ABSTRACT
The involvement of physical anthropologists in the study of skeletal remains in Guatemala is linked to the history of Maya archaeology and, in recent times, to the study of remains recovered from forensic settings. While the recovery of skeletal material was not the primary aim of the majority of archaeological projects, the excavations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries produced some of the largest samples, which were prime material for studies on prehistoric and historic Maya human osteology, mainly conducted by North American specialists. Recent projects have produced smaller samples as well and are usually used for specific studies on biological aspects and dietary habits of the ancient Maya. However, there is a gap between the assessments of biological aspects of past and modern
Guatemalan populations. Physical anthropology is still not included in any of the national universities’ academic programmes, despite an increasing need for research and for the development of methods and local standards for the analysis of skeletal remains, particularly applied to remains recovered from forensic contexts related to the internal armed conflict that occurred in the country from 1960 until 1996. The history of physical anthropology in Guatemala is mainly the history of Maya
bioarchaeology. During the 16th and 17th centuries, Spanish chroniclers recorded their observations about
the cultures and customs of the aboriginal populations and, from time to time, they also included accounts and drawings of ancient cities they came across. One of those chroniclers, Francisco Antonio de Fuentes y Guzmán (1932-33) gave what is probably the first description of human skeletal findings in the east of Guatemala, when he narrated his encounter with a man who informed him that some bones had been discovered within a fine layer of soil, but when removed they disintegrated and turned into dust. As a result of changes that occurred during the late 18th century in Europe, the Spanish
Crown ordered a Royal Expedition to the ‘New Spain’. This was the first academic and scientific expedition sent to Central America with the purpose of recording botanical, geological, ethnographical and palaeontological data. This campaign did not report any archaeological findings, but it opened the door to the flow of expeditions that followed.
