Antonia E. Foias
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813044224
- eISBN:
- 9780813046488
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813044224.003.0005
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
Shifting focus to the middle scale of political analysis, this chapter explores the nature of the internal political administration of Maya polities, and the institutions that support it (the ...
More
Shifting focus to the middle scale of political analysis, this chapter explores the nature of the internal political administration of Maya polities, and the institutions that support it (the tribute-tax and the palace economy). Because many scholars consider Classic administration bureaucratic, this chapter endeavors to compare Classic Maya officialdom with early-modern to modern bureaucracies in order to show that these are different institutions. Classic Maya administrations are reconstructed through decipherments of subsidiary political titles in Maya texts and through depictions of these officials in Maya art. Then, the tribute, tax, and palace economy are described to show how variations in these impact political power.Less
Shifting focus to the middle scale of political analysis, this chapter explores the nature of the internal political administration of Maya polities, and the institutions that support it (the tribute-tax and the palace economy). Because many scholars consider Classic administration bureaucratic, this chapter endeavors to compare Classic Maya officialdom with early-modern to modern bureaucracies in order to show that these are different institutions. Classic Maya administrations are reconstructed through decipherments of subsidiary political titles in Maya texts and through depictions of these officials in Maya art. Then, the tribute, tax, and palace economy are described to show how variations in these impact political power.
Heather McKillop
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813025117
- eISBN:
- 9780813039497
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813025117.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This book reports the discovery, excavation, and interpretation of Late Classic Maya salt works on the coast of Belize, transforming our knowledge of the Maya salt trade and craft specialization ...
More
This book reports the discovery, excavation, and interpretation of Late Classic Maya salt works on the coast of Belize, transforming our knowledge of the Maya salt trade and craft specialization while providing new insights on sea-level rise in the Late Holocene as well. Salt, basic to human existence, was scarce in the tropical rainforests of Belize and Guatemala, where the Classic Maya civilization thrived between A.D. 300 and 900. The prevailing interpretation has been that salt was imported from the north coast of the Yucatan. However, the underwater discovery and excavation of salt works in Punta Ycacos Lagoon demonstrate that the Maya produced salt by boiling brine in pots over fires at specialized workshops on the Belizean coast. The Punta Ycacos salt works are clear evidence that craft specialization took place in a nondomestic setting and that production occurred away from the economic and political power of the urban Maya rulers, thus providing new clues to the Maya economy and sea trade. The book presents new data on sea-level rise in the Late Holocene that extend geologists' and geographers' sea-level curves from earlier eras. Likewise, it enters the environmental-versus-cultural debate over the Classic Maya collapse by evaluating the factors that led to the abandonment of the Punta Ycacos salt works at the end of the Classic Period, synonymous with the abandonment of inland Maya cities.Less
This book reports the discovery, excavation, and interpretation of Late Classic Maya salt works on the coast of Belize, transforming our knowledge of the Maya salt trade and craft specialization while providing new insights on sea-level rise in the Late Holocene as well. Salt, basic to human existence, was scarce in the tropical rainforests of Belize and Guatemala, where the Classic Maya civilization thrived between A.D. 300 and 900. The prevailing interpretation has been that salt was imported from the north coast of the Yucatan. However, the underwater discovery and excavation of salt works in Punta Ycacos Lagoon demonstrate that the Maya produced salt by boiling brine in pots over fires at specialized workshops on the Belizean coast. The Punta Ycacos salt works are clear evidence that craft specialization took place in a nondomestic setting and that production occurred away from the economic and political power of the urban Maya rulers, thus providing new clues to the Maya economy and sea trade. The book presents new data on sea-level rise in the Late Holocene that extend geologists' and geographers' sea-level curves from earlier eras. Likewise, it enters the environmental-versus-cultural debate over the Classic Maya collapse by evaluating the factors that led to the abandonment of the Punta Ycacos salt works at the end of the Classic Period, synonymous with the abandonment of inland Maya cities.
Heather Mckillop
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813025117
- eISBN:
- 9780813039497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813025117.003.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Salt is basic to daily human existence, however, in the southern Maya lowlands of Guatemala and Belize, salt was scarce. The prevailing theory suggests that salt was imported from the northern part ...
More
Salt is basic to daily human existence, however, in the southern Maya lowlands of Guatemala and Belize, salt was scarce. The prevailing theory suggests that salt was imported from the northern part of the Yucatan wherein several theorists alleged that the limited capability to transport bulk and huge amounts of good contributed to a scarcity of salt in the southern lowlands of Maya and Belize. However, recent fieldwork has showed a closer salt source than those in the northern Yucatan, casting a question on the viability of salt importation from the northern Yucatan to the southern Maya lowlands during the Late Classic civilization. This chapter discusses salt production in the Belize area which reduced or replaced the long-distance salt importation in the northern Yucatan and which made the lowland Maya politically and economically autonomous from the reigns of the inland Maya cities. With the discovery of the salt-production equipment and the Punta Ycacos salt works, this chapter aims to reevaluate the Late Classic Maya civilization, economy, and environment. While looking at salt production and the salt trade in the southern Maya lowlands, the chapter seeks to probe into the role of the environment in affecting cultural change. The following questions are sought to be answered in this chapter. These are: What was the response of the Late Classic Maya to the rising seas? Were communities abandoned with the rise of the threat of sea-level rise? What were the preventive measures taken by the Maya civilization to address sea-level rise? Did anthropogenic soil buildup from centuries of human garbage keep some communities above sea level?Less
Salt is basic to daily human existence, however, in the southern Maya lowlands of Guatemala and Belize, salt was scarce. The prevailing theory suggests that salt was imported from the northern part of the Yucatan wherein several theorists alleged that the limited capability to transport bulk and huge amounts of good contributed to a scarcity of salt in the southern lowlands of Maya and Belize. However, recent fieldwork has showed a closer salt source than those in the northern Yucatan, casting a question on the viability of salt importation from the northern Yucatan to the southern Maya lowlands during the Late Classic civilization. This chapter discusses salt production in the Belize area which reduced or replaced the long-distance salt importation in the northern Yucatan and which made the lowland Maya politically and economically autonomous from the reigns of the inland Maya cities. With the discovery of the salt-production equipment and the Punta Ycacos salt works, this chapter aims to reevaluate the Late Classic Maya civilization, economy, and environment. While looking at salt production and the salt trade in the southern Maya lowlands, the chapter seeks to probe into the role of the environment in affecting cultural change. The following questions are sought to be answered in this chapter. These are: What was the response of the Late Classic Maya to the rising seas? Were communities abandoned with the rise of the threat of sea-level rise? What were the preventive measures taken by the Maya civilization to address sea-level rise? Did anthropogenic soil buildup from centuries of human garbage keep some communities above sea level?
Antonia E. Foias
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813044224
- eISBN:
- 9780813046488
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813044224.003.0006
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter focuses on the microscale of political analysis by considering how individuals, households, factions, power blocs, and communities participate in the politics of the Classic period. The ...
More
This chapter focuses on the microscale of political analysis by considering how individuals, households, factions, power blocs, and communities participate in the politics of the Classic period. The topics examined are: the foundations of political power, the role of authority and legitimacy, claims to power, discourses of power, the existence and role of councils, the political power of commoners, and the rituals of politics depicted in Maya art in public stone monuments, in portable polychrome vessels, and in small figurines.Less
This chapter focuses on the microscale of political analysis by considering how individuals, households, factions, power blocs, and communities participate in the politics of the Classic period. The topics examined are: the foundations of political power, the role of authority and legitimacy, claims to power, discourses of power, the existence and role of councils, the political power of commoners, and the rituals of politics depicted in Maya art in public stone monuments, in portable polychrome vessels, and in small figurines.
Antonia E. Foias
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813044224
- eISBN:
- 9780813046488
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813044224.003.0004
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This chapter presents the different sources of data used by Maya archaeologists to reconstruct ancient politics at the macroscale or polity and inter-polity level: settlement patterns, epigraphy, and ...
More
This chapter presents the different sources of data used by Maya archaeologists to reconstruct ancient politics at the macroscale or polity and inter-polity level: settlement patterns, epigraphy, and ethnohistory. These bodies of knowledge show that Maya polities were highly variable; therefore, general concepts of centralization versus decentralization are not very useful in understanding the sources of this variability. Case studies from projects in the Upper Grijalva Basin; Chiapas, Mexico; at Xunantunich, Belize; and Motul de San José, Guatemala highlight the similarities and differences between these bodies of knowledge, and the sources of some of the variability in Classic Maya politics.Less
This chapter presents the different sources of data used by Maya archaeologists to reconstruct ancient politics at the macroscale or polity and inter-polity level: settlement patterns, epigraphy, and ethnohistory. These bodies of knowledge show that Maya polities were highly variable; therefore, general concepts of centralization versus decentralization are not very useful in understanding the sources of this variability. Case studies from projects in the Upper Grijalva Basin; Chiapas, Mexico; at Xunantunich, Belize; and Motul de San José, Guatemala highlight the similarities and differences between these bodies of knowledge, and the sources of some of the variability in Classic Maya politics.
Rhonda Taube and Karl Taube
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033303
- eISBN:
- 9780813039350
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033303.003.0009
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
While the notion of aesthetics in European philosophy accounts for a branch of metaphysics that encompasses the laws of refined visual taste, these are comparable to Maya notions of visually pleasing ...
More
While the notion of aesthetics in European philosophy accounts for a branch of metaphysics that encompasses the laws of refined visual taste, these are comparable to Maya notions of visually pleasing things as seen in the Classic period. The Maya concept of aesthetics gives fundamental attention to how their figurines are interpreted. Utilizing a visual paradigm in small-scale art works is appropriate for examining Maya notions of representation since this would entail diverse associated ideas and meanings. While sight is recognized as a tangible phenomenon among the Pre-Classic Maya, the Maya “gaze” is still perceived to be a concrete experience. The ruler's being in Classic Maya is an expression of a physical ideal, flawless beauty, youthfulness, elegant gestures, control, and nobility.Less
While the notion of aesthetics in European philosophy accounts for a branch of metaphysics that encompasses the laws of refined visual taste, these are comparable to Maya notions of visually pleasing things as seen in the Classic period. The Maya concept of aesthetics gives fundamental attention to how their figurines are interpreted. Utilizing a visual paradigm in small-scale art works is appropriate for examining Maya notions of representation since this would entail diverse associated ideas and meanings. While sight is recognized as a tangible phenomenon among the Pre-Classic Maya, the Maya “gaze” is still perceived to be a concrete experience. The ruler's being in Classic Maya is an expression of a physical ideal, flawless beauty, youthfulness, elegant gestures, control, and nobility.
Takeshi Inomata
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520254435
- eISBN:
- 9780520941519
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520254435.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History
Archaeologists and students working at the Classic Maya site of Aguateca in the rain forest of Guatemala unearthed objects that Classic Maya courtiers made and used, perhaps left behind because an ...
More
Archaeologists and students working at the Classic Maya site of Aguateca in the rain forest of Guatemala unearthed objects that Classic Maya courtiers made and used, perhaps left behind because an enemy attack had brought Aguateca to a sudden and violent end. Among the numerous artifacts discovered during the excavations were beautiful figurines of noble women, some of them holding a child. Excavators also unearthed bone needles, spindle whorls, and grinding stones, which may have been used by women for textile production and food preparation. They provide tantalizing traces of women's life at court. This chapter examines the visibility of Classic Maya court women as a window to their power and role in the court. First, it provides an overview of Classic Maya royal courts, then looks at the depiction of court women in documents and images. It also considers women in court architecture and space, focusing on three cases: elite residential structures at Aguateca, the palace in Complex A-V at Uaxactun, and the center of Yaxchilan.Less
Archaeologists and students working at the Classic Maya site of Aguateca in the rain forest of Guatemala unearthed objects that Classic Maya courtiers made and used, perhaps left behind because an enemy attack had brought Aguateca to a sudden and violent end. Among the numerous artifacts discovered during the excavations were beautiful figurines of noble women, some of them holding a child. Excavators also unearthed bone needles, spindle whorls, and grinding stones, which may have been used by women for textile production and food preparation. They provide tantalizing traces of women's life at court. This chapter examines the visibility of Classic Maya court women as a window to their power and role in the court. First, it provides an overview of Classic Maya royal courts, then looks at the depiction of court women in documents and images. It also considers women in court architecture and space, focusing on three cases: elite residential structures at Aguateca, the palace in Complex A-V at Uaxactun, and the center of Yaxchilan.
Douglas J. Kennett and David A. Hodell
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780199329199
- eISBN:
- 9780190607920
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780199329199.003.0007
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Non-Classical
Multiple palaeoclimatic reconstructions point to a succession of major droughts in the Maya Lowlands between AD 750 and 1100 superimposed on a regional drying trend that itself was marked by ...
More
Multiple palaeoclimatic reconstructions point to a succession of major droughts in the Maya Lowlands between AD 750 and 1100 superimposed on a regional drying trend that itself was marked by considerable spatial and temporal variability. The longest and most severe regional droughts occurred between AD 800 and 900 and again between AD 1000 and 1100. Well-dated historical records carved on stone monuments from forty Classic Period civic-ceremonial centers reflect a dynamic sociopolitical landscape between AD 250 and 800 marked by a complex of antagonistic, diplomatic, lineage-based, and subordinate networks. Warfare between Maya polities increased between AD 600 and 800 within the context of population expansion and long-term environmental degradation exacerbated by increasing drought. Nevertheless, in spite of the clear effects of drought on network collapse during the Classic Period, one lingering question is why polities in the northern lowlands persisted and even flourished between AD 800 and 1000 (Puuc Maya and Chichén Itzá) before they too fragmented during an extended and severe regional drought between AD 1000 and 1100. Here we review available regional climate records during this critical transition and consider the different sociopolitical trajectories in the South/Central versus Northern Maya lowlands.Less
Multiple palaeoclimatic reconstructions point to a succession of major droughts in the Maya Lowlands between AD 750 and 1100 superimposed on a regional drying trend that itself was marked by considerable spatial and temporal variability. The longest and most severe regional droughts occurred between AD 800 and 900 and again between AD 1000 and 1100. Well-dated historical records carved on stone monuments from forty Classic Period civic-ceremonial centers reflect a dynamic sociopolitical landscape between AD 250 and 800 marked by a complex of antagonistic, diplomatic, lineage-based, and subordinate networks. Warfare between Maya polities increased between AD 600 and 800 within the context of population expansion and long-term environmental degradation exacerbated by increasing drought. Nevertheless, in spite of the clear effects of drought on network collapse during the Classic Period, one lingering question is why polities in the northern lowlands persisted and even flourished between AD 800 and 1000 (Puuc Maya and Chichén Itzá) before they too fragmented during an extended and severe regional drought between AD 1000 and 1100. Here we review available regional climate records during this critical transition and consider the different sociopolitical trajectories in the South/Central versus Northern Maya lowlands.
David Stuart
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813029535
- eISBN:
- 9780813039503
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813029535.003.0009
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
The importance of cacao in Classic Maya was often overlooked before the decipherment of glyphic texts seen on ceramics in 1980. The discovery of the meaning of the texts led to the conclusion that ...
More
The importance of cacao in Classic Maya was often overlooked before the decipherment of glyphic texts seen on ceramics in 1980. The discovery of the meaning of the texts led to the conclusion that during the Classic Maya period, chocolate was a key element of courtly life and had a profound role in the political economics and in feasting, rituals, and events. The various products of cacao also permeated the Maya religious iconographies and cacao was an indispensable part of their religion. This chapter offers a comparative work on what the purpose and use of the cacao beverages in the Maya elite society was. The chapter focuses on the decipherment of the inscribed tags on drinking vessels that often contained descriptions on the varieties of cacao or recipes and their intended use. Several of the hieroglyphic labels found on the chocolate drinking vessels refer to chocolate drinks in combination with other substances and flavorings to highlight and enhance the flavor of cacao. While cacao was seen as a politically and socially important drink, it was also a drink of pleasure in Mayan culture.Less
The importance of cacao in Classic Maya was often overlooked before the decipherment of glyphic texts seen on ceramics in 1980. The discovery of the meaning of the texts led to the conclusion that during the Classic Maya period, chocolate was a key element of courtly life and had a profound role in the political economics and in feasting, rituals, and events. The various products of cacao also permeated the Maya religious iconographies and cacao was an indispensable part of their religion. This chapter offers a comparative work on what the purpose and use of the cacao beverages in the Maya elite society was. The chapter focuses on the decipherment of the inscribed tags on drinking vessels that often contained descriptions on the varieties of cacao or recipes and their intended use. Several of the hieroglyphic labels found on the chocolate drinking vessels refer to chocolate drinks in combination with other substances and flavorings to highlight and enhance the flavor of cacao. While cacao was seen as a politically and socially important drink, it was also a drink of pleasure in Mayan culture.
Heather Mckillop
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813025117
- eISBN:
- 9780813039497
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813025117.003.0005
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This chapter examines the impact of the rise of the sea-level on the civilization especially on the salt production and salt works of Punta Ycacos during the Late Classic Maya period. The discovery ...
More
This chapter examines the impact of the rise of the sea-level on the civilization especially on the salt production and salt works of Punta Ycacos during the Late Classic Maya period. The discovery and excavation of ten inundated sites that date back to the Classic period in the Port Honduras region suggest and document the Holocene sea-level rise. The production of salt in Punta Ycacos occurred in relation to the surge of settlement in the Port Honduras region and in the inland region of southern Belize during the Late Classic Maya period. However, the collapse of the southern Maya civilization and the abandonment of inland cities in southern Belize and Pasion led to the decline of demand for Punta Ycacos salt. The rising seas which submerged the salt workshops led to the abandonment of Punta Ycacos salt production sites. The sea level played an important role in the Mayan civilization as the level of the sea determined the availability of resources and habitable land for the ancient coastal areas of the Mayan civilization. Although the rise of sea-level cannot be pinpointed as the sole rationale behind the abandonment of the Punta Ycacos salt shops as the extinction of the coastal towns of Port Honduras and the Punta Ycacos salt shops were the result of the complex interplay between cultural and environmental factors, the sea-level at some point did obviate the use of the Punta Ycacos shops during the Postclassic period.Less
This chapter examines the impact of the rise of the sea-level on the civilization especially on the salt production and salt works of Punta Ycacos during the Late Classic Maya period. The discovery and excavation of ten inundated sites that date back to the Classic period in the Port Honduras region suggest and document the Holocene sea-level rise. The production of salt in Punta Ycacos occurred in relation to the surge of settlement in the Port Honduras region and in the inland region of southern Belize during the Late Classic Maya period. However, the collapse of the southern Maya civilization and the abandonment of inland cities in southern Belize and Pasion led to the decline of demand for Punta Ycacos salt. The rising seas which submerged the salt workshops led to the abandonment of Punta Ycacos salt production sites. The sea level played an important role in the Mayan civilization as the level of the sea determined the availability of resources and habitable land for the ancient coastal areas of the Mayan civilization. Although the rise of sea-level cannot be pinpointed as the sole rationale behind the abandonment of the Punta Ycacos salt shops as the extinction of the coastal towns of Port Honduras and the Punta Ycacos salt shops were the result of the complex interplay between cultural and environmental factors, the sea-level at some point did obviate the use of the Punta Ycacos shops during the Postclassic period.
Antonia E. Foias and Kitty F. Emery
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813041902
- eISBN:
- 9780813043425
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813041902.003.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This chapter by Antonia E. Foias and Kitty F. Emery introduces the theoretical debates within which the archaeological and ecological research of the Motul de San José Project was conducted between ...
More
This chapter by Antonia E. Foias and Kitty F. Emery introduces the theoretical debates within which the archaeological and ecological research of the Motul de San José Project was conducted between 1998 and 2003. The project engages the major debates on the dynamics of political structure within the Maya civilization during the Classic period and locates the research at the intersection between economics and politics. Shifting attention away from the general concepts of centralization and decentralization, the Motul de San José Project dwells on the internal relationships between political inferiors and superiors, between primary and subsidiary centers, and on the nature of economic control by the elite in this small polity of the Central Petén Lakes of northern Guatemala.Less
This chapter by Antonia E. Foias and Kitty F. Emery introduces the theoretical debates within which the archaeological and ecological research of the Motul de San José Project was conducted between 1998 and 2003. The project engages the major debates on the dynamics of political structure within the Maya civilization during the Classic period and locates the research at the intersection between economics and politics. Shifting attention away from the general concepts of centralization and decentralization, the Motul de San José Project dwells on the internal relationships between political inferiors and superiors, between primary and subsidiary centers, and on the nature of economic control by the elite in this small polity of the Central Petén Lakes of northern Guatemala.
Dorie Reents-Budet (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813029535
- eISBN:
- 9780813039503
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813029535.003.0010
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This chapter discusses the social context that surrounded cacao drinking during the ancient Maya period. Cacao was both prized delicious food and a repository of financial strength in the Classic ...
More
This chapter discusses the social context that surrounded cacao drinking during the ancient Maya period. Cacao was both prized delicious food and a repository of financial strength in the Classic Maya society. Among the ruling elite of the Mayan culture, cacao and cacao-drinking were tightly associated with the fundamental political processes of alliance formation and socioeconomic enrichment. This relationship between cacao and social process in the Maya culture were discerned from the pictorial representations found on Classic Maya pottery used for feasting events. By the Early Classic period, feasts under the control of the ruling elite became an important social, political and economic mechanism. In the Classic Maya culture, cacao, politics and economics formed a formidable relationship in the never-ending pursuit for social prestige, political influence and economic power.Less
This chapter discusses the social context that surrounded cacao drinking during the ancient Maya period. Cacao was both prized delicious food and a repository of financial strength in the Classic Maya society. Among the ruling elite of the Mayan culture, cacao and cacao-drinking were tightly associated with the fundamental political processes of alliance formation and socioeconomic enrichment. This relationship between cacao and social process in the Maya culture were discerned from the pictorial representations found on Classic Maya pottery used for feasting events. By the Early Classic period, feasts under the control of the ruling elite became an important social, political and economic mechanism. In the Classic Maya culture, cacao, politics and economics formed a formidable relationship in the never-ending pursuit for social prestige, political influence and economic power.
Antonia E. Foias
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813044224
- eISBN:
- 9780813046488
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813044224.003.0007
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This concluding chapter reassesses the state of knowledge on Classic Maya political structure and dynamics. It also argues that by pulling together all sources of political data from the macroscale ...
More
This concluding chapter reassesses the state of knowledge on Classic Maya political structure and dynamics. It also argues that by pulling together all sources of political data from the macroscale to the middle-scale to the microscale, archaeologists can reconstruct in much more detail the dynamic political landscape characteristic of the Classic period. The causes of these dynamics are found at all levels of Maya society, from the individual and the local community to the polity and regional interaction among these kingdoms. Rather than conceiving of the whole Maya society as cycling between periods of centralization during the Classic period and decentralization during the Postclassic period, this synthesis underscores that powerful and possibly more centralized states were superposed against smaller and less centralized polities in both time periods.Less
This concluding chapter reassesses the state of knowledge on Classic Maya political structure and dynamics. It also argues that by pulling together all sources of political data from the macroscale to the middle-scale to the microscale, archaeologists can reconstruct in much more detail the dynamic political landscape characteristic of the Classic period. The causes of these dynamics are found at all levels of Maya society, from the individual and the local community to the polity and regional interaction among these kingdoms. Rather than conceiving of the whole Maya society as cycling between periods of centralization during the Classic period and decentralization during the Postclassic period, this synthesis underscores that powerful and possibly more centralized states were superposed against smaller and less centralized polities in both time periods.
Antonia E. Foias, Christina T. Halperin, Ellen Spensley Moriarty, and Jeanette Castellanos
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813041902
- eISBN:
- 9780813043425
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813041902.003.0004
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This chapter by Antonia E. Foias, Christina T. Halperin, Ellen Spensley Moriarty, and Jeanette Castellanos explores the stratification of social, economic, and political power in the epicenter of ...
More
This chapter by Antonia E. Foias, Christina T. Halperin, Ellen Spensley Moriarty, and Jeanette Castellanos explores the stratification of social, economic, and political power in the epicenter of Motul de San José based on the evidence from a test pitting program and more limited horizontal excavations undertaken at the site. The involvement in different economic activities by the inhabitants of plaza groups that varied in architectural volumetrics and elaboration are compared to model the levels of elite control over the Late Classic economy. Based on these architectural and artefactual analyses, the social system of Motul consisted of three ranks, the royal elites, secondary nobles, and commoners. The distribution of ground stone suggests a system of tribute or tax based on foodstuffs. Apart from food preparation, elite compounds and royal palaces were involved in more economic activities than lower rank households. The highly restricted use of valuable non-exotics suggests elite control over these substances. At the same time, the broad consumption of polychromes and obsidian indicates that Motul was a wealthy community.Less
This chapter by Antonia E. Foias, Christina T. Halperin, Ellen Spensley Moriarty, and Jeanette Castellanos explores the stratification of social, economic, and political power in the epicenter of Motul de San José based on the evidence from a test pitting program and more limited horizontal excavations undertaken at the site. The involvement in different economic activities by the inhabitants of plaza groups that varied in architectural volumetrics and elaboration are compared to model the levels of elite control over the Late Classic economy. Based on these architectural and artefactual analyses, the social system of Motul consisted of three ranks, the royal elites, secondary nobles, and commoners. The distribution of ground stone suggests a system of tribute or tax based on foodstuffs. Apart from food preparation, elite compounds and royal palaces were involved in more economic activities than lower rank households. The highly restricted use of valuable non-exotics suggests elite control over these substances. At the same time, the broad consumption of polychromes and obsidian indicates that Motul was a wealthy community.
M. Kathryn Brown and George J. Bey III
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780813054841
- eISBN:
- 9780813053332
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813054841.003.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This introduction to the edited volume by Brown and Bey summarizes past research on the Preclassic Maya and discusses an explosion of new information from the last fifteen years pushing back the ...
More
This introduction to the edited volume by Brown and Bey summarizes past research on the Preclassic Maya and discusses an explosion of new information from the last fifteen years pushing back the origins of social complexity into the Middle Preclassic. This chapter highlights the fact that this volume brings together important archaeology and research considering the Middle and Late Preclassic periods from both the southern and northern Maya lowlands for the first time. The Late Preclassic was long thought to be the time period by which archaeologists could explain the rise and nature of Classic Maya culture. However, as the fifteen chapters in this volume argue, any discussion of the development of social complexity must be focused on the Middle Preclassic (1000-300 B.C.).Less
This introduction to the edited volume by Brown and Bey summarizes past research on the Preclassic Maya and discusses an explosion of new information from the last fifteen years pushing back the origins of social complexity into the Middle Preclassic. This chapter highlights the fact that this volume brings together important archaeology and research considering the Middle and Late Preclassic periods from both the southern and northern Maya lowlands for the first time. The Late Preclassic was long thought to be the time period by which archaeologists could explain the rise and nature of Classic Maya culture. However, as the fifteen chapters in this volume argue, any discussion of the development of social complexity must be focused on the Middle Preclassic (1000-300 B.C.).
Erin Kennedy Thornton
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813041902
- eISBN:
- 9780813043425
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813041902.003.0012
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
Analysis of archaeological animal remains from the subsidiary inland port of Trinidad de Nosotros documents how animals were used as dietary, raw material, ritual, and prestige goods from Preclassic ...
More
Analysis of archaeological animal remains from the subsidiary inland port of Trinidad de Nosotros documents how animals were used as dietary, raw material, ritual, and prestige goods from Preclassic (ca. 800 B.C.- A.D. 250) through Postclassic (A.D. 1000-1500) times. Based on the site's lacustrine location, specific attention is given to the contribution of aquatic resources to the prehistoric Maya diet, and what impact archaeological excavation and recovery methods have on our interpretation of aquatic resource use. Temporal and spatial variation in the zooarchaeological record at Trinidad de Nosotros also provides insights into patterns of elite animal use and the site's economic status and role within the larger Motul polity during the Late Classic period.Less
Analysis of archaeological animal remains from the subsidiary inland port of Trinidad de Nosotros documents how animals were used as dietary, raw material, ritual, and prestige goods from Preclassic (ca. 800 B.C.- A.D. 250) through Postclassic (A.D. 1000-1500) times. Based on the site's lacustrine location, specific attention is given to the contribution of aquatic resources to the prehistoric Maya diet, and what impact archaeological excavation and recovery methods have on our interpretation of aquatic resource use. Temporal and spatial variation in the zooarchaeological record at Trinidad de Nosotros also provides insights into patterns of elite animal use and the site's economic status and role within the larger Motul polity during the Late Classic period.
Matthew D. Moriarty
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813041902
- eISBN:
- 9780813043425
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813041902.003.0007
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
The last decades of the seventh century AD witnessed a dramatic upheaval in the structure and organization of lowland Maya politics, including Tikal's return to prominence. Recent investigations by ...
More
The last decades of the seventh century AD witnessed a dramatic upheaval in the structure and organization of lowland Maya politics, including Tikal's return to prominence. Recent investigations by the MSJ Project have revealed that Motul's ascendancy as a major center likely occurred during this interval and that its emergence as a political power may have resulted, in part, from the major forces reshaping and restructuring other areas of the Maya lowlands. This chapter by Matthew D. Moriarty examines Late Classic developments from the perspective of the pottery of Trinidad de Nosotros, a port subsidiary to Motul during this epoch. Trinidad's long history of development as part of the larger Lake Petén Itzá interaction zone as well as its placement, intermediate between Motul and this zone, make the site an ideal starting point for considering the development of the Late Classic Motul polity. Comparisons between Trinidad and Motul reveal significant differences in site layout and organization but also suggest some of the ways in which Motul's rulers may have co-opted local traditions as part of comprehensive political strategies.Less
The last decades of the seventh century AD witnessed a dramatic upheaval in the structure and organization of lowland Maya politics, including Tikal's return to prominence. Recent investigations by the MSJ Project have revealed that Motul's ascendancy as a major center likely occurred during this interval and that its emergence as a political power may have resulted, in part, from the major forces reshaping and restructuring other areas of the Maya lowlands. This chapter by Matthew D. Moriarty examines Late Classic developments from the perspective of the pottery of Trinidad de Nosotros, a port subsidiary to Motul during this epoch. Trinidad's long history of development as part of the larger Lake Petén Itzá interaction zone as well as its placement, intermediate between Motul and this zone, make the site an ideal starting point for considering the development of the Late Classic Motul polity. Comparisons between Trinidad and Motul reveal significant differences in site layout and organization but also suggest some of the ways in which Motul's rulers may have co-opted local traditions as part of comprehensive political strategies.
Antonia E. Foias
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813044224
- eISBN:
- 9780813046488
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813044224.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Historical Archaeology
This book is meant to show how archaeologists worldwide understand and reconstruct ancient political systems, and more specifically, how Maya archaeologists have reconstructed political power, ...
More
This book is meant to show how archaeologists worldwide understand and reconstruct ancient political systems, and more specifically, how Maya archaeologists have reconstructed political power, institutions, and dynamics among ancient Maya states during the Classic period in the first millennium A.D. The book engages with the theoretical literature in political anthropology, the debates and history of how archaeologists have reconstructed ancient politics, and then describes specific cases of archaeological projects that focus on political questions across the world, and more specifically, in the Maya civilization of the Classic period. It summarizes studies of Maya political organization, again by highlighting the debates, issues involved, manners in which the questions are approached, and specific projects that have focused on political questions. The author’s investigations at Motul de San José are used to highlight some of the main points of these current debates. Politics dominate today’s public arena, and this book will provide a window into how archaeologists reconstruct and understand ancient politics and their dynamics. This exploration of ancient Maya politics tries to answer the question of why the political landscape was so dynamic during the apogee of Maya civilization in the first millennium A.D. by focusing on political analysis at three levels: the macro level of polity and inter-polity relations, the middle level of political organization and dynamics within each polity, and the micro level of individuals, households, communities, and power blocs within each polity.Less
This book is meant to show how archaeologists worldwide understand and reconstruct ancient political systems, and more specifically, how Maya archaeologists have reconstructed political power, institutions, and dynamics among ancient Maya states during the Classic period in the first millennium A.D. The book engages with the theoretical literature in political anthropology, the debates and history of how archaeologists have reconstructed ancient politics, and then describes specific cases of archaeological projects that focus on political questions across the world, and more specifically, in the Maya civilization of the Classic period. It summarizes studies of Maya political organization, again by highlighting the debates, issues involved, manners in which the questions are approached, and specific projects that have focused on political questions. The author’s investigations at Motul de San José are used to highlight some of the main points of these current debates. Politics dominate today’s public arena, and this book will provide a window into how archaeologists reconstruct and understand ancient politics and their dynamics. This exploration of ancient Maya politics tries to answer the question of why the political landscape was so dynamic during the apogee of Maya civilization in the first millennium A.D. by focusing on political analysis at three levels: the macro level of polity and inter-polity relations, the middle level of political organization and dynamics within each polity, and the micro level of individuals, households, communities, and power blocs within each polity.
Antonia E. Foias and Kitty F. Emergy (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813041902
- eISBN:
- 9780813043425
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813041902.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This edited volume considers the interrelationships between political and economic power during the apogee of Maya civilization in the first millennium A.D. at the center of Motul de San José in ...
More
This edited volume considers the interrelationships between political and economic power during the apogee of Maya civilization in the first millennium A.D. at the center of Motul de San José in northern Guatemala. Multiple perspectives are brought to bear on the issues of political power among the Classic Maya. Epigraphers and art historians reconstruct the royal history of this center during the Late Classic from inscriptions on stone monuments and polychrome vases. Architectural volumetric and artifact distributions at Motul de San José and in its periphery reveal hierarchical distinctions in social status, wealth and power. Explorations at two minor centers, La Trinidad and Akte, uncover relationships between Motul and its periphery much more complex than political subjugation: interdependence both economic and ritual through markets, ballcourts and feasting is typical rather than economic independence. The exploitation of the tropical forest of the southern Maya lowlands by the Classic Maya of Motul is revealed through archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, and geochemical soil analyses. These varied perspectives show that understandings of Classic Maya polities as either centralized or decentralized are too simplistic: although Maya elites had more economic power than originally envisioned, the economic sphere was not under the complete control of the Maya state.Less
This edited volume considers the interrelationships between political and economic power during the apogee of Maya civilization in the first millennium A.D. at the center of Motul de San José in northern Guatemala. Multiple perspectives are brought to bear on the issues of political power among the Classic Maya. Epigraphers and art historians reconstruct the royal history of this center during the Late Classic from inscriptions on stone monuments and polychrome vases. Architectural volumetric and artifact distributions at Motul de San José and in its periphery reveal hierarchical distinctions in social status, wealth and power. Explorations at two minor centers, La Trinidad and Akte, uncover relationships between Motul and its periphery much more complex than political subjugation: interdependence both economic and ritual through markets, ballcourts and feasting is typical rather than economic independence. The exploitation of the tropical forest of the southern Maya lowlands by the Classic Maya of Motul is revealed through archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, and geochemical soil analyses. These varied perspectives show that understandings of Classic Maya polities as either centralized or decentralized are too simplistic: although Maya elites had more economic power than originally envisioned, the economic sphere was not under the complete control of the Maya state.
Alexandre Tokovinine and Marc Zender
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780813041902
- eISBN:
- 9780813043425
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813041902.003.0002
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This chapter by Alexandre Tokovinine and Marc Zenderreconstructs the dynastic sequence of 8 or 9 rulers of Motul de San José from the beginning of the Late Classic (A.D. 600-830) through the Terminal ...
More
This chapter by Alexandre Tokovinine and Marc Zenderreconstructs the dynastic sequence of 8 or 9 rulers of Motul de San José from the beginning of the Late Classic (A.D. 600-830) through the Terminal Classic (A.D. 830-950) and their political affairs as recorded in hieroglyphic texts from the site and elsewhere in the Maya lowlands. This political history displays the dynamics of inter-polity relations, their instability and rapid changes in the face of conflicts between Tikal and Calakmul. Nevertheless, Motul maintained close relations over decades with the same small polities further west in the River San Pedro Martir drainage, those centered on La Florida and La Joyanca-Pajaral-Zapote Bobal. The outlines of the Classic Maya royal court at Motul de San José are also painted with wide brushes: a number of officials are named in Motul's texts, such as two ajk'uhuun (high royal priest-scribes), three lakams (tribute collectors), and one sajal (provincial governor).Less
This chapter by Alexandre Tokovinine and Marc Zenderreconstructs the dynastic sequence of 8 or 9 rulers of Motul de San José from the beginning of the Late Classic (A.D. 600-830) through the Terminal Classic (A.D. 830-950) and their political affairs as recorded in hieroglyphic texts from the site and elsewhere in the Maya lowlands. This political history displays the dynamics of inter-polity relations, their instability and rapid changes in the face of conflicts between Tikal and Calakmul. Nevertheless, Motul maintained close relations over decades with the same small polities further west in the River San Pedro Martir drainage, those centered on La Florida and La Joyanca-Pajaral-Zapote Bobal. The outlines of the Classic Maya royal court at Motul de San José are also painted with wide brushes: a number of officials are named in Motul's texts, such as two ajk'uhuun (high royal priest-scribes), three lakams (tribute collectors), and one sajal (provincial governor).
