The bones of people from ancient villages have revealed the secret of the Maya’s diet
Most research into the Maya civilisation has focused on the rulers and inhabitants of large cities. However, for a long time, scientists knew almost nothing about what ordinary people living in small villages ate.
An international team of researchers has now studied the bones and teeth of people living in small settlements in what is now Guatemala. It turns out that maize was indeed the staple of their diet, but their diet was much more varied than previously thought.
Details
The researchers analysed the remains of 57 individuals and the tooth enamel of a further 37 inhabitants of small settlements in the south-east of the Petén region.
To find out what people ate, the scientists used a method known as stable isotope analysis. This method allows researchers to determine what foods a person consumed throughout their life by analysing the chemical composition of their bones and teeth.
The data obtained were then compared with the results of studies of major Mayan cities, such as Tikal, Calakmul and Caracol.
The study confirmed that maize remained the staple food.
However, the diet of the villagers was not limited to maize alone.
They also ate the meat of deer, peccaries, turkeys and dogs, and in some areas — fish, molluscs and reptiles, which they caught in rivers and lakes.
This suggests that people made active use of the natural resources surrounding their settlements.
Scientists noted that diet varied depending on the region.
People in mountainous regions consumed more maize.
Meanwhile, those living in the savannahs obtained animal protein more frequently, thanks to the proximity of rivers and lakes where they could fish and gather other aquatic animals.
According to the researchers, this shows that the Maya were able to adapt to their environment.
Interestingly, young children ate less maize than adults.
Scientists explain this by the fact that children were initially breastfed and later gradually transitioned to solid food.
Previous research shows that at around the age of three or four, children were given atole — a traditional thick porridge or drink made from maize.
The study also revealed that maize remained the staple food even towards the end of the Classic Period, when many Maya cities began to decline.
At the same time, people began to make greater use of local produce. According to the researchers, this helped communities adapt to political and environmental changes.
Why this is important
For the first time, the study has provided a detailed account of what ordinary residents of small Maya settlements ate, rather than rulers and the elite.
The research helps us to better understand the daily lives of ancient people and shows that they successfully combined agriculture with the use of local natural resources.
Limitations of the study
The authors examined human remains from only one region of modern-day Guatemala. Therefore, the results cannot automatically be generalised to the entire Maya civilisation.
Furthermore, stable isotope analysis allows us to identify general characteristics of the diet, but does not reveal the exact range of dishes or the frequency of consumption of individual foods.
Source
Journal: PLOS One (2026).