Ancient Maya Houses, Households, and Residential Groups at Caracol, Belize

Analysis of ancient residential groups has been hampered by not fully understanding their physical and social composition. Debate exists over whether these groups were occupied by single extended families or by several social units. The heterogeneity that exists within a series of more intensively excavated Late Classic residential groups at Caracol, Belize can be categorized to provide insight as to how these units were in fact utilized. The majority of Caracol’s plazuela groups were occupied by single extended-family households and within at least 70% of them there is a focus on the eastern structure as a non-residential ritual shrine for the residential unit. While Caracol’s Late Classic Period occupants manifested a fairly unified social identity, the variability that exists within their residential compounds yields insight into both social status and organizational principles of the site’s households.