Abstract :
Reconstruction of foodways at the Lowland Maya center of Xunantunich, Belize, illustrates how commensality is fundamental to the
construction of multilayered identities. Collective memory and linear histories form the foundation of identities because they are the mental
frameworks people use to construct shared pasts. At Xunantunich, community identity was expressed though pottery and practices
associated with the preparation of foods for domestic consumption and public offerings. In a world of natural cycles centered on family
reproduction, horticultural activities, and yearly ceremonies, these symbols and rituals structured the lives of all people and embodied
within them a collective memory of community. Linear histories were recorded in images and texts on drinking paraphernalia that were
likely used for toasting honored individuals, ancestors, or gods during commemorative rites. These inscriptions and bodily practices
marked individuals and their houses as people and places of prominence with separate identities.
