ANCIENT MAYA STONE POLISHERS AND ISSUES WITH THE TERMINOLOGY FOR THE ARTIFACTS POLISHED WITH THESE TOOLS by RACHAEL R. LANDRY B.A. University of South Alabama, 2008 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 2013 © 2013 Rachael Ruth Landry ii ABSTRACT The ancient Maya adorned themselves with ornamental objects. This study investigates a type of polishing tool used by the ancient Maya to manufacture certain types of ornaments. Five stone polishing tools used by the ancient Maya are presented and analyzed. Relevant artifact forms are examined to establish which types of artifacts were being polished with these tools. An extensive discussion of the archaeological record and artistic representations of miniature earflares and buttons, which were polished with many of these stone polishing tools, is also included because the terminology used to refer to these objects has varied throughout the academic literature and is in need of clarification. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................ vii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 JADEITE......................................................................................................................................... 4 Physical Properties ...................................................................................................................... 4 The Ancient Maya and Jadeite .................................................................................................... 6 LAPIDARY TECHNIQUES ......................................................................................................... 10 Percussion ................................................................................................................................. 12 Pecking ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Sawing....................................................................................................................................... 14 Grinding and Rasping ............................................................................................................... 17 Drilling ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Reaming .................................................................................................................................... 21 Polishing ................................................................................................................................... 23 Incising and Grooving............................................................................................................... 26 Use of Abrasives ....................................................................................................................... 27 JADEITE ARTIFACT FORMS .................................................................................................... 29 Earflares .................................................................................................................................... 29 Miniature Earflares ................................................................................................................... 33 Discs .......................................................................................................................................... 34 Ear Discs ................................................................................................................................... 34 Buttons ...................................................................................................................................... 34 Beads ......................................................................................................................................... 36 MINIATURE EARFLARES VS. BUTTONS .............................................................................. 38 Piedras Negras .......................................................................................................................... 38 Kaminaljuyu .............................................................................................................................. 40 Nebaj ......................................................................................................................................... 42 Uaxactun ................................................................................................................................... 43 Baking Pot ................................................................................................................................. 45 Nohmul ..................................................................................................................................... 45 Caracol ...................................................................................................................................... 46 iv Mountain Cow .......................................................................................................................... 48 Dos Pilas ................................................................................................................................... 49 Copan ........................................................................................................................................ 49 Guaytan ..................................................................................................................................... 51 Chichen Itza .............................................................................................................................. 51 ARTISTIC REPRESENTATIONS OF BUTTONS ...................................................................... 53 Copan ........................................................................................................................................ 53 Piedras Negras .......................................................................................................................... 54 Seibal......................................................................................................................................... 55 La Mar ....................................................................................................................................... 55 Quirigua .................................................................................................................................... 56 Naranjo ...................................................................................................................................... 56 Yaxchilán .................................................................................................................................. 56 Yaxchilán Vicinity ..................................................................................................................... 61 Bonampak ................................................................................................................................. 61 Aguateca ................................................................................................................................... 62 Dos Pilas ................................................................................................................................... 62 El Cayo...................................................................................................................................... 63 Kaminaljuyu .............................................................................................................................. 64 Chocola ..................................................................................................................................... 64 Tikal .......................................................................................................................................... 64 Puuc Region .............................................................................................................................. 65 Bilbao ........................................................................................................................................ 66 STONE POLISHERS ................................................................................................................... 67 Cancuen Jadeite Polishers ......................................................................................................... 67 Vargas IIA Bead Grinder/Polisher ............................................................................................ 70 Caracol Bead Polisher ............................................................................................................... 71 Nohmul Polisher ....................................................................................................................... 76 CONCLUSIONS..........................................................................................................................