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What Maya Collapse? Terminal Classic Variation in the Maya Lowlands
J Archaeol Res (2007) 15:329–377 DOI 10.1007/s10814-007-9015-x ORIGINAL PAPER What Maya Collapse? Terminal Classic Variation in the Maya Lowlands James J. Aimers Published online: 17 August 2007 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007 Abstract Interest in the lowland Maya collapse is stronger than ever, and there are now hundreds of studies that focus on the era from approximately A.D. 750 to A.D. 1050. In the past, scholars have tended to generalize explanations of the collapse from individual sites and regions to the lowlands as a whole. More recent approaches stress the great diversity of changes that occurred across the lowlands during the Terminal Classic and Early Postclassic periods. Thus, there is now a consensus that Maya civilization as a whole did not collapse, although many zones did experience profound change. Keywords Maya Á Collapse Á Terminal Classic–Early Postclassic Introduction ‘‘Much has been published in recent years about the collapse of Maya civilization and its causes. It might be wise to preface this chapter with a simple statement that in my belief no such thing happened’’ (Andrews IV 1973, p. 243). More than three decades after Andrews made this statement, interest in the lowland Maya collapse is more intense than ever. Of the more than 400 books, chapters, or articles of which I am aware, over half were published in the last ten years. As always, speculation about the collapse follows contemporary trends (Wilk 1985), and widespread concern over war and the physical environment have made the lowland Maya into a cautionary tale for many (Diamond 2005; Gibson 2006; J. -
Understanding the Archaeology of a Maya Capital City Diane Z
Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology Volume 5 Archaeological Investigations in the Eastern Maya Lowlands: Papers of the 2007 Belize Archaeology Symposium Edited by John Morris, Sherilyne Jones, Jaime Awe and Christophe Helmke Institute of Archaeology National Institute of Culture and History Belmopan, Belize 2008 Editorial Board of the Institute of Archaeology, NICH John Morris, Sherilyne Jones, George Thompson, Jaime Awe and Christophe G.B. Helmke The Institute of Archaeology, Belmopan, Belize Jaime Awe, Director John Morris, Associate Director, Research and Education Brian Woodye, Associate Director, Parks Management George Thompson, Associate Director, Planning & Policy Management Sherilyne Jones, Research and Education Officer Cover design: Christophe Helmke Frontispiece: Postclassic Cao Modeled Diving God Figure from Santa Rita, Corozal Back cover: Postclassic Effigy Vessel from Lamanai (Photograph by Christophe Helmke). Layout and Graphic Design: Sherilyne Jones (Institute of Archaeology, Belize) George Thompson (Institute of Archaeology, Belize) Christophe G.B. Helmke (Københavns Universitet, Denmark) ISBN 978-976-8197-21-4 Copyright © 2008 Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of Culture and History, Belize. All rights reserved. Printed by Print Belize Limited. ii J. Morris et al. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We wish to express our sincerest thanks to every individual who contributed to the success of our fifth symposium, and to the subsequent publication of the scientific contributions that are contained in the fifth volume of the Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology. A special thanks to Print Belize and the staff for their efforts to have the Symposium Volume printed on time despite receiving the documents on very short notice. We extend a special thank you to all our 2007 sponsors: Belize Communication Services Limited, The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), Galen University and Belize Electric Company Limited (BECOL) for their financial support. -
Where Is Lowland Maya Archaeology Headed?
Journal of Archaeological Research, Vol. 3, No. L 1995 Where Is Lowland Maya Archaeology Headed? Joyce Marcus 1 This article isolates three important trends in Lowland Maya archaeology during the last decade: (1) increased use of the conjunctive approach, with renewed appreciation of context and provenience; (2) waning use of the label "unique" to describe the Maya; and (3) an effort to use the Lowland Maya as a case study in social evolution. KEY WORDS: Maya archaeology; conjunctive approach; direct historic approach. INTRODUCTION I have been asked to review the last decade of Lowland Maya ar- chaeology and discuss any major trends that can be discerned. The task presents numerous problems, not the least of which is the fact that one has little time to deliberate on data so newly produced. I also do not want to run the risk of extolling current research at the expense of that done by our predecessors. Finally, the volume of literature on Maya archaeology has been increasing so rapidly in recent years that one cannot hope to do more than cite a fraction of it. I have tried to compensate for this by in- cluding a 400-entry bibliography at the end of the review. At least three major trends can be seen in the last decade of Lowland Maya archaeology, and I organize my presentation around them. The first trend is a substantial increase in the integration of multiple lines of evi- dence-in effect, what Walter W. Taylor (t948) called "the conjunctive ap- proach" (Carmack and Weeks, 1981; Fash and Sharer, 1991, Marcus, 1983; Sabloff, 1990). -
Ancient Maya: the Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization Arthur Demarest Frontmatter More Information
Cambridge University Press 0521533902 - Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization Arthur Demarest Frontmatter More information Ancient Maya The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization In this new archaeological study, Arthur Demarest brings the lost pre- Columbian civilization of Maya to life. In applying a holistic perspec- tive to the most recent evidence from archaeology, paleoecology, and epigraphy, this theoretical interpretation emphasizes both the brilliant rainforest adaptations of the ancient Maya and the Native American spirituality that permeated all aspects of their daily life. Demarest draws on his own discoveries and the findings of colleagues to reconstruct the complex lifeways and volatile political history of the Classic Maya states of the first to eighth centuries. He provides a new explanation of the long-standing mystery of the ninth-century abandonment of most of the great rainforest cities. Finally, he draws lessons from the history of the Classic Maya cities for contemporary society and for the ongoing struggles and resurgence of the modern Maya peoples, who are now re-emerging from six centuries of oppression. is the Ingram Professor of Anthropology at Van- derbilt University, Tennessee. For more than twenty-five years he has directed archaeological field excavations at ancient sites in the highlands, coasts, and rainforests of Central America and is considered a leading authority on the Olmec, Aztec, Inca, and, particularly, the ancient Maya civilizations. © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521533902 - Ancient Maya: The Rise and Fall of a Rainforest Civilization Arthur Demarest Frontmatter More information Case Studies in Early Societies Series Editor Rita P. -
University of Florida Thesis Or Dissertation Formatting
ANIMAL RESOURCES IN ANCIENT MAYA ECONOMY AND EXCHANGE: ZOOARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ISOTOPIC PERSPECTIVES By ERIN KENNEDY THORNTON A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2011 1 © 2011 Erin Kennedy Thornton 2 To Dan and Sam 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Funding for this project was generously provided by the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies (grant # 06027), the National Science Foundation (grant #0622805), and the University of Florida Department of Latin American Studies. I would like to thank Antonia Foias, Matt Moriarty, Arthur Demarest, Tomás Barrientos, Elizabeth Graham, Wendy Teeter, Diane Chase, Arlen Chase, and the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia de Guatemala (IDAEH) for granting permission to analyze the zooarchaeological remains used in this study. I would also like to thank Ann Heatherington, George Kamenov, John Krigbaum and Ben Valentine from the University of Florida for their assistance with the strontium isotope analysis. Appreciation is also extended to the Florida Museum of Natural History (Gainesville, Florida) for providing access to the modern comparative collections used to identify the zooarchaeological assemblages. I am indebted to my superb advisor, Kitty Emery, for her constant patience, support, guidance and friendship throughout my graduate career. Her insights and advice were invaluable. She also generously involved me in her own research projects, which provided not only additional research and museum experience, but also paid employment, which allowed me to continue my graduate studies when other sources of funding were unavailable. I also extend my gratitude to my other committee members Susan deFrance, Susan Milbrath, John Krigbaum and Mel Sunquist for their valuable feedback regarding various aspects of my research. -
THE INSCRIPTIONS from TEMPLE XIX at PALENQUE the Inscriptions Fromtemplexix at Palenque a Commentary
DAVID STUART THE INSCRIPTIONS FROM TEMPLE XIX AT PALENQUE The Inscriptions fromTempleXIX at Palenque A Commentary The Inscriptions from TempleXIX at Palenque A Commentary By David Stuart Photographs by Jorge Pérez de Lara The Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute San Francisco ©2005 by The Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute All rights reserved Designed by Chip Breitwieser and Dawn Glenn for Precolumbia Mesoweb Press Printed in China on acid-free paper Library of Congress Control Number 2005936998 ISBN 0-934051-10-0 Contents Acknowledgments 6 A Note on Orthography and Hieroglyphic Transcription 8 Introduction 11 Chapter 1. The Alfarda Tablet 17 Chapter 2. The Sculpted Pier 21 Chapter 3. The Platform 59 Chapter 4. The People 113 Chapter 5. K’inich Ahkal Mo’ Nahb: His Name Glyphs and Historical Setting 148 Chapter 6. A New Look at Palenque’s Mythology 158 Chapter 7. The Weight of Time 186 Appendix A. Transcription of the Temple XIX Inscriptions 190 Appendix B. Transliteration and Prose Translation of the Temple XIX Platform 196 Bibliography 201 Acknowledgments My research on Temple XIX and its texts benefited from the help and insights of many friends and colleagues. Above all, my warmest and most heartfelt thanks go to Merle Greene Robertson. Her invitation to me to participate in the Temple XIX work brought me back to Palenque after many years, to the place where so much of my interest and enthusiasm for the Maya began to develop seriously in the late 1970s. Merle’s constant encouragement and help in those years started me off on a wondrous path with the Maya, and for that she has my everlasting love and appreciation. -
Archaeology of the Guatemala Pacific Coast
FAMSI © 2002: Frederick J. Bove Archaeology of the Guatemala Pacific Coast Research Year : 1999 Culture : Teotihuacán Chronology : Pre-Classic, Early Classic and Late Post Classic Location : Pacific Coast, Guatemala (this report includes several abstracts involving Oaxaca, the Gulf Coast, and Petén) Site : Escuintla Table of Contents Abstract Publishable Manuscripts Relational Database Ceramic and Other Artifact Analysis and Illustration Design and Implementation of the Regional GIS Future Goal Abstract Funding provided by FAMSI was utilized in four broad categories. These were (a) in the preparation of publishable manuscripts, (b) the design, implementation, and completion of a large relational database including sites, stratigraphic data from excavations, ceramics, obsidian, and other artifacts, (c) completion of all ceramic analysis and illustrations of key ceramic types and groups as well as other significant artifact classes such as obsidian, and (d) the design and implementation of a large GIS database encompassing all of the data collected. Each of these categories is more fully described below. Publishable Manuscripts One of the great advantages of the FAMSI funding was to provide precious time to analyze and reflect on the results of the various projects conducted over the past years. While work continued on the large ceramic, obsidian, and other artifact databases as well as the concurrent GIS project, the opportunity to initiate regional questions of potentially sweeping magnitude instead of the usual site limited reports was immensely rewarding. The assistance provided by FAMSI enabled me to take fresh looks at our data with striking results. One concerned a Teotihuacán military takeover and colonization of a great deal of the central Escuintla, Guatemala coast. -
Northern Belize Solitude, [email protected] © Copyright 2019 by Live and Invest Overseas
Kathleen Peddicord Founding Publisher Kat Kalashian Editor-in-Chief Charles Conn Managing Editor Sophia Titley Senior Editor Edith Cantilo-Paz Editorial Assistant Cristian Landero Graphic Designer If you have queries relating to your subscription, get in touch at: [email protected] For editorial comments and contributions, reach us at: Northern Belize Solitude, [email protected] © Copyright 2019 by Live and Invest Overseas. Friendship, And Society All Rights Reserved. By Phil Hahn, Jim Hardesty, and Scot Cave Protected by copyright laws of the United States and international treaties. This newsletter may be enry David Thoreau could have been Northern Belize is a region encompassing H used only pursuant to the subscription agreement talking about Northern Belize when he a landmass of only about 2,500 square and any reproduction, copying, or redistribution said, “I had three chairs in my house; miles, but it stretches from the Caribbean (electronic or otherwise, including on the World one for solitude, two for friendship, three Sea to the forests of Central America. Wide Web), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited for society.” The population of under 50,000 people without the express written permission of the means you can enjoy plenty of solitude; publisher, Live and Invest Overseas, Calle Dr. Alberto Navarro, Casa No. 45, El Cangrejo, Life in Northern Belize is as diverse a welcome respite from the hustle Panama, Republic of Panama. as its amazing landscape. Over the and bustle of the rest of the world. years, locals and expats have built It is truly where the Caribbean and Any investments recommended in this letter should their homes and lives beside secluded Central America meet. -
Caracol, Belize, and Changing Perceptions of Ancient Maya Society
Anthropology Faculty Publications Anthropology 2016 Caracol, Belize, and Changing Perceptions of Ancient Maya Society Diane Z. Chase University of Nevada, Las Vegas, [email protected] Arlen F. Chase University of Nevada, Las Vegas, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/anthro_fac_articles Part of the History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons Repository Citation Chase, D. Z., Chase, A. F. (2016). Caracol, Belize, and Changing Perceptions of Ancient Maya Society. Journal of Archaeological Research, 25(1), 1-65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10814-016-9101-z This Article is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Article in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Article has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact [email protected]. J Archaeol Res DOI 10.1007/s10814-016-9101-z Caracol, Belize, and Changing Perceptions of Ancient Maya Society 1 2 Diane Z. Chase • Arlen F. Chase Ó The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Archaeological research at Caracol, an ancient Maya site that was rediscovered in 1937, has become a major resource in the interpretation and understanding of the ancient Maya. -
Smith ME. City Size in Late Postclassic Mesoamerica. Journal
10.1177/0096144204274396JOURNALSmith / CITY OF SIZE URBAN IN LA HISTORYTE POSTCLASSIC / May 2005 MESOAMERICA CITY SIZE IN LATE POSTCLASSIC MESOAMERICA MICHAEL E. SMITH This article assembles archaeological and documentaryevidence on the sizes of cities in Mesoamerica on the eve of Spanish conquest. Out of several hundred documented Late Postclassic urban centers, eighty-seven have reliable archaeological data on the area of the total city and/or the area of the central administrative zone (called the epicenter). The median urban area is 90 hectares (ha), and the median epicenter is 2.0 ha. These data are analyzed in terms of geographical zone, political type, population size and density, and rank-size distributions. The results suggest that political and administrative factors were the primary determinants of city size, with geographical zone having only a minor influence. Keywords: Mesoamerica; archaeology; urbanism; city size; rank size The ancient societies of Mesoamerica—Mexico and northern Central Amer- ica—are generally acknowledged as urban civilizations, yet our knowledgeof the forms, functions, and meanings of Mesoamerican cities and towns remains rudimentary. Mesoamericanists have not agreed on definitions of key concepts like city, town, and urban. General discussions of Mesoamerican urbanism have focused on a small number of large, atypical cities, avoiding consider- ation of the far more numerous towns and smaller cities.1 There are useful stud- ies of urban form within limited Mesoamerican cultural traditions2 as well as regional studies of major capitals and their immediate hinterlands.3 Systematic and comprehensive data are scanty, however, limiting progress in understand- ing the nature and history of urbanism in ancient Mesoamerica. -
Symbolism on Postclassic Ceramics from Lamanai, a Maya Site In
1 Postclassic Maya Ceramic Iconography at Lamanai, Belize, Central America Jennifer Ruth John Volume 1 Submitted in fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University College London 2 Abstract This thesis studies Postclassic ceramic iconography from Lamanai, Northern Belize, Central America. Lamanai sustained occupation through the ‘collapse’ and demonstrates a continuous building program and ceramic production during a time when other major sites of the Classic Period found themselves in the process of decline or had already been abandoned. Study of the transition period provides potential answers to broad social questions that concern how and why Lamanai was successful during the turbulence which caused some of its neighbours to fail. Findings show that Lamanai’s survival involved an ideological shift, expressed in its cultural material. The research described herein constitutes the first analysis of Lamanai ceramic iconography. Ceramics from elite primary contexts provide the source of iconography at the site and are presented in an extensive catalogue. Readings for Lamanai motifs are proposed, some of which are new and applicable to motifs found throughout the Maya Lowlands. The iconographic record studied extends from the Terminal Classic to the Early Historic Periods (ca. A.D. 800 - 1700), which permits the assessment of ideological and stylistic continuity and change expressed in Lamanai’s cultural material. This study increases our knowledge of the Postclassic Period, about which far less is known than the Classic florescence. It is my hope that it serves to enrich our understanding of the socio-cultural contexts of Postclassic life. Furthermore, comparison of Lamanai symbolism with that of other Mesoamerican sites permits an initial establishment of the site’s cultural interaction sphere within the Maya Lowlands. -
Human Ecology, Agricultural Intensification and Landscape
HUMAN ECOLOGY, AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION AND LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATION AT THE ANCIENT MAYA POLITY OF UXBENKÁ, SOUTHERN BELIZE by BRENDAN JAMES CULLETON A DISSERTATION Presented to the Department of Anthropology and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy March 2012 DISSERTATION APPROVAL PAGE Student: Brendan James Culleton Title: Human Ecology, Agricultural Intensification and Landscape Transformation at the Ancient Maya Polity of Uxbenká, Southern Belize This dissertation has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Department of Anthropology by: Douglas J. Kennett, Ph.D. Chairperson Jon M. Erlandson, Ph.D. Member Madonna L. Moss, Ph.D. Member Patrick Bartlein, Ph.D. Member Keith M. Prufer, Ph.D. Outside Member and Kimberly Andrews Espy Vice President for Research & Innovation/Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded March 2012 ii © 2012 Brendan James Culleton iii DISSERTATION ABSTRACT Brendan James Culleton Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology March 2012 Title: Human Ecology, Agricultural Intensification and Landscape Transformation at the Ancient Maya Polity of Uxbenká, Southern Belize Identifying connections between land use, population change, and natural and human-induced environmental change in ancient societies provides insights into the challenges we face today. This dissertation presents data from archaeological research at the ancient Maya center of Uxbenká, Belize, integrating chronological, geomorphological, and settlement data within an ecological framework to develop methodological and theoretical tools to explore connections between social and environmental change or stability during the Preclassic and Classic Period (~1000 BC to AD 900).