Paper short abstract:

The current understanding of feasting practices in the past is circumscribed by the necessary presence of a self-aggrandizing male agent. A more fruitful approach may be developed by incorporating a variety of motivations understood intersectionally, as demonstrated from a Mesoamerican perspective.

Paper long abstract:

Current approaches to feasting practices in the archaeological record have a rather narrow conception of who was responsible for feasts, and their reasons for holding them. Most recent conceptualizations focus upon self-aggrandizing, elite-aspiring males, but this view leaves little room for diversity in the wide range of actors' identities and motivations. A multitude of other possible standpoints have the potential to broaden our understanding of these important social events. Through the intersection of the ancient Maya ritual ballgame, associated feasting, and gendered participation, I argue for the necessity of accounting for and incorporating a variety of perspectives and motivations when considering feasting as an important and archaeologically visible form of social interaction. This will facilitate a more richly textured understanding of this complex form of social negotiation.