Demise of Classic Maya Civilization a Theoretical Approach
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The Political, Ideological, and Economic Significance of Ancient Maya Iron-Ore Mirrors
SURFACES AND BEYOND: THE POLITICAL, IDEOLOGICAL, AND ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ANCIENT MAYA IRON-ORE MIRRORS A Thesis Submitted to the Committee on Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Faculty of Arts and Science TRENT UNIVERSITY Peterborough, Ontario, Canada © Copyright by Marc Gordon Blainey Anthropology M.A. Program June 2007 ABSTRACT Surfaces and Beyond: The Political, Ideological, and Economic Significance of Ancient Maya Iron-ore Mirrors Marc Gordon Blainey This thesis examines archaeological evidence pertaining to composite lithic artifacts of the ancient Maya termed “mirrors.” These objects, typically consisting of flat, shiny iron-ore fragments fitted in a mosaic to a backing of stone, ceramic, or wood, are assessed concerning their political, ideological, and economic implications within ancient Maya society. The evidence, including detailed archaeological proveniences and instances of mirrors in iconography, epigraphy, and ethnohistory, is considered from the theoretical standpoints of cognitive archaeology, from the perspectives of shamanism, and a renewed conjunctive approach. Endeavouring to reveal the emic significance mirrors held for the ancient Maya who made and used them, the role of these mirrors is situated within the broader ideological framework of a reflective surface complex. Although prior interpretations are largely correct in designating mirrors as implements for “divinatory scrying,” it is concluded that the evidence allows for a much more refined elucidation than has heretofore been provided. Keywords: ancient Maya, mirrors, iron-ore, archaeology, shamanism, scrying, prestige goods ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my family, particularly my parents, John and Sue Blainey. -
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. -
Sir Eric Thompson, 1898-1975
SIR ERIC THOMPSON, 1898-1975 SIR ERIC THOMPSON, doyen of Maya scholars, died on September 9th, 1975, at Cambridge,England, at the age of 76. Duringa working life of half a century he made major contributions to Maya studies in the fields of epigraphy,ethnohistory, and field archaeology, and at his 76th birthday was honored by Her Majesty the Queen with the degree of Knight- hood, the first New World archaeologist to Afi receive such distinction. John Eric Sidney Thompson was born on New Year's Eve of 1898, the younger son of George Thompson, F.R.C.S., a successful doc- tor. He grew up in the family home at 80 Harley Street, London, then as now the base of many fashionablemedical men, and was sent to school at WinchesterCollege in 1912. Whenthe First WorldWar broke out he lied about his age to join the army (under the assumed name of Neil Winslow), and photographsof 1915 show him in the kilt and glengarryof the London Scottish, with which were worn a military tunic and gaiters. In 1916 he was wounded and repatriated to first a hospital in Huddersfield and then convalescence in Seaford, and ended the war as an officer in the ColdstreamGuards. He then went out to Argentina,where a branchof the family ranched cattle at Arenaza, west of Buenos Aires, and worked as a gaucho; picturesof him at this period show the beret and cigarettewhich remainedprincipal identifying modes of his appearancefor the rest of his life. He visited England again in the early 1920s and as a result his first published article, "A Cowboy's Experience: Cattle Brandingin the Argentine," appeared in the SouthwarkDiocesan Gazette. -
Installments 1-10
ThePARIJournal A quarterly publication of the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute Volume XIII, No. IV, Summer 2013 The Further Adventures of Merle1 MERLE GREENE ROBERTSON In This Issue: The Further Adventures of Merle by Merle Greene Robertson PAGES 1-7 • A Late Preclassic Distance Number by Mario Giron-Ábrego PAGES 8-12 Joel Skidmore Editor [email protected] Marc Zender Associate Editor [email protected] Figure 1. On the Usumacinta River on the way to Yaxchilan, 1965. The PARI Journal 202 Edgewood Avenue “No! You can’t go into the unknown wilds birds, all letting each other know where San Francisco, CA 94117 of Alaska!” That statement from my moth- they are. Evening comes early—dark by 415-664-8889 [email protected] er nearly 70 years ago is what changed my four o’clock. Colors are lost in pools of life forever. I went to Mexico instead, at darkness. Now the owls are out lording it Electronic version that time almost as unknown to us in the over the night, lucky when you see one. available at: U.S. as Alaska. And then later came the But we didn’t wait for nightfall to www.mesoweb.com/ pari/journal/1304 jungle, the jungle of the unknown that I pitch our camp. Champas made for our loved, no trails, just follow the gorgeous cooking, champas for my helpers, and a guacamayos in their brilliant red, yellow, ISSN 1531-5398 and blue plumage, who let you know where they are before you see them, by 1 Editor’s note: This memoir—left untitled by their constant mocking “clop, clop, clop.” the author—was completed in 2010, in Merle’s 97th Mahogany trees so tall you wonder if, year. -
Latepostclassicperiodceramics Ofthewesternhighlands,Guatemala
Yaxchilan Us um a c G in r t ij a Maya Archaeology Reports a Bonampak R lv i a v R e iv r er LatePostclassicPeriodCeramics ChiapasHighlands AltardeSacrificios DosPilas of theWesternHighlands,Guatemala Greg Borgstede Chinkultic MEXICO GUATEMALA Cancuen HUEHUETENANGO Lagartero ELQUICHE ALTAVERAPAZ – SanMiguelAcatan HUISTA ACATECREGION Jacaltenango Cuchumatan Mountains NorthernHighlands SanRafaelPetzal Nebaj Zaculeu SierraMadre Tajumulco his report describes the ceramics of the Late Postclassic 1986, Culbert 1965, Ichon 1987, Nance 2003a, Nance 2003b, and BAJAVERAPAZ Utatlan/Chisalin or Protohistoric period (AD 1200 to 1500) uncovered in a Weeks 1983. recent archaeological investigation in the western Maya The Late Postclassic period remains one of the most intensely highlands. The Proyecto Arqueológico de la Región Huista- studied in the Maya highlands, in terms of archaeology and CentralHighlands MixcoViejo T Acateco, directed by the author, investigated the region in the ethnohistory. The existence of competing Maya kingdoms, Iximche Cuchumatan Mountains currently occupied by the Huista and including those of the K’iche’, the Kaqchikel, and the Mam, Acatec Maya (Figure 1), documenting 150 archaeological sites and coupled with the persistence of written documentation LakeAtitlan GuatemalaCity an occupation sequence spanning the Terminal Preclassic to Late immediately prior to, during, and after the Spanish invasion, Postclassic/Protohistoric periods, AD 100 to 1525 (see Borgstede provide the Protohistoric period with an abundance of 2004). The modern towns of Jacaltenango and San Miguel Acatan anthropological data for understanding this complex era. are the center of the region. Archaeological evidence, particularly ceramics, has played a The ceramics described here are from the Late Postclassic role in interpreting the cultures, histories, and structures of these Archaeologicalsites period, also known as the “Protohistoric” period in the societies. -
High-Precision Radiocarbon Dating of Political Collapse and Dynastic Origins at the Maya Site of Ceibal, Guatemala
High-precision radiocarbon dating of political collapse and dynastic origins at the Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala Takeshi Inomata (猪俣 健)a,1, Daniela Triadana, Jessica MacLellana, Melissa Burhama, Kazuo Aoyama (青山 和夫)b, Juan Manuel Palomoa, Hitoshi Yonenobu (米延 仁志)c, Flory Pinzónd, and Hiroo Nasu (那須 浩郎)e aSchool of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0030; bFaculty of Humanities, Ibaraki University, Mito, 310-8512, Japan; cGraduate School of Education, Naruto University of Education, Naruto, 772-8502, Japan; dCeibal-Petexbatun Archaeological Project, Guatemala City, 01005, Guatemala; and eSchool of Advanced Sciences, Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, 240-0193, Japan Edited by Jeremy A. Sabloff, Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, and approved December 19, 2016 (received for review October 30, 2016) The lowland Maya site of Ceibal, Guatemala, had a long history of resolution chronology may reveal a sequence of rapid transformations occupation, spanning from the Middle Preclassic period through that are comprised within what appears to be a slow, gradual transi- the Terminal Classic (1000 BC to AD 950). The Ceibal-Petexbatun tion. Such a detailed understanding can provide critical insights into Archaeological Project has been conducting archaeological inves- the nature of the social changes. Our intensive archaeological inves- tigations at this site since 2005 and has obtained 154 radiocarbon tigations at the center of Ceibal, Guatemala, have produced 154 ra- dates, which represent the largest collection of radiocarbon assays diocarbon dates, which represent the largest set of radiocarbon assays from a single Maya site. The Bayesian analysis of these dates, ever collected at a Maya site. -
Maize and Stone: a Functional Analysis of the Manos and Metates of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize
MAIZE AND STONE: A FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF THE MANOS AND METATES OF SANTA RITA COROZAL, BELIZE by LISA GLYNNS DUFFY B.A. University of South Florida, 1988 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a 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 2011 ABSTRACT The manos and metates of Santa Rita Corozal, Belize are analyzed to compare traditional maize-grinding types to the overall assemblage. A reciprocal, back-and-forth grinding motion is the most efficient way to process large amounts of maize. However, rotary movements are also associated with some ground stone implements. The number of flat and trough metates and two handed manos are compared to the rotary-motion basin and concave type metates and one-handed manos to determine predominance and distribution. Flat is the predominant type and, together with the trough type, these grinding stones make up the majority of metates at the site. Manos are highly fragmented, but the two-handed variety is more common among those fragments able to be identified. While this would at first glance support a fully maize dependent subsistence, the presence of two additional non-reciprocal motion metate types and the fact that the trough metates are clustered in one sector of the site suggest that, in addition to maize, significant processing of other foods also occurred in association with these grinding stones. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are numerous individuals who have provided assistance in some form during the course of this thesis. -
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. -
Papers of the 2010 Belize Archaeology Symposium
Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology Volume 8 Archaeological Investigations in the Eastern Maya Lowlands: Papers of the 2010 Belize Archaeology Symposium Edited by John Morris, Jaime Awe, George Thompson and Melissa Badillo Institute of Archaeology National Institute of Culture and History Belmopan, Belize 2011 Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology is an annual publication of the Institute of Archaeology, National Institute of Culture and History, Belmopan, Belize. The journal is devoted primarily to the publication of specialized reports on the archaeology of Belize but also features articles from other disciplines and areas. Publisher: Institute of Archaeology National Institute of Culture and History Culvert Road Belmopan, Cayo District Belize Telephone: +501-822-2106 +501-822-2227 Email: [email protected] Editorial Board: Institute of Archaeology, NICH John Morris, Jaime Awe, George Thompson and Melissa Badillo Cover design: Rafael Guerra Front Cover: Image of the Dancing Maize God from the Buena Vista Vase (Line Drawing by Rafael Guerra). Back cover: Photo-Montage / collage on the back is a compilation of artefacts from the IA collection and partially based on the poster from the 2010 Symposium. Layout and Graphic Design: Melissa Badillo (Institute of Archaeology, Belize) George Thompson (Institute of Archaeology, Belize) Rafael Guerra (Institute of Archaeology, Belize) ISBN 978-976-8197-46-7 Copyright © 2011 Printed by Print Belize Limited. ii J. Morris et al. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We wish to express our sincerest thanks to every individual who contributed to the success of our Seventh Annual Symposium, and to the subsequent publication of the scientific contributions that are contained in the sixth volume of the Research Reports in Belizean Archaeology. -
Hechicería, Nagualism and Entierros in Nebaj
Hechicería, Nagualism and Entierros in Nebaj A Study of Witchcraft Beliefs in a Guatemalan Village L.M. van der Zwet Utrecht University Hechicería, Nagualism and Entierros in Nebaj A Study of Witchcraft Beliefs in a Guatemalan Village Bachelor Thesis Cultural Anthropology Utrecht University Author: Lilian van der Zwet Email address: [email protected] Year: 2013 Student number: 3463176 Supervisor: F.M.P. Toll Photo 1 The central photo shows the remnants of a hechicería witchcraft ceremony at a ritual site in Nebaj. Photo 2 The photo on the right side of the page shows the fabric of the ‘corte’ or skirt from the ‘traje típico’, or typical clothing, from the women in Nebaj All photos in this thesis are made by the author, except when indicated different. 2 Preface From the beginning of my study at Utrecht University, we, my co-students and I, were informed about the possibility of performing fieldwork abroad. Especially the project of fieldwork in Guatemala was clearly communicated throughout our entire time as students. So, when it was ‘my time’ to start my final year as a bachelor student, I happily participated in the Guatemala project. Therefore I would like to express my gratitude to Utrecht University, and Marie-Louise Glebbeek for this opportunity. During the entire bachelor study, but especially during the eight weeks of fieldwork I have learned very much. Not only have I learned about anthropology, and the accompanying fieldwork methods, I have had the chance to be introduced and immersed in the Guatemalan culture, or more specifically the Nebajense culture. -
The Dynastic Sequence of Dos Pilas, Guatemala
PRE-COLUMBIAN ART RESEARCH INSTITUTE MONOGRAPH 1 The Dynastic Sequence of Dos Pilas, Guatemala Stephen D. Houston Peter Mathews Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute San Francisco, California April 1985 The Dynastic Sequence Of Dos Pilas, Guatemala STEPHEN D. HOUSTON, Yale University and PETER MATHEWS, Peabody Museum, Harvard University o the west of Lake Petexbatun, Peten, Guatemala, lies a region in which no fewer than five sites occur within an area of 45 square kilometers (Figure I). T The largest of these sites, and the one with the greatest number of known ~onuments, is Dos Pilas (Figure 2). This paper reconstructs the dynastic sequence of Dos Pilas, documenting five rulers, and traces the historical connections between Dos Pilas, neighboring centers near Lake Petexbatun, and relevant sites along the Pasion River and in northeastern Peten. I The Emblem Glyph of Dos Pilas and environs was first detected by Heinrich Berlin (1960:26-27), who called it the "Laguna Petexbatun" Emblem Glyph and who noted its resemblance to the Emblem Glyph of Tikal. Berlin nonetheless believed that the Copyright © 1985 by The Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro duced in any form or by any means, without written permission of the copyright owner. Lithographed and printed by Herald Printers, Inc., Monterey, Fig. I Map showing the location ofDos Pitas and neighboring sites. (Map by Peter California. Mathews.) 2 3 63 2526 57 60[D] 58 ~59 ~ 90 5., 5 !~~1 6·, 1 CJ 1 ~ 7" o 234 154 26 27 25 TEST PIT" 28 ~~2~ 4~~~~·~7'45"W@ at Plaza) MN 100 50 m !! rrn 31 [==J LOOTER'S PIT lLJj 33 32 ~ § SOH Fig. -
The Maize Tamale in Classic Maya Diet, Epigraphy, and Art 153
CHAPTER 5 TheMaizeTamaleinClassicMaya Diet,Epigraphy,andArt In the past decade of Classic Maya research, the study of iconography and epigraphy has not played a major role in the formulation of archaeological research designs. Site excavation and settlement reconnaissance strategies tend to focus on gathering information relevant to topics such as relative and absolute chronology, settlement patterns, technology, subsistence, and exchange. Most recent epigraphic and iconographic work has focused upon less-material aspects of culture, including calendrics, the compilation of king lists, war events, and the delineation of particular ceremonies and gods. The differences are an expected consequence of increased specialization, but they should by no means be considered as constituting a hard and fast dichotomy. Some of the most exciting and important work results from exchange between the two general disciplines; the calendar correlation problem is an obvious example. To cite this chapter: Yet another is Dennis Puleston’s (1977) work on the iconography of raised field agriculture. [1989]2018 In Studies in Ancient Mesoamerican Art and Architecture: Selected Works According to Puleston, the abundant representation of water lilies, fish, aquatic birds, and by Karl Andreas Taube, pp. 150–167. Precolumbia Mesoweb Press, San Francisco. caimans in Classic Maya art graphically depicts a distinct environmental niche—the artifi- Electronic version available: www.mesoweb.com/publications/Works cially created raised fields. A considerable body of data now exists on Maya raised fields, but little subsequent work has been published on the iconography of raised fields or even Classic Maya agriculture. In part, this may relate to Puleston’s failure to define the entire agricultural complex.