The Origins of the Maya: a Comparative Analysis of Narratives
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Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2011-03-11 The Origins of the Maya: A Comparative Analysis of Narratives Thomasina Ilene Morris Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Anthropology Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Morris, Thomasina Ilene, "The Origins of the Maya: A Comparative Analysis of Narratives" (2011). Theses and Dissertations. 2601. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2601 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. The Origins of the Maya: A Comparative Analysis of Narratives Thomasina I. Morris A thesis submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts John E. Clark (chair) Donald Forsyth Allen Christenson Department of Anthropology Brigham Young University April 2011 Copyright ©2011 Thomasina I. Morris All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT The Origins of the Maya: A Comparative Analysis of Narratives Thomasina I. Morris Department of Anthropology Master of Arts The purpose of this thesis is to document the changes in archaeological origin narratives concerning the lowland Preclassic Maya. This was accomplished by tracking the changes in four major narratives over several decades. These narratives include Herbert J. Spinden’s Ancient Civilizations of Mexico and Central America; The Ancient Maya written by Sylvanus G. Morley, with additional editors, George Brainerd, Robert J. Sharer, and Loa Traxler; Michael D. Coe’s The Maya, and Richard E.W. Adams’s Prehistoric Mesoamerica. The specific parts of the narratives analyzed were the origins of agriculture, ceramic technology, writing, and monumental architecture. Changes in metaphorical language and illustrations that accompanied these texts were also analyzed. Shifts in narratives were tracked through the changes made to the texts in sequential editions, and were then compared between editions, and between books. The analysis of these narratives showed that the changes in the narratives resulted from a number of factors, including new technology, such as radiocarbon dating; new discoveries, in the form of artwork, sites, and artifacts; the decipherment of the Maya glyphs; and changes in the field of archaeology. The largest change that archaeological research has shown that Maya civilization is older than first imagined. Writing, ceramic technology, and monumental architecture are all now known be to centuries older than previously thought, all of which require a much different narrative than first told in 1841 by John Lloyd Stephens. Keywords: Preclassic, Maya, Lowland, Chronology, Architecture, Origins, Writing ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my family and friends for all of the support and encouragement that you gave. And I am grateful to my committee, especially Dr. John E. Clark, for the teaching and growth that you have encouraged. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... xi I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 Narrative Streams........................................................................................................................ 3 Background ................................................................................................................................. 4 Maya Calendars .......................................................................................................................... 5 Christian Correlation and Chronology ........................................................................................ 9 Research Outcomes and Expectations ...................................................................................... 10 II. Global Narrative Part I: 1492-1940 .......................................................................................... 11 1492-1819: Narratives from Conquest Times ........................................................................... 12 1820-1900: Early Narratives and Explorers ............................................................................. 12 John Lloyd Stephens’s Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan. ..... 13 Augustus and Alice Le Plongeon .......................................................................................... 16 1900-1940: Romanticized Mayas as America’s Greeks ........................................................... 18 III. Ancient Civilizations of Mexico and Central America ........................................................... 22 Chronology ............................................................................................................................... 25 Writing ...................................................................................................................................... 26 v IV. The Ancient Maya ................................................................................................................... 28 Biographical Information on the Authors ................................................................................. 28 General Narrative ...................................................................................................................... 31 1st and 2nd editions. ............................................................................................................. 31 3rd edition. ............................................................................................................................ 32 4th edition. ............................................................................................................................ 34 Chronology ............................................................................................................................... 35 Origins of Maize Agriculture .................................................................................................... 36 1st and 2nd editions. ................................................................................................................ 36 3rd edition. ............................................................................................................................ 37 4th edition. ............................................................................................................................ 37 5th edition ............................................................................................................................. 37 6th edition. ............................................................................................................................ 38 Origins of Ceramic Technology................................................................................................ 38 1st and 2nd editions. ............................................................................................................. 38 3rd edition. ............................................................................................................................ 39 4th edition ............................................................................................................................. 39 5th edition ............................................................................................................................. 40 6th edition ............................................................................................................................. 40 vi Origins of Writing ..................................................................................................................... 41 1st and 2nd editions. ............................................................................................................. 41 3rd edition. ............................................................................................................................ 42 4th edition ............................................................................................................................. 42 5th edition ............................................................................................................................. 42 6th edition. ............................................................................................................................ 43 Origin of Monumental Architecture ......................................................................................... 43 1st and 2nd editions. ............................................................................................................. 43 3rd edition. ............................................................................................................................ 44 4th edition ............................................................................................................................