LOS CANGREJOS ARQUEOLÓGICOS DE PALENQUE, CHIAPAS

Abstract

Crabs, due to the fragility of their remains, are one of the scarcely recovered animal groups in archaeological contexts of the Maya lowlands. The best preserved are the marine decapods, which are often located in coastal sites. In Palenque, recent excavations at the Palace, an administrative political building of the local elite, allowed the discovery of more than a hundred freshwater crab claws, showing that this decapod, in addition to being consumed by the ancient Maya, played a relevant role within rituals related to constructive renovations.