Tipu is an ancient Mayan pre- Columbian archaeological site situated in Maya Mountains in Belize on the border with Guatemala. Largely uncovered ruins of Tipu are situated on the Macal River near San Ignacio and Negroman. Unlike other Mayan sites Tipu survived until arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. This site is situated near the Macal River. Further downstream is located the Mayan site of Chaa Creek. Slightly further downstream is the site of Cahal Pech.
Health patterns in the colonial skeleton series from Tipu, Belize, are assessed to explore colonial contact and its differential effect on men and women. Ethnohistorical information about the Maya suggests that the status of women in particular may have changed as they assumed new economic roles, such as weaving blankets used as tribute and caring for small domestic animals. Furthermore, the age of childbearing probably changed because the missionaries encouraged marriage at a very early age. Tipu is located in west-central Belize on the Spanish border. This was the site of a visiting church which was established in 1567. The cemetery was heavily used until 1638, when a rebellion banished the Spanish. Even in the years of Spanish control, the community was relatively independent and isolated. This also served as a refuge center for immigrants who escaped European domination in the north of Yucatán. The distribution of sex and age in the series indicates that this constitutes a biased sample that represents a greater number of men and young adults. These two conditions are probably due in part to heavy immigration. Nutrition and disease indicator variables (linear enamel hypoplasia, Wilson bands, height, porotic hyperostosis), reproductive patterns (birth scars), and occupational activities (arthritis, trauma, robustness) were measured in more than 400 adults. The results of the analysis of health disruptions during childhood suggest that women enjoyed better health, which was probably due to greater genetic absorption. No evidence of preferential treatment towards men was demonstrated. During adulthood, the number of cavities suggests that women consumed more carbohydrates than men. Women also experienced fewer traumatic injuries, which could be due to their stay in the domestic environment. No markers suggestive of early delivery were observed; No woman under the age of 20 showed birth pits, nor does her health appear to have been threatened by active anemia. The frequencies and formation patterns of most indicators were similar to those reported in pre-Columbian Mayan populations, including those of Cuello, Altar de Sacrificios, Lubaantun, Barton Ramie and Tancah. These findings favor a cultural continuity between the pre-Columbian and colonial periods, as suggested by Tipu's archaeological and ethnohistorical records. Such continuity is no doubt related to the early colonial age of the series, as well as the relative isolation of this site. Therefore, the impact of European contact on local cultural practices was less devastating than in other areas of Mesoamerica. Tipu's Mayans were apparently able to negotiate most of their relationship with the Spanish.