Postclassic Petén Maya bow-and-arrow use as revealed by immunological analysis​

• We present the first immunological study of ancient Maya weaponry (A.D. 1400–1607).
• Cross-over immunoelectrophoresis analysis found 25 positive protein matches to fauna.
• Results indicate a wide range of fauna were hunted for subsistence and ritual.
• False positives and cross-reactions were also found and scrutinized.
• The first evidence for human protein was detected on arrow tips.

The bow-and-arrow was a widely used weapon in the Postclassic and Contact periods in the Maya lowlands. A sample of 108 arrow points from varied archaeological contexts in the lakes region of central Petén, northern Guatemala, was submitted for cross-over immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) analysis. Analysis resulted in 25 positive matches to available antisera for a wide range of local and introduced fauna, from small and large land mammals to avians. These findings indicate possible uses in subsistence and ritual, as well as the first immunological identification of human proteins from projectile weaponry in Mesoamerica. This study did not reveal strong correlations between targeted fauna and point morphology, although larger points were likely used for larger game.