The lengthy occupation span of the Maya site of Lamanai, Belize, from the Preclassic (ca. 1600 BCE) through the Postclassic and into the Spanish colonial period (1500 – 1700 CE), coupled with extensive archaeological excavations, has resulted in the discovery of numerous pottery artifacts. This book includes a Foreword by David Pendergast, and presents the entire collection of technically illustrated pottery—over 940 illustrations of more than 800 vessels and pottery objects. A summary of the results of archaeological research over the past five decades introduces the site. An overview of Maya pottery forms and ceramic illustration conventions serve as the foundation for the visual and contextual data presented with the illustrations. A brief introduction to ceramic analysis is followed by an outline of the research at Lamanai that focused on pottery analysis, including peripheral studies incorporating pottery vessels and assemblages. Type-variety designations are also provided for the illustrated pottery.

AUTHOR

Karen Pierce is an archaeologist with a prior background in art and architecture. She began working with the Lamanai Archaeological Project in 1998, and has also participated in excavations at other Belize Maya sites, including recent investigations at Marco Gonzalez. Her research interest is Maya architecture and the built environment.

Louise Belanger trained as a ceramicist at Central St Martins, London. She has been the archaeological illustrator at Lamanai since 1979. She organized the publication of the 'Lamanai Guide Book', and 'Altun Ha: A Guide to the Ruins', which were illustrated with her reconstruction paintings of the major structures.

REVIEW

'There are no other publications with this breadth of coverage of the entire corpus of Lamanai pottery. The quality of the data is unparalleled.’ Dr Laura J. Kosakowsky, University of Arizona

‘Since the Lamanai database is so large, collected over several decades and under variable recording situations, the successful compilation of the database is an achievement to be celebrated. This will be a significant contribution to regional archaeology and will be cited regularly for many decades.’ Dr Thomas Guderjan, University of Texas at Tyler

‘The drawings of the Lamanai ceramics are extremely important for understanding the history of that site. The full publication of these materials will be of utility to everyone in the broader field of Maya Studies.’ Professor Arlen F. Chase, University of Houston