Anton Scherer
Biographic Data
| ID | 738522 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Anton Scherer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Anton |
| FAMILY NAME | Scherer |
| SIGNATURE | SCHERER A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Brown University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9793-2431 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 38 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 272 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 36 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1954 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
Diverse Perspectives on the Study of Precolonial Maya Human Remains
Ethics pertaining to the study of Maya skeletons are complex and vary widely across Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. The complexity stems in part from the diversity of views held by local and national stakeholders, archaeologists, and the governments that oversee their work. Our position is that the views of local stakeholders should, whenever possible, guide the excavation, analysis, and final disposition of human remains from Maya archa…
Childness, Humanness, and Violence among the Classic Maya Elite
A Teotihuacan altar at Tikal, Guatemala: Central Mexican ritual and elite interaction in the Maya Lowlands
The nature and extent of interactions between the distant regions and cultures of Mesoamerica remain open to much debate. Close economic and political ties developed between Teotihuacan and the lowland Maya during the Early Classic period (AD 250-550), yet the relationship between these cultures continues to perplex scholars. This article presents an elaborately painted altar from an elite residential group at the lowland Maya centre of Tikal, Gu…
Suitability Models of Ancient Maya Agriculture in the Upper Usumacinta River Basin of Mexico and Guatemala
Recent archaeological and remote sensing research in the Maya Lowlands has demonstrated evidence for extensive modification of the landscape in the forms of channeled fields and upland terraces. Scholars often assume these measures were taken primarily to intensify maize production; however, paleoethnobotany highlights a greater diversity of crops grown by the precolonial Maya. This study combines the growth requirements of 18 crops cultivated by…
Regional household variation and inequality across the Maya landscape
Sculptural Traditionalism and Innovation in the Classic Maya Kingdom of Sak Tz'i', Mexico
In this article we analyze the content and form of 58 stone monuments at the archaeological site of Lacanjá Tzeltal, Chiapas, Mexico, which recent research confirms was a capital of the Classic Maya polity Sak Tz'i' (“White Dog”). Sak Tz'i' kings carried the titleajaw(“lord”) rather than the epithetk'uhul ajaw(“holy lord”) claimed by regional powers, implying that Sak Tz'i' was a lesser kingdom in terms of political authority. Lacanjá Tzeltal's c…
Health Care in the Marketplace: Exploring Maya Medicinal Plants and Practices at Piedras Negras, Guatemala
Botanical residues recovered from excavations in the Southeast Marketplace of Piedras Negras provide information about the healing and medical activities of the site's Classic period (a.d. 350–900) inhabitants, and point towards the intersection between commerce and medicine for the ancient Maya. The plants were likely exchanged at the market then used on-site for the purposes of healing. The botanical remains are complemented by both architectur…
Organic compositional analysis of ancient maya tooth sealants and fillings
Cartographic imaginaries of the Covid-19 crisis in Mexico – a typology of disease maps
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the news reports on it have been accompanied by maps. Similarly to weather maps, they became part of our daily news feed. The newspapers' maps reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic often use the same or similar data to depict the current state of the spread within a national territory. However, the designs of the maps vary between different news outlets. These differences were analysed using the document…
Chronology and the evidence for war in the ancient Maya kingdom of Piedras Negras
Classic Maya Dental Interventions: Evidence for Tooth Extractions at Piedras Negras, Guatemala
Tooth extractions are among the most common dental procedures performed globally today; however, archaeological evidence for such procedures in the past is relatively scant and largely limited to the Classical world. We present a case of therapeutic dental extractions of pathological teeth at the ancient Maya site of Piedras Negras, Guatemala, during the Late Classic period (A.D. 600–800). The evidence comes from an assemblage of fractured, patho…
Recent Research on the Archaeology of War and Violence
The mid-1990s through the first decade of the new millennium marked an increase in publications pertaining to war and violence in the ancient past. This review considers how scholars of the past decade have responded to that work. The emerging consensus is that war and violence were endemic to all societies studied by archaeologists, and yet the frequency, intensity, causes, and consequences of violence were highly variable for reasons that defy …
The lowland Maya settlement landscape: Environmental LiDAR and ecology
This paper presents the archaeological evaluation of 458 tiles of LiDAR collected by environmental scientists over southern Mexico using the G-LiHT system of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Specifically, this article describes the results of a full processing, inspection, and annotation of these data for the identification and baseline analysis of archaeological features. In this paper, we: 1) introduce the dataset and describe our efforts to…
Centering the Classic Maya Kingdom of Sak Tz’i’
In this article, we provide the results of preliminary archaeological and epigraphic research undertaken at the site of Lacanjá Tzeltal, Chiapas. Field research conducted in 2018, in collaboration with local community members, has allowed us to identify this archaeological site as the capital of a kingdom known from Classic period Maya inscriptions as "Sak Tz'i'" (White Dog). Because all previously known references to the kingdom came from looted…
Drone-Mounted Lidar Survey of Maya Settlement and Landscape
We conducted unmanned aerial vehicle lidar missions in the Maya Lowlands between June 2017 and June 2018 to develop appropriate methods, procedures, and standards for drone lidar surveys of ancient Maya settlements and landscapes. Three site locations were tested within upper Usumacinta River region using Phoenix Lidar Systems: Piedras Negras, Guatemala, was tested in 2017, and Budsilha and El Infiernito, both in Mexico, were tested in 2018. Thes…
Bacterial tetraether lipids in ancient bones record past climate conditions at the time of disposal
Reanalyzing environmental lidar data for archaeology: Mesoamerican applications and implications
This paper presents a preliminary archaeological assessment of extensive transects of lidar recently collected by environmental scientists over southern Mexico using the G-LiHT system of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. In particular, this article offers the results of a first phase of research, consisting of: 1) characterization and classification of the cultural and ecological context of the samples, and 2) bare earth processing and visual i…
Bioarchaeology and the Skeletons of the Pre-Columbian Maya
A royal Maya country house: Archaeology at Bejucal, Guatemala
This article presents three years of archaeological investigations at the minor Maya center of Bejucal, Guatemala. A complete site history is presented relying on data from artifact analysis, architectural study, epigraphy, and bioarchaeology, with a goal towards identifying the site's function within the broader El Zotz polity. The authors argue that Bejucal underwent significant transformation following its establishment as a sacred hilltop sit…
Dental Morphometric and Strontium Isotope Evidence for Population History at Tikal, Guatemala
Local water resource variability and oxygen isotopic reconstructions of mobility: A case study from the Maya area
Territory, Trust, Growth, and Collapse in Classic Period Maya Kingdoms
Drawing on theoretical understandings of the relationship between civil society and the state, the authors argue that the collapse of the kingdoms of Piedras Negras and Yaxchilan in the ninth century AD resulted from the same political processes that permitted the expansion of dynastic power in preceding centuries. Populations initially clustered around the dynastic capitals of these kingdoms, where daily spheres of interaction facilitated trust …
The Classic Maya sarcophagus: Veneration and renewal at Palenque and Tonina
Remote Sensing as a Tool for Tropical Ecology
Tropical forests provide important habitat for a tremendous diversity of plant and animal species. However, limitations in measuring and monitoring the structure and function of tropical forests has caused these systems to remain poorly understood. Remote-sensing technology has provided a powerful tool for quantification of structural patterns and associating these with resource use. Satellite and aerial platforms can be used to collect remotely …
Tecolote, Guatemala: Archaeological Evidence for a Fortified Late Classic Maya Political Border
A newly discovered system of fortifications at Tecolote, Guatemala, a Late Classic period (A.D. 600–900) Maya secondary center in the Yaxchilan polity, consists of a series of stone walls and hilltop watchtowers. The stone walls appear to have been used as foundations to secure wooden palisades, as suggested previously for other Classic Maya sites, and were used in concert with strategic settlement at the site to maximize overall defensibility. W…
Territory, Trust, Growth, and Collapse in Classic Period Maya Kingdoms
Drawing on theoretical understandings of the relationship between civil society and the state, the authors argue that the collapse of the kingdoms of Piedras Negras and Yaxchilan in the ninth century AD resulted from the same political processes that permitted the expansion of dynastic power in preceding centuries. Populations initially clustered around the dynastic capitals of these kingdoms, where daily spheres of interaction facilitated trust …
Piedras Negras and Yaxchilan: Divergent Political Trajectories in Adjacent Maya Polities
In this article we present a synthetic overview and preliminary analysis of the data collected by members of the Sierra del Lacandón Regional Archaeology Project (SLRAP) during four field seasons of research from 2003 to 2007. We examine the growth, development, and transformation of the Classic Maya polities of Piedras Negras, Guatemala, and Yaxchilan, Mexico, located in the Middle Usumacinta Basin. This analysis uses a conjunctive approach, inc…
Bioarchaeological Evidence for Social and Temporal Differences in Diet at Piedras Negras, Guatemala
In this bioarchaeological study of Classic Maya subsistence, we analyzed porotic hyperostosis, dental caries, and stable isotopes on skeletal remains recovered from 118 burials at Piedras Negras, Guatemala. The abundant porotic hyperostosis and dental caries at Piedras Negras, coupled with a high mean δ13C (mean -9.2 ± 1.0‰) provide evidence for high levels of maize consumption. The isotope data show slight differences among social status groups.…
Tecolote, Guatemala: Archaeological Evidence for a Fortified Late Classic Maya Political Border
A newly discovered system of fortifications at Tecolote, Guatemala, a Late Classic period (A.D. 600–900) Maya secondary center in the Yaxchilan polity, consists of a series of stone walls and hilltop watchtowers. The stone walls appear to have been used as foundations to secure wooden palisades, as suggested previously for other Classic Maya sites, and were used in concert with strategic settlement at the site to maximize overall defensibility. W…
Population structure of the classic period Maya
This study examines the population structure of Classic period (A.D. 250–900) Maya populations through analysis of odontometric variation of 827 skeletons from 12 archaeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. The hypothesis that isolation by distance characterized Classic period Maya population structure is tested using Relethford and Blangero's (Hum Biol 62 ( 1990 ) 5–25) approach to R matrix analysis for quantitative traits. …
Reanalyzing environmental lidar data for archaeology: Mesoamerican applications and implications
This paper presents a preliminary archaeological assessment of extensive transects of lidar recently collected by environmental scientists over southern Mexico using the G-LiHT system of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. In particular, this article offers the results of a first phase of research, consisting of: 1) characterization and classification of the cultural and ecological context of the samples, and 2) bare earth processing and visual i…
Guardian of the Acropolis: The Sacred Space of a Royal Burial at Piedras Negras, Guatemala
Excavation of a small Maya ceremonial structure at the site of Piedras Negras, Guatemala, has revealed a Late Classic period (ca. A.D. 600-900) vaulted tomb containing the remains of a young member of the royal family whom we identify as "Night-time Turtle." The artifact assemblage from the burial included a modest quantity of carved jade jewelry (38 pieces), an incised vessel dating to the early Yaxché (ca. A.D. 630-680) ceramic phase, and a cer…
Local water resource variability and oxygen isotopic reconstructions of mobility: A case study from the Maya area
Stones, Bones, and Crowded Plazas: Evidence for Terminal Classic Maya warfare at Colha, Belize
This study provides a synthetic review of the Terminal Classic collapse of the Maya site of Colha, Belize, based on new data drawn from recent lithic and osteological studies and previously reported information. The well-known Colha skull pit has figured prominently in previous hypotheses of the site's collapse, which focus on either warfare or ritual termination. In this review, these two hypotheses are reexamined using data from: (1) shifts in …
Drone-Mounted Lidar Survey of Maya Settlement and Landscape
We conducted unmanned aerial vehicle lidar missions in the Maya Lowlands between June 2017 and June 2018 to develop appropriate methods, procedures, and standards for drone lidar surveys of ancient Maya settlements and landscapes. Three site locations were tested within upper Usumacinta River region using Phoenix Lidar Systems: Piedras Negras, Guatemala, was tested in 2017, and Budsilha and El Infiernito, both in Mexico, were tested in 2018. Thes…
Bioarchaeology and the Skeletons of the Pre-Columbian Maya
Centering the Classic Maya Kingdom of Sak Tz’i’
In this article, we provide the results of preliminary archaeological and epigraphic research undertaken at the site of Lacanjá Tzeltal, Chiapas. Field research conducted in 2018, in collaboration with local community members, has allowed us to identify this archaeological site as the capital of a kingdom known from Classic period Maya inscriptions as "Sak Tz'i'" (White Dog). Because all previously known references to the kingdom came from looted…
Recent Research on the Archaeology of War and Violence
The mid-1990s through the first decade of the new millennium marked an increase in publications pertaining to war and violence in the ancient past. This review considers how scholars of the past decade have responded to that work. The emerging consensus is that war and violence were endemic to all societies studied by archaeologists, and yet the frequency, intensity, causes, and consequences of violence were highly variable for reasons that defy …
Bacterial tetraether lipids in ancient bones record past climate conditions at the time of disposal
The lowland Maya settlement landscape: Environmental LiDAR and ecology
This paper presents the archaeological evaluation of 458 tiles of LiDAR collected by environmental scientists over southern Mexico using the G-LiHT system of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Specifically, this article describes the results of a full processing, inspection, and annotation of these data for the identification and baseline analysis of archaeological features. In this paper, we: 1) introduce the dataset and describe our efforts to…
Chronology and the evidence for war in the ancient Maya kingdom of Piedras Negras
A royal Maya country house: Archaeology at Bejucal, Guatemala
This article presents three years of archaeological investigations at the minor Maya center of Bejucal, Guatemala. A complete site history is presented relying on data from artifact analysis, architectural study, epigraphy, and bioarchaeology, with a goal towards identifying the site's function within the broader El Zotz polity. The authors argue that Bejucal underwent significant transformation following its establishment as a sacred hilltop sit…
Suitability Models of Ancient Maya Agriculture in the Upper Usumacinta River Basin of Mexico and Guatemala
Recent archaeological and remote sensing research in the Maya Lowlands has demonstrated evidence for extensive modification of the landscape in the forms of channeled fields and upland terraces. Scholars often assume these measures were taken primarily to intensify maize production; however, paleoethnobotany highlights a greater diversity of crops grown by the precolonial Maya. This study combines the growth requirements of 18 crops cultivated by…
Health Care in the Marketplace: Exploring Maya Medicinal Plants and Practices at Piedras Negras, Guatemala
Botanical residues recovered from excavations in the Southeast Marketplace of Piedras Negras provide information about the healing and medical activities of the site's Classic period (a.d. 350–900) inhabitants, and point towards the intersection between commerce and medicine for the ancient Maya. The plants were likely exchanged at the market then used on-site for the purposes of healing. The botanical remains are complemented by both architectur…
Organic compositional analysis of ancient maya tooth sealants and fillings
The Classic Maya sarcophagus: Veneration and renewal at Palenque and Tonina
Gestirnnamen bei den indogermanischen Völkern
Grundfragen der Sprachwissenschaft
Grundfragen der Sprachwissenschaft
Handbuch der griechischen Dialekte. Zweiter Teil. Zweite erweiterte Aufl
Archiloque. Sept Exposés Et Discussions
Geschichte der griechischen Sprache, Band 1, Bis zum Ausgang der klassischen Zeit
Geschichte der griechischen Sprache. Band 2, Grundfragen und Grundzüge des nachklassischen Griechisch
Handbuch der lateinischen Syntax
Guardian of the Acropolis: The Sacred Space of a Royal Burial at Piedras Negras, Guatemala
Excavation of a small Maya ceremonial structure at the site of Piedras Negras, Guatemala, has revealed a Late Classic period (ca. A.D. 600-900) vaulted tomb containing the remains of a young member of the royal family whom we identify as "Night-time Turtle." The artifact assemblage from the burial included a modest quantity of carved jade jewelry (38 pieces), an incised vessel dating to the early Yaxché (ca. A.D. 630-680) ceramic phase, and a cer…
Stones, Bones, and Crowded Plazas: Evidence for Terminal Classic Maya warfare at Colha, Belize
This study provides a synthetic review of the Terminal Classic collapse of the Maya site of Colha, Belize, based on new data drawn from recent lithic and osteological studies and previously reported information. The well-known Colha skull pit has figured prominently in previous hypotheses of the site's collapse, which focus on either warfare or ritual termination. In this review, these two hypotheses are reexamined using data from: (1) shifts in …
Population structure of the classic period Maya
This study examines the population structure of Classic period (A.D. 250–900) Maya populations through analysis of odontometric variation of 827 skeletons from 12 archaeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. The hypothesis that isolation by distance characterized Classic period Maya population structure is tested using Relethford and Blangero's (Hum Biol 62 ( 1990 ) 5–25) approach to R matrix analysis for quantitative traits. …
Bioarchaeological Evidence for Social and Temporal Differences in Diet at Piedras Negras, Guatemala
In this bioarchaeological study of Classic Maya subsistence, we analyzed porotic hyperostosis, dental caries, and stable isotopes on skeletal remains recovered from 118 burials at Piedras Negras, Guatemala. The abundant porotic hyperostosis and dental caries at Piedras Negras, coupled with a high mean δ13C (mean -9.2 ± 1.0‰) provide evidence for high levels of maize consumption. The isotope data show slight differences among social status groups.…
Piedras Negras and Yaxchilan: Divergent Political Trajectories in Adjacent Maya Polities
In this article we present a synthetic overview and preliminary analysis of the data collected by members of the Sierra del Lacandón Regional Archaeology Project (SLRAP) during four field seasons of research from 2003 to 2007. We examine the growth, development, and transformation of the Classic Maya polities of Piedras Negras, Guatemala, and Yaxchilan, Mexico, located in the Middle Usumacinta Basin. This analysis uses a conjunctive approach, inc…
Tecolote, Guatemala: Archaeological Evidence for a Fortified Late Classic Maya Political Border
A newly discovered system of fortifications at Tecolote, Guatemala, a Late Classic period (A.D. 600–900) Maya secondary center in the Yaxchilan polity, consists of a series of stone walls and hilltop watchtowers. The stone walls appear to have been used as foundations to secure wooden palisades, as suggested previously for other Classic Maya sites, and were used in concert with strategic settlement at the site to maximize overall defensibility. W…
Remote Sensing as a Tool for Tropical Ecology
Tropical forests provide important habitat for a tremendous diversity of plant and animal species. However, limitations in measuring and monitoring the structure and function of tropical forests has caused these systems to remain poorly understood. Remote-sensing technology has provided a powerful tool for quantification of structural patterns and associating these with resource use. Satellite and aerial platforms can be used to collect remotely …
The Classic Maya sarcophagus: Veneration and renewal at Palenque and Tonina
Territory, Trust, Growth, and Collapse in Classic Period Maya Kingdoms
Drawing on theoretical understandings of the relationship between civil society and the state, the authors argue that the collapse of the kingdoms of Piedras Negras and Yaxchilan in the ninth century AD resulted from the same political processes that permitted the expansion of dynastic power in preceding centuries. Populations initially clustered around the dynastic capitals of these kingdoms, where daily spheres of interaction facilitated trust …
Local water resource variability and oxygen isotopic reconstructions of mobility: A case study from the Maya area
Dental Morphometric and Strontium Isotope Evidence for Population History at Tikal, Guatemala
Reanalyzing environmental lidar data for archaeology: Mesoamerican applications and implications
This paper presents a preliminary archaeological assessment of extensive transects of lidar recently collected by environmental scientists over southern Mexico using the G-LiHT system of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. In particular, this article offers the results of a first phase of research, consisting of: 1) characterization and classification of the cultural and ecological context of the samples, and 2) bare earth processing and visual i…
Bioarchaeology and the Skeletons of the Pre-Columbian Maya
A royal Maya country house: Archaeology at Bejucal, Guatemala
This article presents three years of archaeological investigations at the minor Maya center of Bejucal, Guatemala. A complete site history is presented relying on data from artifact analysis, architectural study, epigraphy, and bioarchaeology, with a goal towards identifying the site's function within the broader El Zotz polity. The authors argue that Bejucal underwent significant transformation following its establishment as a sacred hilltop sit…
Bacterial tetraether lipids in ancient bones record past climate conditions at the time of disposal
Drone-Mounted Lidar Survey of Maya Settlement and Landscape
We conducted unmanned aerial vehicle lidar missions in the Maya Lowlands between June 2017 and June 2018 to develop appropriate methods, procedures, and standards for drone lidar surveys of ancient Maya settlements and landscapes. Three site locations were tested within upper Usumacinta River region using Phoenix Lidar Systems: Piedras Negras, Guatemala, was tested in 2017, and Budsilha and El Infiernito, both in Mexico, were tested in 2018. Thes…
The lowland Maya settlement landscape: Environmental LiDAR and ecology
This paper presents the archaeological evaluation of 458 tiles of LiDAR collected by environmental scientists over southern Mexico using the G-LiHT system of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Specifically, this article describes the results of a full processing, inspection, and annotation of these data for the identification and baseline analysis of archaeological features. In this paper, we: 1) introduce the dataset and describe our efforts to…
Archaeology (27 works) · Geography (24 works) · Maya (21 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (18 works) · History (15 works) · Art (10 works) · History (10 works) · Latin American history and culture (10 works) · Political science (9 works) · Archaeological Research and Protection (8 works)