Table Of Content.375 1.277 .375
5.937
5.937
ANTHROpOLOGY/ARCHAEOLOGY/RELIGION
Maya Christians
“An important and innovative study that brings a good number graham
of fascinating archaeological findings to bear on the process of
Christian conversion in the colonial Maya world. Seldom has
the archaeological material culture of an evangelized society
been brought to light so thoroughly and engagingly.”—fernando and Their
Cervantes, coauthor of Angels, Demons, and the New World
“Combines history, archaeology, religious studies, Spanish co- M
lonialism, Maya culture, and Graham’s perspectives on Catholi- a
y Churches in
cism to complete a convincing and fascinating study of Maya a
religion and Christianity in the frontier.”—Joel palka, university C
h
of Illinois–Chicago
r
i
s -
It is widely held that Christianity came to Belize as an exten- t Sixteenth Century
i
a
sion of the conquest of Yucatan and that adherence to Christian n
belief and practice was abandoned in the absence of enduring s
Spanish authority. An alternative view comes from the excava- a
n
tions of Maya churches at Tipu and Lamanai, which show that d
Belize
the dead were buried in Christian churchyards long after the T
h
churches themselves fell into disuse, and pre-Columbian ritual
e
objects were cached in Christian sacred spaces both during and i
r
after Spanish occupation. Excavations also reveal that the archi- C
tectural style of these early churches is franciscan in inspiration h
u
but nonetheless the product of continuing community efforts at r
c
construction and repair. A conclusion difficult to ignore is that h
e
the Maya of Tipu and Lamanai considered themselves Chris-
s
tians with or without Spanish presence. i
n
Viewing historical and archaeological data through the lens
S
of her personal experience of Roman Catholicism, and informed i
x
by feminist approaches, Elizabeth Graham assesses the concept t
e
of religion, the significance of doctrine, the empowerment of e
the individual, and the process of conversion by examining the n
t
meanings attributed to ideas, objects and images by the Maya, h
-
by Iberian Christians, and by archaeologists. Graham’s provoca- C
e
tive study also makes the case that the impact of Christianity in
n
Belize was a phenomenon that uniquely shaped the develop- t
u
ment of the modern nation. r
y
Elizabeth Graham is Senior Lecturer at the Institute of B
e
Archaeology, university College London.
l
i
z
A volume in the series Maya Studies, edited by Diane Z. e
Chase and Arlen f. Chase
Front cover: Tipu thurible (censer) found in a burial, b96. (photo by Brian Boyle).
Borders: Detail of Crucifix, with allegorical border, by Albrecht Dürer.
university press of florida
www.upf.com
Elizabeth Graham
isbN 978-0-8130-3666-3
upf
,!7IA8B3-adgggd!
Maya Christians
and Their Churches
in sixteenth-Century Belize
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
Elizabeth Graham
+ Maya Christians +
+ and their ChurChes +
in sixteenth-Century Belize
university press of florida
Gainesville · Tallahassee · Tampa · Boca Raton
Pensacola · Orlando · Miami · Jacksonville
Ft. Myers · Sarasota
Copyright 2011 by elizabeth Graham
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.
all rights reserved
16 15 14 13 12 11 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Graham, elizabeth a., 1949–
Maya Christians and their churches in sixteenth-century Belize / elizabeth Graham.
p. cm.
includes bibliographical references and index.
iSbn 978-0-8130-3666-3 (alk. paper)
1. Mayas—Belize—religion. 2. Mayas—Missions—Belize. 3. Mayas—Belize—
antiquities. 4. indian Catholics—Belize—History—16th century. 5. franciscans—
Missions—Belize—History—16th century. 6. Christianity and other cultures—
Belize—History—16th century. 7. excavations (archaeology)—Belize. 8. social
archaeology—Belize. 9. Belize—antiquities. i. title.
f1435.3.r3g73 2011
282.'7282089974209031—dc22 2011011290
The University Press of florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the state
University system of florida, comprising florida a&M University, florida atlantic
University, florida Gulf Coast University, florida international University, florida
state University, new College of florida, University of Central florida, University of
florida, University of north florida, University of south florida, and University of
West florida.
University Press of Florida
15 northwest 15th street
Gainesville, fl 32611-2079
http://www.upf.com
This book is dedicated to the memory of
Elinor Melville, the best of friends
and the most supportive of colleagues.
It is my hope that her spirit is now
at peace in Tlayacapan, and that
I will always find her there.
Contents
list of figures ix
list of Maps xiii
acknowledgments xv
introduction 1
Part I
1 • The view from Belize and the
vision from st. Mike’s 9
2 • yucatan and Belize on the eve of Conquest 29
3 • Cheese and terms 59
4 • Being Christian and the doctrine of
the Church 86
Part II
5 • The environment of early Contact 105
6 • The Millennial Kingdom and the
Belize Missions 137
Part III
7 • How to tell a Church 167
8 • The Churches at tipu and lamanai 189
9 • reductions and Upheaval in the
seventeenth Century 239
Part IV
10 • What europe did for Us 263
11 • Being Pagan 285
12 • everyone Knows What a dragon
looks like 307
appendix 1 • friars in Belize 314
appendix 2 • Bishops of yucatan to 1714 323
notes 325
Glossary of terms 375
references Cited 385
index 415
Figures
0.1. Belize Maya chronology 2
1.1. tipu, reconstruction of main plaza 19
1.2. tipu, remains of str. H12-18 20
1.3. tipu, burials cut through str. H12-18 20
1.4. Church of st. Michael the archangel 21
1.5. Church of st. Michael the archangel, main entrance 22
1.6. tipu, glass bead bracelet 23
1.7. tipu, glass bead necklace with jet 24
1.8. tipu, nueva Cadiz plain glass beads 24
1.9. tipu, earrings from burials 24
1.10. tipu, church burial 25
1.11. “Holy Picture” of san Martín de Porres 26
2.1. Kuuchkabal of Canul 31
2.2. lamanai, glyphs from stela 9 41
2.3. Chronology for lamanai and tipu 49
2.4. lamanai, yglesias-phase pottery 51
6.1. aztec templo Mayor, eighteenth-century print 146
6.2. tipu, thurible (censer) from burial 154
6.3. Plan, single-nave Jeronymite church at yuste, spain 159
7.1. tipu, reconstruction drawing church 169
7.2. lamanai, stone chapel of ydl ii 169
7.3. ecab, perspective reconstruction drawing of the church 171
7.4. schematic, open-air church 173
7.5. dzibilchaltun, perspective reconstruction drawing of
the church 174
7.6. Plan of st. Martin’s church, exeter, devon 177
7.7. traditional layout of Western church 177
7.8. Chapel components of yucatecan churches 178
7.9. st. andrew’s old Church, Upleatham, near Cleveland,
north yorkshire 179
8.1. tipu, excavated remains of the church 191
ix
