The Maya Area
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Transcript of The Maya Area
The Maya AreaANTH 221: Peoples and Cultures of Mexico
Kimberly Martin, Ph.D.
Maya Area
Preclassic Period
Maya Area - Takalik Abaj• Strong Olmec influence through
middle Pre-Classic (to about 300BCE)• Earliest public architecture of fire-
hardened clay• Early houses were built with cobble
floors and reed-thatched roofs supported by timber poles.
Maya Area – Takalik Abaj
Maya Area – Takalik Abaj
Excavation of Ball Court
Maya Area – Takalik Abaj
Maya Area – Takalik Abaj
Takalik Abaj Olmec Style Head Takalik Abaj Pot Belly Style
Maya Area – Chiapa De Corzo
• Stela 2, showing the date of 7.16.3.2.13, or December 36 BCE, the earliest Mesoamerican Long Count calendar date yet found
• clay cylinder seals and flat stamps than any other Formative Mesoamerican site, save Tlatilco.[14] Hieroglyphs appear on examples made around 100 BCE.
• In 2008, archaeologists discovered a massive Middle Formative Olmec axe deposit
• Oldest pyramid tomb yet found in North America -
Maya Area – Chiapa De Corzo
• Large sample of clay cylinder seals and flat stamps with hieroglyphs made around 100 BCE.
• Large deposit of Olmec style axes• Oldest pyramid tomb yet found in
North America
Chiapa de Corzo Unexcavated Area
Chiapa de Corzo Excavation
Chiapa de Corzos• 1500 BC– Near Tuxtla Gutierrez
in Chiapas– Isthmian Script• Controversial translation
– First evidence of writing• 450-300 BCE
– First MesoAmerican Long Count Calendar Date• December 10, 36 BCE Sample of Isthmian Script from La Mojarra, Veracruz
Chiapa de Corzo
Oldest Pyramid Tomb with Woman’s
Remains and Grave Goods
2700 BCE
Classic Period
Yaxchilan• Sits within a loop of the Usumacinta River
that forms the boundary between Mexico and Guademala.
• Hunter/Farmer population in Pre-Classic• Ceremonial Center/City 350 – 810 CE
(Classic Period)• Conquered Bonampak and Piedras Negras at
various times• Warred with Palenque as a rival• Associated with Tikal (the most dominant
site)• We have the full dynastic sequence of
leaders
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan
Palenque
• Medium – sized site• Finest examples of Maya architecture• Pakal the Great (K'inich Janaab'
Pakal) – Began his reign at 12 years of age in
615 CE – Reigned until 683 (68 years).– His tomb one of the richest found in the
Americas – Temple of the Inscriptions
Palenque
Palenque
Palenque
Palenque
Palenque
Palenque
Palenque
Palenque
Palenque
Uxmal• 700 – 1100 CE Dominant Yucatan
Maya Site
Uxmal
Uxmal
Uxmal Grand Pyramid
Uxmal Puuc Architecture Style
Uxmal Governor’s Palace
Uxmal Governor’s Palace
Uxmal “Nunnery” Quadrangle
Quadrangle of the Birds
Uxmal Pyramid of the Magician
Chichen Itza• “At the mouth of the well of the Itza” (cenote)• 600 – 1000 CE• Monumental Architecture organized into three main
groups– Central Group (Caracol Observatory)– Great Northern Platform (El Castillo, Ball Court, Temple of
Warriors– Ossario (Ossario Pyramid)
• Network of 100 paved roads (sacbeob)• Classic site with mixed ethnic influences including Tula
(Chac Mool)• Current theory says outside influences are from
diffusion, not invasion• Chichen Itza is Late Classic, Tula is Early Post Classic,
so Tula is later than CI
Cenote Sagrado
Largest Cenote near Chichen ItzaHuman Sacrifice Evidence, probably to Chac, Rain God (wounds consistent with sacrifice)
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza
Yucatan (Puuc) Maya
Uxmal (A) and Chichen Itza (I)
Chichen Itza
Chichen Itza’s Temple of Kulkulcan (Questlcoatl)
(El Castillo) (Unreconstructed)
Chichen Itza’s Temple of Kulkulcan (Questlcoatl)
(El Castillo) (Unreconstructed)
Chichen Itza’s Templo de Guerreros
Chichen Itza Templo de Guerreros Chacmool
Chichen Itza’s Ball CourtLargest in Mesoamerica
Chichen Itza’s El Caracol Observatory