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New Perspectives on the Quatrefoil in Classic Maya Iconography: the Center and the Portal

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NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE QUATREFOIL IN CLASSIC MAYA ICONOGRAPHY: THE CENTER AND THE PORTAL by RACHEL K. EGAN B.A. University of Colorado, Boulder 2008 A thesis submitted 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 Fall Term 2011 ABSTRACT The quatrefoil is a pan-Mesoamerican symbol with considerable time-depth. For the Maya, use of the symbol peaked during the Classic Period, reaching its highest frequency and largest geographical spread. Consequently, understanding its meaning has the potential to illuminate information about Precolumbian Maya worldview. While there have been several studies that focus on Preclassic Period quatrefoils, a similar study is lacking for Classic Period. Furthermore, the evaluations of the quatrefoil that do exist for the Classic Period are limited, often focusing on a select few examples. This thesis attempts to rectify the gap in extant research through an examination of the quatrefoil motif utilized by the Classic Period Maya. Specifically, the goal of the thesis was to determine whether the current interpretation of the quatrefoil as a cave is and also to investigate how the symbol communicated broader ideas about worldview and ideology. The approach that was utilized focuses on both archaeological and iconographic contexts. As an iconographic symbol, I attempt to understand the quatrefoil through the use of semiotics with particular emphasis on contextualization and analogy. The results of this study suggest that, while there were some patterns related to spatial distribution, the meaning of the quatrefoil motif was dependent on context and had considerable variations. I conclude that the analysis of the symbol, when based on specific usages and contexts, reveals that there is not enough evidence to support the current interpretation of quatrefoil as cave. Rather, the quatrefoil can be more accurately interpreted as a cosmogram that delineated information about how the Maya conceptualized, ordered, and ii accessed space that was appropriated by elites to reinforce and even legitimize political authority. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This thesis would not have been possible without the support and advice of my committee members, Dr. Arlen Chase, Dr. Stacy Barber, and Dr. Diane Chase. I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Arlen Chase for consistently encouraging me to explore new ideas and for stimulating my drive to succeed in the field of Maya archaeology. I am truly indebted and thankful to my advisor Dr. Stacy Barber whose critiques and red ink drove me to be a better writer, researcher, and student. Furthermore, she has been an inspiration and mentor to me during my time at the University of Central Florida for which I am eternally grateful. I would also like to thank Dr. Diane Chase for her contributions and guidance. I would like to show my gratitude to Dr. Payson Sheets whose mentoring during my undergraduate degree first inspired me to pursue archaeology and whose continual support and advice has provided me with confidence. I owe sincere and earnest thanks to my mom for her endless and often repeated editing without which my thesis would have been unreadable. I am also obliged to many of my fellow students who supported me throughout the writing process, particularly Jeff Brzezinski. Finally, I would like to thank Patrick Carroll who whole-heartedly encouraged me even when I was overcome with stress. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 Defining the Quatrefoil ......................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND AND PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................... 4 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Quatrefoils and Cosmology................................................................................................... 4 2.2.1 The Maya Universe ........................................................................................................ 5 2.2.2 The Center ..................................................................................................................... 6 2.2.3 Transition and Liminality .............................................................................................. 7 2.3 Origins of the Quatrefoil Motif ............................................................................................. 9 2.4 Previous Scholarship ........................................................................................................... 17 2.4.1 Of Quatrefoils and Caves Part I ................................................................................... 18 2.4.2 Literature on the Quatrefoil ......................................................................................... 20 2.5 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................. 22 2.6 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 3: THEORITCAL BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY ................... 26 3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 26 3.2 Images and Meaning ........................................................................................................... 26 3.2.1 Semiotics...................................................................................................................... 27 3.2.2. Ideology and Power .................................................................................................... 29 3.3 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 31 3.3.1 Analogy and Contextualization ................................................................................... 34 3.4 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 35 CHAPTER 4: DATA PRESENATION AND ANAYLSIS ............................................. 37 4.1 Characteristics of the Quatrefoil ......................................................................................... 40 4.1.1 Form ............................................................................................................................. 40 4.1.2 Function ....................................................................................................................... 42 4.1.3 Monument Type ........................................................................................................... 42 4.1.4 Venue ........................................................................................................................... 43 4.2 General Associations ........................................................................................................... 45 4.2.1 The Iconography of the Surrounding Context ............................................................. 46 4.2.2 The Iconography of the Quatrefoil .............................................................................. 50 4.2 SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTIONS ............................................................. 65 4.2.1 Temporal Distributions ................................................................................................ 66 4.2.2 Spatial Distributions .................................................................................................... 73 4.3 The Preclassic Period .......................................................................................................... 78 v 4.4 Summary ............................................................................................................................. 79 CHAPTER 5: ICONOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATIONS ................................................ 80 5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 80 5.2 The Quatrefoil Cosmogram................................................................................................. 80 5.2.1 The Horizontal Quadrants of the Earth ........................................................................ 81 5.2.1 Portals and Transition .................................................................................................. 84 5.3 Royal Power ........................................................................................................................ 88 5.3.1 The Figures .................................................................................................................
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