The Sacred and the Profane
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ACTA MESOAMERICANA Volume 10 Piene Robert Colas, Kai Delvendahl, Marcus Kuhnert, Annette Schubart ( editors) The Sacred and the Profane Architecture and Identity in the Maya Lowlands 3rd European Maya Conference University of Ham burg November 1998 VERLAG ANTON SAURWEIN The Cave as a Cosmogram: Function and Meaning of Maya Speleothem Use Holley Moyes Recent cave research has noted that there is a ubi Introduction quitous pattern of speleothem breakage and move The term speleothem is formall y defined as "any ment in caves utilized by the ancient Maya. Unfor secondary mineral deposit that is formed by water" tunately, no systematic study has been undertaken (Gary et al. 1972:679), and is a commonly used to provide data on the extent of speleothem ex generic term for stalagmites, stalagtites or other ploitation or on the variability in the contexts and simil ar cave formations. Although speleothem uses of lhe material. Without such data there is little usage by the ancient Maya appears to be ubiqui hope for understanding the meaning of the practice. tous, it has only been given sporadic attention by The Western Belize Regional Cave Project (WBRCP) archaeologists (Andrews 1970; Awe et al. 1997; conducted a formal spatial analysis at the site of Brady 1989; Bonor and Martinez 1995; MacLeod Actun Tunichil Muknal which involved piece and Pu leston 1978; McNatt 1996; Pendergast 1970; plotting artifacts (including speleothems), and re Reents 1980; Rissolo 1998). Recently, Brady has cording distributions and associations using Geo reported on the distribution and context of speleo graphical Information Systems (GIS). The analysis thems throughout the Maya area in both caves and found that speleothems not only functioned as surface sites, and has demonstrated their possible architectural components of such features as utility in linking surface finds to specific cave loca bridges and supports, but commonly accompanied tions (Brady et al. 1997). However, to date no offerings as well. Despite contextual differences, formal analysis has been undertaken to investi there exists a pervasive association of speleothem gate their speci fic function and meaning. use with a "special" or "sacred" meaning. By ex The Y L1catec term fo r speleothems is .xi.x h" amining groups of artifacts assoc iated with indi tunich or "drip-water stone" (Barrera Vasquez et a 1. vidual speleothem clusters, comparisons were made 1980: 946). This lexical evidence s Li ggests that th e wi th ico nograph ic representations in ord er to de Maya, were cognizant, at least empiricall y, of the termine specific meanings. This method of analysis process of speleothem for mati on . Water found in has revealed that th e Main Chamber of the cave caves, called Zuhuy Ha or "virgin water, was con was likely to have represented a physical manifesta sidered sacred and used in ritual throughout Meso tion of the Maya creation myth and that a ritual america during pre-hispanic times (AJ .O. Ander event condLlcted within th e chamber was related to son 1982: 82; Duran 1971: 13 1; Sahagun 1981: 141; the iconographic representations of the creation of Thompson 1959: 124-127.) It would be expected the world. that the element of transformation embodied in th e Holley Moye. ,. I EI PUor Spanish lookout• RIVER YOkOI( • , j~ ,'", .", CohOI Pech. • X"al Conll Actun TunlcnJl (caya Y) Mulmo\ n :" Coho! j~ • Win No ' Q :~ I NegramQ" Borton Creek n AN ! • (lIPU). Pocblfun. :Xunontunlch Cave ~~=-______o:::::::::5_~~, o Actun Petz UPPl:::~IXUZEVi\UE'( o CAYO DISTRICT Che Chern He 8EIJZE Cove • archaeolog ical site MOUNTAIN cave VACAPLATEAU PINERIDGE o Fig. 1. Map of {he up per Belize Valley showing loc3ti on of ACLun Tunichil Muknal process of creating sto ne from dripping water The present siudy is an analysis of speleothem would imbue speleo[hems with special meani ng as use at Actun Tunichil Mukna l, a Late Classic Brady suggests (1997:725). Maya ceremoni al cave in Belize. By examining A fundamental idea concerning th e interprela speleothe m distribution and function within a ti on the archaeo logical data from caves, is that s in gle site, nuances of meaning may be establ is h artifact assemblages are an express ion of ancient ed by viewing th ese artifacts from both global and Maya rilLlal and reflec t religious symbolism. In local perspecti ves. Overall global trend of spe leo discussing the use of the Direct Historical them deposition will be analyzed as well as localiz Approach in the analysis of Preclassic iconogra ed usage of unique deposits. phy, H.B. Nicholson suggests [hat rather th an 10 To faci litate th e storage and analysis of these simply consider isolated e lements as symbo li cally large amollnts of specific data, th e use of complex meaningful. we may reac h bett er unders tandings compute r programs has increas ingly become a by evaluating clusters of el ements (1976: 173). necessity (Renfrew & Zubrow 1994). Geographical Cave archaeologi sts in [he past have had a tenden Info rmation Systems (GIS) offer the fl exibility cy to focus o n particular objects in th eir search for needed for the di splay, storage, and analysis of the symbolism and meaning of data. A more fruit the archaeological data, and are ll seful in the identi ful approach to the interpretation of th e arc haeo ficatio n of patterning as demonstrated by Zubrow logical record would be to evaluate interrelation ( 1994: \07-1 8). Data di splay becomes a powerful ships of groups of ele ments. Clearly. this approach tool in the analysis and the recognitio n of patterning is highly dependent on careful provenience all ow within large areas and complex contextual features in g arti fa cts 10 be evalu ated at a variety of levels since global patterning becomes mo re easily recog of distribution on a continuum from global to nizable and observations that were not obvious in local. the fi eld beco me qllite obvious on the screen. 138 I he Lave as a Losmogram Setting entrance and ll, e Main Chamber. II is a large ledge ACIUIl T unichil Muknal, (Cave of Ihe Stone Se approximately 10 meters above the slrcam measur pulcher), is a Maya Ca ve in the Cayo districi of in g 5x 15 melers thai can accommodate 10-12 Weslern Belize, Central America. Localed near people in close condilions. Ceramics in this area Teakeltle village, it is siluated on a Iributary of date to the Lale Classic, Spanish Lookoul phase Roaring Creek (Fig. 1). It was discovered by a geo (A.D. 700-900), based on cross daling wi th morphologist, Dr. Thomas Miller (Miller 1989, Gifford's Barton Ramie colleclion (Gifford 1976). 1990) and a map of the cave system was produced The Main Chamber was the most extensive and in 1989. Subsequently, the cave was visited by a intensively ulilized area of Maya ritual, and its British speleological expedilion (Marochov & secluded localion lefl it undislurbed by looters. Williams 1989, 1991).1t is currently under investi Located 500 meters from the cave enlrance where a N galion by the Western Belize Cave Project high level passage splils off from the main passage A (WBRCP) under Ihe direclion of Dr. Jaime Awe. way, it measures approximately 183 meters in Actun Tunicbil Muknal is a large cave system length, 35 melers at its widesl point and S meters at and may be described as a "wei," since flowing ils narrowest. The tOlal area of the chamber is ap through Ihe approximately 5 km. of cave passage proximately 4,450 square melers. Much of Ihe is a perennial stream that culminates in a deep chamber's floor consists of a series of travertine blue pool. Cultural remains in Actun Tunicbil dams formed by the precipilation of calcium Muknal are fOllnd in four major loci: the Main carbonate during waler evaporalion. These dams, Entrance, the Sinkhole Entrance, the "Stelae" 10-40 cm. deep, create a honeycomb of gaur pools ,deolhem Chamber and Ihe Main Chamber (Fig.2). SpeJeo Ihat descend gradually toward the eastem entrance : Classic them usage occurs in both Ihe "Stelae" Chamber of Ihe chamber. Although no flooding was wit xamllling and the Main Chamber. nessed during investigations of the chamber in within a The area that we refer 10 as lhe "Stelae" Chamber 1993 or 1996, a torrential rain in 1997 caused Ihe ,slablish is located approx im ately midway belween Ihe cave chamber to flood. Natural drainage began almost lobal and ,fspeleo s localiz of Ihcse ACTUN TUNICHIL MUKNAL J:artheslMaya comp le x (Cave 01 the Slone Sepulchre) analaclll'om ~coll1e a Cayo District. Belize .CA. ,raphical "ibilil y . ysis of N _identi o 500 A ilubrow O"lIlnal e~pl o' a u on MltIe, 91 al 1!'85 E~\ent!e d QMeSeS '988 oS. Bel l ~e ::9 Original Sutve ybV B ~ 'I ze 'a9 E~p~;l< I !()I1 ~ IW ~~ VOtd 1;\aln ClJamber EnlranClJ o:,~ '11 :- ., ·. ---==~ · ~.~:-:.-:..~~~Uo m Fig. 2. Map of Actun Tunichil Muknal cave system (after Mil!er 1990:36). 139 HolleyMoyes ACTUN TUNICHIL MUKNAL - Main Chamber immediately, but standing pools pcrsisted for up to threc weeks. It is highly likely that the chamber has been flooded on and off since ancient times, Angel's Room which would account for the thick calcite buildup. For purposes of description and field use, the Main Chamber was divided into the following areas: 1) the Creek, 2) Boot Hill, 3) the Burial Chamber, 4) the Ransom Chamber, 5) the Cathe Cathedral dral,7) the Angel's Room, 6) the West Wall, and 8) the Crystal Sepulcher.