the dogs, turkeys and one of the wild cats.
Courtesy of Sean Mattson, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
This wild cat tooth most probably belonged to a jaguar. Researchers found that it was fully grown, and had likely eaten corn its whole life. This suggests it was kept in captivity, most likely for ceremonial purposes, as jaguars were revered in Maya society.
Courtesy of Sean Mattson, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Two of the dogs were imported from the Guatemalan highlands, 100 miles away. They were discovered deep beneath the ceremonial core of Ceibal, which the researchers say suggests they may have also been part of Mayan ritual.
Courtesy of Ashley Sharpe,
Sharpe says the next step is to do DNA analysis on the remains, so that they can work out how exactly the breeds of dog looked. However, the type mainly found in ancient Maya sites looked similar to modern-day Chihuahuas. According to Sharpe, they had a Chihuahua's pointy face but the body type of a pug.
Courtesy Thomas Aleto/Flickr
The Maya built great stone buildings and pyramids, many of which still remain today, such as the Kukulcan temple, also known as El Castillo, that dominates the Chichen Itza archaeological site in Mexico.
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The Upper Temple of the Jaguar overlooks the Great Ball Court at Chichen Itza. The city has been classified as one of the "new Seven Wonders of the World" and in 1988 was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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There is also the "Gran Jaguar" Mayan temple at the Tikal archaeological site, 560 km north of Guatemala City.
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Tikal was the largest urban center in the southern Maya lowlands. Its heyday was between 600-900 AD, which saw the construction of great plazas, pyramids, and palaces.
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The archaeological site of Copan, 400 km from Tegucigalpa in western Honduras, near the border with Guatemala, also shows off the Maya's impressive architecture.
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As well as grand buildings, the Maya produced intricate detail, such as this sculpted figure inside Rosalila temple, at Copan.
