Human Migration and Ethnic Expression in the Southeastern Borderland of Mesoamerica

A significant proportion of Copán, a Maya World Heritage Site in Honduras, was shaped by immigration from across the Maya region. Analysis of skeletal remains using osteology, mortuary archaeology, and stable isotope analysis revealed that immigrants—regardless of age, sex, or socioeconomic status—integrated into this multiethnic city. Biocultural practices like dental decoration and intentional head shaping served as markers of social identity, particularly 'Mayahood.' These modifications exhibited dynamic changes over time and space, reflecting fluid ethnic identities in the southeastern Maya borderlands.

Suzuki, S., Tiesler, V., & Price, T. D. (2018). Human Migration and Ethnic Expression in the Southeastern Borderland of Mesoamerica. Bioarchaeology of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, 192–222. https://doi.org/10.5744/florida/9780813056005.003.0008