Ancient Maya Political Dynamics

307 Pages·2013·11.305 MB·English

by  Antonia E. Foias

Ancient Maya Political Dynamics
Maya Studies
University Press of Florida
Florida A&M University, Tallahassee
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers
Florida International University, Miami
Florida State University, Tallahassee
New College of Florida, Sarasota
University of Central Florida, Orlando
University of Florida, Gainesville
University of North Florida, Jacksonville
University of South Florida, Tampa
University of West Florida, Pensacola

Ancient Maya
Political Dynamics
Antonia E. Foias
Foreword by Diane Z. Chase and Arlen F. Chase
University Press of Florida
Gainesville · Tallahassee · Tampa · Boca Raton
Pensacola · Orlando · Miami · Jacksonville · Ft. Myers · Sarasota
Copyright 2013 by Antonia E. Foias
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America. This book is printed on
Glatfelter Natures Book, a paper certified under the standards of
the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). It is a recycled stock that
contains 30 percent post-consumer waste and is acid-free
The publication of this book is made possible in part by a grant from
Williams College.
This book may be available in an electronic edition.
18 17 16 15 14 13 6 5 4 3 2 1
A record of cataloging-in-publication data is available from the
Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-0-8130-4422-4
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
http://www.upf.com
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables ix
Foreword xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1. Introduction 1
2. Political Anthropology, Archaeology, and Ancient Politics 24
3. Archaeological Studies of Ancient Politics 46
4. Reconstructing Classic Maya Polities: The Macro Scale of Political
Analysis 59
5. Internal Dynamics, Bureaucracy, and Political Centralization:
The Middle Scale of Political Analysis 111
6. The Flow and Use of Power: The Micro Scale of Political Analysis 165
7. Conclusions: Toward an Archaeology of Power 220
References Cited 231
Index 281

Figures
1.1. Map of the Maya region 8
4.1. The three polities of Late Classic Greater Rosario Valley, Chiapas,
Mexico 65
4.2. Map of the core of Tenam Rosario 67
4.3. Location of Motul de San José and nearby sites in the Central Peten
Lakes region, Guatemala 88
5.1. Classic Maya political titles 118
5.2. Map showing the site components of Blue Creek, Belize 135
5.3. K1728, the Tribute Vase of the Ik’ Style, depicting Motul’s ruler
K’inich Lamaw Ek’ receiving tribute from a sajal 141
5.4. K4996, showing Motul’s ruler Tayal/Tayel Chan K’inich receiving
tribute from three lakams 145
5.5. Map of Motul de San José, Peten, Guatemala 148
6.1. K8889, example of an Ik’ Style vessel displaying a heterarchical
positioning of rulers and other elites 183
6.2. K534, a second example of an Ik’ Style vessel displaying a
heterarchical positioning of rulers and other elites 184
6.3. K1399, a third example of an Ik’ Style vessel displaying a heterarchical
positioning of rulers and other elites 185
6.4. K6341, an Ik’ Style vase depicting a palace scene from the royal court
of Motul de San José 185
6.5. K3984, an Ik’ Style vase depicting a war presentation scene in the
royal court of Motul de San José 187
6.6. K1453, an Ik’ Style Vase showing a feast in the court of Motul’s ruler
Sihyaj K’awiil 190

Tables
1.1. Pre-Columbian chronology of the Maya region 3
4.1. Titles associated with administrative positions from
Postclassic–Contact Yucatan, seventeenth-century Peten Itza
and possible equivalencies from the Classic period 95
6.1. Types of political events depicted on Ik’ Style polychrome
vessels 177