DOCSLIB.ORG

Spatial Orders in Maya Civic Plans Author(S): Wendy Ashmore and Jeremy A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Spatial Orders in Maya Civic Plans Author(S): Wendy Ashmore and Jeremy A Society for American Archaeology Spatial Orders in Maya Civic Plans Author(s): Wendy Ashmore and Jeremy A. Sabloff Source: Latin American Antiquity, Vol. 13, No. 2 (Jun., 2002), pp. 201-215 Published by: Society for American Archaeology Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/971914 . Accessed: 30/01/2015 11:38 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Society for American Archaeology is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Latin American Antiquity. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.148.252.35 on Fri, 30 Jan 2015 11:38:14 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions SPATIALORDERS IN MAYACIVIC PLANS WendyAshmore and JeremyA. Sabloff Ancient civic centers materialize ideas of proper spatial organization, among the Maya as in other societies. Weargue that the position and arrangementof ancient Maya buildings and arenas emphatically express statementsabout cosmology and politi- cal order.At the same time, the clarity of original spatial expression is often blurred in the sites we observe archaeologically. Factors responsiblefor such blurring include multiple other influences on planning and spatial order,prominently the politi- cal life history of a civic center. Specifically, we argue here that centers with relatively short and simple political histories are relatively easy to interpretspatially. Those with longer development,but relatively little upheaval, manifestmore elaborate but relatively robustand internally consistent plans. Sites with longer and more turbulentpolitical histories, however,materialize a more complex cumulativemix of strategies and plausibly, therefore,of varyingplanning principles invokedby sequent ancient builders. Weexamine evidencefor these assertions by referenceto civic layouts at Copa'n,Xunantunich, Sayil, Seibal, and Tikal. En los antiguos centros cfvicos se materializanideas acerca de la organizacionespacial adecuada, tanto entre los mayas como entreotras sociedades. En este estudiose proponeque la ubicaciony la disposicionde antiguos edificiosy espacios abiertosmayas expresanenfaticamente ideas respecto a la cosmologfay el ordenpolftico. Al mismo tiempo, la claridad de la expresionespacial original a menudoes difusa en los sitios arqueologicos,debido a muchasotras in;Quenciasen la planeacion y el ordenespaciales, sobre todo la historia de la vida polftica de cada centro cfvico. Espeefficamenteproponemos que los centros que tienen historias polfticas cortas y simples son relativamentefaciles de interpretarespacialmente, mientras que aquellos con desarrollos mas pro- longados, aunque con agitacion polftica limitada,presentan una planeacion interna mas elaborada y relativamentefuerte. Sin embargo,en los asentamientoscon historiaspolfticas largas y mas turbulentas,se materializauna mezelama's compleja de estrate- gias y, presumiblemente,en consecuenciaquienes los construyeronse basaronen una ampliavariedad de principiosde planeacion. En este estudio exploramoslas evidenciaspara fundamentarestas propuestasrefiriendo a la disposicion cfvica de Copan,Xunan- tunich,Sayil, Seibal y Tikal. Recognizing andinterpreting spatial order has Bradley 2000; Emerson 1997; Hegmon 1989; a long and rich history,with inquiriesfrom Whalenand Minnis 2001). Local historyand social varied perspectives and many disciplines memorymold the perpetuationor alterationof any (e.g., Eliade 1959; Lawrence and Low 1990; particularplace and its meanings (e.g., Ashmore Rapoport1982; Rykwert 1988; Ucko et al. 1972; 2000; Barrett 1999; Basso 1984, 1996; Bradley Wheatley 1971; Willey 1956). Like our colleagues 1993). The factorsidentified as shapingcivic plans, in otherdisciplines, archaeologists the world over are specifically,are similarly complex, and likewise fre- paying increasedattention to symbol and meaning quently highlight ideationalsources (e.g., Benson in the landscapeand the built environment,to the 1980; Carlet al. 2000; Steinhardt1986). range of meanings inscribed on architectureand Forthe ancientMaya, as for manyother peoples, space,and to the meansavailable for inferringthose it is increasinglyclear that maps of civic centers meanings(e.g., Ashmore2000; Ashmore and Knapp evince considerable planning and meaningful 1999;Bender 1993,1998; Bradley1993,2000; Fritz arrangementin the placementof buildings,monu- 1978,1986; Houston 1998;Kowalski 1999; Lekson ments, and open spaces. Because the arrangement 1999; Townsend 1992). Such meanings are fre- we perceive was often the result of centuries of quently identified as cosmological or political or growthand changing spatial design, structurein the both, as inferredfrom local analogy or from more cumulativewhole is less immediatelyclear than it general,cross-cultural, and theoretical treatises (e.g., appearsin the orderlygrid of Teotihuacan,whose Wendy Ashmore * Departmentof Anthropology,University of California,Riverside, CA 92521-0418 Jeremy A. Sabloff * Universityof PennsylvaniaMuseum, 33rd & Spruce Streets, Philadelphia,PA 19104-6324 LatinAmerican Antiquity, 13(2), 2002, pp. 201-215 CopyrightC)2002 by the Society for AmericanArchaeology 201 This content downloaded from 128.148.252.35 on Fri, 30 Jan 2015 11:38:14 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 202 LATINAMERICAN ANTIQUITY [Vol. 13, No. 2, 2002] masterplan was laid down at the outset in the city's history.Even for Teotihuacan,however, the sources of the initiallydiscernible order and its meaningare proving ever more complex as investigationpro- ceeds (e.g., Cowgill 2000; Sugiyama 1993). In this paper,we describetwo such sources for Maya spa- tial patterning. Ourmost fundamentalguiding assumption is that the position and arrangementof civic construction was anythingbut random.From that base, we assert thatthe spatialexpressions of Mayacosmology and of Maya politics constituted the most prominent ideationalfoundations for planning,and acknowl- edge thatmany factors have affectedthe claritywith whichsuch foundations may be discernedtoday from archaeologicalsite plans. Prominentamong these factorsare the length and turbulenceof local politi- cal histories,which exemplify the critical roles of his- toryand social memory in shapingthe archaeological recordwe observe.To illustratethese points,we dis- cuss evidence from Copan, Xunantunich, Sayil, Seibal, and Tikal (Figure 1).l Figure 1. Map of Maya area. Redrawn, after Sabloff and Two furtherpoints are crucialin consideringour Tourtellot 1991. assertions.First, our intent is programmaticand our conclusionsprovisional. That is, ourargument is less of successive constructions.Vogrin (1989) makes aboutthe detailsof site-specificinferences and more somewhatsimilar arguments for othersites, includ- abouturging increased field inquiryinto ideational ing Copanand Quirigua. modelsfor ancienturban planning. Second, we read- Hereour focus is thelayout of aggregatesof build- ily acknowledge that ideational factors do not ings, civic precincts, and indeed, whole sites. We account for all patterningevident in Maya civic identify two potent sources of spatialpatterning at plans. Again, our contentionis that more research these scales: Maya concepts of directionality,and is needed to establishthe mix of ideational,social, politicalaffiliation through emulation of civic archi- environmental,economic, engineering, historical, tectureat more reveredor powerfulplaces. and other sources in observed architecturalforms Studiesof directionalposition and orientation rec- and arrangements. ognize the pervasiveand enduringMaya organiza- tion of space accordingto cardinaldirections, often Sources of Ancient Maya Civic Spatial Order includinga centerpoint, and sometimesusing inter- Ancientcognition figures prominently in manyinter- cardinalpositions as well (e.g., Hanks 1991; Vogt pretationsof ancientMaya architecture. Orientation 1969). ClemencyCoggins (1980) detailsthe politi- of individualbuildings is often linked to astronom- cal significanceof four-partdesigns in Mesoamer- ical phenomena,for example,and these may be tied, ica, and cites twin-pyramid groups at Tikal as in turn, to hierophaniesor other manipulationsof quintessential architecturalexemplars (compare light,shadow, and monumentality, to constitutepolit- Guillemin1968 on twin-pyramidgroups)(Figure 2). ical celebrationsof figuressuch as BirdJaguar III of These latterarchitectural assemblages are partic- Yaxchilan,or Pacal the Greatof Palenque(Schele ularly importanthere because of Coggins's com- 1977; Tate 1985; compare Brady and Ashmore pellingargument that they map horizontally the daily 1999).Taking adifferentanalyticalperspective, Peter verticalpath of the sun.That is, whereasthe east and Harrison(1994) has arguedthat, at Palenqueand in west pyramidsof these groupsindicate the rise and the CentralAcropolis of Tikal,particular geometric setting points of the sun, the northand south posi- relationshipsaccount for theposition and orientation tions mark"momentsbetween" sunrise and sunset This content downloaded from 128.148.252.35 on Fri, 30 Jan 2015 11:38:14 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions - REPORTS 203
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ancient Maya Afterlife Iconography: Traveling Between Worlds
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2006 Ancient Maya Afterlife Iconography: Traveling Between Worlds Mosley Dianna Wilson University of Central Florida Part of the Anthropology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Wilson, Mosley Dianna, "Ancient Maya Afterlife Iconography: Traveling Between Worlds" (2006). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 853. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/853 ANCIENT MAYA AFTERLIFE ICONOGRAPHY: TRAVELING BETWEEN WORLDS by DIANNA WILSON MOSLEY B.A. University of Central Florida, 2000 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Liberal Studies in the College of Graduate Studies at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Summer Term 2006 i ABSTRACT The ancient Maya afterlife is a rich and voluminous topic. Unfortunately, much of the material currently utilized for interpretations about the ancient Maya comes from publications written after contact by the Spanish or from artifacts with no context, likely looted items. Both sources of information can be problematic and can skew interpretations. Cosmological tales documented after the Spanish invasion show evidence of the religious conversion that was underway. Noncontextual artifacts are often altered in order to make them more marketable. An example of an iconographic theme that is incorporated into the surviving media of the ancient Maya, but that is not mentioned in ethnographically-recorded myths or represented in the iconography from most noncontextual objects, are the “travelers”: a group of gods, humans, and animals who occupy a unique niche in the ancient Maya cosmology.
    [Show full text]
  • THE GREAT MAYAN ECLIPSE: Yucatán México October 14, 2023
    Chac Mool, Chichén Itzá Edzna Pyramid, Campeche THE GREAT MAYAN ECLIPSE: Yucatán México October 14, 2023 October 6-16, 2023 Cancún • Chichén-Itzá • Mérida • Campeche On October 14, 2023, a ‘ring of fire’ Annular Solar Eclipse will rip across the western U.S. and parts of the Yucatán in México as well as Central and South America. Offer your members the opportunity to see a spectacular annular eclipse among the ruins of the mighty Maya civilization. Meet in Cancún before heading off to Chichén Itzá, Ek Balam, Uxmal, Mérida, and Campeche. On Eclipse Day transfer to our viewing site outside Campeche in the vicinity of the Maya Site of Edzná to see this spectacular annular solar eclipse. Here passengers can see a smaller-than-usual moon fit across 95% of the sun to leave a ring of fire. The ring of fire will reign for 4 minutes and 31 seconds while very high in the darkened sky. Highlights • Swim in a cenote or sinkhole formed million years ago from a colossal asteroid impact to the region. • Enjoy a stay at a luxury and historic hacienda. • Investigate the UNESCO Heritage Sites of Chichén Itzá one of the “New 7 Wonders of the World.” • Witness the ring of fire of an Annular clipseE near the Maya ruins. Itinerary 2023 Oct 06: U.S. / Cancún Oct 08: Chichén Itzá Fly to Cancún. Transfer to hotel near the airport. Meet in the Private sunrise tour of Chichén Itzá before it opens to the public. early evening at the reception area for a briefing of tomorrow’s The site contains massive structures including the immense El departure.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 May Mo' Chahk, 181 Acanceh, 78 Accession, 92, 133, 140, 142–144
    Cambridge University Press 978-0-521-66972-6 - The Classic Maya Stephen D. Houston and Takeshi Inomata Index More information INDEX 1 May Mo’ Chahk, 181 Altun Ha, 107, 286, 310 Andrews, Anthony, 317 Acanceh, 78 Andrews, Wyllys, 75, 84 accession, 92, 133, 140, 142–144, 174, 198, 203, Aoyama, Kazuo, 122, 260, 262, 281 262, 303, 307 Arroyo de Piedra, 41 Adams, R. E. W., 107, 243 artist, 154, 257, 260, 263–266, 268–270, 276, agriculture, xiii, 3, 10, 15, 71, 74, 99, 103, 104, 278, 283. See also scribe 230, 233–239, 248, 288 atol, 219, 241 aguada, 245 axis mundi, 22 Aguateca, 3, 24, 25, 111, 114, 115, 123, 134, 137, 141, 143, 145, 158, 159, 178, 200, Bahlaj Chan K’awiil, 110, 137 204–206, 225, 231, 236, 239, 246, 247, bajos, 10, 74, 94, 96, 233, 235, 236, 243 260–263, 265, 266, 268, 275, 277, 283, bak’tun, 289, 300, 304 285, 295, 299–302, 306 bakab, 134, 141 abandonment of, 115, 295, 296, 298, 300–302, Balakbal, 106 305, 309 Balberta, 251 defensive walls at, 24, 25 balche, 222 floor assemblages at, 143, 204, 262, 266, 270, Ball, Joseph, 276 272, 285 ballcourt, 70, 94, 116, 134, 189, 214, 259 palace of, 256 ballgame, 72, 259 rulers of, 137, 261, 296 Barton Ramie, 68, 76, 310 scribe-artists at, 265 bean, 219, 229, 242, 248 Structure L8–8 at, 114, 115 Becan, 24, 96, 102, 114, 287 ajaw, 91, 102, 132, 135, 136, 140, 144, 146, 161, Bilbao, 100 169, 172, 174, 188 Bird Jaguar, 111.
    [Show full text]
  • “Charlie Chaplin” Figures of the Maya Lowlands
    RITUAL USE OF THE HUMAN FORM: A CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE “CHARLIE CHAPLIN” FIGURES OF THE MAYA LOWLANDS by LISA M. LOMITOLA B.A. University of Central Florida, 2008 A thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Summer Term 2012 ©2012 Lisa M. Lomitola ii ABSTRACT Small anthropomorphic figures, most often referred to as “Charlie Chaplins,” appear in ritual deposits throughout the ancient Maya sites of Belize during the late Preclassic and Early Classic Periods and later, throughout the Petén region of Guatemala. Often these figures appear within similar cache assemblages and are carved from “exotic” materials such as shell or jade. This thesis examines the contexts in which these figures appear and considers the wider implications for commonly held ritual practices throughout the Maya lowlands during the Classic Period and the similarities between “Charlie Chaplin” figures and anthropomorphic figures found in ritual contexts outside of the Maya area. iii Dedicated to Corbin and Maya Lomitola iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Drs. Arlen and Diane Chase for the many opportunities they have given me both in the field and within the University of Central Florida. Their encouragement and guidance made this research possible. My experiences at the site of Caracol, Belize have instilled a love for archaeology in me that will last a lifetime. Thank you Dr. Barber for the advice and continual positivity; your passion and joy of archaeology inspires me. In addition, James Crandall and Jorge Garcia, thank you for your feedback, patience, and support; your friendship and experience are invaluable.
    [Show full text]
  • COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL NOT for DISTRIBUTION Part I
    CONTENTS List of Figures xiii List of Tables xvii Preface xix The Inevitable Note on Orthography xxiii Acknowledgments xxv PART I. CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIves 3 1 COPYRIGHTEDINTRODUCTION: THE ITZA MAYAS MATERIAL AND THE PETÉN ITZA MAYAS, THEIR ENVIRONMENTS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS NOTPrudence FOR M. Rice DISTRIBUTIONand Don S. Rice 5 The Maya Lowlands: Environmental Perspectives 5 Who Were the Itzas? Etymological Perspectives 8 The Itzas of Petén 11 The Itzas of the Northern Lowlands and Their Allies 22 2 ITZAJ MAYA FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Charles Andrew Hofling 28 Yukateko versus Southern Yukatekan Language Varieties 31 Itzaj and Mopan 35 vii viii Contents Contact with Ch'olan Languages 35 Concluding Discussion 38 3 THE LAKE PETÉN ITZÁ WATERSHED: MODERN AND HISTORICAL ECOLOGY Mark Brenner 40 Geology and Modern Ecology 40 Modern Limnology 42 Lacustrine Flora and Fauna 45 Historical Ecology 46 Climate Change 50 Summary 53 PART II. THEORETicAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE EpicLASSic ITZAS: FACTIONS, MIGRATIONS, ORIGINS, AND TEXTs 55 4 THEORETICAL CONTEXTS Prudence M. Rice 59 Migration: Travel Tropes and Mobility Memes 59 Identities 65 Factions and Factionalism 67 Spatiality 70 5 ITZA ORIGINS: TEXTS, MYTHS, LEGENDS Prudence M. Rice 77 The Books of theChilam Balam 79 Some Previous Reconstructions of Itza Origins 88 COPYRIGHTEDConcluding Thoughts 93 MATERIAL NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION 6 LOWLAND MAYA EpiCLASSIC MIGRATIONS Prudence M. Rice 97 Western Lowlands 98 Southwestern Petén 101 Central Petén Lakes Region 102 Eastern Petén, Belize, and the Southeast 105 Northern Lowlands 106 Rethinking Epiclassic Migrations and the Itzas 109 Contents ix 7 EpiCLASSIC MATERIAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ITZAS Prudence M.
    [Show full text]
  • UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Divination & Decision-Making: Ritual Techniques of Distributed Cognition in the Guatemalan Highlands Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2v42d4sh Author McGraw, John Joseph Publication Date 2016 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Divination and Decision-Making: Ritual Techniques of Distributed Cognition in the Guatemalan Highlands A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology and Cognitive Science by John J. McGraw Committee in charge: Professor Steven Parish, Chair Professor David Jordan, Co-Chair Professor Paul Goldstein Professor Edwin Hutchins Professor Craig McKenzie 2016 Copyright John J. McGraw, 2016 All rights reserved. The dissertation of John J. McGraw is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Co-chair ___________________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2016 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page …....……………………………………………………………… iii Table of Contents ………………….……………………………….…………….. iv List of Figures ….…………………………………………………….…….…….
    [Show full text]
  • Physical Expression of Sacred Space Among the Ancient Maya
    Trinity University Digital Commons @ Trinity Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Research Sociology and Anthropology Department 1-2004 Models of Cosmic Order: Physical Expression of Sacred Space Among the Ancient Maya Jennifer P. Mathews Trinity University, [email protected] J. F. Garber Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.trinity.edu/socanthro_faculty Part of the Anthropology Commons, and the Sociology Commons Repository Citation Mathews, J. P., & Garber, J. F. (2004). Models of cosmic order: Physical expression of sacred space among the ancient Maya. Ancient Mesoamerica, 15(1), 49-59. doi: 10.1017/S0956536104151031 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Digital Commons @ Trinity. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology & Anthropology Faculty Research by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Trinity. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Ancient Mesoamerica, 15 (2004), 49–59 Copyright © 2004 Cambridge University Press. Printed in the U.S.A. DOI: 10.1017/S0956536104151031 MODELS OF COSMIC ORDER Physical expression of sacred space among the ancient Maya Jennifer P. Mathewsa and James F. Garberb aDepartment of Sociology and Anthropology, Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA bDepartment of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA Abstract The archaeological record, as well as written texts, oral traditions, and iconographic representations, express the Maya perception of cosmic order, including the concepts of quadripartite division and layered cosmos. The ritual act of portioning and layering created spatial order and was used to organize everything from the heavens to the layout of altars.
    [Show full text]
  • CATALOG Mayan Stelaes
    CATALOG Mayan Stelaes Palos Mayan Collection 1 Table of Contents Aguateca 4 Ceibal 13 Dos Pilas 20 El Baúl 23 Itsimite 27 Ixlu 29 Ixtutz 31 Jimbal 33 Kaminaljuyu 35 La Amelia 37 Piedras Negras 39 Polol 41 Quirigia 43 Tikal 45 Yaxha 56 Mayan Fragments 58 Rubbings 62 Small Sculptures 65 2 About Palos Mayan Collection The Palos Mayan Collection includes 90 reproductions of pre-Columbian stone carvings originally created by the Mayan and Pipil people traced back to 879 A.D. The Palos Mayan Collection sculptures are created by master sculptor Manuel Palos from scholar Joan W. Patten’s casts and rubbings of the original artifacts in Guatemala. Patten received official permission from the Guatemalan government to create casts and rubbings of original Mayan carvings and bequeathed her replicas to collaborator Manuel Palos. Some of the originals stelae were later stolen or destroyed, leaving Patten’s castings and rubbings as their only remaining record. These fine art-quality Maya Stelae reproductions are available for purchase by museums, universities, and private collectors through Palos Studio. You are invited to book a virtual tour or an in- person tour through [email protected] 3 Aguateca Aguateca is in the southwestern part of the Department of the Peten, Guatemala, about 15 kilometers south of the village of Sayaxche, on a ridge on the western side of Late Petexbatun. AGUATECA STELA 1 (50”x85”) A.D. 741 - Late Classic Presumed to be a ruler of Aguatecas, his head is turned in an expression of innate authority, personifying the rank implied by the symbols adorning his costume.
    [Show full text]
  • The Terminal Classic Period at Ceibal and in the Maya Lowlands
    THE TERMINAL CLASSIC PERIOD AT CEIBAL AND IN THE MAYA LOWLANDS Takeshi Inomata and Daniela Triadan University of Arizona Ceibal is well known for the pioneering investigations conducted by Harvard University in the 1960s (Sabloff 1975; Smith 1982; Tourtellot 1988; Willey 1990). Since then, Ceibal has been considered to be a key site in the study of the Classic Maya collapse (Sabloff 1973a, 1973b; Sabloff and Willey 1967). The results of this project led scholars to hypothesize the following: 1) Ceibal survived substantially longer than other centers through the period of the Maya collapse; and 2) the new styles of monuments and new types of ceramics resulted from foreign invasions, which contributed to the Maya collapse. In 2005 we decided to revisit this important site to re-examine these questions in the light of recent developments in Maya archaeology and epigraphy. The results of the new research help us to shape a more refined understanding of the political process during the Terminal Classic period. The important points that we would like to emphasize in this paper are: 1) Ceibal did not simply survive through this turbulent period, but it also experienced political disruptions like many other centers; 2) this period of political disruptions was followed by a revival of Ceibal; and 3) our data support the more recent view that there were no foreign invasions; instead the residents of Ceibal were reorganizing and expanding their inter-regional networks of interaction. Ceibal is located on the Pasión River, and a comparison with the nearby Petexbatun centers, including Dos Pilas and Aguateca, is suggestive.
    [Show full text]
  • Social Interaction at the Maya Site of Copan, Honduras: a Least Cost Approach to Configurational Analysis
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Anthropology Faculty Publications Anthropology, Department of 2012 Social Interaction at the Maya Site of Copan, Honduras: A Least Cost Approach to Configurational Analysis Heather Richards-Rissetto University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/anthropologyfacpub Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, Geographic Information Sciences Commons, Human Geography Commons, Landscape Architecture Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Richards-Rissetto, Heather, "Social Interaction at the Maya Site of Copan, Honduras: A Least Cost Approach to Configurational Analysis" (2012). Anthropology Faculty Publications. 161. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/anthropologyfacpub/161 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Anthropology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. CHAPTER 7 Social Interaction at the Maya Site of Copan, Honduras A Least Cost Approach to Configurational Analysis HEATHER RICHARDS-RISSETTO Most archaeologists agree that the way in which perspective, my work is based on Charles Peirce's ancient peoples arranged their physical sur­ (1966) views of semiotics and regards site layout roundings, or in other words their built environ­ not simply as a reflection of ancient life but also ment, provides a window to the past (e.g., Ash­ as a mechanism that shaped ancient life (Giddens more 1991, 1992; Ashmore and Sabloff 2002,2003; 1984; Jakobson 1980; King 1980; Moore 2005; Sil­ Blanton 1989; DeMarrais et al.
    [Show full text]
  • With Focus on the Genus Handleyomys and Related Taxa
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Theses and Dissertations 2015-04-01 Evolution and Biogeography of Mesoamerican Small Mammals: With Focus on the Genus Handleyomys and Related Taxa Ana Villalba Almendra Brigham Young University - Provo Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd Part of the Biology Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Villalba Almendra, Ana, "Evolution and Biogeography of Mesoamerican Small Mammals: With Focus on the Genus Handleyomys and Related Taxa" (2015). Theses and Dissertations. 5812. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5812 This Dissertation 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]. Evolution and Biogeography of Mesoamerican Small Mammals: Focus on the Genus Handleyomys and Related Taxa Ana Laura Villalba Almendra A dissertation submitted to the faculty of Brigham Young University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Duke S. Rogers, Chair Byron J. Adams Jerald B. Johnson Leigh A. Johnson Eric A. Rickart Department of Biology Brigham Young University March 2015 Copyright © 2015 Ana Laura Villalba Almendra All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT Evolution and Biogeography of Mesoamerican Small Mammals: Focus on the Genus Handleyomys and Related Taxa Ana Laura Villalba Almendra Department of Biology, BYU Doctor of Philosophy Mesoamerica is considered a biodiversity hot spot with levels of endemism and species diversity likely underestimated. For mammals, the patterns of diversification of Mesoamerican taxa still are controversial. Reasons for this include the region’s complex geologic history, and the relatively recent timing of such geological events.
    [Show full text]
  • Found.1 the Two Best Known Examples Are Copan and Quirigua, and in Each Case Local Stones Were Quarried
    VI. TWO UNUSUAL MAYA STELAE John A. Graham and Howel Williams As is generally known, the Maya lowlands comprise a vast province of massive limestone deposits. Since these limestones are usually exposed or only slightly buried, ready material in unlimited abundance was ordinarily available for the cutting of building stone, for reduction to lime for mortar, and for the carving of sculptures and other monuments. At a number of Maya lowland sites quarries have been observed in the sites, or their immediate vicinity, and there has been little reason to suspect the long distance transport of large and heavy stone for monuments as was characteristic of the ancient Olmec civilization in its principal sites of La Venta and San Lorenzo. For the most part it is only on the peripheries of the Maya lowlands that major non-limestone monuments and architectural constructions are found.1 The two best known examples are Copan and Quirigua, and in each case local stones were quarried. At Quirigua in the lower Motagua Valley, separated from the Maya lowlands proper by the Santa Cruz range, ignimbrites, not immediately available but probably transported from no great distance, and local sandstones were employed in monument carving as well as in archi- tecture. At Copan in the foothills of southwestern Honduras, even farther removed from the true Maya lowlands, ignimbrite from the Copan Valley was preferred to the local limestone. At Maya sites within the lowlands proper, non-limestone monuments or architectural constructions are very rare, and the major example is Altar de Sacrificios on the lower Pasion where during the Early Classic period local sandstone supplied the material for both monuments and architecture until after 9.10.0.0.0 (A.D.
    [Show full text]